Author Archives: Liz Matsushita (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“Notes for a Story of a Man who Will Not Die Alone,” by Dave Eggers

Eggers' imagining of how one man flouts tradition and makes his death into a grand party

Dave Eggers is something of a San Francisco hometown hero, if literary figures can be heroes. His novels, including A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, are well-known and critically-acclaimed. He founded McSweeney’s, a publishing house with a respected quarterly literary … Continue reading

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What is a Celebrant? An Interview with Charlotte Eulette and Dorry Bless, Part 2

The conclusion of our discussion about celebrants, end-of-life ceremonies, and personalizing ritual

Last week, we published Part 1 of our interview with Charlotte Eulette, the International Director of the Celebrant Foundation & Institute, and Dorry Bless, Board Member and Funeral Committee Chair of the Institute. We continue our conversation about celebrants here … Continue reading

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What is a Celebrant? An Interview with Charlotte Eulette and Dorry Bless, Part 1

A new era of end-of-life ceremonies: how celebrants both embrace and break with tradition

The Celebrant Foundation & Institute, a nonprofit educational organization that trains Life Cycle Celebrants, is changing the way we think about ceremonies. In particular, end-of-life celebrations are transcending the traditional funeral idea, with people opting for the personalized, meaningful ceremonies … Continue reading

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On Death and Dying, by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1969)

The landmark text on grief: Is it still relevant?

(1926-2004) remains one of the most influential American psychiatrists of the twentieth century. Her “five stages of grief” model– alternately called the “Kübler-Ross model”– is still widely used, and has gained a good deal of cultural currency. This model was … Continue reading

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How to help children cope with death? An Interview with Patricia Murphy

How the loss of two mothers inspired Josie’s Place, a center that helps grieving children, teens, and families

We interview Patricia Murphy, co-founder and director of Josie’s Place in San Francisco, which offers support to grieving children and their parents. Continue reading

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Die$mart, by Kathy Lane and Christine Hughes

11 common mistakes people make in after-death planning, and what you can do to avoid them

SevenPonds reviews Kathy Lane and Christine Hughes’ helpful planning guide Die$mart. Continue reading

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