Tag: death

  • Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal

    Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal

    I recently went to Salt Lake City for a family reunion. Among the relatives I saw was my only surviving grandparent, who is now 89 years old. He’s literally my oldest friend, and the oldest living human being that I know right now. His health is slowly deteriorating (he lost his driver’s license recently–which turns…

  • On the Anniversary of George Oppen’s Death

    On the Anniversary of George Oppen’s Death

    31 years ago today, the poet George Oppen died in the Idylwood Convalescent Home (now the Idylwood Care Center) in Sunnyvale, California. He was 76 years old, and had been suffering from dementia (Alzheimer’s disease) for several years before his death. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t think about George or his wife…