Speaking at the Exploratorium in San Francisco

InterviewsThanatology
Written By Cole Imperi

Food is part of what we inherit, pass down, and enjoy. It nourishes us, acts as a community gathering ‘place’, and is imbued with lore and legend.

Food helps us digest the experiences of life.

A few days before Halloween, I spoke at the Exploratorium in San Francisco about this very topic. The Exploratorium is a public learning laboratory exploring the world through science, art, and human perception. I talked about how food is interwoven into our cultures, holidays, and lives. How it’s what we leave behind, sometimes, and also how we remember.

Here’s a few slides from my talk:


Thanks to the Exploratorium for having me.

And thanks to you for reading. What food dish did you inherit? Have a recipe to share?

Cole Imperi

Cole Imperi is a triple-certified thanatologist, a two-time TedX speaker, and one of America’s experts on death, dying and grief. She is best known for her work pioneering the fields of Thanabotany and Deathwork (which includes Death Companioning) and through her development of Shadowloss, Shadowlight and Dremains. Cole is the founder of the School of American Thanatology, which has students from 20 countries across 12 timezones. Cole has worked as a chaplain-thanatologist in a jail, mortuary college professor, crematory operator, hospice volunteer, grief support group leader for children as young as 3 to adults, and served on the board of a green burial startup. Cole served as the first female Board President of the 178-year-old Historic Linden Grove Cemetery & Arboretum in Covington, Kentucky, works with death-related businesses through her consulting firm, Doth, and publishes death and loss-related content. Her forthcoming book, A Guide to Your Grief, will be published by Kids Can Press in 2024.

https://coleimperi.com
Previous

Seek Joy, Not Happiness
Next

Queen Elizabeth’s Death and the Complexity of Public-Figure Grief