Kate Sweeney tackles the topic of death with a wicked sense of humor

Her new book, American Afterlife, delves into the art of memorialization
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Photograph by Kaylinn Gilstrap

Death is the single inevitable chapter of every life, even though many people would rather die than talk about it. Thankfully, Kate Sweeney was so fascinated by the subject of how we say goodbye that she decided to do some exploring. The result is American Afterlife: Encounters in the Customs of Mourning (University of Georgia Press), a brisk, thoroughly entertaining stroll through the art of memorialization. Sweeney, thirty-five, is an award-winning writer and producer at WABE, the Atlanta NPR affiliate. Her gift for radio storytelling translates smoothly to the pages of a book as she concisely captures quirky personalities and poignant insights.

Here is Sweeney’s first encounter with Carolyn Gilbert, founder of the International Association of Obituarists: “I am reminded of certain English teachers of my youth, the ones who were always wearing shoes from different pairs by mistake and making loud fun of themselves for it, the ones magnanimous in their praise for torturous love poetry written by fifteen-year-olds. They looked at you, and you felt they knew your secret best thing.”

Sweeney’s wicked sense of humor renders the topic of death not so scary, and her good-natured affection for the obsessives, the oddballs, and the entrepreneurs in the dismal trade make her a bewitching tour guide.

Read more: Interview with author Kate Sweeney

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This article originally appeared in our March 2014 issue.

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