Thoughts on Cause of Death

New book by Alaska obituary writer Heather Lende

I was lucky enough this week to attend a reading and slideshow by Heather Lende from Haines, Alaska. Heather writes obituaries for the Chilkat Valley News and she made a stop in the Bay Area promoting her latest book, Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs -- Family, Friendships, and Faith in Small-Town Alaska.

A number of us met Heather a couple of years back at the obituary-writers conference at the Oregonian in Portland. Heather writes the obits for every person who dies in Haines. Amazing.

An 'unforgivable' error

The Toronto Star, Canada's largest circulation newspaper, prints an unverified identity for a teenaged murder victim — and gets the name wrong. The newspaper's Kathy English describes it as the most egregious error in her three years as public editor.

Leonard Maltin on being a go-to guy for movie obituaries

He commented on Ark Linkletter's death while rafting along the Colorado River.

On the Endangered Species List, Part 6, Conclusion of Jim Nicholson's presentation to he Society of Professional Obituary Writers, April 24, 2010

Watch all 6 segments of Jim Nicholson's speech/Q&A from the Society of Professional Obituary Writers Convention on April 24, 2010, which are posted on Obituary Forum. This is #6.



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"Great Love Stories That Would Not Die" -- Part 5 of Jim Nicholson's presentation at 2010 Society of Professional Obituary Writers Convention

Thanks to my son, Zack Baranick, for converting the DVD of Jim's speech into a form that could be divided into segments and uploaded to YouTube as a courtesy for his mom.



One more segment to go. Watch for it Saturday, June 5, 2010.

'Did My Being Here Make a Difference?' Jim Nicholson asks Society of Professional Obituary Writers - Part 4 of 6

Part of the Grieving Chain: Jim Nicholson's Society of Professional Obituary Writers speech, Part 3

Jim Nicholson, retired award-winning Daily News obituary writer, said obit writers are part of the grieving chain in his speech at the Society of Professional Obituary Writers Convention at The Philadelphia Inquirer on April 24, 2010.

Jim Nicholson's speech to Society of Professional Obituary Writers, April 24, 2010 - Part 2 - The Desert

Here's Part 2 of Jim Nicholson's speech, which was graciously recorded by Jim's brother at the SPOW Convention at The Philadelphia Inquirer on April 24, 2010.