Fifty-Seven: A Memoir of Death and Life

Michael Ruffin has always been aware of his mortality. A deeply introspective child, as his parents and other people he loved died, he became increasingly aware of everyone else’s mortality as well. Simultaneously heartbreaking and humorous, Fifty-Seven: A Memoir of Death and Life recounts Ruffin’s ongoing journey toward realizing and embracing the permanent while loving and letting go of the temporary. At its heart, Fifty-Seven is the story of one person’s struggle to be human.