Usually we talk about death as a tragedy, a mystery, a hard-to-comprehend fact of life. But in addition to all that, for all sorts of people it's also ... a job. This week, stories of undertakers, homicide detectives, slaughterhouse workers, enunculators, autopsy pathologists, exterminators, and others. Does their contact with death teach them something we should learn?
The Undertaking
Thomas Lynch reads from his book The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade. (14 minutes)
Smugglers
Writer David Sedaris on an unwelcome surprise in a toilet — a turd. (14 minutes)
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Act One: The Disappearance
Genevieve Jurgensen and her husband Laurent lost their two daughters—Elise and Mathilde—at the ages of 4 and 7.
Act Two: Occupancy May Be Revoked Without Notice
David Rakoff tells the story of a contract between a son and his visiting mother.
Act Three: Putting The Cart Before The Porsche
Sara was raised in a fancy suburban neighborhood with strict parents who liked to flaunt their wealth—with his and hers Porsches, for instance.
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