--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From the short story (and anthology…" description: "\"“From the short story (and anthology containing it) DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE : Donny acted like he didn’t hear me. “You can’t send your mom off ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/ken-goldman-46091_anthology_from-the-short-story-and-anthology-conta_1639067.jpg" --- # From the short story (and anthology containing it) DONNY… ![“From the short story (and anthology containing it) DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE : Donny acted like he didn’t hear me. “You can’t send your mom off into eternity looking like that, Artie. She wouldn’t like it.” He reached into my mother’s casket, shoved his fingers into her mouth like it was the…” quote by Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/ken-goldman-46091_anthology_from-the-short-story-and-anthology-conta_1639067.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/ken-goldman-46091_anthology_from-the-short-story-and-anthology-conta_1639067.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/ken-goldman-46091_anthology_from-the-short-story-and-anthology-conta_1639067.jpg) > ““From the short story (and anthology containing it) DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE : Donny acted like he didn’t hear me. “You can’t send your mom off into eternity looking like that, Artie. She wouldn’t like it.” He reached into my mother’s casket, shoved his fingers into her mouth like it was the most logical thing in the world. “Donny, you can’t --!” “I’m just making her look right, Artie. It’s what she would want.” He tugged hard at my mom’s lips. I knew they were cold because I had kissed them a few moments earlier, and for a moment I felt convinced my friend had completely lost his mind. But when I looked inside Mom’s casket I knew Donny had done something only a best friend would think to do. My mother was smiling again. And she looked just the way I remembered her, the way I would always want to remember her. I got so choked up I couldn’t talk for a few minutes. Finally I managed, “My mother always told me you could make her smile.”” [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A friend restores a loved one's memory by making a final, intimate gesture, allowing the bereaved to see the departed as they wish to remember them. **In simple terms:** A friend helps you remember a loved one positively. Key Takeaway Honor cherished memories with gentle acts. Themes grief memory friendship Mood sad reflective hopeful Type emotional inspirational When to use this quote - funeral - personal loss - memory preservation Key Concepts ritual closure psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance honoring the dead with personal comfort? - What gestures help you keep loved ones alive in memory? A Different Perspective May be seen as disrespectful to the deceased's body. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friend/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [“Heartburn is how I recognize myself. It's how I know I feel like me." - Donny”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-weil/heartburn-is-how-i-recognize-myself-it-s-how-i-know-i-feel-like-me/) [Sharon Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-weil/) > [“When I examined my own life, I realized that I had been standing at the foot of my mother's casket for 35 years, grieving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-j-williams/when-i-examined-my-own-life-i-realized-that-i-had-been-standing-at/) Nathaniel J. Williams > [“From "Lady In Waiting" in the anthology The Morgue : Now I have yet to meet the corpse could hold up its end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/from-lady-in-waiting-in-the-anthology-the-morgue-now-i-have-yet-to/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“Socrates is flying. No, he is soaring. The wings behind him beat in a calming rhythm while the cool air rushes past. His wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/socrates-is-flying-no-he-is-soaring-the-wings-behind-him-beat-in-a/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“A kiss is such an amazing thing -- So simple, so complex. The only human act that gives while it receives. Mouth to mouth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/a-kiss-is-such-an-amazing-thing-so-simple-so-complex-the-only-human/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“From "Lunchtime At The Justice Cafe" : The waitress snarled a grin that lasted just long enough to show a mouthful of stained yellowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/from-lunchtime-at-the-justice-cafe-the-waitress-snarled-a-grin-that/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [I get really, really concerned when I see somebody, taking $600,000 in speaking fees from Goldman Sachs, will not release what they're actually saying.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-get-really-really-concerned-when-i-see-somebody-taking-600-000-in/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Today's national income statistics make it appear that Goldman Sachs is productive. As if Donald Trump plays a productive role. The aim is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/today-s-national-income-statistics-make-it-appear-that-goldman-sachs/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [“But the question is, historically, part of the group that you're a part of - whether it's racial, gender, religious, whatever - how has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-applebaum/but-the-question-is-historically-part-of-the-group-that-you-re-a-part/) Jacob Applebaum > [“The first thing you need to know about Goldman Sachs is that it's everywhere. The world's most powerful investment bank is a great vampire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/the-first-thing-you-need-to-know-about-goldman-sachs-is-that-it-s/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [You want to know who owns America? A few at the top. And they've got one thing on their mind. No change. Look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-roemer/you-want-to-know-who-owns-america-a-few-at-the-top-and-they-ve-got/) Buddy Roemer > [I understand Goldman Sachs businesses. We do lot of business with him, and GE has been - I think it's the longest running stock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-understand-goldman-sachs-businesses-we-do-lot-of-business-with-him/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Barack Obama's large contributor was Goldman Sachs - same thing on the Republican side. If you go to both their conventions, you see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/barack-obama-s-large-contributor-was-goldman-sachs-same-thing-on-the/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. They want to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-ve-heard-that-one-half-of-the-students-at-elite-schools-want-to-go/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [“Goldman laid low until the 1927 executions of anarchists and convicted bank robbers Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti stirred her back into action. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgrath-morris/goldman-laid-low-until-the-1927-executions-of-anarchists-and/) [James McGrath Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgrath-morris/) ## More by Ken Goldman > [“From "Lunchtime At The Justice Cafe" : The waitress snarled a grin that lasted just long enough to show a mouthful of stained yellowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/from-lunchtime-at-the-justice-cafe-the-waitress-snarled-a-grin-that/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“A kiss is such an amazing thing -- So simple, so complex. The only human act that gives while it receives. Mouth to mouth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/a-kiss-is-such-an-amazing-thing-so-simple-so-complex-the-only-human/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“Pinky Lumbers caught fire quicker than steak on a barbecue. He heaved and squirmed tryin' to scream, but his mouth was too crammed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/pinky-lumbers-caught-fire-quicker-than-steak-on-a-barbecue-he-heaved/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“Socrates is flying. No, he is soaring. The wings behind him beat in a calming rhythm while the cool air rushes past. His wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/socrates-is-flying-no-he-is-soaring-the-wings-behind-him-beat-in-a/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“You can’t blame yourself for what Socrates did. Those birds came because he wanted them to come, at least a part of him did.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/you-can-t-blame-yourself-for-what-socrates-did-those-birds-came/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“From "Lady In Waiting" in the anthology The Morgue : Now I have yet to meet the corpse could hold up its end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/from-lady-in-waiting-in-the-anthology-the-morgue-now-i-have-yet-to/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) > [“Enlightenment is not imagining figures of light, but making the darkness conscious.” — Carl Jung”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldman/enlightenment-is-not-imagining-figures-of-light-but-making-the/) [Ken Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) [Explore all 8 Ken Goldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldman/) ## More Anthology quotes > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I had the idea to do an anthology about instrument-making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-toop/i-had-the-idea-to-do-an-anthology-about-instrument-making/) [David Toop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-toop/) > [I regret that there aren't more short stories in other magazines. But in a certain way, I think the disappearance of the short-story template…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorin-stein/i-regret-that-there-aren-t-more-short-stories-in-other-magazines-but/) [Lorin Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorin-stein/) > [Way back in 1989, I got lucky with my first published story when it was selected for the Journey Prize anthology. Then I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bergen/way-back-in-1989-i-got-lucky-with-my-first-published-story-when-it/) [David Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bergen/) > [I once was asked to contribute to a mushroom poem anthology. I didn't have anything, and so instead ended up writing the introduction. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hirshfield/i-once-was-asked-to-contribute-to-a-mushroom-poem-anthology-i-didn-t/) [Jane Hirshfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hirshfield/) > [I am also working on a couple of short stories for anthologies. This is new to me and Im enjoying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-guest/i-am-also-working-on-a-couple-of-short-stories-for-anthologies-this/) [Judith Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-guest/) > [No matter what, I'm never going to get an anthology from an actual publisher, though I could always score another music anthology. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meltzer/no-matter-what-i-m-never-going-to-get-an-anthology-from-an-actual/) [Richard Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meltzer/) > [You apply the skills you use to produce your own book to make an anthology. Shaping. Rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-apply-the-skills-you-use-to-produce-your-own-book-to-make-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [After my grandfather died I went down to the basement of my family house where my family kept books, anthologies and things and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/after-my-grandfather-died-i-went-down-to-the-basement-of-my-family/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [Cross-pollination and "contamination" is really important to the health of fiction, and sometimes it's a literal conversation, too, in that writers who might never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/cross-pollination-and-contamination-is-really-important-to-the-health/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [When I stand in a library where is all the recorded wit of the world, but none of the recording, a mere accumulated, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-i-stand-in-a-library-where-is-all-the-recorded-wit-of-the-world/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I think as long as the standard of quality, the story-telling, film-making, acting etc. etc. remains consistent, then you've got a good change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-marshall/i-think-as-long-as-the-standard-of-quality-the-story-telling-film/) [Neil Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-marshall/) > [ I've never heard of that anthology \[Vance Randolph, Pissing in the Snow\], but you can be sure I'll buy it now. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/i-ve-never-heard-of-that-anthology-vance-randolph-pissing-in-the-snow/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [The original Greek meaning of the word anthology is a collection or gathering of flowers in bloom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-garmey/the-original-greek-meaning-of-the-word-anthology-is-a-collection-or/) Jane Garmey > [The Psalms, the anthology of the hymns of Israel, are still used by Christians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/the-psalms-the-anthology-of-the-hymns-of-israel-are-still-used-by/) [Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/) Browse all 129 Anthology quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“From the short story (and anthology containing it) DONNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE : Donny acted like he didn’t hear me. “You can’t send your mom off into eternity looking like that, Artie. 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