Few things are absolutely certain in life, but there's definitely one thing we can all count on: death. As morbid as it sounds, we've all got to go some time, and when we do, there are several options awaiting us. In her new book, Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death," Lisa Takeuchi Cullen looks at them all in a sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, always interesting way. Big believers in the idea that we can all be sustainable in life, we were interested to see what sort of sustainable after-lifestyle choices we can make.
At the top of the list is what Takeuchi Cullen calls "the next big thing in cemetery trends" -- biodegradable burials. The first in the country, Ramsey Creek Preserve, in South Carolina, is more of a state park than a cemetery. Ramsey Creek classifies itself as a memorial nature park; according to their website, "Memorial nature parks are memorial parks specifically designed to save and restore significant wildlands. These parks will be a convenient, economical, beautiful, environmentally responsible and mainstream alternative to existing memorial parks." These biodegradable burials are cheaper than the traditional kind, and the profits go to expanding and restoring the preserve. Ramsey Creek is just the first of a growing list of such "green burial" options, and a fascinating alternative to more traditional methods of burial.
Remember Me gives equal attention to many other aspects of our journey to the afterlife, and they're all quite engaging. This is surprising, given the subject matter, but the book really exists as an exploration and quasi-sociological study of the real subculture of "the American way of death." There are stories of businesses that make "diamonds" from cremated remains ("cremains," as they're known in the industry), casket-makers who build custom lobster-shaped "after-life vehicles" and mummify-ers who'll prepare you for your own private pyramid; through it all, the stories and anecdotes from the author's cross-country travels with the industry serve to affirm and celebrate life through all the new (if different and even "weird") ways we can all express ourselves in death as we would have in life.
Remember Me: A Lively Tour of The New American Way of Death is currently available from Powell's Books and other booksellers.
