thegooddeath

LIVESTREAM THIS THURSDAY: Everything You Wanted to Know About Book Deals

As promised, a livestream cometh!

This Thursday the 28th at 7pm EST, I'll be speaking–live!– to my longterm book agent Anna Sproul-Latimer, who founded her own agency, Neon Literary (https://neonliterary.com/).

For those of you who have ever-even-maybe-sort-of-slightly considered publishing a book through a traditional publisher, you'll know having an agent is a central part of the process for...

Well Hot Damn I'm Finally Writing a Book

"If you give a mouse a cookie he will ask for a glass of milk," as the classic children's book teaches us. Well, if you give a Caitlin a sabbatical, she will discover that her longtime interest in the Titanic is- in fact- deeply intertwined with the history of the North American funeral industry and the perfect thing to write a book about. 

If you are a friend or colleague of mine, you know that I've spent the last four years "writing a book" about funeral industry reform....

Sabbatical Guilt & The Body in a Cruise Ship Drink Fridge

She's back, baby!  And crankier than ever!

Does putting out this new video (for the second month in a row!) mean my sabbatical is truly over? Someone (me, in this case) can't be working full time and be on sabbatical, right? Depends on your definition of sabbatical. About three months ago––if you've been following this journey the whole time, hi, hello friend–– I started to work again and I've been working pretty full-time since then.

BUT IS IT STILL A SABBATICAL? &nb...

Wait, Harvard Was Selling Dead Bodies?

Well folks, she made a video.

What this video IS:

1- A topic I'm completely fascinated by– why morgue managers at prestigious medical schools seem to think they can get away with SELLING body parts from lovingly donated bodies like it's a freakin' side hustle.

2- A video that was a joy to make! Even though I had to be propped up with my ridiculous broken ankle to film (see below) it was wonderful to work with Louise on the script and Andy on the editing– just like old ti...

Well, I Threw Myself Down the Stairs Like a Ghostly Victorian Child

Dearest Deathlings,

In last month's letter I revealed that, in defiance of my sabbatical, I was back to working. Such willfulness Caitlin doth display, such hubris!

As I have since learned, the sabbatical is a cruel mistress and does not appreciate defiance. The week before Thanksgiving I did what can best be described as "forgot how stairs work" and stepped out into space. Very horror movie, very ghostly, very.... Sabbatical 2- Revengebbatical.

One surgery, one titanium pla...

Gird Your Loins–– I'm Basically Working Again

I walked into my fine local purveyor of lattes this morning and the barista asked "how's the sabbatical going?"

I give him a sort of glazed donut thousand yard stare.  "Well, it's sort of... over?"

His eyebrows raise. "So, sounds like you didn't take the whole year, then?

I SMASH THE LATTE ON THE GROUND AND SAY "THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, PETER." (No, I didn't. But he did call my ass out before I've even had my coffee.)

To be fair, I wouldn't say I'm a 9-5-er y...

Fallbbatical Spectacular 🎃 🍁 🧙‍♀️

Hey there groovy ghouls and goblins,

It's me, reporting live from fall in Upstate New York. *Clinks goblets of pumpkin spice latte* Leaf peeping every weekend, hygge-haters can't stop me.

So, let's get real- what is happening, how is the sabbatical? When is it over?

Well, here's the news- SABBATICAL IS NEVER OVER. I'M DOING SABBATICAL FOREVER. I AM THE SABBATICAL NOW. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

2023-10-26 15:54:16 +0000 UTC View Post

THE SABBATICAL BREAKER, TIME OFF DESTROYER

Ok listen folks, are you listening? Just let me speak, ok? Just.... alright. I know I'm supposed to be on sabbatical. I KNOW!  Don't you think I know? It's just...you have to understand. Something came up. Something that filled my soul with fierce joy and myne eyes with fyre. And that is, of course, the Federal Trade Commission's hearing on edits to the longstanding Funeral Rule.

If you care about why funerals are so wildly expensive, especially in the United States, then this ruli...

Which Irascible Careworn Cat Are You? [Cait-bbatical Vol. 3]

Fellow Deathlings,

It is I, Ericka, Caitlin’s colleague and intrepid reporter. For this month’s sabbatical check-in, I proposed an interview with Caitlin– asking her the questions the masses (that’s you, folks) really want to know.

What follows is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation.

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Ups & Downers [Cait-bbatical Vol. 2]

Hello my angels of death,

My parents an I watch a show on the History channel called Alone. If you haven't heard of it, imagine Survivor without the games, alliances, or contestant interactions. It's just survivalists dropped into Northern Canada right before winter (completely alone, with their own camera equipment to essentially vlog themselves) and the one who lasts the longest without starving wins.

2023-07-29 19:00:18 +0000 UTC View Post

READCATION, anyone? [The Cait-battical Vol.1]

Morning chickadees,

It is I, sabbatical Caitlin. Hear my plaintive cry echoing from the bottom of the sabbatical well. Splish splash I am taking a bath--- in the cool waters of non-work.

I mean... not exactly. I'm going to be honest with you– so far, the three weeks of Cait-batical have not exactly felt empty and free. I'm still taking phone calls and emails (mostly for Order of the Good Death and legalization issues) and catching up on health-related appointments I'd let slide....

Caitlin's Radical Sabbatical

Hello deathlings,

I am excited– yes, excited– to announce that I will be taking a sabbatical. I use the word excited because I mean it. I'm genuinely filled with hope for what the coming months will bring.

To be honest, the suggestion that I should take a break– a REAL break– used to fill me with a full body eye-roll-y "yeah right" response. Sure, I could take a break from making Ask a Mortician, but there was still the funeral home to manage. Sure, I could take a break fr...

The Elephant Who Died to Be Free

Well, here I am folks, Googling inspirational quotes about how love comes with risk.

Examples (imagine these on backdrops of sand, mountains, clasped hands, false attributions to Abraham Lincoln, etc)

**

“To love is to risk. Therefore, to love is to be brave.”

“Love, in short, is the most dangerous emotion humans can experience.”

“Love without risk is an impossibility, like war without death.”

**

What is it that I, Caitlin Doughty, love? 2023-04-20 18:48:03 +0000 UTC View Post

The Great Arctic Walrus Massacre (PATRON-ONLY VIDEO)

Good afternoon my sweet poodles, 

It is I, Caitlin.

There is a new YouTube main channel documentary making its way into the world in the next few weeks– but I couldn't leave you all hanging. (Spoiler: like the New England whalers left the Inuit hanging after they removed all their sources of food through brutal slaughter.)

This tale of walrus destruction was not quite long enough to create a full documentary on, but gosh if it doesn't pack a dreary punch. I...

The Bloody Whale Ship Mutiny by a Sick, Sad Pirate King (PATRON-ONLY VIDEO)

Hello Deathlings!

Why do I keep returning to whale ships from Nantucket as a source of inspiration?

Knowing me (as many of you do) there are the whales themselves–large, scary. Then there’s the thirst for blood, oil, and glory in new American capitalism –the drama writes itself!  But it may all come back to the fundamental fear of what lurks beneath– in the dark…limitless....abyss.

SPEAKING OF FEAR.

(Can I nail a transition or what?)

Today we bring...

Nobody's Throwing Egg Shells & Banana Peels on Grandma's Body OK?

Hello Deathlings,

Human composting is legal in the state of New York! 

[DISCO BALL DESCENDS, BEAT DROPS, CONFETTI CANNON FIRES -- ALL THE DEATHLINGS IN THE HOUSE SAY "Heeeeeeeeey!"]

And while I feel especially invested in this and have been working with some amazing people to get human composting legalized, there are people on the right who have...thoughts.

Thoughts about what's right and wrong to do with our bodies when we die. 

Thoughts about what's *...

*Two* MY GIRL Videos Today?! – BONUS Patron-Only Video

Hello Deathlings! 

You read that right. It's a My Girl watch-fest: on the main channel, I watch & react to the original My Girl AND right here, just for you on Patreon, we have a *BONUS* My Girl 2 reaction video.

What? You didn't know that today was International Vada Margaret Sultenfuss Appreciation Day? A happy IVMSA Day to you! Mood rings for everyone! (Just don't l...

It's 2023 and We're All A-Buzz – New Video Coming Soon

Happy New Year Deathlings!

We're releasing a NEW VIDEO tomorrow*, our first of 2023, and I wanted drop by and give you all a little CLUE about it. 

See that bee up there? That's your clue. 

We're trying a couple new things with this video, so we'll be interested to hear what you think. Please be brutally honest...

...

...OK maybe not TOO brutal. We like honesty but we also like soft soothing tones and weighted blankets. Maybe be brutal the way a kitten ...

Caitlin's Holiday Illness *LIVESTREAM* Extravaganza: Thursday Dec. 22, 6pm EST

Greetings Deathlings,

'Tis the season! Therefore I'm dragging my somehow both desiccated and phlegmy carcass out of bed and propping it up in front of the camera. 

OK, it's not that bad, I'm on the mend and vultures are no longer circling my home.   But this winter has already been the winter of sickness...and sickness...and sickness...and "health"?

I'm really selling this livestream huh? COME WATCH THE MORTICIAN BLOW HER NOSE! 

Com...