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whence and whither: on lives and living

Poet and funeral director ponders faith, life and mortality

Whether he’s writing about his pig-valve heart transplant, introducing readers to a galley of inspiring poets and poems, or describing the hearse ride at the funeral of Seamus Heaney, Thomas Lynch has an uncanny knack for writing about death — and ultimately, life — in ways that are never morbid, sometimes humorous, but always thoughtful.