JOURNAL ARTICLE

WHAT IS THE POINT OF LITERATURE IF IT CAN'T BRING PEOPLE BACK FROM THE DEAD.

  • Published In: Alaska Quarterly Review, 2026, v. 42, n. 1/2. P. 185 1 of 3

  • Database: Humanities Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Urbanski, Debbie 3 of 3

Abstract

The article centers on a reflective and metafictional exploration of grief, suicide, and the imaginative act of resurrection through storytelling. The narrator, a writer and friend of a man named C., grapples with the suicide of C.’s son, Sam, and the desire to bring him back to life by exchanging her own life for his. Through a dialogue with the imagined presence of Sam, the narrative examines the limits of fiction and reality, the enduring impact of loss on survivors, and the complex emotions surrounding suicide. The story intertwines personal experience, philosophical inquiry, and literary meditation on the power and limitations of narrative to confront death and suffering. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Alaska Quarterly Review. 2026/01, Vol. 42, Issue 1/2, p185
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:0737268X
  • Accession Number:192653052
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