Leave a Door Open for Death to Enter

After reading Russell Banks novels and short stories, I was extremely impressed by his ability to capture his audience. I was excited for his visit and enjoyed the evening at the Enzion, the master class, and his reading. However, I was disappointed because through all that time, I didn't yet have a chance to speak with him. So when the interns were invited to grab some refreshments after the reading, I jumped at the opportunity. Once again, Russell was surrounded by various local writers and English faculty while the interns sat at the end of the table, in their own little circle. But as the evening progressed, more and more of the writers and faculty members left, leaving three remaining interns the opportunity to finally speak with Russell. The funny thing is, nobody really speaks with Russell. He speaks to you. He's one of those people who you ask what's the weather like, and twenty minutes later, he still hasn't really answered the question but has taken you along a delightful, thoughtful path full of adventure. Despite these long speeches, he is incredibly interesting and intelligent. Without knowing it, you are drawn into his world and hang on his every word. I guess that's what helps make him such a good writer, is the ability to make people interested in something they might not have initially cared about. At one point in the evening, our brave leader, Connie May Fowler, asked Russell how he's able to make his endings so strong, almost like he's stabbing a knife into the book. He laughed, and once again, went down a long path concerning death. During the master class he had mentioned that "No other species has to learn what it is to be human--that's why we tell stories." However, while discussing his endings, he admitted that during the master class he had given us the Disney version of his philosophy. What he was really referring to was death. No other species knows they are going to die, which he believes, is the most basic human fact. We know we are going to die. Therefore, in order for a story to be meaningful, death has to be present, or at least have a door open where death could answer. Even if the story doesn't concern death, it's always a factor, because no story can possibly be meaningful unless the writer understands he/she is going to die. As Russell continued down his path, I began to scan the pieces I had recently written. Was death allowed to enter those? Did I even know that I was going to die? Sure, I know all life comes to an end. But have I accepted the fact? And, have I let it enter my stories? I was struggling with how to allow it in, especially those that don't even mention death. How is one supposed to let it enter without blatantly staying it? I understood what Russell was saying, but I didn't understand how to do it. To tell you the truth, I'm still confused. However, as I've been reading other stories and novels, I've been keeping my eyes open for death. Strangely enough, in all of the really powerful stories, at least a little shimmer of death is present. Hopefully the more I keep reading, the more I will realize how writers incorporate it into their stories, and maybe one day, I'll even be able to.