Other People's Words: Friendship, Loss, and the Conversations That Never End - Hardcover

Other People's Words: Friendship, Loss, and the Conversations That Never End - Hardcover

$27.00
Skip to product information
Other People's Words: Friendship, Loss, and the Conversations That Never End - Hardcover

Other People's Words: Friendship, Loss, and the Conversations That Never End - Hardcover

$27.00

by Lissa Soep (Author)

What if the great love of your life is friendship?

In their twenties, Lissa Soep and her boyfriend forged deep friendships with two other couples--Mercy and Christine; and Emily and Jonnie--until, decades later, Jonnie died suddenly, in an accident, and Christine passed away after a mysterious illness. Christine had been a writer, Jonnie a storyteller. Lissa couldn't imagine a world without their letters, postcards, texts--a world without their voices. Then she found comfort in a surprising place. As a graduate student, she had studied the philosophy of the Russian critic Mikhail Bakhtin, who wrote about the many voices that can echo through a single person's speech. Suddenly, Bakhtin's theory that our language is "filled to overflowing with other people's words" came to life. Lissa began hearing Jonnie and Christine when least expected. In a conversation with Emily, a familiar phrase was spoken, and suddenly, there was Jonnie, with his riotous laugh, vibrant in her mind. Mercy recited an Adrienne Rich poem in just the way Christine used to and, for a moment, Christine was with them in the room.

Other People's Words shows us how we carry within us the language of loved ones who are gone, and how their words can be portals to other times and places. Language--as with love--is boundless, and Other People's Words is an intimate, original, and profoundly generous look at its power to nurture life amid the wreckage of grief. Dialogues do not end when a friendship or person is gone; instead, they accrue new layers of meaning, showing how the conversations we share with those we love continue after them, and will continue after us.

Author Biography

Lissa Soep is senior editor for audio at Vox Media and special projects producer and senior scholar-in-residence at YR Media. She has a PhD from Stanford, where she studied education, social theory, and linguistic anthropology with leading Bakhtin scholars. She lives in San Francisco.

Number of Pages: 160
Dimensions: 0.9 x 8.4 x 5.5 IN
Publication Date: April 16, 2024

Made with care

Great value

Elegant design

Quality materials

Details

This product is crafted with quality materials to ensure durability and performance. Designed with your convenience in mind, it seamlessly fits into your everyday life.

Shipping & Returns

We strive to process and ship all orders in a timely manner, working diligently to ensure that your items are on their way to you as soon as possible.

We are committed to ensuring a positive shopping experience for all our customers. If for any reason you wish to return an item, we invite you to reach out to our team for assistance, and we will evaluate every return request with care and consideration.

Play video

Shop The Full Collection

" Elegant LED Light Ring Box: Perfect for Engagement & Wedding Gifts - Keep Your Jewelry Safe & Secure! & Secure!"

" I Love Biking" Ornament

" I Love Biking" Ornament

Sale price  $7.99 Regular price $8.95

"27": How it's going so Far... - Paperback

"A Hero Will Endure": Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of 'Gladiator' - Paperback