How close have you come to death?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

A recurring Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Warren Zevon said elsewhere, not written here
This is a lot harder for you than it is for me. If you had gone to bed as many nights as I did in the old days knowing that you had taken so much stuff that could kill you and not knowing if you would wake up, this is not as shocking as you think.

The New York Times Magazine, 26 January 2003 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 209 →
Maggie O'Farrell Irish-British novelist
How long have you got? I have written a memoir and the subtitle is Seventeen Brushes with Death.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 March 2023 source ↗
Susan Calman Scottish comedian
On the back of an angry Icelandic pony when I was filming a show called Spending Dave’s Money with Phil Tufnell.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 November 2018 source ↗

More from Warren Zevon

View profile →
Question Has knowing that you will die changed how you live? Death & what remains
I just thought right away that I wanted to work. ... This is a good job. It's been a good job. Work is the most effective drug there can possibly be. ... I'm on the periphery of a lot of despair, of course. ... You'd have to be stupid not to be. I have my moments when I'm not too thrilled about this whole deal. But at the same time, the songs have never come like this, so I'd have to feel more gratitude than anything else. I'm probably in the intensest creative period of my life.
Recorded Jon Pareles, The New York Times Magazine, from an interview at Hugo's, West Hollywood, autumn 2002, 26 January 2003 source ↗
Question What are you still hoping to finish? Death & what remains
The songs aren't all written. ... You don't know where they're going to go. That's the fun of the job. There's the usual malarkey, the usual gags, the usual stuff. And also a few songs written by way of kind of being farewells to people, goodbyes to people, gratitude to people. Expressions of, you know, this was a nice deal, life. But I don't think it's exactly weighted with sentimentality.
Recorded Jon Pareles, The New York Times Magazine, 26 January 2003 source ↗

More on death & what remains

Also answered this

Michael Stipe, Carl Barât, Rita Wilson, Andi Oliver, Beverley Knight, Bryan Adams

Search the directory for somebody in particular.

Explore further

Report this answer