Obituaries on the radio

I’m filling in for Tom Weber at 11 a.m. today on MPR News (91.1 in the Twin Cities). Here are a couple of links I’ll be referring to during the broadcast on obituaries.

This is the post I wrote about Stuart Schumacher and his wife, Melissa, who started an effort to help people write obituaries for children. Their son, Evan, died at age 4. Stuart wrote the obituary. He’ll be a guest in the studio.

I’ll also be talking to Eleni Pinnow, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Superior. Her sister, Aletha, took her own life last February and it fell to Eleni to tell her story in an obituary that captured the nation’s attention.

When she was writing it, she didn’t think it would go viral. She just wanted to do what a lot of obituaries don’t do: tell the truth.

Also joining me today will be Joan Giangrasse Kates, a freelance reporter who writes obituaries for the Chicago Tribune. Like this one.

I hope you’ll be able to join us with your questions/comments. A podcast will be available later today if you’re not and I’ll also post the audio here.