October: Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt plus art show

About this event

This is a recently published philosophical debut novel that explores life and mortality through the eyes of Death personified. This could be a difficult read for some, so passing is okay. This meeting coincides with the Port Warwick Art Show. I thought we could meet and discuss and then head over the art show. Joining the group at the art show and not participating in the discussion is perfectly acceptable. Death is named Travis. He is a gentle, stoic and naive young man living in a small, grey town wearing a t shirt and jeans. Travis comforts people in their final hours without judgment or trying to alter their fate, respecting the balance of the universe. He befriends a midwife across the hall and her 8 year old daughter. Being embraced by this family and the midwife who becomes his life doula, chips away at his detachment, teaching Travis what it truly means to be alive and what is lost when life ends and finding beauty in the brevity of life. The title is based on a quote from Kurt Vonnegut's 1969 Slaughterhouse-Five. The passage reflects a peaceful, transcendent view of death and existence and a philosophy that all moments - past, present and future - happen at the same time. It contrasts sharply with the brutal realities of war and trauma that the protagonist in the novel experiences throughout the story.