Search Engine What happens when a cemetery goes out of business?
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Feb 7, 2025 
David Sloane, a professor at the University of Southern California and author specializing in cemeteries, shares his unique journey growing up in one. He discusses the surprising business challenges cemeteries face today, including what happens when they go bankrupt. The podcast explores evolving attitudes toward death, from communal mourning rituals of the past to contemporary, isolated grief experiences. Sloane highlights historical burial practices, financial struggles, and community responses to cemetery closures, making for a thought-provoking conversation on mortality.
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A Cemetery's Plea
- Lucas, while studying advertising, saw a Muslim cemetery's website with unusual ad copy.
- The cemetery's website spoke in first-person, complaining about neglect and calling itself a "risk-free 401k."
Cemeteries: A Unique Business
- Cemeteries are a unique land use, raising questions about their fate if they go out of business.
- Unlike other businesses, the question extends to the bodies interred within the cemetery grounds.
Growing Up in a Cemetery
- David Sloane, a cemetery expert, grew up in a cemetery where his father was the superintendent.
- This upbringing shaped his understanding of death and led to his professional study of cemeteries.
