Swimming in a Sea of Death: A Son’s Memoir

(Simon & Schuster) The author tells the story of his mother, Susan Sontag’s battle with cancer and her fear of death. As her only child, Rieff relates the relationship between mother and son as he journeyed with Sontag from her initial diagnosis to her death in 2004. Rieff is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and is the author of seven previous books.

Paw in print

Image
Terri Sewell ’86 at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, stands next to a portrait of civil rights leader John Lewis.
The Latest Issue

November 2026

History is in Terri Sewell ’86’s hands; campus mental health culture; the two Princetons.