Review of The Dead Beat by Marilyn Johnson

Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries

Jun 24, 2009

A review of the non-fiction book The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson.

With the proliferation of television shows centered around death: "Dead Like Me", "Dr G.: Medical Examiner", "Reaper", and "Six Feet Under", non-fiction books about death and its related industries have been seen on shelves in an increasing number. Marilyn Johnson's The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries from Harper Perennial (2006) is an exploration of the attraction of obituary reading and also provides a history of obituary writing in newspapers and magazines.

While some readers may believe the subject of obituaries and death is too grim or that The Dead Beat will be too sad or sobering, the book is actually enlightening and provides an inside view to the obituary desks at several national newspapers and magazines including The Philadelphia Daily News, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Economist and The Guardian. Johnson avoids being too grim or morbid by focusing on the art of obituaries rather than the circumstances that lead to obituaries being necessary.

The Dead Beat is divided into eleven chapters and also includes an epilogue, appendix, notes, and a bibliography making this non-fiction book accessible to researchers and students. While it lacks a detailed index the appendix, notes and bibliography will prove helpful to students researching obituaries, newspapers, and journalism history.

Each chapter is divided into several shorter untitled sections making The Dead Beat easy to pick up, put down and pick up again. It is a perfect non-fiction read for vacation or other situations where the reader might be interrupted frequently. While all the information ties together and the stories are splendidly interwoven, each small section stands alone.

It is not recommended to read this book piecemeal or out of order as each chapter builds on a previous one, but if necessary each individual chapter and section is independently understandable.

The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stuffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries is recommended for the following readers:

Non-fiction readers who do not typically take an interest in obituaries may also enjoy this book as it combines Marilyn Johnson's autobiographical journey into regular obituary reading with the history of printed obituaries plus tidbits of trivia and ephemera about celebrities and their passing.

Johnson, Marilyn. The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries. Harper Perennial: New York (2006). Paperback edition. 252 pages.

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