Resurrecting a lively art form
by Rebecca Gill
Obituaries,
once considered the lifeless backwater of newspapers, are making a
comeback. Life After Death: The Art of the Obituary, the first book by
globetrotting researcher of all things deathly literate and
international authority on the art form, UniSA’s Dr Nigel Starck is
leading a revival in the obituary.
Dr Starck’s fascination with the necrological began when, as a fledgling reporter, he was assigned to write an obituary for his local paper. The editor sent him back to rewrite the story. Twice. Despite this less than auspicious beginning, Dr Starck is now an expert in these "time capsules in print".
"Obituaries are the best and richest form of journalism, an instant biography. They are beautifully written, elegant, witty, powerful and persuasive," Dr Starck said.
His research took him to the UK and US to interview "obit" editors and trawl through archives dating back centuries.
Dr Starck says the obituary underwent many "sign of the times" transformations during its very rich history. In the late 18th century, obits were often graphic and grotesque, recounting death with blood and guts imagery.
The obituary all but died in the 1920s, and Dr Starck says many believe the Great War simply put people off death.
The 1980s signalled the beginning of the robust writing style we see in obituary pages today. A 1986 obituary for Sir Robert Helpmann, former artistic director of the Australian Ballet, was seen as a catalyst for change.
"The Times in London described him as ‘a homosexual of the proselytising kind’ and a man of unimpressive appearance. ‘Strange, haunting and rather frightening’," Dr Starck said.
"This was highly controversial and set the pattern for a new form. The rule that you couldn’t speak ill of the dead no longer applied."
While most obituaries today are not as blunt, Dr Starck says the most entertaining ones don’t see the subjects through rose-coloured lenses.
"Candour is refreshing. I think it’s perfectly fair to reflect and offer informed criticism. It’s a celebration of life."
In Life After Death, Dr Starck explores how the obit page, once reserved for royals or the rich and famous, is now frequented by janitors, bus drivers – anyone with a good story to tell.
"These two shifts, from elitist to egalitarian, and from effusive to objective, have greatly contributed the obit’s resurrection," he said.
Starck, affectionaly known to some as "Doctor Death", also teaches obituary composition to his students at UniSA.
"I teach my students three main things, accuracy, because obituaries are retained and valued; Capturing the spirit of the person, because it’s a character study; And you have to extract some anecdotes to do that, to give it humanity and warmth.
"When you write an obit, you feel like you’re writing something for history, it’s permanent, something that matters. It doesn’t have the ephemeral quality that so much journalism has," he said.
"I hope I have inspired students to appreciate obituary writing. It’s the fastest growing form of journalism in Australia. Since 1993, eight papers have launched a dedicated obituaries page. And, Australia’s most prominent obituarist, Philip Jones, just died last month, so there is a real opening in the market."