The Brooklyn Ink

The Conversation: How to Talk to the Bereaved

By Aliza Moorji Photos by Tatiana Sanchez and Amaris Castillo The first thing that Pat Marmo asks the bereaved is to tell him about the deceased. Then he asks about the funeral. Marmo is manager [...]

Undertaker U: Where Funeral Directors Learn their Stuff

By Evan MacDonald and Audrey Yoo For many, college is a chance to meet new people while living away from home for the first time. Students at American Academy McAllister Institute meet new people, too. [...]

Why Have a Will?

People do not like to think about who will get what when they die.

Last Word: The Business of Obituaries in Brooklyn

By Kim Chakanetsa In an age of e-memorials and three-letter postings on Facebook pages, traditional obituaries can start to feel a little…quaint. But obituaries are not completely — pardon the pun — dead.  They’re a [...]

Where Beauty Meets Death

By: Amaris Castillo and Tatiana Sanchez Florists talk about creating beautiful arrangements for the saddest occasion. It takes time -and a lot of imagination- to capture the essence of the deceased through a floral creation. [...]

A Grave Situation: Space Scarce In Brooklyn’s Crowded Cemeteries

By Saskia de Rothschild and Jeremy B. White Brooklyn’s cemeteries illustrate two immutable principles: death is universal, and space in New York City is at a premium. Many of Brooklyn’s cemeteries have run out of [...]

A Guide to Unfamiliar Funeral Etiquette

So you’re Jewish and going to a Buddhist funeral?  See our quick guide to avoid faux pas and awkward situations By Ivana Kottasová & Joe Deaux

Death by Numbers

By Elisabeth Anderson, M. Bilal Lakhani & Lillian Rizzo We know this is not necessarily what you want to be thinking about or talking about.  But we’re going to tell you anyway. Because, well, it [...]

After Life: A Brooklyn Guide

Why death? It’s not because we’re morbid. We chose this topic because, in a borough of astounding diversity, death is the rare universal experience. We examined how culture, religion and community shape perceptions and practices [...]

The Crazy Kick Collector

In New York City, it isn’t hard to find footwear aficionados like Horace Qui. A bonafide ‘sneakerhead’, Qui explains his love for collecting and selling kicks.