Death in the Afternoon

INTERVIEW: Uncovering Pet Death's Greatest Mystery Apr 14, 2023

The author of history's most influential piece of animal mourning literature had been lost...until now. Learn the incredible true story behind The Rainbow Bridge.

Episode Guest

Paul Koudounaris is a founding member of The Order of the Good Death. He has a PhD in Art History and has written three books about the use of skeletal remains in sacred spaces, Empire of Death, Heavenly Bodies, and Memento Mori. When he’s not hunting skeletons he moonlights as a cat historian, and his book co-authored by his tabby cat Baba, A Cat’s Tale: A Journey Through Feline History, was a 2020 Barnes and Noble Book of the Year.

Episode Resources

The Rainbow Bridge: The True Story Behind History’s Most Influential Piece of Animal Mourning Literature

Episode Credits

Hosted by Caitlin Doughty

Guest Paul Koudounaris

Produced by the Order of the Good Death, Sarah Chavez

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) Is supported by listeners like you! Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

INTERVIEW: The Doulas Taking on California's Cemetery and Funeral Bureau Mar 10, 2023

A court case in California could force death doulas to become licensed funeral directors. We talk to the doula and the lawyer taking on California's Funeral and Cemetery Bureau.

Episode Guests

Akhila Murphy is one of the original co-founders of Full Circle of Living and Dying, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Grass Valley, CA. She is a trained End-of-Life Doula and After-Death care educator. Currently she serves on the board of directors for Full Circle of Living and Dying as Founding Director and Co-Chair President.

Ben Field is an attorney at the Institute for Justice, a national nonprofit public interest law firm that fights to secure the constitutional rights of all Americans against abuses of government power. A major part of Ben’s practice is protecting the First Amendment rights of people to speak freely in their occupations and without fear of government retaliation. He is counsel to the plaintiffs in Full Circle of Living and Dying v. Sanchez, a landmark case challenging the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau’s restrictions on the rights of end-of-life doulas to provide advice and guidance to families about end-of-life care.

Episode Resources

Defending Your Right to a Good Death

Full Circle of Living and Dying

Home Funerals

Institute for Justice

Episode Credits

Hosted by Caitlin Doughty

Guests Akhila Murphy and Ben Field

Produced by the Order of the Good Death,

Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) Is supported by listeners like you! Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

INTERVIEW: Cadaver Dog in the Cemetery Feb 24, 2023

Go behind the scenes with Cat Warren, who works with cadaver dogs to find the missing dead and locate Black and Indigenous burial grounds.

Episode Guest

Cat Warren is the author of the NYT bestseller What the Dog Knows, which explores how scent-detection dogs help find the missing and dead, sometimes even those missing for hundreds of years. She currently researches how best to use human remains detection dogs in archaeology and to help locate African-American burial grounds.

Episode Resources

Cat Warren’s Website

What the Dog Knows by Cat Warren

What Are Cadaver Dogs Teaching Us About History?

Become an Order Member to access Cat’s 2022 event with us!

Episode Credits

Hosted by Caitlin Doughty

Guest Cat Warren

Produced by the Order of the Good Death,

Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) Is supported by listeners like you! Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

Legalization, TikTok, and Angry Elephants: An Immersive Year in Death Feb 07, 2023

From viral trends to new options for your future corpse, Caitlin and Sarah review the best and worst of the past year in death, revealing how the death positive movement is making an impact on the way we do death.

Episode Resources

To access The Year in Death Project, sign up to become an Order member, or make a donation of $50 or more to our nonprofit!

Episode Credits:

Hosted by Caitlin Doughty

Co-Host Sarah Chavez

Produced by the Order of the Good Death,

Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) Is supported by listeners like you! Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

CLASSIC ARTICLE: Whose Green Burial Is It Anyway? Jan 27, 2023

In a space of loss that is already difficult to exist in, we need to do more to understand how our language surrounding green burial can better acknowledge difficult histories and experiences.

Episode Resources

This episode is an audio version of the article “Whose Green Burial Is It Anyway?” by Corinne Elicona.

Green Burial 101

Locate a Green Burial Ground

So, You Want to Be a Tree When You Die?

How to Green Your Funeral

Episode Credits:

Written by Corinne Elicona @CorinneElicona

Narrated by Sarah Chavez

Produced by the Order of the Good Death,

Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) Is supported by listeners like you! Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

INTERVIEW: How We're Failing New Morticians Jan 20, 2023

Mortuary schools began as embalming schools, sponsored by embalming chemical companies. Today, mortuary schools are designed to be more holistic, covering everything a new mortician may face in the industry. But what groups are being left out of this education? The last decade has brought hard discussions around serious gaps in what is taught to students and if they're ready for the reality of working in the death industry.

In this episode Caitlin talks with two funeral directors, Joél Maldonado and Ezra Salter to discuss race and gender in funeral education and practice.

Episode Guests

Joél Maldonado is a funeral director, sacred end-of-life and grief care professional, and educator. Learn more on her website, The Grave Woman.

Ezra Salter (they/them) is a Louisiana licensed funeral director and embalmer, a board member of Wake, a New Orleans based deathcare non-profit, and co-creator of the Louisiana LGBTQ+ End of Life Planning Guide.

Episode Resources

Sandi Baker article mentioned in the episode, Why Are All the Wax Heads Caucasian?

Petition to Remove Racist and Discriminatory Language From Mortuary College Dress Codes and Handbooks

Order of the Good Death, Working in Death: How Do I Become a Mortician?

Audio excerpt from Ask a Mortician webseries, Why Are Black and White Cemeteries Still Separate?

Cultural Competency: Black Hair and Skin Care for Non-Ethnic Funeral Professionals

Louisiana LGBTQ EOL Guide

Trans Death Rights Are Human Rights

Episode Credits:

Hosted by Caitlin Doughty

Produced by the Order of the Good Death,

Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

CLASSIC ARTICLE: Washing Kathryn, Touching Death Dec 27, 2022

No matter how long you’ve been working with dead bodies, nothing can prepare you for working on someone you knew and loved.

Episode Resources

This episode is an audio version of the article “Washing Kathryn, Touching Death” by Nora Menkin for The Order of the Good Death.

Helping to care for someone’s body in death can be a profound experience. Visit The Order website to learn more about your rights and options.

Have questions about becoming a mortician, or wondering if a career in death is right for you? Explore the answers in The Order’s Working in Death resources.

Funerals and the role of funeral directors is changing. Hear from five different directors about their work and how they envision the future of death care in our article Meet the Morticians.

Episode Credits:

Written by Nora Menkin

Narrated by Caitlin Doughty

Produced by the Order of the Good Death,

Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) Is supported by listeners like you! Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

INTERVIEW: Opening a New Green Burial Cemetery Dec 16, 2022

Where would you even start in opening your own green burial ground? After all, every cemetery is a unique snowflake, with its own confusing blend of regulations. We speak with one expert who will cut through the confusion, and one practitioner who made it all happen.

Episode Guests

Tanya Marsh, a professor at Wake Forest University School of Law focusing on laws regarding the status, treatment and disposition of human remains.

Sarah Wambold is a writer and funeral director in Austin, TX.

Episode Resources

Green Burial Resources (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/resources/green-burial/)

Where Can I Find a Green Burial Ground Near Me? (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/resources/green-burial/#finding-green-burial-grounds)

Campo de Estrellas (https://campodeestrellas.co/)

Episode Credits:

Hosted by Caitlin Doughty

Produced by the Order of the Good Death,

Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) is supported by listeners like you! Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

CLASSIC ARTICLE: Does Death Positive Mean Death Fearless? Nov 22, 2022

Hot Take: We’re all afraid of death – whether it’s the actual state of being dead one day, the pain of dying, or how your remains will be treated. Death Positive or not, that anxiety is something that bonds us all – and while it’s scary, it’s important to know you’re not alone.

Episode Resources

This episode is an audio version of the article “Life, Death, and the Anxiety In-Between” by Louise Hung for The Order of the Good Death.

What is Death Positive? (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/death-positive-movement/)

History of the Death Positive Movement (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/history-of-death-positive-movement/)

Resources for coping with Death Anxiety (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/resources/fear-of-death/)

Episode Credits:

Narrator and writer Louise Hung

Produced by the Order of the Good Death,

Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) is made possible by listeners like you! Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

INTERVIEW: How Human Composting Becomes Law Nov 11, 2022

Episode Description

Our future corpses have more options than ever, with eco-friendly processes like aquamation and composting being legalized across the U.S. and Canada. Find out the nitty-gritty truths on what goes into making these death alternatives a reality where you live.

Host, Caitlin Doughty talks to Recompose founder, Katrina Spade who has been the driving force behind legalization efforts, and Order of the Good Death Executive Director, Sarah Chavez.

Episode Resources

Stay up to date with efforts to legalize composting in your state

By signing up for the Recompose newsletter. (https://recompose.life/who-we-are/#public-policy)

Learn more about the composting in the Order’s Resource guide.

Episode Credits:

Hosted by Caitlin Doughty

Produced by the Order of the Good Death: Sarah Chavez and Lauren Ronaghan

Edited by Alex de Freitas

Music by Kissed Her Little Sister

Podcast artwork by Jessica Peng

The Order of the Good Death (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com) Is supported by listeners like you. Support the Order by becoming a member (https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/donate?)

Season 3 Trailer Nov 07, 2022

Welcome back for Season 3 of the Death in the Afternoon, a podcast from the Order of the Good Death!

Popcorn & Postmortem Predation Sep 05, 2019

In this audio preview of her new book Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, Caitlin is sharing whether swallowing popcorn before you die will indeed make your cremation epic (spoiler: no) and whether your sweet cat or dog will indeed eat your eyeballs (spoiler: yes). The book will be out in print and audiobook on September 10th in the US, September 19th in the UK. Thanks deathlings! www.caitlindoughty.com

Is That a Corpse in my Culture? Jun 14, 2019

Today we're talking corpses as entertainment. Not the idea of a corpse (sorry, horror fans) but real live – or should we say real dead– bodies. From 18th century Rome, to 19th century Paris, to 20th century Hollywood, when can corpses be important educational tools, and when are they only tasteless shock value? Who gets to decide? Enjoy, and thank you for your support of season two of DITA.

What's In Your Head, Zombie? May 23, 2019

Before zombies became the brain-eating pop culture phenomenon of the Walking (or Living) Dead, they represented something more complicated. From the procession of the Chinese dead, to hungry ghosts, to the enslaved people of Haiti, zombies say a great deal about a the country or culture where they appear. Perhaps our modern obsession with zombie films and video games also says a great deal about us? Louise and Sarah explain.

Get Your Sh*t Together! May 09, 2019

Wills, advanced directives, emergency savings accounts – what's not to love? Ok, we get it, facing your mortality through piles of bureaucracy is about the least inspiring task on your to-do list. But paradoxically, these are the exact tasks that once you tackle them head on, put you on a one way train to chill town. In today's episode, Caitlin, with help from her friend Chanel Reynolds, takes us on a journey to clean up her own end of life messes.

Maggots Holding High Carnival Apr 25, 2019

The American Civil War left roughly 700,000 men dead and an entire nation devastated. With millions of pounds of rotting human flesh on the battlefields, burying the dead was a daunting, sometimes insurmountable task for the survivors. Bad when it was burying your fallen brethren, worse when it was burying the bodies of your enemy, unimaginable when it was burying the men who fought to keep you enslaved.

Dude, Where's My Monument? Apr 12, 2019

We know who gets fancy monuments: politicians, military heroes, and so many men on horses. In cemeteries the playing field may be leveling, with faces and names showing up that have never been represented in public sculpture before. But in other areas, monuments are business as usual, the dead forgotten, the Lizard People left unhonored. (That's right... the Lizard People.)

The Least Worst Death Mar 27, 2019

Two Manhattan tragedies, two miles and ninety years apart, that changed government policy forever. But the victims couldn't afford to step back and take this long historical view. They were caught in a horrific struggle between two paths, both leading to unimaginable death. Warning: Discussion of suicide.

Fantastic Funerary Failures Mar 14, 2019

Cremation and burial are all well and good, but why aren't our dead bodies electroplated or cemented? In our first episode of Death in the Afternoon– Season Two, we're talking about the ridiculous funerary innovations that succeeded (see: the death-defying green parks of Hollywood) and the ridiculous funerary innovations that... didn't (see: coffin torpedoes.) Welcome back, deathlings.

The Haunting of Hill House- Mortuary Madness! Dec 19, 2018

You asked for it, deathlings. A bonus episode on the mortuary and embalming scenes in Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House. Are they accurate? A hot mess? Is my job really filled with ghosts? All that and more in today's mini-episode with Caitlin.

Ring RIng, Corpse Phone Dec 05, 2018

Ring ring. Hello? Who’s there? IT’S YOUR MORTALITY CALLING. In life, phones make everything easier– just “reach out and touch someone.” But in death, reaching out can be a little more complicated. This week we talk about accessing a dead man’s cell phone, texting from beyond the grave, and the grim origins of a certain red handset.

Or Maybe It's a Ghost? Nov 28, 2018

A wisp of white. A voice in the dark. A lamp mysteriously turns on by itself. Few things capture our imagination like a good ghost story. But is there more to a spooky tale than thrills and chills? Perhaps we are less afraid of WHAT or WHO haunts us, than we are of what we’ve done to deserve that haunting. Join us for a very SPIRITED Death in the Afternoon.

Embalmed Alive Nov 21, 2018

Embalming. It sounds like the stuff of horror movies: pump a dead body full of chemicals to make it look alive – ALIVE! Whose idea was this? Is there really such a thing as "extreme embalming"? And what about when embalming (allegedly) goes horribly, horribly wrong? We discuss these and other questions on this week’s episode of Death in the Afternoon.

It's OK to Not Decay Nov 14, 2018

Ah, to die, to decompose, to become one with the earth. Most of us accept this as our fate. But what happens when that whole “decomposition thing” doesn’t go as planned? This week we discuss incorrupt corpses that inspire devotion, grant miracles, and just might help you to become a karate champion.

Don't Drink the KoolAid! Nov 07, 2018

Being in a cult... doesn’t always end well. This week, we confront the questions: Why not drink the Kool-Aid? How many puppies does it take to resurrect a teen queen? And, what shouldn’t you bring into a doomsday cave? (Spoiler: corpses)

Is That a Foot? Oct 31, 2018

Generally speaking, we like our limbs in context. “The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone.” But what about when we encounter limbs that aren’t connected to anybody? Just out there, free and unattached? This week we talk about rogue and extra limbs that have been found by the sea, in the smoker, and in the grave as we answer the question: is that a…foot?

Crematory Whoopsies Oct 24, 2018

Mistakes happen. Cremations happen. But few things capture our morbid imagination like cremation mistakes happening. Whether it’s the horror of cremating your coworker, a misplaced corpse on the way to America’s first modern cremation, or plumes of “human remains particulate” interrupting your Best Buy shopping experience, nothing fans the flames of our phobias like a cremation blunder. This week we talk about things that can go right, wrong, and sideways when you’re in the business of cremating corpses.

My Roommate, a Corpse Oct 15, 2018

In our first episode, we take you on a magical (ok, not always so magical) journey of living with the dead. From an adorable 91 year old lady with a dark secret, to a rhinestone studded cult with resurrection ambitions, to a Japanese mummy collecting government assistance. Buckle up, and welcome to Death in the Afternoon!

Trailer: Season One Oct 02, 2018

Welcome to your mortality, humans! It's a new podcast called Death in the Afternoon from the team that brings you Ask a Mortician. First episode is out on October 15th.

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