Death in the Digital Age Fulbright - National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow Katie Thornton

Sound Memories is a series of sonic portraits portraying varying perspectives on how and where we remember the dead in our changing world. Here I spoke with Gavin, who lost his father when he was only 26. After his death, Gavin scattered his dad's ashes in a place worlds apart from the calm, contemplative environment of the cemetery.

Photo courtesy of Gavin Lawson. Music by Elori Kramer.

Sound Memories is a series of sonic portraits portraying varying perspectives on how and where we remember the dead in our changing world. Here I spoke with Wayne, a gravedigger, about why he stays in a job that some might consider grim.

Sound Memories is a series of sonic portraits portraying varying perspectives on how and where we remember the dead in our changing world. I spoke with Ariaf, who manages all of Bristol, England's public cemeteries and crematories, about the future of cemetery space and the importance of cemetery accessibility.

Sound Memories is a series of audio portraits portraying varying perspectives on how and where we remember the dead in our changing world. I spoke with Fabiola, Carmen, Danielle, Efrain, and Louise on a chilly October day in the basement crypt of a Southwest England cemetery. Here, over warm coffees and homemade muffins, this group of friends prepared for a public Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration by building a Mexican Ofrenda—a traditional altar to the dead. Listen to their stories to hear how a shared experience of loss brought these Bristolians together across cultures and national origins.

Sound Memories is a series of audio portraits featuring individuals with varying takes on how and where we remember the dead on our changing world. I spoke with Adela in her office at the historic and active Arnos Vale Cemetery in the Southwest England city of Bristol. Music by Elori Kramer.

Sound Memories is a series of audio portraits featuring individuals with varying takes on how and where we remember the dead on our changing world. I spoke with Steve on a crisp autumn day in the crumbling St. Mary Redcliffe cemetery in Bristol, England. Music by Elori Kramer.