Introduction

In London attending a convention, I was stunned by two words in an obituary for a middle-aged adult who died suddenly: “No mourning” (Duncan, 1999, June 30, p. 24). When I called The Times seeking clarification, an editor assured me that I had read correctly, “No mourning. You know, no going on and on about i t . . . crying and all that.” After reflection, I realized that that published phrase captures the attitude of many individuals on this side of the Atlantic toward grief for a friend: no mourning.