Dealings with the Dead, Volume 1 (of 2)

A seasoned sexton takes the mic, offering a wry, almost conversational guide to the business of burying the dead. He weaves personal anecdotes—his father’s doubts, the snub of a polite bow to an elderly lady—into a broader meditation on how the profession has shifted from tavern‑filled vaults to a more respectable, even aspirational, vocation.

From ancient rites that once demanded careful clothing of corpses to modern obsessions with marble monuments and flamboyant epitaphs, the narrative surveys the strange ways societies treat their departed. It humorously probes the vanity of “aristocracy among the dead,” the odd customs of various cultures, and the lingering rivalry over tomb design, all while hinting at the untapped potential of a sexton‑surgeon partnership. Listeners will find a blend of history, folklore, and sardonic commentary that makes the age‑old business of dealing with corpses feel oddly alive.