Saturday, February 28, 2015

On Writing An Obituary


Richard Smith is an emeritus editor-on-chief of the British Medical Journal.  Just about everything he writes is prescient.  A recent piece of his in the BMJ deals with obituaries.  What would you like your obituary to contain?


“Just as I think everybody should have a living will, a plan for their funeral, and clear instructions on whether you want to be buried or cremated, so I advise thinking about your obituary or even obituaries…You might write it yourself, but many publications are sniffy about self-written obituaries. So you might do better to get somebody to write one for you, and that’s why Sir Anthony Grabham rang.  We worked well together and liked each other, although we were very different: him being a polished master of the establishment, whereas I’m a 'loose cannon,' to put it mildly"

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