Deathly Essay Contest

Yes, you will die. But at least you can write about it. Killing the Buddha (the online religion magazine), Obit-Mag.com, and the Rubin Museum are collaborating on a non-fiction writing competition inspired by the exhibition Remember That You Will Die: Death Across Cultures. We have called on writers to stare down death in his gleaming eye, take his skeletal hand, and invite him to dance. Six of the best selections will win their authors a year’s membership to the Rubin Museum of Art, publication in either KtB or Obit-Mag.com, and the chance to read at the Rubin Museum’s K2 Lounge on Friday, July 30, 2010. The readings start at 7:30. It’s free to attend. Come at 6 p.m. for happy hour and then head up to the galleries to scope out the Remember You Will Die exhibition before the readings start on the 5th floor. Limited seating! Browse the online exhibition brochure, where you can see images of and read about some of the art on display if you want to gird yourself for the experience.

THIS WAS THE BRIEF: Respond to the Rubin Museum exhibition Remember That You Will Die. Your submission should be:

• Non-fiction. We want the truth. We can handle it.
• Between 800 and 2,000 words in length.

What stories do you have to tell? What narratives do these images inspire? Do tell. Death waits for no one. We’ve asked the competitors to be oblique; we’re not asking for a report or a review. No need to even mention the show or anything in it. Use it as a starting point for an essay on the remembrance of death, whether in the form of memoir, rant, reflection, obituary, profile, political commentary, or even an annotated recipe. Be sure to explore Obit-Mag.com and Killing the Buddha first to get a sense for the kinds of writing the two magazines tend to publish.

Killing the Buddha is a literary magazine about religion for people made anxious by churches, people embarrassed to be caught in the “spirituality” section of a bookstore, people both hostile and drawn to talk of God. Obit-Mag.com provides comprehensive coverage on how the loss of a person, a place, an object or an idea presents an opportunity for examination and discussion. Obit asks the question, “What defines an important life?” It is a forum for ideas and opinions about life, death, and transition written by some of the most respected journalists in the American media. More info: Essay Contest