All Night and All Day: an Anthology on Life, Death & Angels.

Author and editor Susan Cushman of Memphis Tennesse had a wonderful idea, and made a call out to some of her literary friends to ask if they would contribute to an anthology on the subject of life, death and angels. Susan wanted to read our stories, and assemble them in the book whose cover you see above. The anthology was just released by Madville Publishing, and it’s available where all books are sold.

It was my pleasure to contribute an essay to the anthology, All Night, All Day. My essay is titled, The Power of Three, and in it I tell the story of meeting the author, Anne Patchett, who, along with two of her friends, arranged for the first art exhibit of their friend, Sooki Raphael’s work. The art show was at Santa Monica, California’s Bergamot Station, and its staging was an act of love by Ann Patchett and her two friends, for at the time, Sooki Raphael was battling the pancreatic cancer to which she would ultimately succumb. Sooki Raphael’s art show was extraordinary, but what impressed me most about going to Bergamot Station that day was being in witness of the supportive power of female friendship.

The anthology is an inspirational collection of personal essays, stories, and poems by outstanding women authors who write about the appearance of the divine in their lives. Some of these angels come to save a life or change a flat tire. Some appear to warn people, tell them what to do, suggest more vegetables and maybe better shoes. They appear as a tap of intuition, a whisper, a whoosh of warmth, a rainbow, or an act of kindness. They are the stranger ministering to you in the hospital, the sound of voices singing in the attic, the sudden light at the window, the man by the side of the road. They are nurses and sometimes they are you. In this stunning anthology which explores so many heartwarming brushes with celestial beings, all these angels are messengers come to assure us we are not alone, and we are loved.-Margaret McMullan, author of Where the Angels Lived

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… an anthology to be savored. This collection includes powerful first-hand accounts, interwoven with short fiction and poetry, beautifully exploring the themes of life, death, and angels. Jewels include Cassandra King Conroy’s unforgettable tale. It takes courage to write the raw truth of last moments, as Renea Winchester did in her touching story of her mother’s death titled “Waiting for Her Angel.” I loved Mandy Haynes’ heartwarming story, “Rose’s Angel” (plus, she’s a lovely person!). “The End” by Lisa Gornick is an intimate, touching tale. I shed tears over Susan Cushman’s “Hitting the Wall.” Within this collection are remembrances and memorials, which pay homage to a loved one or to a mystical experience. At the end, Claire Fullerton’s beautiful, final words offer the hope of peace. Crafting an anthology is an art. Susan Cushman has done a big topic justice-the sum of the parts is greater for having been compiled together. Savor this book…for its wisdom, humor, and truth.-Carol Van Den Hende, author of Orchid Blooming and Goodbye, Orchid

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Stories that evoke a sense of peace, reassurance, and safety, as well as strength and encouragement through reported angelic activities. These stories tell of unexpected humanity and love in the lives of those who needed affirmation of spirituality in the human world. The presence of angels is recounted through brilliant and descriptive imagery and intriguing yet identifiable characterization.-Francine Rodriguez, author of A Woman’s Story

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Life, death, and angel stories are usually only shared with those whom we trust and only during the quiet hours of our souls. Susan Cushman is the finder and sharer of these stories…. She has collected a wide spectrum of authors and encouraged them to contribute their personal stories and poems, thereby giving us a glimpse into their souls and the unspoken truths of our universal beliefs.-Donna Keel Armer, author of Solo in Salento: A Memoir

Here is a recent photograph of the tireless Susan Cushman at Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi as she moderates a panel of contributors to All Night and All Day before a full house of readers!

All Night and All Day is a heartwarming collection of first person essays written by a collective of authors who have wonderful stories to tell. It’s general tone is sensitive and optimistic, deep-probing and thoughtful, and I know you’ll enjoy reading each and every essay as much as I have!