Don DeLillo has been writing novels and short stories for more than 30 years. Among his best known works are "White Noise," "Underworld" and his first book, "Americana." His most recent novel, "The Body Artist," explores the life of performance artist Lauren Hartke after the loss of her husband, a film director named Rey Robles.

In this excerpt from "The Body Artist" (from Simon & Schuster Audio, read by Laurie Anderson) DeLillo details the final moments that Lauren and Rey share before his death.