A literary look at grief and rebuilding

Literature has long addressed the process of loss and mourning.

"It’s important to speak our grief and work through it,” says author and Westmont literary professor Paul J. Willis. “I think the oldest genre of poetry is elegy and the expression of sorrow and seeking consolation."

In the title story of his collection of personal essays, "To Build a Trail: Essays on Curiosity, Love & Wonder," Willis touches on the physical and spiritual work needed to overcome the loss of his mother. He also writes about how his life changed after the Tea Fire destroyed his home.