22 Jan 2017

The American Way of Death

10:01 am on 23 February 2023
American mortician and author Caitlin Doughty

American mortician and author Caitlin Doughty Photo: Caitlin Doughty / Twitter

US writer Caitlin Doughty is a mortician who is keen to talk about how death can be a positive experience for the bereaved.

Providing a fresh perspective on a topic made famous by Jessica Mitford over 50 years ago, Doughty wants us to re-evaluate our attitude to what happens when a life is at its end.

The author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematorium, which charts her early years in the funeral business, talks to Christchurch coroner Marcus Elliott.

This discussion was recorded at the WORD Christchurch Writers Festival in August.

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