Editor Adam Zuvanich
Writing about someone who has recently died can be one of the most gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, all-around difficult assignments a journalist can have. It requires talking to people who are in the midst of grieving the loss of a loved one or dear friend, which can be an emotional, uncomfortable experience.
How would you like being peppered with questions from a reporter youâve never met or even talked to on the phone, who might know next to nothing about the spouse or sibling or best friend you still wish was around?
The fear of asking dumb, potentially painful questions is actually among the lesser concerns of an obituary writer, who has only one shot to get the story right and do justice to the dearly departed. Thatâs some pressure, especially under the ever-present pressure of a deadline.
While many of us will likely want to forget as much about 2020 as possible the moment the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, it wasn’t all bad. In