Death Isn’t a Meme: How Stories Can Restore Dignity in a Callous Age

<![CDATA[I’ve been thinking about death a lot lately, for reasons that are all too understandable. But death was never a stranger to me or to most country people. Out in the sticks, you learn early that life is fragile. We raised chicks and chickens, but predators and neighbors’ dogs often got to them first. My calf Boots ended up as steaks one hard winter when money was tight. (Lesson learned: Never name an animal that might end up on the dinner table.)]]>