The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries (Paperback)
Description
Marilyn Johnson was enthralled by the remarkable lives that were marching out of this world—so she sought out the best obits in the English language and the people who spent their lives writing about the dead. She surveyed the darkest corners of Internet chat rooms, and made a pilgrimage to London to savor the most caustic and literate obits of all. Now she leads us on a compelling journey into the cult and culture behind the obituary page and the unusual lives we don't quite appreciate until they're gone.
About the Author
Marilyn Johnson owns multiple library cards and uses them often. As a staff writer for Life, she specialized in writing obituaries of celebrities who weren't quite dead. Her first book, The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries, was a Borders Original Voices selection and a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award. She lives with her husband, Rob Fleder, and their family in the Hudson Valley in New York.
Praise for The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries…
“[Marilyn Johnson]’s written a warm, funny, appreciative book that, ironically enough, should live forever. But get it now.”
-Roy Blount, Jr., author of Feet On The Street: Rambles Around New Orleans
“A charming, lyrical book about the men and women who write obituaries… sly, droll, and completely winning.”
-David Halberstam
“A beautifully written, funny, and fascinating tour through the unexpectedly lively world of obituaries.”
-Lisa Grunwald, author of Women’s Letters: America from the Revolutionary War to the Present
“A joyful book about obituaries? Absolutely! Marilyn Johnson pulls it off with death-defying grace, insight, charm, and wit.”
-Lee Eisenberg, author of The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life
