Furnishing Eternity: A Father, a Son, a Coffin, and a Measure of Life
Written by David Giffels
Narrated by Eric Michael Summerer
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
The unexpected death of his mother and, a year later, of his best friend, coupled with turning fifty and the growing realization that his father won't always be around for such offbeat adventures, leads to a harsh confrontation with mortality and loss.
In this soulful, panoramic memoir and father-son story, Giffels confronts some of the hardest questions common people face with wisdom and humor, unraveling the absence and presence of the people who define us and taking a true measure of life. Furnishing Eternity is the story of a year brought down by loss, a family finding hope in its roots, and the unexpected epiphanies to be found in the things we build. Heartfelt, unvarnished, and piercing with insight, this powerful memoir is Giffels' most intimate exploration of the values and traditions that illuminate the Midwest.
David Giffels
David Giffels is the author of The Hard Way on Purpose: Essays and Dispatches From the Rust Belt, nominated for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay, the memoir All the Way Home, winner of the Ohioana Book Award, and Furnishing Eternity. His writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic.com, Parade, the Wall Street Journal, Esquire.com, Grantland.com, Redbook, and many other publications. He also was a writer for the MTV series Beavis and Butt-Head. He is an associate professor of English at the University of Akron, where he teaches creative nonfiction in the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts Program.
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Reviews for Furnishing Eternity
8 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5David Giffels brings together the physical world of woodworking with the spiritual world of family, friendship and loss. He sets out to build a coffin for himself under The mentorship of his father,a master woodworker. Throughout the time it takes him to design, build, and finish the coffin, we learn about Giffels own family history growing up in Akron in the 70s and 80s, his friendships, and interests in art and music. He connects the coffin through all of his stories into things that matter most in his life. It’s not a sad book. It’s a hopeful one. Quoting Robert Frost summing up all that he’s learned in life, “It goes on.” He’s created something for himself, given to others in his family,and given the reader a sincerer, poignant story that should resonate with everyone.