A Five Part Series from TTBOOK!

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Wisconsin Public Radio

A GOOD DEATH

Program 08-02-24-B

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The celebrated writer Susan Sontag died a few years ago from a brutal form of blood cancer. She fought her illness to the end and didn't want anyone - including her son - to tell her she was dying. Now that son, David Rieff, has written a memoir of his mother's death. And he tackles a difficult question – is there really such a thing as a "good death." In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll talk about life's final chapter.

SEGMENT 1:

David Rieff has written a sobering account of his mother's last days. It's called "Swimming in a Sea of Death," and tells how he tried to do the right thing by his mother - Susan Sontag - while also being true to himself. One of America's most celebrated intellectuals, Sontag refused to believe she was dying. Rieff talks with Steve Paulson. A print version of this interview is available on Salon magazine. Also, former TTBOOK producer and interviewer Judith Strasser was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2005. Last summer, a tumor in her lungs attacked the nerve which controls the larynx, making it difficult, but not impossible, for her to speak. She came in to our studios to record this commentary in response to the Rieff/Sontag story. You can read more about her approach to life and death on her blog "In Lieu of Speech." You can read the script of Judy's commentary.

SEGMENT 2:

David Shields is the author of "The Thing about Life is that One Day You'll Be Dead." He talks with Anne Strainchamps about his book, which is a meditation on how our bodies decay and die, and his irrepressible father who is 97 and who doesn't give death the time of day.

SEGMENT 3:

Pauline Chen is a transplant surgeon and writer. Her book is called "Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality." She talks with Jim Fleming about her medical training and how ill prepared it left her for dealing with issues like grieving families. Also, Edward Wohl tells us about the death of his father in 1999.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 08-02-24-B.

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Books:

Pauline Chen, Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality (Vintage)
David Rieff, Swimming in a Sea of Death: A Son's Memoir (Simon & Schuster)
David Shields, The thing about life is that one day you'll be dead (Knopf)
Judith Strasser, Black Eye: Escaping a Marriage, Writing a Life (Terrace Books)

Websites:

• Judy Strasser’s blog:
  http://www.inlieuofspeech.blogspot.com
• Judy Strasser's Commentary
• Steve Paulson's Salon interview with David Rieff: http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2008/02/13/david_rieff/index.html?source=search&aim=/books/feature

Music:

• We heard several tracks from viola da gamba player Jordi Savall’s haunting soundtrack to the movie “Tous les Matins du Monde.” It’s all music from 17th century France. After David Rieff, we heard Track 2, which is an “Improvisation sur les Folies d’Espagne,” by Marin Marais.

  After Judy Strasser’s commentary, we heard the hauntingly beautiful voices of sopranos M-C. Kiehr and M. Figueras – the song is from Couperin’s “Troisieme Lecon de Tenebres a 2 voix.”

  After David Shields, we heard a selection from Christopher Riley’s CD, “Home to Oblivion: An Elliott Smith Tribute.”

  And after Pauline Chen, we heard “Waltz for Ruth,” from “Beyond the Missouri Sky,” by Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden. And we ended the show with the final track on that CD – “Spiritual.”

Distribution dates: week of 02/24/2008 - hour 2

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