Description

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Desmond Kon's most confessional writing, relating the story of his death, and his transformed life after his return.
In 2007, Desmond Kon died, and came back to life. This is better understood as a near-death experience (NDE). Fresh from studying world religions at Harvard, Desmond’s NDE shared remarkable consistency with other documented NDE accounts, such as encountering otherworldly beings, altered time-space realms, and the classic tunnel of light. Post-NDE symptoms included paranormal sightings. How did Desmond make meaning of his NDE given his academic background in world religions? He even took a class on angelology — how then did he perceive the angelic beings he encountered?
Framed as a quasi-memoir, The Good Day I Died is constructed as a self-administered interview, allowing the account its moments of deep intimation. Moving beyond the current literature’s attempts at legitimizing the NDE, The Good Day I Died weaves in excerpts of Desmond’s literary oeuvre, which help shed light on the indelible impact of his NDE. This book represents Desmond’s most confessional writing yet, relating the story of his death, and his transformed life after his return.

About the Author

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Desmond Kon (Zhicheng-Mingdé) is the author of an epistolary novel, a quasi-memoir, two lyric essay monographs, four hybrid works, and nine poetry collections. A former journalist, he has edited more than twenty books and co-produced three audio books, several pro bono for non-profit organizations. Trained in book publishing at Stanford University, Desmond studied sociology and mass communication at the National University of Singapore, and later received his theology masters (world religions) from Harvard University and fine arts masters (creative writing) from the University of Notre Dame. In addition to grants from the National Arts Council and Singapore International Foundation, Desmond has enjoyed literary appointments at the Notre Dame Poetry Fellowship, NAC Writer-inthe-Gardens Residency, and NTU-NAC Creative Writing Residency. Among other accolades, Desmond is the recipient of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award, Independent Publisher Book Award, National Indie Excellence Book Award, Poetry World Cup, Singapore Literature Prize, two Beverly Hills International Book Awards, and three Living Now Book Awards.

Praise For…

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"An exceptional book that you won’t want to miss! This book goes well beyond other personal near-death experience (NDE) accounts. The unique book format of questions followed by his own answers adds a fascinating dimension of gripping reality. Desmond courageously shares his profound near-death experience and the remarkable experiences and understandings that followed. With each turn of the page you will find a treasure trove of insights and inspiration. This outstanding book is expertly written, very easy to read, and enthusiastically recommended.” - Jeffrey Long, MD, Author of the New York Times bestseller, Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences, and Founder of Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF)

“Weaving together his near-death experience and aftereffects, his study of comparative religion, and his literary philosophy, process, and projects, Kon has created a memoir tapestry like no other, addressing a wide range of topics culminating in that of ultimate importance: meaning and happiness in life. This tapestry awaits readers seeking to appreciate its unique beauty.” - Janice Holden, EdD, Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies, and Past President of International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS)

“Desmond Kon brings a welcome literary voice to the NDE memoir. Structured in the form of an interview, the author interrogates himself as the journalist, poet, and scholar within try to make sense of the experience, weaving between intellectual analysis, existential puzzlement, and spiritual wonder. The result is a reflexive meditation not only on the nature and significance of NDEs, but also on uncertainty, identity, literary theory, and the creative process. The Good Day I Died is a unique and moving achievement, and a refreshingly thoughtful and sober contribution to a genre too often characterized by tabloid sensationalism. Taken purely as phenomenological description, Desmond’s account is also a fascinating example of how NDEs can combine such strikingly individual diversity with (quasi-) universal similarity.” - Gregory Shushan, PhD, Author of Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, and Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations

“The Good Day I Died defies categories. It is a poststructuralist confession, an exegetical survey of Desmond Kon’s oeuvre so far, and a magnum opus poem that boldly takes us to the depths of hell, the ethereal light of heaven, and back to life on earth with an assorted cast of angels and demons from pop culture and cultural studies. It is in a liminal fold where art meets reality, and raises questions about beauty and truth. Indeed, if one writes like one’s dying, one would do so with urgency and by design. Desmond shows us how in this poetic work about the artist as a divided self.” - Eric Tinsay Valles, Poet and Director of Poetry Festival Singapore