The obit desk meets the undead. An article about the longstanding news practice of writing obituaries in advance of someone’s death.

When [former Boston mayor John] Collins asked whether Nolan was gathering material for his obituary, Nolan replied in the affirmative — which, in turn, led Collins to wonder aloud whether he could ever get favorable treatment from the Globe, of which he had been a bitter critic. Nolan recalls telling him, ” ‘You could die on a slow news day.’ And the son of a bitch died on Thanksgiving. He died on the slowest news day of the year.”

I don’t know why I’m so fascinated by obituaries. I just am.

Speaking of which — Ray Charles died today. R.I.P.