Click on the name of the publication or program to read/listen the full story online or in a downloadable PDF.
Radio Interview: The X Zone with Rob McConnell, October 11, 2024
American Funeral Director, June 2024 “The Doyenne of Death is Making Her Mark”
FuneralVision.com, May 16, 2024 “Gail Rubin Continues to Blaze a Trail as a Death Care Pioneer”
The Albuquerque Journal, February 20, 2023 “Caskets, cremation and composting: the business of death in New Mexico” View a PDF version here.
Silver Century Foundation News, July 11, 2023 “How to Preplan Your Own Funeral, Part Two – And why it’s a really good idea to do that.”
The Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2022 “How Morticians are Putting the Fun in Funerals”
KUNM-FM (NPR affiliate) Let’s Talk Show, October 28, 2021 “Let’s talk about honoring death and remembrance”
KRQE-TV (CBS affiliate) Morning Show, October 21, 2021 “Before I Die NM Festival starts important conversations about end-of-life planning”
The Cultural Scavenger with Andy Parker Podcast interviews Gail Rubin in this 28-minute podcast. “Death Becomes Her — It’s not what you think!”
The Document Journal, June 4, 2021 “Normalize dying”: a new wave of of millennial morticians are overturning society’s death taboo – featuring quotes by Gail Rubin
Retirement After 60 Podcast May 19, 2021 Planning for the Longest Vacation You’ll Ever Go On! Gail talks with host Artie Bernaducci in this 50-minute podcast.
New York Times Magazine, October 22, 2020 “How to Scatter Cremated Remains”
MEL Magazine, February 2020 “The Lucrative ‘Cremation Diamonds’ Business is All Hot Air” includes quotes by Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®
ICCFA Magazine, January 2018 “Before I Die Festivals Start Important Conversations”
Albuquerque Journal, October 20, 2017 “Before I Die” Festival aims to start conversations on end-of-life issues by Maddy Hayden
CountryLiving.com, October 20, 2017 Before I Die Festivals Popping Up All Over the Country by Jessica Mattern
New Mexico Jewish Link Fall 2017
Gail Rubin in 1977 at Montgomery College.
Montgomery College Insights Magazine for Alumni and Friends, Fall 2016: Profile of Gail Rubin in the article “Unfinished Business” and five tips from The Doyenne of Death in the sidebar “Downsize for a Better Life and a Better Death.”
ICCFA Magazine November 2016 review of KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine November 2016: Gail Rubin is quoted in the story, “How to Plan Your Own Funeral.”
ICCFA Magazine January 2016 article by Gail Rubin: “Questions People Ask About Death – And Death Care.”
San Jose Mercury News July 27, 2015: “Americans in Love with Wacky Job Titles” by Patrick May quotes Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®.
American Funeral Director June 2015: “Media Death vs. Reality” by Lisa Howard-Fusco interviews industry experts, including Gail Rubin, about depictions of death and funerals on television.
Download ICCFA Magazine March/April 2014 article by Gail Rubin: ‘Breaking Bad’ fans mourn end of show with a funeral.
The Denver Post March 3, 2014: “Doyenne of Death encourages laughter in face of funeral planning” (also carried in the Longmont Times-Call)
The Huffington Post March 1, 2014: Gail Rubin is quoted in the story “Is TV Breaking Its Taboo Against Death?” by Jaweed Kaleem
Albuquerque Journal January 6, 2014: “Exit Strategies: New Mexicans advocate for more control over end-of-life choices”
Gail Rubin hosts a Death Café at Sheila’s Sweets, wearing the skull-decorated shirt she likes to put on for death-related events and interviews. Seated alongside her is a pearl necklace-wearing skeleton she named Lola, because “whatever Lola wants, Lola gets — death is sort of like that,” Rubin says. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)
Download ICCFA Magazine March/April 2013 interview “Keep smiling: The Doyenne of Death wants you to plan your funeral.”
Download American Funeral Director magazine February 2013 profile article “Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death.”
October, 2010 Entrepreneur.com article, “Weird Companies That Work,” featuring Gail Rubin and A Good Goodbye!
Kiplinger Retirement Report, October 2010: Gail Rubin is quoted in the article, “Selling a Burial Plot is a Grave Decision”
BANKRATE.COM: Gail Rubin is quoted in an article on the costs of obesity. This article is also featured on the website FoxBusiness.com.
Money Magazine November 2012: Gail Rubin is cited as an expert in the first of a three part series, “The High Cost of Saying Goodbye.” For a PDF of the story, click: MONEY November 2012 Article.
TheDollarStretcher.com: “How to Minimize Funeral Costs”
Download the ICCFA Magazine January 2013 article “Understanding QR codes and how they add value to funerals, memorials.”
Download the Albuquerque Journal September 2012 article “30 Funerals in 30 Days”
Front Page article in The Albuquerque Journal: Leslie Linthicum wrote about Gail’s efforts to help start funeral planning conversations BEFORE there’s a death in the family and the 30 Funerals in 30 Days project. Click to download a PDF of the story.
Download the ICCFA Magazine March/April 2012 article: “Using humor and movies to help talk about death and preplanning.” The article by Gail Rubin discusses how funny films help people open up to considering the funeral planning conversation.
Book Review Excerpt from BookPleasures.Com: In these tough economic times, few of us have thousands of dollars readily at hand to provide for a loved one’s last rites, and we are equally unaware that a funeral can be staged cost effectively. In a rush to inter, what we need is a checklist and directives gleaned from up-to-the-minute experience. Gail provides the how-to for the have-nots.
Book Review Excerpt from AllTheSingleGirlfriends.com: Even you don’t plan a funeral, it’s chock-full of information you didn’t even know you needed (like, it’s not illegal to forego embalming, you can rent a casket, shipping/travel logistics, the pros and cons of pre-payment, and much more). However, it’s all not gloom and despair. Quite the opposite. Gail uses personal anecdotes, quotes and gentle humor to keep you moving right along. The book, as much it can be, is a fun read.
CLICK HERE to read MySendOff.com’s story, “Putting Some Life in a Game About Death – The Newly-Dead Game.”
CLICK HERE to read a review of A Good Goodbye on the Dad of Divas Blog.
The Canton Repository (Ohio) ran two articles about how to save money on funerals on Sunday, February 6, 2011, quoting Gail Rubin. Final Arrangements – Looking to Save to The Very End? and You Have Options When Buying a Casket are no longer available online.
On Sunday, September 19, 2010, The Albuquerque Journal’s Mature Life Magazine ran a story featuring Gail Rubin and A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die. It’s titled “Books help families plan ahead for final goodbyes” and was written by Jane Mahoney.