Depictions of death in short stories can challenge even seasoned writers. John McDonough, writing in the Colorado Review, explains why:
The immediacy of the death of a loved one offers rich emotional possibilities, but ones that are remarkably complicated. Mine these emotions too heavily and you run the risk of sentimentality, but too cautious an approach fails to carry appropriate weight.
Overcoming these challenges can produce powerful results—McDonough explores examples from writers Alice Munro and Cynthia Ozick.
