My Journey as a Hospice Care Volunteer
The term hospice refers to both a philosophy and an approach to caring for the terminally ill, and it often …
Carnival and the Spectacle of Bodies
(featured image: The Carousel bar at Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans). When you think of Carnival, you might think of …
How About a Howe Sit? The Tradition of Early Germanic Grave-Sitting
Are you the type to enjoy a stroll through the cool, dark cemetery, taking refuge under the yews, perhaps picnicking …
In Search of the Corporeal: Westworld and the Meaning of Corpses
(photo of Westworld hosts Maeve and Clementine via Slate – by John P. Johnson/HBO) Last night I finished binge-watching Westworld. I’ve been …
Artistic Ofrendas: Remembering the Dead Through Art
Ofrendas are offerings laid out for dead family members and friends during the period Dia de Muertos, Mexico’s annual remembrance of …
Defying Morbidity: Tales From a Central Pennsylvania Funeral Home
(Photo is a photocopy of my grandmother’s photo of the Holcombe Funeral Home in November, 1959. You can spot the …
A Story in Strange California!
I am so excited that a story of mine will be included in Strange California: A Speculative Fiction Anthology, edited by …
The Brief History of End-of-Life and Comfort Care and its Ever-Present Myths
Featured image: Oxford (where Dr. Cicely Saunders initially studied) in autumn. Photo by http://offtonowhere.tumblr.com. Hospice care in the United States just celebrated …
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award for Imaginative Fiction
Featured Image: Mary Shelley Original Drawing by CaitlinMcCarthyArt . After nearly two years, I am finally getting two short stories published, …
Cemeteries and Libations: Adventures in New Orleans
A few days ago I returned from a wonderful, sweltering New Orleans trip with my best friend. It was our …
Sailor’s Formalin: Bodies in Bourbon, Whiskey, and Rum
Featured image: Color label for qt. bottle. “Old National Whiskey,” a Louisville, KY whiskey sold by “Henry Coby, Colo. City, Colo.” Pre-1920. …
Elegy for Sylvia: Ted Hughes’ Birthday Letters
Featured Image: Sylvia Plath’s grave in West Yorkshire, England (Flickr/ UncleBucko ) via WNYC (desaturated for this blog post). Red was your colour …
Tomato Aspic, Stuffed Eggs, and Pimiento Cheese: How Southern Ladies Do Funerals
Nobody in the world eats better than the bereaved Southerner. Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide …
Thoughts on the Aid in Dying Decision in New Mexico
featured image: Laid to Rest in a Bed of Bluebells, by Rebecca Hampton “Physician-assisted suicide threatens all people and turns the …
The Dead and their Ghostly Baggage of Superstitions
Featured image via the enchanting WhiteWit.Ch. I haven’t posted an original blog post for a couple of weeks – have been …
The Sacrilege of Disturbed Undertaking: William Gay’s Twilight.
The heady atmosphere of the southern woods is where macabre secrets lie ensnarled in webs woven by centuries old ghosts; …
Hosting A Séance, Victorian-Style
There’s nothing more titillating than a room full of spirits. If you’re in need of entertaining inspiration over this long …
A Round-Up of Witchy Goodness and Occult Forces to Be Reckoned With
This week I’ve been immersed in occult studies, reading up on Satanism, Spiritualism, and Wicca; researching the Fox Sisters, Beyoncé’s invocation …
Mourning Baubles and Morbid Trinkets
I’ve always been drawn to Victorian mourning rituals, especially the regalia of full mourning attire worn by new (often affluent) …
The Cemetery As a Spiritual Experience
Featured Image: West Highgate Cemetery, taken by EM Castellan The cemetery is an open space among the ruins, covered in …
