Cover Art by Lacey Bryant
About (AFTER)life:
“The title we’ve given this anthology, (After)life, indicates the broad range of cultural experiences and encounters with death, whether actual or imagined, that the stories and poems relate. Collectively, the pieces in this anthology pose the question, What does death mean? Death used to be simple. It was the moment when the heart stopped beating. When does death occur now? Does death mean only endings for those left behind? If not, what are the ways in which we live on, after life? The stories and poems in (After)life explore or meditate on answers to these and other questions. The works we selected for (After)life reflect the complexity of our experiences with death.”
Honors: “Ghost Nebula” by Deborah Walker — Queensferry Press Best Small Fictions Finalist 2016
“The Beating Heart of the Wristwatch” by Martin Espada — Pushcart Prize Winner 2017
Praise for (AFTER)life:
From Small Press Book Review:
(AFTER)Life: Poems and Stories of the Dead, Purple Passion Press’ first anthology, is an exploration of the unknown. Far from being morbid, this collaborative work is a tribute to the departed, an acceptance of human fragility and ultimately a declaration of our ability to live in spite of death. In the editor’s note, Renee M. Schell relates the profound sense of shared loss she experienced in the aftermath of a dear friend’s baby boy being stillborn. Schell goes on to say, “A year after the death of her son – almost to the day – she gave birth to a second son, who lived. The decision she and her husband made to have a second child testifies to human resilience. And this resilience, I believe, reflects our need to believe in life over death.” The varying styles of prose and poetry in this anthology serve as a reminder that we are united in the human experience. That is to say, whatever our individual backgrounds, we will all – in one way or another – come face to face with mortality and loss. Each of the fifty-one succinct poems and concise stories range in approach and perspective. From Bri Bruce’s strong poetic imagery which captures the sense of loss so poignantly, to Shaun Avery’s tragic, yet amusing story ‘Grave Diggers’ to Vuong Quoc Vu’s elegantly written poems, this accumulative work reminds us that we are alive and ought to live accordingly.
There is a profound sense of sadness in the book, and rightly so, but it is never maudlin. In fact, there are some light-hearted and humorous moments which lift the overall mood of the book considerably. Even in these playful areas, the consistency of purpose is maintained. There is pain here, but there is also a redemptive essence of restorative hope. There are no weak links within the thirty-eight contributing authors. The quality of writing is as consistent as the book’s theme. However, Purple Passion Press might want to consider including a few fresher, less established writers in future anthologies; the bio pages read like a who’s who in the world of publishing and academia. (AFTER)Life: Poems and Stories of the Dead is a finely-crafted anthology of relatable poems and stories which do, as the editor intended, testify to human resilience.
~ Matthew J. Hall
Barbara Froman 