I'm so glad you're here.
This is our first-ever newsletter which we're calling the ThanaBee. Why a bee? The bumblebee has long been associated with death and dying. In New England (the northeastern part of the United States), there is a tradition of 'telling the bees' when a death occurs so that they can mourn, too. The same tradition has been recorded all over Europe—across time and geography. (You can read more about 'Telling the Bees' here.) Bees also live in community with each other. So too, do we humans. And finally, 'bee' is a fairly common part of many newspaper names...ever hear of the Sacramento Bee? I have been a writer my entire life, and my first degree was in Journalism. So, the name is a nod to my roots, to death-related folk traditions and to community.
Community takes work, and so does a newsletter! I hope you'll permit me some space in your inbox where I can tell you the news of the school, our community and the field, each month.
With Love, Cole Imperi
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What Our Alumni Are Up To
[Each month, we will spotlight a graduate and share what they're up to. If you'd like to be included, just reply to this email!]
Meet Meghan McLean (she/her) of the San Francisco Bay Area—animal lover, creative soul, and Session 2 Death Companioning Community Crash Course graduate. During her time at the School of American Thanatology she ruminated on the loss of her beloved husky, Jack, and realized what she could offer. And thus, Memento Kits was born. As affordable pet memento activity kits, Memento Kits is a cathartic activity that leaves you with a handcrafted altar in dedication to your pet.
What is one key takeaway that's stuck with you from the Death Companioning course?
"As a companion, you need to meet folks where they are. Everyone processes grief differently, and acknowledging the different ways grief shows up is hugely important." —Meghan McLean
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Join Cole Each Week For Teacher Time
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This weekly time (every Thursday at 3pm Eastern) is available for free to students and alumni! The link to join is in Slack here.
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Monthly Continuing Education
Each issue, we'll share a few articles that have already been read and reviewed by our team. As Death Educators, we want to support you by providing information you can easily share with your own audiences and learn from yourselves.
Have an article or item we should review for a future issue? Just reply to this email.
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Models of Grief
You've probably heard of the Kübler-Ross Change Curve® and you may have heard of Worden's "Task Theory"— but have you heard of the Stroebe & Schut "Dual-Process Model"? This theory suggests that grievers oscillate between loss-oriented and restoration-oriented grief reactions. That is, as the above chart suggests, grievers move between the intrusion of grief into daily life and adjusting to life's changes in a non-linear fashion. More on this model here.
Food for thought: Do you think this model fits the trajectory of grief for most people? For some people? Why or why not?
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Celebrating Life while Living
Betsy Davis completed her end-of-life journey with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) on July 24th, 2016 after a 2-day party dedicated to Davis' joy-full life. Friends and family gathered to share stories and receive souvenirs—after which, Betsy Davis ended her life with the help of her physicians and California's right to die law. More on this story here.
Food for thought: Do you think having a pre-death party fits the "death positive" movement? Do you think being "death positive" should be the goal for grievers, dying folks, and deathworkers? Why or why not?
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This month's Continuing Education section has been sourced and reviewed by Layla Murphy (she/her)—Session 1 Death Companioning Community Crash Course alumni, future thanatologist hopeful, and current student at UMB in their Thanatology graduate certificate program.
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Giveaway!
Enter below for your chance to win a free copy of Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom. We will ship anywhere! Must be a current student or graduate to enter.
"A fascinating, terrifying look at the rarest books―bound in human skin―and the stories of their creation."
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What's New at the School
3 CORE AREAS
The school has defined 3 core areas of focus: Thanatology, Deathwork (which includes Death Companioning) and Thanabotany. All courses will be housed in one of these 3 tracks moving forward.
NEW COURSE
The next course to roll out is Thanabotany. We hope to have a start date to announce in next month's newsletter.
DEATH COMPANIONING
A final session of the Death Companioning Community Crash Course is scheduled for January 2021. Enrollment is open here.
MERCH
School sweatshirts, long-sleeve t-shirts and the hugely popular glass mugs are available, along with new Deathworker stickers. Use code NEWSLETTER for 20% off apparel. Just enter it at checkout and use by November 30, 2020.
BY THE NUMBERS
Our students are from 17 countries, 40 US states and 10 time zones! Thanks for being a part of it.
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