Death is a certainty – one that no one can escape.
But for many in modern America, it’s a taboo topic, one far removed from our everyday lives until we’re faced head-on with loss.
Take a peek behind the curtain as we explore our relationship with death, meet the people who help us navigate the end of life, and answer questions you were too afraid to ask.
Illustrations by Erin Panell.
Episode 4
How these underwater memorials are saving marine life, one death at a time
When Kailey Newkirk’s mother passed away unexpectedly, her family was at a loss at how she would want to be memorialized. But her mother’s final Facebook post pointed them to a surprising trend in funeral services: coral reef memorials. “It made so much sense that she would want to support marine life habitat when she passed,” Newkirk says. “Mostly because she was trying to save literally everything in the world, even on her way out of it.” Read full article
Episode 3
These doulas are challenging what death should look like: ‘There’s no right way to die’
Americans are generally familiar with the work of birth doulas, people who provide support during childbirth.
But a growing number of families are finding solace in doulas to help through the end of life, as well. Read full article
Episode 2
Too young, too short, too frail: How the next generation of morticians is breaking the mold
Jolena Grande was one of four women in her class when she studied to become a mortician. Now a professor of mortuary sciences at Cypress College, Grande says most of their students are women, but the next generation is still facing harmful stereotypes on who belongs in death services. Read full article
Episode 1
This Gen-Z mortician is on a mission to demystify death
Aren’t you scared?”
Twenty-four-year-old Jasmine Berrios gets a lot of questions about her work as a funeral director and embalmer – her answers may surprise you. Read full article
