Death has long been one of the most common themes and visuals in art, drama, poetry, and music. The Danse Macabre, or dance of death, is a medieval concept about the power of... Continue reading

When someone dies, it's customary for a local publication to print an obituary describing their life and providing information about funeral services. Jump ahead to these... Continue reading

Ever heard of "gallows humor?" This dark sense of what's funny comes is displayed in one Día de los Muertos tradition, the short satirical poems called Calaveritas, or... Continue reading

The gift of life has forever been a mystery. Academic, scientific, and religious scholars have researched and debated the question of why do humans have to die for hundreds of... Continue reading

When we think of death and dying, it's usually in the context of someone else's death — not our own. We are inquisitive and ask about how they died, whether it was painful... Continue reading

When someone is dealing with illness even the most emotionally intelligent person can have a hard time knowing what to say. If you know someone who has a family member with... Continue reading

Confronting death isn't always easy. For most, it's downright intimidating. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory offers readers a first-hand account of... Continue reading

Death isn't often a conversation starter or the icebreaker at a party, but at a Death Cafe, it's center stage. This unique gathering is becoming more and more popular by the da... Continue reading

Pandemics, epidemics, and viruses have been lurking in our backyards and family histories long before the written word. When humans finally did start writing things down, accoun... Continue reading

Personifying death is one way that human beings have historically come to grips with our mortality. And the most recognizable embodiment of death itself is a dark, mysterious... Continue reading