A light-hearted look at the history and practice of "the ultimate human-interest story," the obituary. "What a wonderful surprise-a charming, lyrical book about the men and women who write obituaries. The Dead Beat is sly, droll, and completely winning."- David Halberstam Where can readers celebrate the life of the pharmacist who moonlighted as a spy, the genius behind Sea Monkeys, the school lunch lady who spent her evenings as a ballroom hostess?...

"After her mother died, poet Victoria Chang refused to write elegies. Rather, she distilled her grief during a feverish two weeks by writing scores of poetic obituaries for all she lost in the world. In Obit, Chang writes of "the way memory gets up after someone has died and starts walking." These poems reinvent the form of newspaper obituary to both name what has died ("civility," "language," "the future," "Mother's blue dress") and the cultural...

She's smart. She's savvy. She's...well, she's working on the thighs. And with God as her witness, she'll never let that man spoil her happy ending! Phoebe Grant is everyone's favorite movie geek-unbeatable at trivia, convinced that all the world's a movie screen. She can organize a four-hankie chick-flickathon with a wave of her tall, nonfat, double mocha. And she's a shoo-in for the job of her dreams-movie reviewer for the newpaper where she works. Enter...

The contemporary obituary is no longer filled with Victorian clichés and endless listing of accomplishments. Instead, modern obits are written in everyday conversational language, spiced up with humor, quotes or lyrics. This book includes samples from 20 neighbors and acquaintances ranging in age from 19 to 80+. Three chapters full of writing prompts help you get started in the art of this humble story telling form. Come create a fulfilling life-review...

"Colette 'Coco' Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft--writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island. But as...