This week, guest-host Kristen Meinzer talks to Margalit Fox, a longtime writer of obituaries for the New York Times and now a full-time writer of nonfiction books, like The Confidence Men. In the interview, Margalit discusses the delicate art of documenting notable deaths, including the practice of pre-writing and continually updating the obituaries of living people. She also explains how her work as an obituary writer has influenced her work as a nonfiction author. 

After the interview, Kristen and co-host June Thomas talk about the terrifying work of cold-calling sources. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Margalit discusses why women and people of color have been underrepresented in the obituary section. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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