S4E12 | Concerning the Future of Souls, by Joy Williams
Mar 20, 2024
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Explore themes of souls, memories, and self-reflection in a collection of stories following Azrael, the angel of death. Reflect on life, change, and philosophical dialogues while delving into the concept of transcendence and the enigmatic journey of the soul. Follow characters grappling with the cycle of death and regeneration, culminating in a moving conversation about burial wishes and a shared vision.
Depersonalization as a defense mechanism against death in near-death experiences, leading to a contemplation of encountering the shining threshold again.
Israel, the angel of death with 4,000 wings, guards souls in transit and challenges traditional depictions of soul transporters, instilling fear in the creatures of the air.
Deep dives
Ant - Near-Death Experience
A girl, struck by a surfboard at 14, becomes an N.D.E.R. Her therapist explains it as depersonalization, a defense against death. She wonders about encountering the shining threshold again. Her N.D.E. follows the common pattern: light, tunnel, limitlessness, then a forced retreat.
Israel - Transportation of Souls
Israel, with 4,000 wings, shelters souls during transit. The souls do not make sounds during transport, fixed in number with each birth completing transmigration. The creatures of the air fear Israel, who looks nothing like the oft-depicted Jesus and is mysterious in his role as a soul transporter.
Bear Mountain - Sentimental Plantings
Across different life stages, a woman plants various trees, each met with circumstances that hinder their growth or outlive their intended purpose. Reflecting on her aging and changing perceptions, she muses on the responsibility we have towards nature and our expectations of self-responsibility.
The Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Joy Williams reads entries from “Concerning the Future of Souls” (issue no. 247, Spring 2024), a collection of stories following Azrael, the angel of death and transporter of souls.
This episode was produced by John DeLore and Helena de Groot, and was mixed and sound-designed by John DeLore. Our theme song this season is “Shadow,” composed and performed by Ernst Reijseger.