On a day like any other, Jonathan Santlofer was suddenly dropped into the chaos of intense grief when his wife of 40 years suddenly died. His losses before this did not prepare him for his upended life. It did not prepare him for the insensitive and alienating things people said to him when he was too vulnerable to respond. It did not prepare him for the internal conflict of whether and how much to share about his intense mourning. He also had the sense that his inability to share his feelings and ask for help were deeply affected by the expectations he felt because he is a man. How did gender affect people's expectations of what would happen next? How much of that was a conflict within his own heart? He found an anchor in writing down what he was experiencing. In his notebooks he was able to say it all, and to hear himself. And ultimately, the lifeline he found in writing became a beautiful book, A Widower's Notebook.

Jonathan Santlofer is the author of the memoir, THE WIDOWER'S NOTEBOOK, released this month by Penguin books. AS well as being an author, Jonathan is also an artist. He has published 5 novels, including the best selling "The Death Art," and the award-winning "Anatomy of Fear," and numerous short stories. He has been both editor and contributor for 6 notable anthologies, among them the New York Times bestseller, "Inherit the Dead," and recently, Touchstone/Simon & Schuster "IT OCCURS TO ME THAT I AM AMERICA," a collection of original stories and art. He has taught art and writing at Columbia University, Pratt Institute, and the Center For Fiction, where he created Crime Fiction Academy. His artwork is in major public and private collections in the US and abroad. Jonathan has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, among them two National Endowment for the Arts grants, Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome, and he serves on the board of Yaddo, one of the oldest arts organizations in the US.