Of the many occasions in life when the phrase “comfort food” seems most appropriate, funerals are at the top of the list. Food can serve myriad purposes as part of the mourning process: It can come in the form of help to family members, as the community provides meals that free up the family … [ Read more]
The Final Feast: A look at the funeral foods of four cultural traditions in Minnesota
November 4, 2019 by
Artist Profile: Luis Fitch’s art is at the intersection of graphic design, fine art, and vandalism
September 30, 2019 by
You may not know who Luis Fitch is, but you have probably seen his art. From T-shirts to taco shops, Fitch has been consistently using a combination of gallery openings, street art, and branding opportunities to make himself a recognizable symbol wherever he goes. Other artists might think he is selling out, but he doesn’t … [ Read more]
Death of a Beer: In a fickle market, brewers grapple with axing the beers that once defined their brands
September 30, 2019 by
A great beer with mass appeal is the result of a brewer’s time, effort, and passion, but hard work isn’t what dictates a drink’s success. Whether or not a beer becomes a mainstay for a brewery depends on the consumer’s reaction. If a lot of people love it, then a lot of people drink it—it’s … [ Read more]
Back to the Earth: When it comes to after-death care and burials, green is the new black
September 30, 2019 by
It might not be the most pleasant topic to think about, but it is a part of life: we are all going to die. But how can we die better? Many Americans are reflecting on this question and recognizing that their carbon footprint extends past death, shunning traditional burials in the process. Over half (53.8%) … [ Read more]
Craft Culture: The Surprisingly Uplifting World of Taxidermy
September 30, 2019 by
Speaking solely from personal experience, my basic notions of taxidermy have historically gone arm-in-arm with sport hunting, starting at the army of deer mounts lining the walls of the northern Wisconsin bar I recently found myself in (28 heads!) and ending with the tragic tale of Cecil the lion. But the practice stretches far beyond … [ Read more]
Raise the Dead with This Corpse Reviver Recipe
September 30, 2019 by
Many cocktails have a quasi-medicinal origin story. Herbs and flowers have long been infused into alcohol and used to treat illnesses like digestive issues, scurvy, or fevers. People once made their bitter medicine more palatable by mixing it with sugar and spirits (sounds like an old fashioned, no?) Tonic water began as simply dissolved quinine … [ Read more]
Resting in Peace: Death doula Jane Whitlock on end-of-life care, grief, and the importance of telling our death stories
September 30, 2019 by
When her husband got sick with kidney cancer and died four months later, Jane Whitlock, having had no experience with death or grief, found that the guidance and spiritual care provided by hospice just wasn’t enough. Resolving to find her own purpose while answering for the gaps she saw in end-of-life care, she followed her … [ Read more]
The Chilito is Dead, Long Live the Chilito
September 30, 2019 by
There are some favorite childhood foods that stay with you all your life—the way they smelled and tasted, their texture, and all the times and places you ate them become indelible memories. These are the foods we chase down as adults and enthusiastically foist on our family and friends. To eat them again is joyful … [ Read more]
Royalty In Rot: For wine grapes, a death deferred by a Noble fungus
September 30, 2019 by
Winemakers spend lots of energy during the growing season battling pests and fending off vine diseases that seek to destroy grapes. But there’s one they actually welcome—the so-called “Noble Rot,” or as it is formally known, Botrytis cinerea. Botrytis is a fungal disease that typically lays dormant in almost all vineyards at all times. It … [ Read more]
