The first Death Café in the USA

The Death Cafe is Now a Worldwide Movement

Update #18 · Feb 9, 2013 · comment

Since the first Death Cafe in the U.S. in Columbus, Ohio, Death Cafes have popped up across the country in several cities in Arizona, California, Illinois, Maine and Michigan. Facilitators are currently planning Death Cafes in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles and Atlanta for this Spring.

In April, I will be presenting the Death Cafe concept at the annual conference for the Association for Death Education and Counseling in Hollywood, CA (ADEC.org). I hope to support and teach other death educators how to host their own Death Cafe events.

Internationally, since the U.S. had its first Death Cafe, there have been many, many more Death Cafes hosted in the United Kingdom, but also new Death Cafes hosted in Canada, Australia and Portugal. Facilitators are planning the first one in Italy.

Would the Death Cafe have happened in the U.S. without the Kickstarter campaign? Maybe eventually. But certainly the support from the Kickstarters is what encouraged me to get going.

Many thanks to all who are encouraging our efforts to get people talking about death, so that we all may appreciate how precious life really is.

Media Coverage of The Death Cafe (thus far)

U.S. Death Cafes:

Huffington Post, February 2013: Death Cafes Grow As Places To Discuss, Learn About End Of Life

WOSU (radio), February 2013, Columbus “Death Cafe” Concept Spreads Across U.S.

Tea Magazine, December 2012: Death Cafes: Tea, Cake and Understanding

Tea Magazine, December 2012, Tea and Sympathy

WKSU (radio), August 2012, Death Café offers place to discuss, grieve

NBC4i, July 2012, Westerville home to the first Death Cafe in the USA

The Columbus Dispatch, July 2012, Facing Death Over Tea and Cake

Canadian Death Cafes:

The Times Colonist, December 2012: Mortality on the Menu

European Death Cafes:

Financial Times Deutschland, September, 2012: Nice Time Talking about Death

The Independent, August 2012: The Death Cafe Movement: Tea and Mortality

Huffington Post, July 2012, Why Thinking about Death May Prompt You to Save the Planet

Mentions of the Death Cafe Concept:

The Independent, January 2013, The Week in Radio: A grief encounter that's not all doom and gloom

Slate Magazine, October 2012, Halloween needs more Death

New York Times, October, 2012, The Dead Have Something to Tell You

614 Magazine, September 2012, We All Kick In

Comment

Bedside Visions, Funeral Customs, and Breast Implants (Oh My!)

Update #17 · Aug 26, 2012 · comment

Eddie Izzard may ask you to choose between cake or death, but at the Death Café, you can have cake AND death (conversation). Twenty-one people attended the second Columbus, Ohio Death Café on August 23, 2012.

When asked what interested them about the Death Café, the attendees responses were varied. Several attendees shared that death was a taboo topic in their home and they wanted to have an open discussion and maybe learn from others.

Some attendees were already working in the field of death and dying as academics, social workers, nurses, counselors, and chaplains. These attendees were quite comfortable with the discussion of topics related to dying. They hoped to gain insight of others perspectives and perhaps provide comfort. Some attendees had experienced the death of family members and were still processing what their losses meant for their own life.

Attendees ranged in age from twenties to over ninety! When asked about their religious and spiritual identity, attendees described their belief systems as atheist, Presbyterian, spiritual, Christian, “recovering Catholic.” A few said they were “still trying to figure it out.”

Although there were only a few men present, the attendees agreed that if we told you that we talked about breast implants that we might get a few more male attendees in the future. Some of the words used on the survey by attendees to describe this event included: fascinating, lively, funny, relaxing, sharing, moving, caring, and awesome.

One attendee commented, “Loved this! Thank you so much for bringing this to the states. Sometimes I think it's easier to talk about this topic with complete strangers, which I think can help open the door to talk about it with family and friends. I loved hearing everyone's views and ideas about death - I heard a lot of things I never considered before. Really gets you thinking, which I think is really the point. Thank you!”

So what do people talk about at a Death Café? I get that question a lot. Maria, my co- facilitator and I were completely intrigued at how different this conversation was from the first Columbus Death Café. We do not lead the conversation, we let it flow. The topics really depend on the people in the room and their interests. At this event we talked about photographing the dead, cemeteries and genealogy, first memories of death as children, whether funerals have made us less sensitized to death, burial customs, bedside visions, the differences in the ways people grieve, shared death experiences, cremation versus burial, bucket lists and The Big Lebowski.

Refreshments for this event were funded from the Kickstarter campaign. A big hearty thanks to all the Kickstarter donors who made event this possible. There will be future Death Cafés in Columbus.

Please conact/follow _lizzy_ on twitter or Lizzy Miles on Google+ for the latest Columbus updates.

If you want to find out more about the origins and philosophy of the Death Café and events in other cities and countries, visit deathcafe.com or contact Jon Underwood via @deathcafe.

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May 10, 2012 - Jun 10, 2012

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Lizzy Miles

Westerville, OH Contact me

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Lizzy Miles 378 friends
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First and foremost, you will receive my eternal gratitude. You’ll be listed as a supporter on the website and you’ll receive a PDF of my book Somewhere In Between: The Hokey Pokey, Chocolate Cake and The Shared Death Experience.

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You’ve got mail! You’ll receive a custom designed Death Café USA postcard designed with a personal thank you from me. You’ll be listed as a supporter on the website and you’ll also receive a PDF of Somewhere In Between. (U.S. or international – same price!)

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You love mail! You’ll receive four custom designed Death Café USA postcards in the mail with personal notes from me gushing about you. You’ll be listed as a supporter on the website, and you’ll also receive a PDF of my book Somewhere In Between. (INTERNATIONAL, Add $2)

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Save the post office! You’ll receive 12 custom designed Death Café USA designed postcards in the mail, all personally written from me to you. You’ll be listed as a supporter on my website, and you’ll also receive a PDF of my book Somewhere In Between. (INTERNATIONAL, Add $2)

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You have a wry sense of humor and you want to show it. Pick a t-shirt with the death that you refuse to have. Choose your death: Crocodile, Poison, Shark, or Gun. Bring it on CROC! You’ll be listed as a supporter on the website and have my admiration for your bravery.

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You’re a trendsetter! You will receive a limited edition t-shirt that tells the world that you kickstarted the very first Death Café in the USA. You’ll receive a pack of 4 of the Death Café postcards so you can raise death awareness with your friends. You’ll also get an autographed print copy of my book Somewhere In Between. Of course, you'll have my deepest appreciation, and you’ll be listed as a supporter on the website.

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You’re fresh and you want to show it. Two t-shirts of your choice. You’ll also get an autographed print copy of my book Somewhere In Between. And of course, you have my deepest appreciation, and you’ll be listed as a supporter on website. (Shipping included: International, add $5)

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You defy death and you’re telling the world. For this donation, you’ll receive your choice of the Death By t-shirts (Croc, Shark, Poison, Gun), a kickstart Death Café t-shirt, and a J. Schuh autographed 8x10 Death By (Croc, Shark, Poison, Gun) print. And of course, you have my deepest appreciation, and you’ll be listed as a supporter on website. (Shipping included: International, add $5)

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You’re focused! Send us the one bucket list item that is the MUST do and jewelry designer Erin Armstrong will create a custom necklace for you inspired by that item. You will also receive an autographed copy of my book Somehwere In Between. You'll be praised effusively on the website. (Includes shipping U.S. and Internationally).

Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
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You’re a local! You’ll get a dozen yummy skull sugar cookies from Sassafras Bakery, the official bakery of the first Death Café in the USA, two T-shirts of your choice, a set of 12 postcards, a autographed copy of the book Somewhere In Between, all delivered personally by ME with my heartfelt gratitude! (Franklin County Ohio only) Your support will be acknowledged on the website and at the event. [Note, if you prefer 'happy' cookies, those can be arranged too)

Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
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You've been there, you've done that! Why not show it off? If you have already made a big dent in your Bucket List, send us a list of Bucket List items you've completed, and artist Kristi Slevin will turn it into a custom print. You can hang it on your wall as a reminder to yourself of the glorious life you've lived. Chose either Spiral (2 colors) or Traditional Block (up to 6 colors). You will receive an autographed copy of Somewhere In Between. Your name will be featured on the website and you will hear many times how grateful we are. (Includes canvas or print up to 16x20, shipping, International, add $25) Contact us for larger size options.

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You are ambitious! You know the things you want to do in your life. Send us your entire bucket list and artist Kristi Slevin will turn it into a custom print. You can hang it on your wall as a reminder to yourself of your goals. Chose either Spiral (2 colors) or Traditional Block (up to 6 colors). You will receive an autographed copy of Somewhere In Between. Your name will be featured on the website and you will hear many times how grateful we are. (Includes canvas or print up to 16x20, shipping, International, add $25) Contact us for larger size options.

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You’re stylish and ambitious! You like the idea of the Bucket List art but you don’t see a style that matches your distinct taste. Send us your Pinterest page that represents who you are and artist Kristi Slevin will custom design a Bucket List art piece based on the Pinterest board you choose. There are two styles: Pop Block (font/colors inspired by Pinterest page and items on Bucket List) OR Pop Comic (layout/font/colors inspired by your Pinterest and your Bucket List). Includes one pre-press approval. Your name will be featured on the website and you will hear many times how grateful we are. (Includes canvas or print up to 16x20, shipping, International, add $25) Contact us for larger size options.

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You’re fearless! You now know I’m afraid of Death By Crocodile. What’s your worst fear? For this price, confide the worst way of dying you can imagine and graphic artist J. Schuh will create a custom piece just for you. Hang it on the wall to remind you, "That's NOT the way I'm going to go!" Canvas or print up to 24x32 – your choice. Includes art, printing and shipping. (International, add $25) Your generosity will be lauded many times over on my website.

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Same as $1000 print but includes J. Schuh autograph, a t-shirt with your Death By image, and a set of 20 postcards with the image. (Includes shipping, International, add $25)

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You’re aware! You know death is part of the cycle of life. You want to help raise death awareness in your city. For $3500, I will fly to your city and host a Death Café event. Includes my travel, my facilitation time, and café catering (up to 50 people). You can host a public event, or one at your house just for your friends. You just need to find the venue! (U.S. Only) Your name will be featured on the website and you will hear many times how grateful I am. (International interest? Add $12,000 to this and I will also bring another facilitator. Please, no war zones - I am not ready to die yet).

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You’re daring! You and I will cross skydiving off of our bucket lists. I’ve never been skydiving before, but I would be willing to face my fear for the Death Café. I believe in the concept that much. This donation covers the cost of my travel expenses, the skydiving expenses for both of us. Should we survive, we’ll go to dinner afterwards (my treat, but please, I'm not buying the Cristal) and have our own little Death Café discussion. Your name and picture will be featured on the website and you will hear many times how grateful I am. (U.S. only)

Estimated delivery: Oct 2012

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