The Many Forms of Above-Ground Burial
Humans have a long history of creative memorialization of the dead, frequently involving above-ground burial. The extravagance of some memorials, such as were recently explored on this very...
Cities of the Dead
New Orleans is known worldwide for its graveyards. Crescent City’s gothic mystique imbues its cemeteries with a seductive draw, and who doesn’t like a little atmosphere? If you’re...
The History and Purpose of Mausoleums
What’s the purpose behind mausoleums? In some locations they appear to serve a practical function, such as where a high water table makes ground burial impossible. But mausoleums...
Why Do People Believe in Ghosts?
I began this article, as is my custom, by reading about my subject – in this case, belief in ghosts. Research is where the magic begins, but it’s...
Is Crying Good for You?
It’s more or less commonly held that crying is supposed to be a good thing, whether as a stress reliever or because it actually purges the body of...
A Brief History of Headstones
It’s that time of year! “Graveyards” are popping up in neighborhoods and front yards all across this great land: tombstones askew, phalanges and femurs poking up through the...
Your Future Client, Planning Her Own Funeral Party
I’ve been writing on deathcare matters from a layperson’s perspective for a while now. I’ve delved into graphic, unsavory aspects including trauma and decomposition and the actual biological...
Miscarriage and Death Care Part Two: Unique Needs of Families
Circumstances – social and psychological – being what they are, handling matters for families who are navigating loss of this sort may place new demands on deathcare professionals....
Miscarriages and Death Care Part One: Practical Matters
26% of all pregnancies will end in miscarriage. In the US alone, that’s at least 500,000 naturally lost pregnancies every year. A lot of parents experience such lost...
Radiation Exposure in Deathcare
When imagining a scenario which includes radioactive human remains, you probably aren’t envisioning much in the way of deathcare – the topic carries a kind of Armageddon-ish feeling...