Hayley Campbell, a journalist and author known for her book on the intricacies of death, shares her lifelong fascination with mortality. In a compelling discussion, she explores the emotional narratives of funeral workers, mass fatality investigators, and even former executioners. She highlights how body donation plays a crucial role in medical training, alongside the compassionate practices of professionals in the death care industry. Campbell emphasizes the importance of openly discussing grief and the unique cultural practices that surround death.
50:45
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Childhood Exposure
Hayley Campbell's father, a comic book artist, used crime scene photos for his graphic novel.
Young Hayley became accustomed to seeing these gruesome images, unlike her friends.
insights INSIGHT
Transformative Power of Witnessing Death
Witnessing death firsthand can be transformative, aiding in grief processing.
Campbell advocates for families to participate in death rituals like dressing the deceased.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Mayo Clinic's Cadaver Lab
The Mayo Clinic's anatomy school uses donated bodies for vital medical training and research.
Surgeons practiced a complex, life-saving tumor removal procedure on cadavers.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'All the Living and the Dead', Hayley Campbell delves into the lives of those who work with death, weaving together reportage, memoir, history, and philosophy to explore why individuals choose these professions and how they are impacted by their work. The book offers a candid look at the psychology of Western death and its cultural implications.
From Hell
Alan Moore
The American way of death
Jessica Mitford
Jessica Mitford's 'The American Way of Death' is a groundbreaking work of investigative journalism that exposed the exploitative practices prevalent in the American funeral industry during the 1960s. Mitford meticulously documented the industry's manipulative sales tactics, exorbitant pricing, and deceptive marketing strategies that preyed on grieving families. Her unflinching critique sparked public outrage and led to significant reforms in funeral regulations. The book's impact extended beyond the funeral industry, highlighting the vulnerability of consumers during times of grief and the need for greater transparency and ethical practices in all businesses. Mitford's work remains a powerful example of investigative journalism's ability to effect social change.
Ever since she was a young child, journalist Hayley Campbell has been fascinated by death. It's the theme of her new book, All the Living and the Dead: An Exploration of the People Who Make Death Their Life’s Work, which has been acclaimed by the likes of Neil Gaiman, Nigella Lawson and Tuppence Middleton. In conversation with writer Blanche Girouard, Campbell relates the encounters she has had with the people who make a living by working with the dead, including mass fatality investigators, embalmers and a former executioner who is responsible for ending 62 lives. This episode contains discussion about grief and bereavement that some listeners may find distressing.
We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com.
At Intelligence Squared we’ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go. It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today.
Intelligence Squared 
