Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Final acts ...

... Ten extraordinary literary suicides. (Hat tip, Paul Davis.)

My first direct experience with death took place one Sunday morning when I was 11 and discovered that a man had killed himself in his car in front of our house. Later a friend would commit suicide after having my family and me (thanks to Dave Lull for correcting my grammatical lapse!) over for Easter Sunday dinner. And my second oldest stepdaughter's husband committed suicide just a few years ago.

3 comments:

  1. (11) Ross Lockridge, "Raintree County," 1948, carbon monoxide, just weeks after the novel he had worked on for years leapt onto the best-seller lists; (2) Thomas Heggen, "Mister Roberts," 1949, bathtub drowning, a probable suicide, the NY medical examiner ruled, the year after "Mister Roberts" zoomed to print and stage success.

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  2. Anonymous4:26 PM

    I know this is black humor indeed, but I can't help wondering: Did you say something untoward at that Easter dinner???

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  3. No, I was on my good behavior that day. It is a very sad story, actually.

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