All The Earth A Grave by Caroll Capps
Comments(4) 
There’s nothing wrong with dying - it just hasn’t ever had the proper sales pitch!
So begins this amusing short story (reads in 16 minutes). At least I thought it was amusing, but my wife says that I have a dark sense of humor…. It’s really short; grab a link at the end and read it (or listen) and let me know what you think. Capps caught me off guard with this story about the power of marketing.
Essentially, due to a computer error, a marketing boss for a casket company sees an opportunity to increase Christmas sales.
Published in 1963, I think that this would have been around the height of the sales movement and the beginning of the marketing trends. The difference is subtle but important. With a sales focus, an organization will do anything to sell another unit. In marketing, the company looks to see what the customer wants and then fulfills the need. Or as in this case, the marketer creates a need to be fulfilled.
Sorry, I listened to this twice and just couldn’t help laughing at the absurdity of the idea. Would have made a great Twighlight Zone under Rod Serling. (In case you were wondering, Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone might have been the greatest TV show of all time.)
Its been a busy week, so I chose this short story instead of a full review on one of two other books. Maybe next week, I’ll have my review of Edison and the Electric Chair which studies the death penalty in the US. Intriguing….
Anyway, I would love to know if you enjoyed this story and your opinions and/or impressions. Also, what do you make of the ending? As a Christian, on one level I take offense; on another level, I think the author was poking fun at humanity and not attempting anything blasphemous.
Read it here
Listen to it here Note: excellent reader as well