Pitch
“Words at the Threshold is a major breakthrough in the study of death and dying. Lisa Smartt’s fascinating research on final words may well open a window into the afterlife.” — Raymond Moody, Jr., MD, PhD, author of the bestselling Life After Life
Dear Editor/Producer:
When her father became terminally ill with cancer, Lisa Smartt began transcribing his conversations and noticed that his personality underwent inexplicable changes. Once a skeptical man with a secular worldview, he developed a deeply spiritual outlook in his final days — a change that was reflected in his language. Baffled, intrigued, and compelled by her linguistics training, Smartt grabbed pencil and paper and tracked his final words.
The inquiry that began with her father’s language went on to become the Final Words Project, in which Smartt collected hundreds of final words, which she analyzed for their linguistic patterns and themes. She collected accounts and transcripts from health-care providers, friends, and family members of the dying and gathered over fifteen hundred English utterances, which ranged from single words to complete sentences, from those who were a few hours to a few weeks from dying.
In the enclosed advance reading copy of Words at the Threshold: What We Say as We’re Nearing Death (New World Library, March 15, 2017), Smartt decodes the symbolism of those last words, showing how the language of the dying points the way to a transcendent world beyond our own. She shares the compelling language she has heard and the coherency that emerges in even the most puzzling phrases. She also provides tools for more meaningful communication with loved ones who are at the end of life.
“My research of four years indicates that my father was not alone in experiencing metaphorical and nonsensical changes in language, seeing visions of angels, and making references to another dimension in his final days,” writes Smartt. “The words at the threshold suggest to me that consciousness does indeed survive, and that we ourselves can be both guides and tourists as we journey with those we love to the portal.”
Please consider doing a review, excerpt, or mention. Lisa Smartt is available for interviews and/or would be happy to write articles or guest blogs on themes discussed in the book. Please contact me at 415-884-2100 x18 or [email protected] if you’d like to schedule a time to speak with her.
Onward and upward!
Kim Corbin
Senior Publicist
Dear Editor/Producer:
When her father became terminally ill with cancer, Lisa Smartt began transcribing his conversations and noticed that his personality underwent inexplicable changes. Once a skeptical man with a secular worldview, he developed a deeply spiritual outlook in his final days — a change that was reflected in his language. Baffled, intrigued, and compelled by her linguistics training, Smartt grabbed pencil and paper and tracked his final words.
The inquiry that began with her father’s language went on to become the Final Words Project, in which Smartt collected hundreds of final words, which she analyzed for their linguistic patterns and themes. She collected accounts and transcripts from health-care providers, friends, and family members of the dying and gathered over fifteen hundred English utterances, which ranged from single words to complete sentences, from those who were a few hours to a few weeks from dying.
In the enclosed advance reading copy of Words at the Threshold: What We Say as We’re Nearing Death (New World Library, March 15, 2017), Smartt decodes the symbolism of those last words, showing how the language of the dying points the way to a transcendent world beyond our own. She shares the compelling language she has heard and the coherency that emerges in even the most puzzling phrases. She also provides tools for more meaningful communication with loved ones who are at the end of life.
“My research of four years indicates that my father was not alone in experiencing metaphorical and nonsensical changes in language, seeing visions of angels, and making references to another dimension in his final days,” writes Smartt. “The words at the threshold suggest to me that consciousness does indeed survive, and that we ourselves can be both guides and tourists as we journey with those we love to the portal.”
Please consider doing a review, excerpt, or mention. Lisa Smartt is available for interviews and/or would be happy to write articles or guest blogs on themes discussed in the book. Please contact me at 415-884-2100 x18 or [email protected] if you’d like to schedule a time to speak with her.
Onward and upward!
Kim Corbin
Senior Publicist