Content Warning: This section of the guide includes a discussion of murders, racial violence, and war.

Death Coming Up the Hill revolves around the “tidy” and concise yet impactful nature of 17-syllable haikus. Chris Crowe acknowledges the power of these brief poems, recognizing their ability to convey profound meanings despite leaving spaces between the lines. With limited time and space, he aims to encapsulate crucial remembrances of 1968, a year marked by the loss of “sixteen thousand five hundred ninety-two” American soldiers in the Vietnam War (8). Using 976 haikus, he dedicates one syllable to each soldier, honoring their sacrifice.

In the first week of January 1968, Ashe, a young boy, recounts his mother arriving home late on New Year’s Eve. His father, distressed and furious, blames the anti-war activists. Ashe is frustrated with his parents’ inability to get along. He longs for “a normal life” and peace not only at home but also in Vietnam     and the world (10). He retreats to his room. Later, Ashe’s mother visits his room after an intense argument with his father. She tells Ashe that the day of his birth was the best day of her life. She leaves reminding him that there may be “light at the end of this dark tunnel” (11).