[The Baking Typewriter] In Search of the Last Traces of Those Who Have Left

Pilgrimage to Cemeteries of European Artists
From Baudelaire to Gogh, Camus
With Epitaphs Summarizing a Life
Exploring the Deceased's People and Traces

"Cast a cold eye on life, on death. Horseman, pass by." (William Butler Yeats epitaph)

People are remembered forever by those left behind even after their life ends. One of the things that can concisely show the life of the departed is the cemetery where the body and spirit finally rest. Those left beside the deceased usually place their favorite words or symbols on the tombstone. The author of this book guides readers by saying, "To understand someone's life and temperament, visit their grave, their resting place."

The author, a writer and literary scholar, visits the life spaces and graves of various artists and literary figures such as poets, novelists, painters, and musicians. These include well-known figures to the public through classic works like Charles Baudelaire, Victor Hugo, and Albert Camus. The book vividly conveys not only the epitaphs on the tombstones but also the lives of the deceased, excerpts from their works, and the atmosphere of their surroundings. It makes one realize how enriching a journey following only cemeteries can be.

The pilgrimage of cemeteries begins in Paris, France. Jean-Paul Sartre, known as an existentialist philosopher, rests in a joint grave with his partner Simone de Beauvoir at the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris. During their lifetime, they maintained their lives freely through a contract marriage, but in death, being bound in one grave feels paradoxical. In front of their graves lying side by side, the author describes, "They remain side by side, unchanged, each in their own domain, both in life and in death."

Next, the author arrives at the grave of poet Charles Baudelaire. He lived feeling loneliness despite a financially affluent life under his mother, who remarried a military major after his father's absence during his childhood. Known as a poet who dealt with loneliness amidst crowds, Baudelaire neither wanted a grave nor a tombstone during his lifetime and was buried with his mother in the family tomb.

Vincent van Gogh, the painter who last stayed in the village of Auvers near Paris, rests in the village's communal cemetery alongside his brother Vincent van Theo. Sunflowers symbolizing him are placed throughout the cemetery. Van Gogh, a lifelong poor artist, and Theo, his only supporter, lie side by side after death, leaning on each other.

The book introduces epitaphs of various writers. These are condensed inscriptions of a person's life. Just like their works, the phrases engraved on the tombstones are full of personality. "I ask nothing of passersby." (Marceline Desbordes-Valmore) "God reunites those who love." (?dith Piaf) "I fear nothing. I am free." (Nikos Kazantzakis)

The author journeys beyond Paris through various countries across Europe such as Russia, Moscow, and Greece, visiting cemeteries. He says, "Everything was there." Many artists were lonely during their lives and constantly agonized over existence, but what remained in the end was "love." How will our lives be remembered by those left behind? Can we be remembered in the way we desire? This book is recommended for those who want to embark on a European trip in a unique way and for those who wish to deeply explore the lives and meanings of artists' existence.

Everything Was There｜Written by Ham Jeong-im｜Hyunamsa｜552 pages｜29,500 KRW