Mourning Pages: A Soulful Guide to Writing Through Grief

When grief threatens to drown us, Mourning Pages shows us how to write our way back to shore.

A compassionate, soul-baring guide for anyone navigating the devastating terrain of loss. Claudia Love Mair--a mother, writer, and artivist grieving the death of her son--invites us into a deeply personal journey of healing through expressive writing. With raw honesty, spiritual insight, and gentle humor, Mair offers a safe space for mourners to write their way through sorrow, rage, numbness, and even moments of grace.

Blending story, poetry, and guided prompts, Mourning Pages offers a step-by-step guide to use writing as a tool for healing after loss. The practices in the book draw from proven therapeutic techniques like expressive writing and morning pages to teach us how to write our way through grief while honoring its messy, nonlinear nature. Mair's voice is tender and unfiltered, speaking directly to the reader as a soul friend, not an expert. She shares her own heartbreak and the stories of others who have lost children, siblings, parents, and partners--creating a community of kinship on the page.

Whether you're newly bereaved or carrying a long-held grief, this book offers tools to help you process pain, remember your person, and begin to heal. If you've ever felt like grief might swallow you whole, Mourning Pages is here to remind you: You are not alone, and your words can be your lifeline.

Claudia Love Mair is the author of numerous books, including her memoir Don't You Fall Now. She holds an MFA in writing from Spalding University and serves as the coordinator for the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning's Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative. Her work has been featured in Still: The Journal, The Phoenix Soul, and Abbey for the Arts. She lives in Frankfort, Kentucky.