Friday, December 12, 2014

FRIDAY REVIEW: 'Working Stiff' -- Diagnosing the Dead

Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the making of a Medical Examiner
Judy Melinek, M.D. and T.J. Mitchell
2014
Scribner
New York


What happens to the dead? I don’t mean their souls, I mean their bodies. Our squeamishness about death, decay, and corpses is a perfectly reasonable aversion, but in every society, somebody has to deal with it.

This most taboo subject is the pith of Judy Melinek’s memoir. She takes us along with her from her student days as an aspiring surgeon to her introduction to forensic pathology, moving on to cover her fellowship at the New York Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Throughout her training, she encounters deaths accidental and natural; homicides and suicides; and the horrors of 9/11 and the crash of Flight 587 in Queens two months later.

Throughout the work, and her co-author Mitchell leaven the gruesome details with a broader portrait of Melinek and her growing family, giving us insights into the workaday world of people who make a career out of examining the dead. There is a strong through-line here, too, as Melinek relates her father’s suicide when she was young -- and surmises that part of her calling is an attempt to heal that wound. There is plenty of (grim) humor, too, and deflation of the myths that TV has instilled in us – no, not all medical examiners are hot, full of witty repartee, instant and accurate judgments, and sporting deep décolletage.

The faint-hearted need not pick this book up. “Working Stiff” is a clinically precise, no-holds-barred description of the profession and case histories that will make you gasp. However, this is far more than a catalog designed to satisfy morbid curiosities. Medical examiners provide closure for families, provide answers for criminal investigations, and add to our knowledge base about mortality and disease.


For those who would like to know facts about the stories our bodies tell after our deaths, this text is absolutely invaluable. 

The best movie obit reel is TCM's

Per the excellent writer and historian Eve Golden, a reminder that Turner Classic Movies' end-of-year Remembers reel is the best summation of the film industry's departed for the year. Exquisite and evocative. It takes tremendous amount of time and discernment to winnow someone's essence to a few seconds on screen. Watch the video -- the edits and production are top-notch.

Kathleen O'Keefe

Journalist and publisher -- via the New York Times. Pioneered independent journalism in Cambodia in 1992.

Michel du Cille

Pulitzer-winning photographer -- via the New York Times.

Russ Kemmerer

Former MLB pitcher -- via legacy.com.

Jose Feghali

Pianist -- via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Stephanie Moseley

Actress and dancer -- via legacy.com.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Jane Freilicher

Artist -- via the New York Times. I like her. She did what she thought was right. A quote from her from the NYT obit: "To strain after innovation, to worry about being on the 'cutting edge' (a phrase I hate), reflects a concern for a place in history or one's career rather than the authenticity of one's painting."

Lark Galloway-Gilliam

Activist -- via the L.A. Times.

Margaret Aston

Historian -- via the Telegraph.

Ralph Giordano

Writer -- via focus.de.

Delbert "Demz" Rodriguez

Graffiti artist -- via the Miami New Times.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Surgeon-Commander Herbert Ellis

Doctor who invented vehicles' warning beeps, and helped invent the crash helmet -- via the Telegraph. He volunteered for many medical and physiological experiments. And, have to admit, love the title.


Lydia Mordkovitch

Violinist -- via The Slipped Disc.

Garry Brown

Sheila Stewart

Singer and storyteller -- via Scottish Culture Online.

Mark Lewis

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Mary Ann Mobley

Actress, TV personality, and beauty pageant winner -- via the Clarion-Ledger. Was crowned Miss america in 1959. She was wholesome -- hey, she was in TWO Elvis movies!

Knut Nystedt

Composer -- via vl.no.

Eddie Rouse

Actor -- via the Hollywood Reporter.

Nedunuri Krishnamurthy

Singer -- via Outlook India.

Brian "Wimpy Roy" Goble

Bassist and vocalist -- via the Vancouver Sun.

Giuseppe "Pino" Mango

Singer -- via Le Repubblica. AKA Mango.



Jeremy Haberman

Club owner -- via the Detroit Free Press.

Khalilullah Khan Khalil

Actor -- via the Daily Star. AKA Khalil.

Menis Koumantareas

Novelist -- via ActuaLitte.

Luis Herrera de la Fuente

Monday, December 8, 2014

DEATHCETERA: Weekly roundup of stories on death, dying, and more

A photo from Cathrine Ertmann's photo essay "About Dying," as shown at beautifuldecay.com.
TOP STORIES


An interesting thought and responses in the Guardian, initiated by Kathrine Whitehorn – obituary – tribute or truth?

Photographer Cathrine Ertmann makes bold photo essay at morgue – from Leslie Tane at Beautiful/Decay. CAUTION: GRAPHIC AND UNSETTLING.


DEATH

New York City’s mass grave that no one can visit – from Alison Meier at Hyperallergic


MOURNING

Black poets speak out about police homicide cases – via Matt Petronzio in Mashable


Photographer couple explored American funeral services and customs – from Ann Strainchamps at Public Radio Interntional.


FUNERALS

Death without Darkness – a crematory redesign from Caitlin Doughty via Medium/Re-form



END-OF-LIFE



OBITS




Tugce Albayrak

Stella Young

Ken Weatherwax

Richard "Sandy" Beach

Wynn Chamberlain

Artist, filmmaker, and writer -- via the New York Times.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Ralph H. Baer

Father of the video game -- via Game Informer. He invented what came to be known as the Magnavox Odyssey, which featured Shooting Gallery and the classic Pong.

Mick Barry

Legendary road bowler -- via the Southern Star of West Cork. Did you know there was such a thing as road bowling? There is. It looks fascinating!

Gil Marks

Edward "Sonny" Bivins

Original member of the Manhattans -- via soulfuldetroit.com. Their big hits: "Kiss and Say Goodbye" and "Shining Star." I must confess this is the kind of group we would mimic in school, down to the moves. We loved these guys!







John Morton

Gennadi Poloka

Walter Reyno

Actor and director -- via El Pais.

Lyudmila Alekseevna Perepyolkina

Actress -- via kino-teatr.ru.

Renato Mambor

Artist and actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Arthur Leipzig

Photographer -- via the New York Times.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Vicente Lenero

Manuel De Sica

Composer -- via Corriere Della Sera.

Danny Lee

Oscar-winning special effects artist -- via the Prescott, AZ Daily Courier and westernboothill.blogspot.com. He created the death scene in "Bonnie and Clyde"; he won the Oscar for "The Black Hole." Ran the special effects department at Disney from 1969 to 1981.

Paul Ferrera

Drummer -- via the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Jon Stallworthy