In the Buddhist tradition, the story of Kisa Gotami is famous worldwide. It serves to remind us that, despite the pain we ...

"Your beauty stuns, but / it's static, photographic." So begins my poem "Sister Ghost," addressed to my late sister Susanne. What does art—in this case elegy—do for the grieving person, the survivor?

I turned 72 on Dec. 8. One of the worst things about growing old is losing loved ones. Their absence is most keenly felt during the Christmas season. Holiday festivities and grief just don’t mix. I ...