Author Archives: Ellary Allis (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Death: The “Great Equalizer”? African American Deathways and Inequality

Death scholar and associate professor Dr. Kami Fletcher gives an interview on the history of death in the Black community.
Posted on September 11, 2025 by Ellary Allis (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Dr. Kami Fletcher is a death scholar and associate professor of U.S. and African American history at Albright College. Her work focuses on African American deathways and deathwork, examining African American norms and ideas surrounding death as well as ways … Continue reading →

Posted in Professional Advice | 2 Comments

“Kern River” by Merle Haggard

An old man looks back at the river of his youth
Posted on September 8, 2020 by Ellary Allis (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Locals call it the Killer Kern. The Kern River, nestled in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield, California, takes lives every year. A warning sign at the mouth of Kern Canyon reads: “Danger. Stay Out. Stay Alive” and … Continue reading →

Posted in Expressive Music | 3 Comments

The Elly App for Cancer Patients

The Elly app functions as an audio companion for cancer patients
Posted on August 16, 2020 by Ellary Allis (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

The Elly app, released in January 2020, is designed to function as the “world’s first empathetic audio companion for people impacted by cancer.” The aim of Elly is to provide a comforting and consistent resource for patients experiencing heightened anxiety … Continue reading →

Posted in Something Special | 2 Comments

Answering Services for the Funeral Industry Overwhelmed by the Pandemic

Answering Services for Directors has been swamped during the COVID-19 pandemic
Posted on August 7, 2020 by Ellary Allis (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

For 40 years, Answering Services for Directors has exclusively served the funeral industry.  In 1972, Martin and Barbara Czachor decided to start a telephone answering business for local companies in the area surrounding their hometown of Glenolden, Pa. They are … Continue reading →

Posted in Something Special | Leave a comment

“COVID-19 Helpers” by Beth Bacon and Kary Lee

Winner of Emory Global Health Institute's COVID-19 e-book
Posted on July 31, 2020 by Ellary Allis (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“COVID-19 Helpers,” an e-book about the pandemic by Beth Bacon and Kary Lee, is one of the best resources out there to explain COVID-19 and its accompanying emotional roller-coaster of anxiety and fear for children. The book is the winner … Continue reading →

Posted in Lending Insight | Leave a comment

“the oboe in Handel’s largo from Xerxes as elegy,” by Quan Barry

A poem about childhood memories, music, and loss
Posted on July 27, 2020 by Ellary Allis (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Born in Saigon and raised on the north shore of Boston, poet and novelist Quan Barry is the author of four poetry books and a recipient of the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize.  Her second book of poetry, “Convertibles,” published … Continue reading →

Posted in The Next Chapter | Leave a comment