Today we talk about Last Days of June, a book by Stephen Dean Paul published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Stephen Dean Paul to get to know him better, where and when he found the inspiration to write his book Last Days of June, as well as the sensations he felt by ‘reading’ his life on the pages of his book.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where and when did you find the inspiration to write your autobiographical book?
I’m not sure if I would call it inspiration. I live in Denmark where medically assisted dying is illegal. I wanted to tell the story of the journey my mom and I took, as well as tackle some of the common arguments against euthanasia. I’ve never written before, so I found myself writing some of my thoughts down at a local café in Odense. It started to become a habit that every day I would at least try to write something… Anything… Sometimes I could write for a few hours without a break, but there were times where my motivation and ability to think of something new was a struggle. Having not really written anything before I had to write, read and re write the book several times. I don’t know what it’s like for other writers, but this coffee shop became my office, and it couldn’t have been in a better spot. A view of the river and small boats, plus the ability to do lots of people watching when I couldn’t seem to put two sentences together.
- What is the message you want to convey to your readers?
I suppose there are two messages that I really want to give to the reader. One is that even in the saddest of times and experiences you can still find joy and humour. The other would be the idea that ending suffering takes precedence over preservation of life, with regard to medically assisted dying. There isn’t anything terribly new in these messages, nothing revolutionary or difficult. Yet, for some they are almost impossible to embrace or come to terms with. Regarding the joy and humour, it’s hard to say whether it’s something a person can control? Some people are hard wired genetically to be morose and lack joy and humour even at the best of times in their lives. Sadly, for them going through hard times will usually result in a dead end of grief and dark days. For the second point about ending suffering, I think you need to truly and whole heartedly put the needs of someone else before your own beliefs. If you can’t do that it will be hard to let a loved one go…
- What significant life experiences find expression in your book?
Death. Life. Arguably two of the most important “life experiences”. Death is something that I cover extensively in the book, but my focus is on medically assisted dying. When you plan a date and time for your death it changes everything for the person dying and those they leave behind. It’s completely different obviously than a quick death by heart attack or fatal accident, but equally different from a long death from cancer for example. A planned death for someone who is suffering intolerably is comforting in a way that people won’t completely understand unless they too are suffering. I think the planned death is hardest for those left behind. It’s hard to digest and hard to support. That’s why it’s essential that you have 100% put the needs and feelings of the dying person in front of your own belief system and wants. The funniest part about it is that you find so much life in death. Knowing the date of your or your loved one’s death will (if you’re looking for it) give you the simple and unbothered ability to appreciate what is the most complicated but simple thing. Living life.
- What sensations did you feel by ‘reading’ your life on the pages of your book?
Fear. Humor. Love. Sadness. Pride. Doubt. It’s actually a good question. You won’t believe how many times I had to re-read the book and all the feelings that go with it. Crying in the local coffee shop wearing sunglasses for me was not a comfortable feeling, especially for someone who spends most of their time trying to lock those feelings away in a very small box deep inside myself. It’s true what they say about writing being a cathartic activity. There was a time where I couldn’t read about the day of mom’s death without crying, but with time it got easier. Funny enough, what doesn’t go away is the humour. Some parts that I read will always be funny and make me laugh out loud no matter how many times I read it. I think one thing that stands out is pride. I cover it at the end of the book about my mom. Just imagine, deciding the day and time you’ll die, sitting with friends and loved ones waiting for 13:00. Lying down with IV’s in, waiting for the doctor to push the end of your life into your veins. Imagine the courage that takes? Imagine how certain you have to be.
- Are you working on a new writing project, you can tell us about?
Working is a bit of a strong word… I’m thinking about my next writing project and trying some of it out on paper. I owned a business in Denmark called Soup Stone Café. Unbeknownst to me Scandinavians don’t have a particularly healthy relationship to soup. Most of them are quite negative about. The book will be part cook book, part what’s the matter with Scandinavia? Who doesn’t love soup? The other project I’m thinking about is called Extraordinary Tales of an Average Man. It’s a deep dive into the simple brain of an average man (me)… It will be a very honest approach to the different challenges we meet in our 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s…
Europe Books thanks the author Stephen Dean Paul once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book Last Days of June. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, I hope that this book allows you to reflect on the fact that you can find moments of joy even in sad times, even when faced with difficult moments such as death, even if it is complicated and painful. May this book let you also take your position and your personal point of view between the preservation of a suffering life or medically assisted death.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!