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Episode Notes
We don’t talk about death, but we should. Our culture has pushed death out of sight, making it something to fear rather than understand. But what if embracing death could actually help us live more fully?
In this episode of the Buried in Work Podcast, Joanna Ebenstein, artist, author, and founder of Morbid Anatomy, uncovers the forgotten history of mourning, why we’ve become disconnected from death, and how reclaiming lost traditions can bring meaning back into our lives.
Key Takeaways
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We used to grieve differently – Mourning was once a communal, ritualistic process. From wearing black for years to creating intricate memorial jewelry, death was an active part of life.
- The fear of death is greater than ever – With the rise of secularism and medicalized death, many people now see death as “the end” rather than part of a larger cycle.
- Talking about death brings people closer – Honest conversations about death strip away pretense and connect us at a soul-to-soul level.
- Death doulas are changing the end-of-life experience – These modern-day guides help people navigate their final moments with meaning, dignity, and less fear.
- Embracing death makes life more meaningful – Acknowledging mortality forces us to focus on what truly matters and how we want to be remembered.
Show Links
Get in touch with Joanna:
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Website: https://www.morbidanatomy.org/
- ???? Get Joanna’s book: Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life –https://www.morbidanatomy.org/books/p/signed-pre-order-memento-mori-the-art-of-contemplating-death-to-live-a-better-life
About Joanna Ebenstein
Joanna Ebenstein is the founder and creative director of Morbid Anatomy. An internationally recognized death expert, she is the author of several books, including Anatomica: The Exquisite and Unsettling Art of Human Anatomy, Death: A Graveside Companion, and The Anatomical Venus. She is also an award-winning curator, photographer, and graphic designer, and the teacher of the many times sold-out class Make Your Own Memento Mori: Befriending Death with Art, History and the Imagination. The descendant of holocaust survivors, she traces her lineage back to Judah Loew ben Bezalel, credited with creating the Golem in sixteenth-century Prague.
