David Bannon
David Bannon is the author of three books on grief: Wounded in Spirit: Advent Art and Meditations (Paraclete Press, 2018), Songs on the Death of Children (Toplight, 2022), and A Hope Observed: Finding Solace Through Shared Stories of Grief (Paraclete Press, 2026).
Articles by David Bannon
The True Face of Justice is Compassion
He took the words of Jesus to heart—he rarely judged others. When he passed this year, he left a memory not of condemnation, but of mercy.
Mary Shelley’s Grief
Mary writes with gentle pathos, patience, and calm—traits common to those who have endured terrible loss. Her observations on life’s many ironies offer catharsis for author and reader alike.
Joan of Arc’s Grief
My grief would overwhelm me if I were not in God's grace. — Joan of Arc, February 24, 1431
Else Lasker-Schüler’s Grief
Her work is certainly redolent of sorrow and, as she describes it, the eternity that dwells within her. But her words also carry hope and surprising faith that she will…
Falling is Not Failure, and Getting up is Not the Point
Life knocks us down. It is the price of this world, however much we may kid ourselves otherwise. Our falls become part of us.
Sigmund Freud’s Grief
In expressing his love through epistolary lament, it may be that Freud discovered the precise meaning he felt he had lost.
Safe at Last
As the sun rises over the Nile or my daughter’s grave, it occurs to me that the ancient Egyptians may have been onto something. Jess lives on, her soul soars…
The Consolation of Silence
Your presence is needed. Hush. Stay. Show your love by letting them grieve.
Grief in Eternity
Yet at times, if only for a moment, I feel the shadow over my days is transformed into pure spirit. Such thoughts give me a surprising sense of quiet joy.
Emerson’s Grief
Wallie is gone; no visible scar remains. Mourning provides no lesson, no answers, no closure. The poet is not decrying grief for its lack of utility.