New York - May 20, 2003

Good Grief

"The Joy of Funerals," by Alix Strauss

Funerals. A touchy topic. Especially if you are the dope who burst into a fit of giggles during Uncle Hank’s memorial service. Next time try not to think about how awful his toupee was.

Can anyone blame you? Death isn’t necessarily funny, but it can be, in a dark, sad, curious sort of way. Alix Strauss’s debut collection of short stories, The Joy of Funerals, is proof that there really is no one appropriate way to grieve.

The first (and best) story, “Recovering Larry,” tells of a widow who misses her husband so much she burns old photos of him, then sprinkles the ashes on her Rice Krispies. The title story, which ties the book together, is about a lonely woman who finds comfort in the funerals of strangers. If ever there were a Six Feet Under of books, this is it.

So life’s a bitch and then you die?

Nah. Life’s not so bad after all.

The Joy of Funerals is available online at booksoup.com.