Library to host conversation with mortician

A recording of this event, which took place on November 15, is available through December 3: bit.ly/CaitlinDoughty_Recording

“…a relentlessly curious and chipper tour guide to the underworld” — The New York Times​

Vernon Area Public Library is joining libraries across Illinois to host a virtual event with mortician, bestselling author and advocate for death acceptance Caitlin Doughty. Doughty will discuss the reform of Western funeral industry practices and more in conversation with Mark Bazer, host of WTTW’s “The Interview Show.” The event will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, November 16, at 7 p.m.
 
Doughty is the founder of a Los Angeles funeral home and the funeral reform collective “The Order of the Good Death,” which spawned the death positive movement. The effort has caused her to be regarded as a bête noire by the traditional funeral industry. Her educational web series, “Ask a Mortician,” has been viewed almost 250 million times. Doughty is also the author of the bestselling books Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (And Other Lessons from the Crematory), From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to find the Good Death, and Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? – Big Questions from Tiny Mortals.

Doughty will be joined in conversation with Mark Bazer. Bazer is the host and creator of WTTW’s “The Interview Show.” Filmed in a bar in Chicago, the series features conversations that are as substantive as they are entertaining.

The event with Caitlin Doughty is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. 

“We’re looking forward to bringing this event to communities across Illinois,” said Jennifer Czajka, Arlington Heights Memorial Library Program Manager and a member of Illinois Libraries Present’s steering committee. “Caitlin is a leading expert in a field which unites us all and we look forward to learning about her unique body of work, which aims to destigmatize talking about death.”

“We’re excited to bring this event with Caitlin Doughty to our community,” said Vernon Area Public Library Program Coordinator Roz Topolski. “It will surely provide fresh ideas for our patrons to consider about this topic.”

“A Conversation with Caitlin Doughty” will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16. The online event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Sign up on Zoom or call 224-543-1485. 

About Illinois Libraries Present

Illinois Libraries Present (ILP) debuted in 2022 as a way to bring virtual events with bestselling authors and diverse and esteemed speakers to communities across the state and counts more than 200 Illinois libraries as members. Joining forces for such events allow libraries to bring speakers to their communities that might not be possible due to budget constraints or production capabilities. ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).