Death, Dying, and Grief - AI Replicants, Sentience, Death Awareness - with Playwright Duane Kelly

Send us Fan MailDuane Kelly is an award-winning author of eleven full-length plays. His plays often delve into end-of-life themes. The two most recent productions were a premiere of Abacus in Seattle in September 2024 and the play Patrimony in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in October 2024. Abacus tells the story of a synthetic human replicant who experiences unexpected concerns as she cares for a man who suffers the indignities of old age and cognitive decline.His plays, which often delve into end-of-life themes, were produced at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022 and 2023. Duane is also writing a history book about the American West titled Journeys to Zion. In this conversation, Duane discusses his experiences with death and how it has influenced his work. He shares personal stories of loss and reflects on the impact of mortality on storytelling. The discussion also delves into his recent plays, the intersection of artificial intelligence and humanity, and the importance of empathy in understanding our shared fate. Duane emphasizes the need to create meaningful art and the moral obligation to make the most of our time on earth.Links:Duane's WebsiteThe Search for WandlaTerror Management  - Ernest BeckerThe Monk and the Robot seriesKlara and the Sun byKazuo IshiguroDover Beach By Matthew ArnoldThanatopsis By William Cullen BryantSupport the showWe very much want to hear your thoughts. Please join us on Substack for our community chat.This podcast helps anyone dealing with loss. It can guide you with end-of-life planning and death-positive resources. Check out our introductory episode to learn more about Annalouiza, Wakil, and our vision/mission to normalize and destigmatize conversations about death, dying, grief, and loss.You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one-on-one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at [email protected] want to be transparent that we use AI tools to help us with titles, show notes, editing, and introductions....