I worked with broadcast journalist, Perri Peltz, on the HBO documentary, Alternate Endings: Six New Ways to Die in America, premiering on Wednesday, August 14 at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT. The film brings to life similar stories that I report on in my book, Parting Ways. “Alternate Endings tells six stories of people nearing death and of family members of the recently deceased, who have chosen non-traditional end-of-life options and remembrances, from celebrations of life and living wakes, to green burials, extraterrestrial burials and more. Profoundly intimate and illuminating, the film explores what it means to be near death, either from age or terminal illness, and captures the healing power of honoring, giving thanks, and staying true to loved ones who have passed away.” I urge you to watch the documentary with your families. I hope that it will inspire conversations about the choices we make when time is limited and how we live a life that will be remembered!
Published by Denise Carson
Denise Carson, MS, author and journalist, harnesses the power of story to immerse you on the forefront of health care and end-of-life care. She earned a Master of Science Degree in Journalism from Columbia University in New York. For more than a decade, she has interviewed hundreds of people sharing their life stories for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Times and top health care organizations including UCLA, UCI and Hospice Care of the West. Denise is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, Parting Ways, published by University of California Press. In the book, she reports on the emergence of new end-of-life practices through the intimate lens of individuals and families in America. Her book and work in shaping a life review program to record and celebrate the life stories of hospice patients for their families earned an award from the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association given to an individual who is a model for advancing the future of hospice and palliative care. The book led to creating a hospice resource blog and working with HBO on a documentary about new end-of-life practices in America. Denise is currently writing the book, “Invisible Wounds: Healing the Roots of Generational Pain in the Body,” with Gina Calderone, MPT, physical and energetic therapist and founder of Centripetal Force Studio. The book brings forth a method for identifying and healing unresolved grief and trauma radiating chronic pain, addiction and generational disease in the body. At Centripetal Force Studio, Denise uses a life review interview technique to compassionately guide patients to reflect on their life experiences to find the emotional and generational root story of pain and disease. View all posts by Denise Carson
Denise Carson 