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 Neela Sakaria: Please tell us a little bit about your background. You were involved in theater and have experience in counseling, correct? Did you have any formal background in writing?
Jane Hughes Gignoux: Until about 20 years ago, my only “formal” exposure to writing came during my secondary school years of weekly “theme” assignments, precis writing for English, resource papers for History and then at Smith, the usual papers for various courses. As a member of Hallie Flanagan Davis’ famous playwriting course, I wrote (with a classmate) a Living Newspaper (an art form developed by the Federal Theatre in the 1930s) on marijuana.
In the mid ‘80s I found myself compelled to write about significant (to me) experiences in my life. One of these pieces was published in the journal, In Context. Another lay dormant for many years, resurfaced recently and will be published by the State University of New York Press in a forthcoming book, “Pilgrimage Through a Burning World: Nonviolence in Action at the Nevada Test Site,” by Ken Butigan.
During those years I took several writing workshops and was asked to write a monthly column, “Taking the Next Step: Towards Better Understanding” in a small newspaper, The Voice of Peace. I fulfilled this assignment for about a year and a half. Other writing opportunities appeared from time to time. As President of the Friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (FIONS), for four years I wrote a piece for the newsletter. The more I wrote, the more I found it both challenging and rewarding.
Neela: How did you become interested in putting together the book SOME FOLK SAY: STORIES OF LIFE, DEATH, AND BEYOND?
JHG: The short answer to that question appears in the Preface on page ix.
I was talking on the telephone to Michael Lipson, senior psychologist for the Family Care Program at Harlem Hospital where I work with the HIV children as a volunteer. He mentioned that he was on his way to the Intensive Care Unit to visit a teenage patient. He wanted to take something to read to the boy but was hard pressed to find appropriate material. "Some day I'm going to write a book," he said. "It's going to be called, ‘Some Folk Say’ and it's going to be a collection of stories from different cultures around the world about what happens when you die." The minute I heard that statement, something deep inside me exploded, and much to the surprise of both of us, I burst out with, "Oh, Michael, I want to help you with that project!"
Since Some Folk Say was published, however, I have received more information about what lay behind my passion to gather and publish a collection of stories on life, death, and beyond. That story has yet to be published.
Neela: What made you decide to explore your interest in death, while most of us, as you mention, tend to push those thoughts away?
JHG: I didn’t “decide,” it was not an intellectual process: rather I was pulled by a powerful urge that carried me forward. Until I was struck by an unexpected bolt of enthusiasm for collecting stories about death, I would not have admitted that it was an interest. What had taken me to Harlem Hospital, was not death: it was to be with young children, “boarder babies,” who had been abandoned. Remember that my mother had died when I was four.
Neela: What kind of research was involved in collecting the stories included in the book?
JHG: I started by contacting certain friends and colleagues who led me to material from several lesser known cultures. I spent time in several NYC libraries, including research libraries. I was looking for stories from all parts of the world as well as stories that addressed some of the basic questions that arise surrounding death.
Neela: What kinds of similarities/differences did you find among stories from various cultures?
JHG: Many origin of death stories involve humans having made a mistake, done something wrong, made a choice or decision that results in there being death in the world. Often stories speak about the extent to which our thoughts, feelings and actions influence what will happen to us after we die. There is a strong theme of judgment, punishment and atonement in many cultures. Many afterlife stories involve a journey. Many cultures have one or more rivers the soul must cross during the afterlife journey. Water is a common symbol, mountains are another. Some indigenous cultures have afterlife stories that are not about judgment and pain but rather speak of acceptance, reconnection, a coming home.
Neela: Can you tell us a little bit about the format of the book? As you mention in your introduction, it is divided into five sections. JHG: As I was gathering stories, I realized that they were about different aspects of death and the afterlife. I thought that it would make it easier for people to find their way through the book if they were divided into different sections with headings that identified some of the questions that people have about death. Thus, there is a section, “Origins of Death,” that contains stories that address the age-old question, “Why did he/she have to die?”The stories in, “Balancing Life and Death” focus on just that, ways in which life and death are two aspects of one whole. The “Lessons for Life” section is for stories that suggest the way in which we live our life influences what happens in death. The “Afterlife” stories give different versions of how people in various parts of the world answer the question, “What will happen after I die?” Finally, the “Reconciliation with Death” section contains pieces that deal with issues of grieving. The groupings in Some Folk Say are somewhat arbitrary because follktales are not merely about one topic, they usually contain insights into a number of perennial truths.Neela: What do you hope readers will gain from these stories?
JHG: I hope that readers will be able to release any fears or apprehensions concerning death as they relax into the stories and allow their imaginations to kick in and embrace the ideas lying just beneath the surface of these simple tales, many of which have been part of the oral traditions for centuries.
If we were to “make friends” with death, we would live very different lives.Neela: The illustrations contribute very nicely to the themes of the book. How did you decide upon the illustrations? Were you very involved in that process?
JHG: I found Stephan Daigle’s work at the Society of Illustrators in New York City by looking through books and books of illustrations. What drew me to his art was his effective use of symbolism, his strong, intense colors, and a sense of mystery in his images. I commissioned him to illustrate Some Folk Say and we worked together deciding which stories to illustrate and what elements to bring forward. I felt that it was very important to have the book be visually attractive, to have powerful and intriguing images that would draw the reader into the text.
Neela: Who was your intended audience for this book? How has the book been received by readers?JHG: Since death is not an option on planet Earth, Some Folk Say is intended for anyone who is interested in exploring the subject of death, be they professional caregivers, families of the dying, the bereaved, or anyone who is willing to explore some of the questions about death that lie just beneath the surface of our awareness. Many of the tales are suitable for young people.
Readers report that Some Folk Say is helpful in many situations. People tell me that they keep it by their bed and read a story or two before going to sleep. They often give it to someone who is caring for a dying parent or friend. It is used in bereavement groups, at memorial services, and during Hospice volunteer trainings.
Neela: Anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
JHG: Over and over I hear from people who thank me. They say that the stories allowed them to see death in a new light, or have a meaningful conversation with a parent on a subject that had hitherto been taboo. It unlocks secret doors and expands people’s horizonons.
Some Folk Say: Stories of Life, Death, and Beyond
Publisher: Foulketale Publishing
ISBN: 0966716809
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