Tag Archives: Suicide

Death at a Funeral: The Now-Extinct Indian Custom of Sati

Indian widows threw themselves into their husband's pyres during this outlawed tradition

It’s not uncommon to find strict cultural rules that tell women exactly how to behave after a husband’s death. In some societies, women are expected to wear all black, cover the mirrors in their homes or even stay indoors for … Continue reading

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Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

This fictional tale delves into the pain of losing close friends

In high school, a man named Tsukuru Tazaki was once part of a loving group of five friends; suddenly, he lost them all without explanation. What follows in Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years of Pilgrimage is an exploration into … Continue reading

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Watch Joe Biden’s Stirring Speech About Losing a Child

The vice president talks about the loss of his wife, daughter and son

In a surprisingly candid speech at Yale, Vice President Joe Biden described the pain parents endure when they lose a child. Biden understands this idea better than most. He recently lost his son Beau Biden, 46, to brain cancer, and … Continue reading

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Uganda’s Banyankole Tribe’s Death and Burial Traditions

Today we explore some of the unique death and burial traditions of the Banyankole tribe in southwestern Uganda

Contrary to many cultures, the Banyankole tribe, who reside in Ankole in southwestern Uganda, traditionally believed that death did not occur naturally but rather through methods of sorcery, scourge or spite. Therefore, when people died, their loved ones, wanting to … Continue reading

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Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek, M.D. and T.J. Mitchell

Judy Melinek shares how her career as a pathologist has colored her understanding of life and death

Judy Melinek’s Working Stiff is the kind of memoir that reads like a season of the TV show “CSI”. In her book, she writes how her experience as a forensic pathologist has led her to uncover murder plots, medical accidents … Continue reading

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“Here Comes Those Tears Again” by Jackson Browne

A haunting and reflective memorial song that touches on the narrator’s struggle with his deep grief over the loss of a lover

When Jackson Browne — best known for his hits like “Doctor My Eyes” and “Running On Empty” — lost his first wife to suicide, he channeled his grief into the hauntingly beautiful “Here Comes Those Tears Again” that was partially … Continue reading

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