Death Salon Cabaret

A salon in the truest sense of the word — part education, part social gathering. Death Salon Cabaret is the public evening event of Death Salon, a gathering of scholars and death professionals who gather to explore the cultural practices surrounding death. In the spirit of the eighteenth-century salon (informal coffeehouse gatherings of intellectuals), Death Salon encourages lively conversations on deathly topics.

The theme of this particular evening will be The Uncommon Corpse. Lightning talks, music, and short films address the idea of the rare corpse that will not simply fade into the background of history…the bodies that were not lost to the ground or the pyre but insisted on staying longer and forcing the living to face their mortality.

This evening of fast-paced talks peppered with artistic performances will be hosted by the illustrious Lord Whimsy. Speakers include Lindsey Fitzharris, Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellow and host of the upcoming documentary Medicine’s Dark Secrets; Paul Koudounaris, Author of The Empire of Death and Heavenly Bodies, two books exploring Europe’s catacombs and ossuaries with lavish photographs; Jeff Jorgenson, owner of Elemental Cremation & Burial and advocate for green death practices; Bess Lovejoy, author of Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses; Sarah ElizabethTroop, host of The Cabinet of Curiosities Podcast, Joy Nash, Los Angeles-based actor, and Christine Colby, managing editor of Penthouse.

Musical performances by Mutter Museum artist grant recipient Jill Tracy and Death Gospel troubadour Adam Arcuragi will round out an evening where you can learn some dark history, pick up macabre wares from local artisans, or grab the Grim Reaper for a photo op. Learn more about this event (and all of the weekend’s Death Salon events) at Deathsalon.org.