Graceland is one, she thinks. Science desk reporter Joanne Silberner will explore how doctors deal with death, and the cost of dying. These stories will air on ATC and the other newsmagazines. Collins is creating a related web site, which will be up more than a year. It will have a section on organizations such as the American Cancer Society, a bibliography, a readings section with excerpts from plays, novels and other materials, and a talk-back section.
Bereavement counselors say it's vital that people who've experienced someone's death talk about it.
To give them permission to tell that story is an amazing gift. Collins has an obvious and seemingly missionary commitment to this project, but the concept doesn't appeal to everyone. Collins and Weiss say the series will have some humor. Anyone who's spent time at a deathbed knows that laughs aren't out of the question. That's why Collins included in the web site a transcript of the famous Mary Tyler Moore Show episode in which an elephant sits on Chuckles the Clown.