There are two terrific articles in the November 30 New Yorker
1. “OUR BODIES OURSELVES An artisanal funeral home”
Good news – a new generation of funeral directors/earth mothers are offering a modern take on burial practices. Or is their point of view simply an attempt to return to a more ancient and natural relationship to life’s ending?
These (just out of school) undertakers are providing customized funerals and loving guidance. Quite a change in the décor as well. And these radical female(surprised !) funeral directors often align with groups that campaign for right-to-die laws.
A very interesting article.
2. “INFLAMED The latest hope for a medical cure-all
This article is a thorough discussion on subject of the relationship of inflammation to disease and yes to aging. “Perhaps no aspect of inflammations is more compelling or illusory, than the idea that it may be responsible for aging.”
Apparently there is new clinical study of groups of healthy people as they age called GESTALT which stands for Genetic and Epigenetic Signatures of Translational Aging Laboratory Testing. Now that sounds like a serious study. Of course, by the time the results are in, I will be ninety and old by anyone’s definition.