The Sicilian Feast of the Dead
A short, informative presentation on the Festa dei Morti traditions of Sicily.
Ray Bradbury’s “The Halloween Tree”
Stephanie Pouliotte writes for Geek’d-Out! on the origins and various renditions of Ray Bradbury’s classic Halloween story: It’s an important holiday after all, one that allows us to freely explore our obsession with the macabre and the unexplained, to experience “the rawness and nearness and excitement of death” as Bradbury put it. And children, he … Read moreRay Bradbury’s “The Halloween Tree”
Memoria 2024
My Memoria symbolically began very early, with the inaugural Sky Meadow Mystery School event in Vermont; at that time there were just the first hints of change, tiny patches of russet in an arboreal sea of green, spreading almost imperceptibly during our magical week in the mountains. Now Fall has finally fallen; an exceptionally dry … Read moreMemoria 2024
“You Are Going to Die”: Oliver Burkeman’s “Four Thousand Weeks” and “Meditations for Mortals”
Hillary Kelly interviews author Oliver Burkemann for The Atlantic: Burkeman cheerfully acknowledges that repetition is vital to his message—and to the way we self-reinforce it. A favorite tweet, he told me with a hearty laugh, goes something like this: “Four Thousand Weeks is basically just Oliver Burkeman shouting You are finite; you’re going to die … Read more“You Are Going to Die”: Oliver Burkeman’s “Four Thousand Weeks” and “Meditations for Mortals”
Nightfall: Time Flies (October 17-18 at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NYC)
Amidst the serene backdrop of weathered gravestones and trees whispering in the wind, this year’s Nightfall invites you to reflect on the fleeting nature of time itself. As dusk settles and darkness fills the cemetery, explore tales of lives lived and moments lost, revel in nostalgia for a grand past, and grieve for all the things that … Read moreNightfall: Time Flies (October 17-18 at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NYC)
“Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life” now available
Author Joanna Ebenstein discusses her life’s work and her new book Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life in this episode of the Alta Live podcast.
DeathxDesignxCulture
From 4-6 September, the Department of Graphic Design, Falmouth University (UK), and the Death and Culture Network, University of York (UK); in partnership with the Stamps School of Art & Design, University of Michigan (USA), and the Glasgow End of Life Studies Group, University of Glasgow (UK) are hosting the DEATHxDESIGNxCULTURE: RADICAL RE-IMAGININGS FOR THE … Read moreDeathxDesignxCulture
The Sky Meadow Mystery School, Harvest 2024 in a few words and many images
Taking place during late August of 2024, the inaugural Sky Meadow Mystery School was a free, week-long, residential immersion into wholesome permaculture practice and the mythopoetic mysteries of Life and Death. As an experiment in countercultural community-building, the Mystery School was also a time and place to learn new skills and perspectives. One of our … Read moreThe Sky Meadow Mystery School, Harvest 2024 in a few words and many images
“CultPunk, Death and the Art of Ritual”
In this episode of Brian James’ Howl in the Wilderness podcast, Brian and myself discuss the potentials of CultPunk and Poetic Faith as new arts of meaning-making, as well as the embodied philosophy of memento mori ergo carpe diem – “remember death and therefore seize the day” – and the (then-)upcoming Sky Meadow Mystery School.