Coming across a news article about a death café, I was inspired to write a short story titled “It Ends With Cake.” Here’s what I discovered while researching the tale: The modern death café, developed in the U.K. in 2011 by Jon Underwood, is modeled on the ideas of Bernard Crettaz, a Swiss sociologist who originated the idea of “café mortel” after the death of his wife. A death café is an informal gathering where “the sole topic of conversation is every living thing’s inevitable demise,” a topic we are all preoccupied with but rarely talk about. Although meetings can be held anywhere, the word “café” captures the idea of a community where ideas flow freely. In keeping with that principle, a death café always includes food and drink along with talk. Read more about the death café movement in BEHIND THE STORY.
