Ann Wroe, an obituary writer for The Economist, shares her profound insights on life and legacy through her empathetic storytelling. She discusses how writing obituaries reveals the essence of identity in small details and celebrates both famous and obscure individuals. Wroe uncovers the complexities of life and consciousness, exploring the soul's journey and the enduring connections forged through love and memory. Her reflections inspire listeners to appreciate their own narratives and the impact of their lives on the world.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Queen's Pearls
Anne Wroe focused on Queen Elizabeth II's pearls in her obituary.
She wore them to symbolize her duty to her country.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Last Typewriter Repairman
Wroe wrote about the last typewriter repairman, who treated his typewriters like people.
He noted the wear on each machine, discerning their individual "lives."
question_answer ANECDOTE
Vital Clues
Chronologies and achievements don't reveal much about a person.
Small details offer vital clues into their true nature.
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In 'Lifescapes,' Ann Wroe offers a graceful and haunting meditation on her life’s work as a biographer. She delves into the process of 'catching souls,' her term for capturing the unique and essential part of her subjects. The book includes reflections on her experiences with various biographical subjects, such as Pontius Pilate, Percy Shelley, Seamus Heaney, and Derek Walcott, among others. Wroe also shares personal anecdotes and observations on nature, highlighting the importance of details in capturing the essence of life. The narrative is enriched with her poetic language and attentiveness to the inner lives and outer worlds of her subjects.
For two decades, Ann Wroe has written weekly obituaries for The Economist. Some of her subjects are luminaries (Queen Elizabeth II, Paul Newman). Others are little-knowns (cheesemakers, storm chasers, typewriter repairmen). But all of them, in Ann’s words, “have enhanced the world by their existence.” Her obituaries are celebrations of life, and Ann is a soul-catcher — souls, for her, being the best word for the “unique and essential part of ourselves, our self-conscious and transcendent core.” It’s a job that requires empathy, patience, almost tactile curiosity, and, well, love. It’s a job from which we can all learn a great deal.
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