By — Geoff Bennett Geoff Bennett Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/sam-roberts-and-geoff-bennett-discuss-the-art-of-obituary-writing-on-settle-in Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Journalist Sam Roberts has written some 1,600 obituaries in his decades-long career at The New York Times. His new book, "Are They Dead Yet?" is about the art of obituary writing, how the Times chooses who's worthy of an obit and what that work has taught him about life. Geoff Bennett spoke with Roberts for the latest episode of our PBS news podcast, "Settle In." Listen to this Segment Watch Watch the Full Episode PBS NewsHour from Aug 12, 2026 By — Geoff Bennett Geoff Bennett Geoff Bennett is co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS News Hour, where he brings incisive reporting and sharp analysis to the political and cultural forces shaping American life. @GeoffRBennett