Gail Rubin shows an original paperback copy of “The Loved One” by Evelyn Waugh
Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®, is an unconventional death educator who’s available for speaking engagements. In this short speech, she reads passages from “The Loved One,” Evelyn Waugh’s satirical novel about the funeral and cemetery industry.
Waugh’s full name was Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh. His first wife was also named Evelyn, leading their friends to call the couple “He-Evelyn” and “She-Evelyn.” (The name Aurthur plays a role in this reading.)
Waugh, who went to Hollywood in 1947 to pursue making a film of his best-selling novel “Brideshead Revisited,” didn’t get a movie deal, but he did visit Forest Lawn Memorial Park while he was in Los Angeles. The experience resulted in the 1948 publication of “The Loved One,” which was made into a movie in 1965.
Watch the video to learn some lessons about funeral planning, for people and for pets.
