Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach (2021)

• an award-winning book that explores “the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology”
• In this book, Roach continues her exploration of the theme Innovation and Advancement Borne from Gore

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (2010)

• another pop science work of non-fiction examines the “strange universe of space travel and life without gravity” 
• Roach uses her characteristic darkly humorous voice to explore the science of space travel and builds upon themes of scientific Innovation and Advancement
• Packing for Mars  on SuperSummary

Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach (2017)

• pop science non-fiction exploring the science of “keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, uninfected, and uninfested in the bizarre and extreme circumstances of war”
• Roach takes on another subject fraught with taboo and gore in Grunt

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? By Caitlin Doughty (2020)

• a book by a mortician, historian, and proponent of death positivity answering questions about what happens to the body after death
• also explores the theme of The Entanglement of Spirituality, Sacrilege, and Cultural Norms Surrounding Death

Other Student Resources

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2022

• This annual collection of science and nature writing compiles the best writing of the genre every year.
• For students who are interested in reading more pop science like Stiff, this compilation gives a sweeping overview of the year’s writing.

Mary Roach: the Unusual, the Astonishing, and the Gross

• a 27-minute YouTube video by Maximum Fun, featuring Mary Roach talking about why she likes writing about “the unusual, the astonishing, and the gross”
• She discusses this particularly in terms of her book Packing for Mars.

Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks (2012)

• Oliver Sacks is considered to be one of the original pop science writers, especially the kind that features the author as participant.
• In Hallucinations, he examines how hallucinations are part of the human experience through a discussion of his own experiences.
• Hallucinations on SuperSummary

Teacher Resources

Grief and Loss Resources for Educators

• Some students may be dealing with personal loss, which makes it a struggle to discuss the subject of death in the classroom.
• The National Education Association has compiled this list of resources geared toward self-care and resiliency for educators and students dealing with grief/mourning.

Addressing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Administrators

• The National Association of School Psychologists has also compiled a series of resources to help teachers and administrators help students cope with personal loss.