Lessons From a Viral Obituary - Editor And Publisher Magazine

Kristen Hare | RJI

Once in a while, notice of someone’s death takes on a life all its own – the addict who was also a mother with a beautiful voice, the hard-living, sweet-souled uncle, the former beauty queen grandma who wrote her own obituary.

Three months into my RJI fellowship experimenting with obituaries, I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes an obit also a good read. What makes people share them? What do they have in common?