Edwidge Danticat

The author of The Art of Death, Edwidge Danticat is a Haitian-American novelist and short-story writer. Throughout The Art of Death, Danticat references many of her own works, such as Krik? Krak!, The Dew Breaker, and Brother, I'm Dying, as well as a plethora of works from the literary canon, such as Anna Karenina, As I Lay Dying, Confessions, and so on. However, these multiple literary allusions do not alienate the reader from Danticat; instead, Danticat uses her own literature and other literary works to create connections between herself and the reader, referencing literature in order to understand the mysteries of death.

Indeed, Danticat's series of essays itself invites the reader to accompany Danticat on her journey to understand death. In her "Introduction," Danticat asserts she (like the reader) does not understand death, saying, "I believe reading and writing can help" (7). In this way, The Art...