Conversations with Tyler

Margalit Fox on Life, Death, and the Best Job in Journalism

The stereotypical obituary is a formulaic recitation of facts — dry, boring, and without craft. But Margalit Fox has shown the genre can produce some of the most memorable and moving stories in journalism. Exploiting its “pure narrative arc,” Fox has penned over 1,200 obituaries, covering well-known and obscure subjects with equal aplomb. In her conversation with Tyler Cowen, Fox reveals not only the process for writing an obituary, but her thoughts on life, death, storytelling, puzzle-solving, her favorite cellist, and how it came to be that an economist sang opera 86 times at the Met. Read a <a href="https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/margalit-fox/">full transcript</a> enhanced with helpful links, or watch the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrRHIJrzCco&amp;list=PLS8aEHTqDvpInY9kslUOOK8Qj_-B91o_W&amp;index=65"> full video</a>.  Other ways to connect Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/cowenconvos">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cowenconvos/?hl=en">Instagram</a> Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/tylercowen">Tyler</a> on Twitter  Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/margalitfox">Margalit</a> on Twitter Email us: <a aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="menu" class="c-link" data-remove-tab-index="true" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="mailto:cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu" href="mailto:cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" tabindex="-1" target="_blank">cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu</a> <a href="https://www.mercatus.org/podcasts">Subscribe at our newsletter page</a> to have the latest Conversations with Tyler news sent straight to your inbox.

Tyler Cowen engages today’s deepest thinkers in wide-ranging explorations of their work, the world, and everything in between. New conversations every other Wednesday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.