# After losing both sons, writer Yiyun Li turned to music when words failed

Novelist and essayist Yiyun Li, who lost both of her sons, found that language could not carry her grief and turned instead to music. In an NPR feature, she describes how music gave her a way to hold loss and meaning when writing fell short. Her experience speaks to how art forms beyond words can help people endure what language cannot express.

**Importance:** 2/5

## Sources

### Health
- [NPR Health](https://www.npr.org/2026/10/13/nx-s1-6000124/yiyun-li-music-against-the-night) — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:41:07 -0400