Today I interviewed Gary Laderman, an Associate Professor of American Religious History and Culture at Emory University and the author of The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799-1883. We talk about the funeral industry, how it works, and how it’s been evolving over time. Death is very prominent in our modern culture and people are becoming more and more interested in this final stage of life, especially with the recent pandemic that we all have fought through. Gary shares his wisdom on the different aspects of death and how we can approach it, becoming a little more comfortable talking about it.

Cremation jewelry 4:52
Traditional embalming vs. other types of body disposal 9:22
Talking about death and finding it in culture 16:30
Approaching grief 17:12
Unique ways of mourning 24:40
Cherished Emblems 32:30

“Grief of course is there, but it’s not really prominent so much, and I think for me that has to do with it being a field being so dominated by psychology and my own kind of mindset and approach, being more historical and cultural and social, which are relevant in terms of grief. Again I think some of it’s going to depend on your mindset going in.” 18:21