Midmorning: The changing face of death

Americans are finding new and creative ways to mark their deaths, from buying fantasy coffins to having their ashes shot into space. At 10 a.m., Midmorning examines the customs and rituals our society has developed for dealing with death, and how they are changing. Guests include: Thomas Lynch, an essayist, poet, and funeral director of Lynch & Sons Funeral Home in Milford, Michigan; and Gary Laderman, a professor of American religious history and cultures at Emory University in Atlanta. He is the author of Rest in peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth Century America.

**All this week Minnesota Public Radio has been airing a series called Death Become Us. It's a collection of stories about the most universal of experiences - death. The project looks at the customs and rituals our society has developed for dealing with the deceased. Very interesting stuff.****