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Suicide Note (book)

Suicide Note, stylized in lowercase as suicide note, is a 1,905 page book by Mitchell Heisman, published in 2010. The book's primary subject is an investigation of nihilism, the philosophical rejection of value. After the publication of Suicide Note, Heisman, a 35-year-old Albany University postgraduate, shot himself on the steps of Memorial Church of Harvard University in front of a group of tourists on Yom Kippur 2010. Suicide Note doubles as Heisman's actual suicide note and a sprawling study and response to aspects of society, religion, technology, science, philosophy, among other topics.

Contents

Suicide Note features arguments, opinions, and investigations of many topics throughout history and is consequentially difficult to define. Heisman, in his own words, described Suicide Note as an "experiment in nihilism". It features 1,433 footnotes and 20 pages of bibliography. The thesis of the work affirms the nihilistic stance that life is meaningless, including the emotional ends that Heisman claims to have replaced God in the wake of atheism.

Author

Mitchell Heisman
Born	1975 New York City
Died	September 18, 2010 (age 35) Memorial Church of Harvard University
Nationality	Jewish American
Occupation	Bookstore worker
Years active	2005-2010
Known for	Public suicide on Harvard Yard.
Notable work	Suicide Note

Family

Mitchell Heisman was born in New York City, New York in 1975 to Jewish parents Alvin and Lonni. He attended elementary school in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Heisman's father and grandfather were engineers, which, according to Heisman, increased his chance for having Asperger's syndrome, which he claimed to have had. When Heisman was 12, his father died from a heart attack, which his mother believes to be the cause for his later introversion.

He had one sister, Laurel Heisman, who he wrote a private second suicide note to which affirmed he loved her and asked her to curate the site where the book was published.

Life

Heisman resided in Somerville, New Jersey and lived with various roomates. He attended college at Albany University where he received a bachelor's degree in psychology. After graduating, he amassed a large collection of books due to his employment at various bookstores, many of which he referenced in Suicide Note. He is said to have had several romantic partners, but always broke off with them to focus on Suicide Note. From 2005 to 2010 he lived a "Spartan existence", where he lived with various roommates, subsisted off occasional food, and wrote Suicide Note. During this time, he claimed he was writing a history of the Norman conquest of England, which was a seemingly favorite historical event that he praised in Suicide Note. He was described to have been extremely invested in his writing.

Suicide

Heisman was said to have purchasd a silver .38 caliber pistol three years before his suicide. On the morning of September 18, 2010, Yom Kippur, Heisman dressed himself in white formal wear and an oversized trench coat (presumably to hide his gun). He is said to have conversed with a longtime roommate and sent the note to some people close to him. He was described to be in good spirits. Heisman travelled to the Memorial Church of Harvard University where he shot himself dead, on the church steps, in front of a tourist group. His death was the culmination of the thesis presented in Suicide Note.

Reception

Heisman's death

Heisman's suicide was met with a statement from Harvard and articles about him, Suicide Note, and his family. Both his mother and sister were interviewed.

Suicide Note

The book has 3.74 stars on Goodreads.