The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries

The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by by Marilyn Johnson is a book I picked up from the library by chance. I am a nurse and one of the odd habit nurses have is looking at obituaries, weird, I know. We check to see if we know anyone we helped, especially if working in a nursing home recently or part time. Odd habit but apparently others have it too. Well this book shows the strange obits out there, the different styles of writing obits from different parts of the world, different styles from various writers of obits, unusual lives of those departed, and strange timing of deaths of multiple people. Some places in the book was a bit dry but for the most part it was very interesting and show more ...well, I was going to say 'full of life' but that would be inappropriate now wouldn't it? Very interesting anyway. Enjoyed the book greatly. show less

I was unsurprised to see that my copy of Marilyn Johnson's The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries included a cover blurb by Mary Roach, since both of those writers have played a major role in the propagation and promotion of books which treat various bizarre or macabre aspects of everyday life. Johnson's volume takes on the humble obituary, and like Roach she's able to bring a dry wit, a good sense of satire, and a firm grounding in personal experience to her topic which makes the book come to life in a way that a scholarly treatise on the same subject might fail to do.

Johnson covers many aspects of obituaries, from the structure and language generally used (a section on the euphemisms for show more death was one of the funniest segments of the book) to the practice of pre-writing obituaries for famous people. She interviewed obit writers from several major US and British papers and includes short profiles of each along with their takes on the practice of obit-writing. She attended conferences of obituary enthusiasts, and analyzes the online community of obituary fans. There's quite a bit of "shop talk" here which got old to me and probably would to anyone not already immersed in the obit world - some more of the many interesting examples of the wide range of styles would have been welcome.

Strangely enough, Johnson doesn't cover much at all about the history of obituaries, except for a short discussion of changes to the form in recent years as the practice of writing "egalitarian obituaries" (that is, long, discursive treatments of 'ordinary people') has come into vogue. Nor does she focus much on obituaries across cultures, except for pointing out the differences between American and British practices and a too-brief overview of how obituaries are viewed in other parts of the world. But for its deficiencies, this was a fun short read, and I guarantee that you'll never read an obituary the same way again.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2008/06/book-review-dead-beat.html show less

Almost as much fun as reading obituaries. Either you're a junkie, and you'll love this book, or you'll be left cold by it. Me, I'm an addict, and this book fed that addiction and gave me pointers on how to find still more obituaries. I didn't know there even was a newsgroup called alt.obituaries before I read this book. Fascinating glimpse into not only the way obits get written, but into the personalities influencing this wing of journalism.

I will admit it. I am fascinated by obituary columns.

I am not talking about death notices; hose stale pieces telephoned into news desks by funeral directors on deadline. No. I am talking about those well-written, free-wheeling stories about someone’s death. Written with care, the obituaries I love are cultural snapshots. They tell the stories of individuals who played a vital role in the lives of their families, fields and communities. The truth about their lives is almost always stranger or funnier than fiction. The researched and polished obit is a vital record. It is a great read.

Marilyn Johnson, who counts herself among the obit obsessed, provides the reader with a funny and fascinating tour of the world of the obituary. Starting show more with a visit to the Sixth Great Obituary Writers' International Conference, she explores this written form of journalism as a scholar. With grace, charm, insight and wit she delves into the differences between British and American obits, as well as regional differences here in the U.S.A.

Illustrated with poignant examples, she relates the life stories of a school lunch lady who spent her evenings as a ballroom hostess; a pharmacist moonlighting as a spy; a Manhattan retailer who helped women find the proper bra size. “She was 95 and a 34B.”

Marilyn Johnson celebrates what many of us know. People lead unusual lives. Fortunately, for obit lovers, those tales are told in warm, funny and appreciative ways after they die.

Penned by the Pointed Pundit
Thursday, September 07, 2006
12:31:13 PM show less

Who knew that there's such deliciousness and an entire culture of obituary writing? I loved the author's passion for her topic and her adventure on her quest to find the best--define "best" on your own--obits written. Too bad most newspapers are still so stodgy and leave little room for creativity when they strip most obits to mere skeletons of the rich--define "rich" on your own--lives of those who have passed, leaving what was written about them matching the ultimate physical remains.

Former editor of Esquire and Life staffer, Johnson pursues the people behind one of her interests, reading newspaper obits. She meets with several of the most followed obit writers in NYC and London, and attends an obit writers convention in New Mexico. She studies the various styles of obit by newspapers big and small, and looks at what sets the great obit apart from the standard. She discusses the obits of the famous and great obits written about the non-famous, and talks to writers who took on the post-9/11 obits.
Published in 2006, this is a study of a particular type of writing, and it involves more travel and humor than you'd likely expect. One of those books that sent me googling people mentioned.

The culture of obit reader and writers comes together in Marilyn Johnson's The Dead Beat. It's a funny romp through the world of those whose job it is to ensure that the recently departed get a proper send-off. She gives a deserving nod to the famous and dead, but concentrates (rightfully so) on the Ordinary Joe obit. These are where the most fun can be had.