Zach Brady Publishes in The Palouse Review

Zach Brady, English Department undergraduate student, recently had his short story, “Mortui Vivos Docent,” published in The Palouse Review. The piece was originally started in Assistant Professor Amber Caron’s fiction writing class, and Zach presented a preliminary version of the story last March at the National Undergraduate Literature Conference before revising and polishing it for publication.

“Mortui Vivos Docent” is the Latin term for “the dead teach the living.” Zach says, “Much of my writing grapples with trying to understand life and death. As a pre-medical student, I find myself interested in understanding life's intricate biology and philosophical beauty.”

The piece has a content warning for physician-assisted suicide, as it follows a physician whose patient faces a terminal illness. It tackles topics of death, addiction, family, and spirituality. “The moment I knew this piece would become something special was when I learned during my research that physician-assisted suicide is often performed using a concoction of lethal drugs mixed into a sweet fruit drink. It seemed like such a disturbing juxtaposition that I couldn't help but explore it,” Zach reflects.

After multiple versions of the story, altering the point of view, and consolidating the original twenty-page piece, Zach says he is honored to be published in The Palouse Review and is excited to continue his writing journey: “It's really cool to see how my published works are starting to create a brand for myself. Currently, three of my other published works also address medicine, death, family, and spirituality. I feel like I've found a niche that feels authentic to me, and after learning that many journals specifically publish works in this niche, those journals are where I'm focused on publishing next. As I enter the medical field someday, I plan to continue writing in this space.”