An Epitaph for Rachel Pollack
In our years of correspondence, Rachel and I discussed pretty much every topic under the sun, and a few from the other side of the sun as well.
In one exchange, we discussed epitaphs. As I was doing a great deal of conference planning work at the time, I jokingly wrote that mine would be, “She planned great menus and sourced the best swag”.
Rachel replied:
Unquenchable Fire would know that the answer is, “The Land of the Dead.”“She planned great menus” seems an exciting epitaph. I would take notice of that if I walked past it.
Now & then I think of what I might want on my tombstone (if I were to have one). I suppose, “She had a fucking amazing life” would not be acceptable.
“Saver of lives” might be nice.
“She walked with God and was no more,” what the Bible says about Enoch, would be interesting.
Of course, not dying (or aging or getting disabled, etc.) would be even more interesting.
“Where do stories come from?” might be nice, especially since readers of
“Knight of the Imagination” is another favorite.
Actually, my favorite epitaph—because it came from someone else, was from a fan, who wrote, “When she’s gone, there will never be another like her.”
To that anonymous fan: thank you.
She had a fucking amazing life.
She’s gone, and there will never be another like her.
Rest in poetry, passion, and play, my dear friend.
[…] You can read Anastasia’s personal remembrance here. […]
She was a worldchanger, a pioneer in so many fields. She made a huge impact on me when I read her famous book. I literally couldn’t believe what a knowledge she showed through her card descriptions. Many of her words are underlined.