Author Archives: Betsy Arant (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Newly Discovered Unmarked Graves Point to Abuse at “Residential Schools”

Remains have been found at the sites of former boarding schools for Indigenous children in Canada
Posted on August 11, 2021 by Betsy Arant (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Starting in the late 1800s, hundreds of thousands of Indigenous children in Canada were sent to federally funded, church-run “residential schools” to be forcibly assimilated into Western colonial culture. This was part of a broader effort to strip Indigenous citizens … Continue reading →

Posted in Something Special | Leave a comment

“St. Roch Blues” by Hurray for the Riff Raff

The folk band sings a haunting elegy for friends lost too soon in New Orleans
Posted on August 4, 2021 by Betsy Arant (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

New Orleans is a city where death seems to mingle freely with life. Its jazz funerals are legendary, its cemeteries are tourist hot spots. Ghost tours run nightly through the French Quarter, and every year on Mardi Gras day, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Expressive Music | Leave a comment

Our Monthly Tip: Spell Your Loved One’s Name with Floral Letters

Handmade floral letters can bring color and beauty to your memorial event
Posted on June 29, 2021 by Betsy Arant (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Our Tip of the Month Floral letters can provide beautiful decorations for a memorial that spells out the name of your loved one who has died. While this project does take a little time to assemble, it can be a … Continue reading →

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“Diana and the Gorgon” by Anis Mojgani

Oregon poet laureate explores how a friend's suicide impacted his experience of life
Posted on June 15, 2021 by Betsy Arant (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

I have been neck deep inside the creature’s speckled and curving belly how wet my pupils were – even after I sucked from the bite marks to taste the ways I had once been touched I do not deal in … Continue reading →

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“What About Heaven” by Mustafa

The 24-year-old poet releases an intimate, anxious lament on the death of a friend
Posted on June 8, 2021 by Betsy Arant (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

The 2021 album “When Smoke Rises,” from 24-year-old poet and singer/songwriter Mustafa, is a collection of songs memorializing friends and community members lost to violence. Mustafa’s mourning moves in ripples through his music, from the pain of losing a close … Continue reading →

Posted in Expressive Music | 1 Comment

“Pieces of a Woman” directed by Kornél Mundroczó

The 2021 Netflix film is a searingly honest portrait of child loss
Posted on May 21, 2021 by Betsy Arant (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“Pieces of a Woman” is a movie on Netflix about a young couple who lose a baby in childbirth, and the aftermath of their grief. While the title suggests a story that centers on Martha, the mother, the film is … Continue reading →

Posted in Lending Insight | Leave a comment