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Graveyards Are Sanctuaries of Biodiversity
Studies show that cemeteries around the world are home to a diverse array of plant and animal speciesGraveyards have long provided a place to keep, honor and mourn the dead. Yet they also serve a secondary purpose: supporting biodiversity. A recent study of 199 graveyards in the agricultural landscape of northern China, published in the journal Nature, found a total of 81 plant species in graveyards compared to 34 in nearby wheat…
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“Death-Friendly Communities” Combat Fears of Aging and Death
Societies that accept death lead better lives and take better care of elders, according to experts.Death looms large over the average person’s anxieties. Those anxieties have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. While COVID-19 brought to light many of the deficiencies in how our society treats aging and death, it also provides an opportunity to create death-friendly communities in the aftermath. In an article written by Canadian researchers published in…
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The Decrease in Life Expectancy of Young Americans Is a Persistent Trend
A new report shows that life expectancy has decreased for young and middle-aged AmericansThe National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine have published a report showing that the death rates of younger and middle-aged Americans have increased since 1990. In spite of continuing medical advances, life expectancy for this group was seen to plateau and then decline over a 27-year period. Such a dramatic downward trend hasn’t…
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“Killer”
The singer, songwriter, and skeleton-clad iconoclast has had no fear of tackling weighty subjects since her 2015 debut single.At SevenPonds, our mission is to foster an honest and open conversation with death, and Phoebe Bridgers may just be the best contemporary artist to fit that bill. The 26-year-old Los Angeles native has been recording and writing songs since her teens and released her well-reviewed debut album “Stranger in the Alps” in 2017. She…
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“Lanterns of the Dead” Once Marked Cemeteries in France
Centuries ago, small stone towers with lamps watched over loved ones’ gravesImagine gazing out into the distance, toward where your loved one is buried, to see a comforting light winking from a stone tower. This was once the experience of those who lived with “Lanterns of the Dead” (or “Lanternes de Morts” in French), which marked the position of cemeteries in western and central France in…
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“If Anything Happens I Love You” directed by Michael Govier and Will McCormack
A simple, stunning animated short portrays the complexity of grief after losing a child“If Anything Happens I Love You” is a short animated film that premiered on Netflix in November 2020. A week after its release, it quickly jumped to No.2 on the streaming site, and it has since been nominated for a slew of cinematic awards. The film tells the story of a married couple grieving the…
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Finding Meaning at the End of Life Through Art (Interview)
Mark Gilbert, Ph.D., professor of Medical Humanities at the University of Nebraska Omaha, discusses the role art can play in how doctors perceive patients with life-limiting illnesses and how patients perceive themselvesMark Gilbert never thought of himself as a flattering portraitist. “It takes a great deal of courage to sit for a portrait at the best of times. It wasn’t unusual for me to genuinely offend the people that I was working with,” he said. After a decade working as an artist, Gilbert said he had…
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“Tornado Warning in Horse Country”
A young poet explores love, loss, and family in an intimate poem from her debut collectionEmma Hine’s debut poetry collection, “Stay Safe,” is a dreamy, haunting exploration of love and loss. Her poems wander between the literal and the esoteric, loosely drawn together by a narrative that ebbs and flows throughout the book. At its heart is the story of a family who suffers a string of tragedies — some…
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“Parting Stone” Turns Loved Ones’ Ashes Into Rocks
One company offers smooth, palm-sized stones as a unique alternative to ashesMore Americans are choosing cremation over traditional burial — and many are finding unique methods to dispose of the ashes. Some hope to have them painted or printed onto canvas; pressed into a vinyl record; or one day, even sent to the moon. Parting Stone, a New Mexico-based company, now offers another alternative: smooth stones…
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