Sometimes the most caring thing we can do for someone is to be present in a time of need. The simple act of human contact and what it represents is all we can do, and enough.
Real
True Narratives
- Michael Dorris, The Broken Cord (Harper Perennial, 1990), a true story of a man’s commitment to a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, whom he chose to adopt.
- Karhryn Davis, Aurelia, Aurélia: A Memoir (Greywolf Press, 2022): “The subject is the death of Davis’s husband, Eric, from cancer. While Eric is dying, the two spend their mornings side by side in bed.”
Imaginary
Visual Arts
- Umberto Boccioni, States of Mind: Those Who Stay (1911)
- Umberto Boccioni, States of Mind: Those Who Leave (1911)
Music: songs and other short pieces
- James Taylor, You’ve Got a Friend
- Carole King, You’ve Got a Friend
- The Beatles, Here, There and Everywhere
- Nawang Khechog, Presence
Film and Stage
- Toy Story 2: the toys try to rescue their friend from an unhappy fate
From the dark side:
- Charulata (The Lonely Wife) is Satyajit Ray’s study of a woman whose husband pays her little attention.
- Tokyo Story, a tragedy of inattention and indifference
- Letter from an Unknown Woman, a story of unrequited romantic “love,” a pregnancy, a child and indifference
Music: Composers, artists, and major works
Compositions:
- Vaughan Williams, Hugh the Drover: well-bred Mary falls in love with Hughand they stand by each other to the stocks, from which they are freed.
- Gernsheim, Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, 32 (1875)
- German, pieces for violin and piano
- Cassadesus, works for violin and piano, including Sonata Nos. 1 and 2, and Hommage a Chausson for Violin and Piano, Op. 51
- Cassadesus, Suite for Two Violins, Op. 39 (In Memory of Gabriel Fauré)
- Elgar, works for Violin and Piano, including his Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 82 (1918)
- Raga Madhmad sarang, an afternoon raag (performances by Amonkar, Rajurkar and Bismillah Khan)
Albums:
- Matthew Shipp Trio, “Piano Song”
Fictional Narratives
Novels: