Ask an obituary writer
1A | Aug 19
After we die, who gets the last word?
In many cases, it’s an obituary writer — those tasked with the lofty goal of shaping complicated legacies into neat sentences and paragraphs.
Life is messy. It can be funny, joyous, and tragic, too. So, how do obit writers sum it all up? How do they balance honesty with respect? And what have they learned about a life well lived from the act of writing that follows a death?
Our “Ask A” series is back. This time, it’s all about the art of the obit. We sit down with a panel of guests who have spent their careers writing them, finding the shape of a whole life in just a few hundred words.
