Hello friend,
We are officially one week away from springtime here in Washington, DC—the most exquisite time of year in the district. Death Positive DC has many events coming up, and I hope to see you online or in person at one or more of these activities. I'm really looking forward to this guided tour of the beautiful and historic Oak Hill Cemetery in April!
Online
In-Person
- Our second book club will be on March 26th. We will discuss Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Learn more and RSVP here.
- Meet me at the cemetery gates! Join me for a tour of Oak Hill Cemetery on April 14th. Read the details and register here.
- We'll have another Stitch 'n Bitch (a social gathering where people talk and knit or do other needlework) on April 23rd. Our topic is "Remembering the Dead." Learn more and RSVP here.
- I have a death cafe at the Petworth Library on April 25th and one at Rhizome on May 6th.
- Save the date! I'm offering another "Write Your Own Obit" workshop at Rhizome on May 29th. Stay tuned for details and registration. Here's an article about my last workshop.
Other Events
- The End Well Foundation is hosting an event on March 20th (a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary short End Game with a panel discussion afterward). Details (please note it is for women only, which includes transgender women and non-binary people) and required registration here.
- Congressional Cemetery has a green burial event on April 1st. Register here.
Check the Death Positive DC events page for the most up-to-date details on my spring activities.
Spring signifies rebirth, renewal, growth, and transformation. This poem, by Edna St. Vincent Millay, was written post-WWI and may be a commentary on war, but I also read it as a reminder that death is ever-present, even when the natural world around me is literally bursting with life. For me, it inspires an awareness of death as a constant part of life—even as the seasons around me change. What do you think?
Spring by Edna St. Vincent Millay
To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
You can no longer quiet me with the redness
Of little leaves opening stickily.
I know what I know.
The sun is hot on my neck as I observe
The spikes of crocus.
The smell of the earth is good.
It is apparent that there is no death.
But what does that signify?
Not only under ground are the brains of men
Eaten by maggots.
Life in itself
Is nothing,
An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
Take care, and please contact me if you have any questions.
Warmly,
Sarah
Founder of Death Positive DC
Death Positive DC promotes conversations about death and helps people connect
around this topic through social media and in-person events.
