A few publications seized on the New York Times’ unique (and damn cool) approach to the obit: The Do-It-Yourself video obit.

From Editor and Publisher: “It occurred to me that we ought to revive the tradition here of interviewing people whose deaths are likely to be Page One news for their obituaries,” (Tim) Weiner said. “And do it in high definition video.”

Others picked up on the fact that Buchwald wrote his obit in book-form, too. Also from E&P:

Buchwald’s final book — Too Soon to Say Goodbye (Random House, November 2006) — was something Connie Schultz turned to immediately when she heard this morning about the political humorist’s death. The Plain Dealer of Cleveland columnist said one reason she found the book inspiring was that it showed that dedicated writers, no matter how ill, “keep writing as long as they have their wits about them.”

Schultz added: “He could be so funny, even about the fact he was dying. But I never doubted for a moment how difficult a time it was for him. He knew his time was looming.”