MTU Cork Library Catalogue

Syndetics cover image
Image from Syndetics

Widows' words [electronic book] : women write on the experience of grief, the first year, the long haul, and everything in between / edited by Nan Bauer-Maglin.

By: Bauer-Maglin, Nan.
Contributor(s): Goode-Elman, Alice | Dunham, Kelli | Dugan, Penelope | Finney, Melanie K | Schrecker, Ellen | Ramkhelawan, Raquel | Marshall, Maxine | Vanett, Lauren | Derry, Alice.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: Boston : Rutgers University Press, 2019Copyright date: ©2019Edition: 1st ed.Description: 1 online resource (283 pages).Content type: text Media type: computer Carrier type: online resourceISBN: 9780813599533 (hardback) ; 9780813599571 (e-book).DDC classification: Online resources: E-book
Contents:
Part I: prologue-expectant widows -- What we were afraid of: a memoir -- The queen has spoken -- Living a life -- Preparing for the journey through grief -- Deserted/dumped for a second time -- From pre-widow to merry widow -- Part II: recent widows -- A widow's notes: the first six months -- My other half -- The cloak -- "The most precious fit" : a dialogue with C. S. Lewis's: a grief observed -- On grief -- Wedding rings -- The afterlife of an archive -- A healing garden -- You see, I told you so! -- Yes, I miss my husband, but I'm also discovering the pleasures of living alone -- Part III: long-time widows -- The grief convention -- 10 scary things I have done since my husband died -- Being alone -- Re-creating my life -- Becoming Maggie -- Who I am revealed -- Losing the artist, living with his art -- After the aftermath -- Three poems -- Part IV: unique takes or digging deeper -- Widow-to-widow -- Parenting as a widow -- Memories of a widow's daughter -- Lost acts... -- Dealing with double loss: Husband and hearing -- Synchronicity and the secular mind -- Mourning american-style -- The rocks that bind -- On not feeling sad -- What they don't tell you -- Nine things resilient people do after losing a spouse or partner -- Make lemonade?! -- Part V: Epilogue -- The missing vow -- Acknowledgments -- Artist's Statement -- Notes on Contributors.
List(s) this item appears in: Self-Care Collection
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
e-BOOK MTU Bishopstown Library Not for loan
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Becoming a widow is one of the most traumatic life events that a woman can experience. Yet, as this remarkable new collection reveals, each woman responds to that trauma differently. Here, forty-three widows tell their stories, in their own words.



Some were widowed young, while others were married for decades. Some cared for their late partners through long terminal illnesses, while others lost their partners suddenly. Some had male partners, while others had female partners. Yet each of these women faced the same basic dilemma: how to go on living when a part of you is gone.



Widows' Words is arranged chronologically, starting with stories of women preparing for their partners' deaths, followed by the experiences of recent widows still reeling from their fresh loss, and culminating in the accounts of women who lost their partners many years ago but still experience waves of grief. Their accounts deal honestly with feelings of pain, sorrow, and despair, and yet there are also powerful expressions of strength, hope, and even joy. Whether you are a widow yourself or have simply experienced loss, you will be sure to find something moving and profound in these diverse tales of mourning, remembrance, and resilience.

Part I: prologue-expectant widows -- What we were afraid of: a memoir -- The queen has spoken -- Living a life -- Preparing for the journey through grief -- Deserted/dumped for a second time -- From pre-widow to merry widow -- Part II: recent widows -- A widow's notes: the first six months -- My other half -- The cloak -- "The most precious fit" : a dialogue with C. S. Lewis's: a grief observed -- On grief -- Wedding rings -- The afterlife of an archive -- A healing garden -- You see, I told you so! -- Yes, I miss my husband, but I'm also discovering the pleasures of living alone -- Part III: long-time widows -- The grief convention -- 10 scary things I have done since my husband died -- Being alone -- Re-creating my life -- Becoming Maggie -- Who I am revealed -- Losing the artist, living with his art -- After the aftermath -- Three poems -- Part IV: unique takes or digging deeper -- Widow-to-widow -- Parenting as a widow -- Memories of a widow's daughter -- Lost acts... -- Dealing with double loss: Husband and hearing -- Synchronicity and the secular mind -- Mourning american-style -- The rocks that bind -- On not feeling sad -- What they don't tell you -- Nine things resilient people do after losing a spouse or partner -- Make lemonade?! -- Part V: Epilogue -- The missing vow -- Acknowledgments -- Artist's Statement -- Notes on Contributors.

Electronic reproduction.: ProQuest LibCentral. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Self-Care Collection

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Introduction (p. 1)
  • Part I Prologue-Expectant Widows
  • What We Were Afraid Of: A Memoir (p. 17)
  • The Queen Has Spoken (p. 29)
  • Living a Life (p. 33)
  • Preparing for the Journey through Grief (p. 41)
  • Deserted/Dumped for a Second Time (p. 48)
  • From Pre-Widow to Merry Widow (p. 52)
  • Part II Recent Widows
  • A Widow's Notes: The First Six Months (p. 65)
  • My Other Half (p. 72)
  • The Cloak (p. 78)
  • "The Most Precious Fit": A Dialogue with C. S. Lewis's A Grief Observed (p. 88)
  • On Grief (p. 98)
  • Wedding Rings (p. 103)
  • The Afterlife of an Archive (p. 110)
  • A Healing Garden (p. 115)
  • You See, I Told You So! (p. 117)
  • Yes, I Miss My Husband, but I'm Also Discovering the Pleasures of Living Alone (p. 120)
  • Part III Long-Time Widows
  • The Grief Convention (p. 127)
  • 10 Scary Things I Have Done since My Husband Died (p. 133)
  • Being Alone (p. 140)
  • Re-creating My Life (p. 143)
  • Becoming Maggie (p. 149)
  • Who I Am Revealed (p. 155)
  • Losing the Artist, Living with His Art (p. 159)
  • After the Aftermath (p. 168)
  • Three Poems (p. 170)
  • Part IV Unique Takes or Digging Deeper
  • Widow-to-Widow (p. 175)
  • Parenting as a Widow (p. 185)
  • Memories of a Widow's Daughter (p. 190)
  • Lost Acts... (p. 199)
  • Dealing with Double Loss: Husband and Hearing (p. 204)
  • Synchronicity and the Secular Mind (p. 211)
  • Mourning American-Style (p. 216)
  • The Rocks That Bind (p. 219)
  • On Not Feeling Sad (p. 224)
  • What They Don't Tell You (p. 229)
  • Nine Things Resilient People Do after Losing a Spouse or Partner (p. 235)
  • Make Lemonade?! (p. 243)
  • Part V Epilogue
  • The Missing Vow (p. 255)
  • Acknowledgments (p. 259)
  • Artist's Statement (p. 261)
  • Notes on Contributors (p. 263)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In this collection, 43 women (including PW contributing editor Sonia Jaffe Robbins) explore widowhood with authenticity and eloquence. Editor Bauer-Maglin-whose own essay describes life after her husband's death from pancreatic and liver cancer-observes in her introduction that widows far outnumber widowers, with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting three million widowed men and nearly 12 million widowed women in 2016. She divides the book into four parts: Expectant Widows, Recent Widows, Long Time Widows, and Unique Takes or Digging Deeper, the last containing Patricia Life's story of being raised by her single mom after her dad died at age 34, and violist Susanne Braham's of simultaneously losing her husband and her hearing. The writers offer both solace and advice; some find comfort in bereavement groups, with friends, or by journaling. Though many essays are strikingly sad, a few voices offer a lighter outlook: Anne Bernays, married for nearly 60 years, notes that without her mate, she can eat whatever she likes and enjoys a daily cocktail hour. This heartfelt collection should help widows, and widowers as well, feel less alone as they move through a wrenching transition. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Nan Bauer-Maglin worked at City University of New York for almost forty years as a professor and administrator. She now volunteers for Girls Write Now and The Whitney Museum. She is the editor or coeditor of many books, including Cut Loose: (Mostly) Older Women Talk about the End of (Mostly) Long-term Relationships .

Powered by Koha