In the new speculative novel 'Weepers,' mourning is outsourced to professionals

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Detailed Summary of "Weepers" by Peter Mendelsohn

Episode Overview

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbong interviews Peter Mendelsohn, the novelist and creative director at The Atlantic, about his new speculative novel, "Weepers." Released on July 8, 2025, Weepers explores a unique society where mourning is outsourced to professionals known as "weepers." The conversation delves into the novel’s themes, character dynamics, and the personal experiences that influenced Mendelsohn’s writing.

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Introduction to "Weepers"

Andrew Limbong introduces the book by highlighting its premise: a world where individuals are employed to express grief at funerals and burials. While Weepers doesn't explicitly market itself as a Christian novel, Mendelsohn incorporates religious references and themes.

“It doesn't announce itself as an overtly Christian novel, but in this interview with NPR, Scott Simon Mendelssohn name checks John the Baptist, the Book of Lamentations. He calls the novel messianic.”
— Andrew Limbong [00:02]

Mendelsohn acknowledges the subtle religious undertones, suggesting that the exploration of grief and mortality naturally intersects with spiritual themes.

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The Role of Weepers and Character Analysis

The novel centers around Ed, a cowboy poet and member of Local 302, a union of weepers. Ed represents the steadfast individuals who maintain this profession in a declining town.

“A cowboy poet named Ed has seemed to find enduring work in a small, dying town in the American Southwest. He is a weeper, a member of Local 302, a union of workers hired to mourn at funerals.”
— Scott Simon [02:02]

Peter Mendelsohn elaborates on the nature of weepers, emphasizing the blend of authentic emotion and performed grief.

“As Ed muses, misery loves company. But hey, at least we were miserable, which counts as a feeling, and most people these days cannot manage even that sentiment of any kind.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [02:24]

He describes weepers as individuals who might inherently possess the capacity to feel deeply, making their role both a gift and a burden.

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Historical and Cultural Context

Mendelsohn situates the concept of professional mourning within a broader historical and cultural framework, noting its long-standing presence across different societies.

“It's been going on for centuries. Right? I mean, ... or in lamentations in the Bible. It goes back as far as you can possibly imagine.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [03:17]

By drawing parallels to ancient practices and biblical references, he underscores the timeless human need to process loss collectively.

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The Messianic Element: The Arrival of the Kid

A pivotal turn in Weepers occurs with the introduction of a young boy referred to as "the kid," who possesses an extraordinary ability to evoke genuine emotions in others.

“The novel is a messianic novel. The kid is this messianic figure who sort of wanders out of the wilderness. He joins up with this union of weepers.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [05:58]

Ed perceives the kid as a miraculous presence capable of rekindling suppressed emotions within the community.

“He brings with him this power to unlock all of that feeling that's been suppressed, all of the numbness. He makes it go away in a miraculous fashion.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [06:07]

This character serves as a catalyst for change, challenging the status quo and prompting both characters and readers to contemplate the nature of genuine emotion versus performed sentiment.

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Exploring Contemporary Relevance

Mendelsohn connects the novel's themes to current societal issues, reflecting on the pervasive sense of despair and emotional disconnection in modern times.

“You know, the idea really behind the book is that it's hard not to be aware that we're living in a particularly rough moment... there are sort of two approaches in terms of contending with this. I think we sort of live in an age of anger and an age of anhedonia or anesthesia.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [04:16]

He suggests that Weepers addresses the duality of widespread anger and emotional numbness, positioning the weepers as both emotional laborers and preservers of humanity's capacity to feel.

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Personal Reflections and Inspirations

Delving into his creative process, Mendelsohn shares how his personal struggles with depression influenced the narrative and emotional depth of Weepers.

“A couple of weeks ago, I was with a friend from work... I sort of faked crying and honest to God, the tears just came out and I thought, holy cow. Like, I can make myself sad if I want to.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [03:17]

His own experiences with depression and the act of creating art became a metaphorical foundation for the novel’s exploration of controlled versus authentic emotions.

“It's sort of what my body does. And I think that you'd need a team of therapists to sort of unlock why that is. But... it was an unbidden urge from nowhere.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [07:23]

These reflections highlight the intricate relationship between personal pain and creative expression, a central theme in Weepers.

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Philosophical and Existential Questions

As the narrative progresses, both the protagonist and readers are invited to ponder deeper existential questions, particularly concerning the afterlife.

“As I got to the end of this novel, I found myself contending with thoughts. But an afterlife, like, is there one?”
— Scott Simon [08:09]

Mendelsohn responds by emphasizing the narrator’s grappling with mortality and the possibility of miracles, especially after witnessing the kid’s impact.

“... the narrator is contending with it, but also having witnessed... he starts to think for the first time that maybe his notions about everything there is that might be incomplete, he begins to open his mind to the idea of the miraculous.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [08:21]

This introspection adds a layer of spiritual inquiry to the novel, encouraging readers to explore their own beliefs about life and death.

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In wrapping up the discussion, Mendelsohn leaves listeners with a sense of mystery and contemplation regarding the novel’s themes.

“By the time it ends, I think we leave Ed in a mysterious place where he's asking questions that I think are healthy questions to ask.”
— Peter Mendelsohn [09:24]

The episode effectively encapsulates the essence of Weepers, presenting it as a thought-provoking exploration of emotion, society, and spirituality.

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Key Takeaways:

• "Weepers" presents a speculative society where mourning is a professional service, raising questions about authenticity in emotional expression.

• The novel intertwines historical and religious references, adding depth to its exploration of grief and communal mourning.

• The arrival of a messianic figure, the kid, serves as a catalyst for emotional awakening and challenges societal numbness.

• Peter Mendelsohn draws from personal experiences with depression to infuse the novel with genuine emotional complexity.

• Weepers invites readers to contemplate profound existential questions, particularly regarding the afterlife and the nature of miracles.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Andrew Limbong [00:02]: “...Scott Simon Mendelssohn name checks John the Baptist, the Book of Lamentations. He calls the novel messianic.”

• Peter Mendelsohn [02:24]: “Misery loves company. But hey, at least we were miserable, which counts as a feeling...”

• Peter Mendelsohn [03:17]: “I sort of faked crying and honest to God, the tears just came out and I thought, holy cow.”

• Scott Simon [08:09]: “An afterlife, like, is there one?”

• Peter Mendelsohn [09:24]: “...leaves Ed in a mysterious place where he's asking questions that I think are healthy questions to ask.”

---

Recommendation:

For listeners interested in a deep, emotionally charged narrative that blends speculative fiction with philosophical inquiry, Weepers by Peter Mendelsohn offers a compelling read. The NPR Book of the Day episode provides insightful perspectives into the novel’s themes and the author’s inspirations, making it an enriching listen for both fans of literature and those seeking to understand the complexities of human emotion and societal norms.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Peter Mendelsohn's new novel, Weepers is about people hired to cry at wakes, funerals or burials. On its face, it doesn't announce itself as an overtly Christian novel, but in this interview with npr, Scott Simon Mendelssohn name checks John the Baptist, the Book of Lamentations. He calls the novel messianic. And I guess it does make sense for a book that is asking questions about grief and death to be at least thinking about religion in its subtext. After the break, Mendelsohn talks about what happened in his own life that led him to contend with the miraculous.

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[Scott Simon]

Where just about everyone may worry they'll soon be replaced by smart machines. A cowboy poet named Ed has seemed to find enduring work in a small, dying town in the American Southwest. He is a weeper, a member of Local 302, a union of workers hired to mourn at funerals.

[Peter Mendelsohn]

As Ed muses, misery loves company. But hey, at least we were miserable, which counts as a feeling, and most people these days cannot manage even that sentiment of any kind. And so it was and is. And thus we do all the feeling for him.

[Scott Simon]

That is Peter Mendelsohn, the novelist and designer who's also creative director at the Atlantic. He joins us from our studios in New York. Thanks so much for being with us.

[Peter Mendelsohn]

Thank you so much for having Me.

[Scott Simon]

Are the weepers feeling or acting like they're feeling?

[Peter Mendelsohn]

I think it's a range, you know, I think that everybody in this particular union who does this work, I mean, it's obviously a magic realist. Concede that this is a normalized thing in this country, although I gather that it is a normalized profession in other countries.

[Scott Simon]

It's been going on for centuries. Right? I mean, Moriologists in Greece. Yeah.

[Peter Mendelsohn]

Yes. Or in lamentations in the Bible. It goes back as far as you can possibly imagine. But I think the idea here in the novel, which is really an allegory, is that these people, they don't really have to act, that there is something that they're born with, that it's a God given. I don't want to call it. It's either a talent or a liability, but at least it pays the bills. Strangely, a couple of weeks ago, I was with a friend from work, and I can't remember what the bit was that I was performing at the time, but involved me getting sad over something that didn't really require me being sad. I sort of faked crying and honest to God, the tears just came out and I thought, holy cow. Like, I can make myself sad if I want to. Don't ask me to do it right now.

[Scott Simon]

Well, all right. You anticipate me. Tell us about the state of the world that you describe here. And it's not too far away from what we're living now.

[Peter Mendelsohn]

Yeah. You know, the idea really behind the book is that it's hard not to be aware that we're living in a particularly rough moment. And that could be. There's a million things you could be worried about. But, you know, the death of democracy, the death of the planet. And it seems like, I mean, this is a simplification, but there are sort of two approaches in terms of contending with this. I think we sort of live in an age of anger and an age of anhedonia or anesthesia. So the idea here is that these folks, this particular cohort of sensitives, their job, in a way, is to both do the feeling for the population as a whole, but also to encourage the population to keep those pores open, to still be in touch, as it were, with healthy feelings, you know, joy and sadness. And as someone who is himself, I would say, an overly sensitive person, it's quite the lift for me to have to support all of this knowledge about the downward trend essentially for humanity. A couple of years ago, when I was writing this book, I was coming out of a Sort of devastating series of rolling depressions. And it got me thinking. I mean, if you write fiction, whatever you're feeling is going to get you thinking. It got me thinking about what's the point of all of this? Over sensitivity. I know other people feel it. Who are they? Who are we? Is there a service that we can offer? And so that's sort of the genesis of the book.

[Scott Simon]

Tell us about the kid who comes into this group. That's what he's called. He seems to have a special gift for the work, doesn't he?

[Peter Mendelsohn]

Yeah, the novel is a messianic novel. The kid is this messianic figure who sort of wanders out of the wilderness. He joins up with this union of weepers. And sort of as soon as he, the kid begins to work, Ed sees this tremendous uptick in feeling in the entire community. He has a preternatural ability to make people cry. As it turns out, he has a preternatural ability to make people feel all kinds of things. But Ed sees this. I mean, Ed is sort of his John the Baptist, you know, he. He's one of his first apostles. He sees this coming and just sort of wants to shout to the heavens, like, here is a miracle. This kid comes unto us and he brings with him this power to unlock all of that feeling that's been suppressed, all of the numbness. He makes it go away in a miraculous fashion. There's no mechanic that Ed can see. It's just a supernatural ability.

[Scott Simon]

You're a designer, a classical pianist, a creative director at the Atlantic, as well as a novelist. To state the obvious, for somebody who struggles with depression, you're awfully productive.

[Peter Mendelsohn]

I get this. I get this from people. It's sort of what my body does. And I think that you'd need a team of therapists to sort of unlock why that is. But even as I was sort of army crawling my way through this deep depression, I was living at the time with my family in a remote part of New Hampshire. And I drove to Home Depot to pick up some supplies and I saw a Michaels, the crafting store and God knows why. I went in and just got a bunch of cheap acrylics and pre primed canvases. And I think about it all the time. It was an unbidden urge from nowhere. So I think a lot of the productivity is just. For me, it's a little like breathing. It just kind of happens. I can't stop it if I wanted to.

[Scott Simon]

As I got to the end of this novel, I found myself contending with thoughts. But an afterlife, like, is there one?

[Peter Mendelsohn]

Yeah. And so does the narrator. I'm happy to hear that that is a response that you had. He himself is nearing his end, and it's very natural for somebody who is ill and approaching their death to be preoccupied with that question. You know, I just was a caretaker for my own mother who passed in November and got to see it up close. And it is one of the key aspects of the end of the book because the narrator's contending with it, but also having witnessed the, for want of a better word, the miracles that the kid, quote, unquote brings to this town, he starts to think for the first time that maybe his notions about everything there is that might be incomplete, he begins to open his mind to the idea of the miraculous. So by the time it ends, I think we leave Ed in a mysterious place where he's asking questions that I think are healthy questions to ask.

[Scott Simon]

Peter Mendelsohn, his new novel, Weepers. Thank you so much for being with us.

[Peter Mendelsohn]

Thank you for having me.

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