Yours Truly
An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In this surprisingly upbeat book about a usually downbeat subject, The Wall Street Journal’s veteran obituary writer, James R. Hagerty, shares his unique skills with those who want to have the last word by crafting their own stories in their own voices—with flourish, honesty, and even humor.
Someday, your life story is likely to be boiled down to a few lines. If you leave things to chance, your obituary is almost sure to be solemn, formulaic, and full of errors—an obligatory final chapter written in haste by others. James R. Hagerty, longtime obit writer for The Wall Street Journal, knows how to get the job done right: Do it yourself, starting now, while you still can.
In this heartfelt and reassuring guide, Hagerty explains how to preserve your personal history—from crafting a brief obituary for newspapers and websites, to a more thoughtful and detailed mini-memoir for those close to you. Through his personal stories, on-the-job anecdotes, and insights, you will learn what to include, what to leave out, and how to provide historical context, record oral histories and make the most of details, all with candor and wit. Best of all, you’ll find that reviewing your life story helps you think about what you’re doing with your time on Earth and whether you’re on the right path. It isn’t too late to improve the narrative with a stronger ending.
Telling your story your way can be the best gift you ever give to friends and loved ones—and yourself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Write your own story while you can," exhorts Hagerty (The Fateful History of Fannie Mae), obituary writer for the Wall Street Journal, in this compassionate outing. Drawing on the life stories of famous and ordinary people, Hagerty explores how to write obituaries for oneself or loved ones, encouraging readers to shape their writing process by asking "What were you trying to achieve in life?" and "What was it like the first time you fell in love?" He counters the belief that obituaries should be somber with the story of a viral obituary that honored a mother as a "professional clipper of coupons" and a "terror behind the wheel." Memorable details are vital to capturing a subject's story, Hagerty contends, adding that the subject always knows the details best, which is why readers should consider writing their own obituaries. Hagerty remains focused on the ins and outs of obituary writing, meaning this will most likely appeal only to a niche audience. However, the abundant biographical sketches—which profile the cofounder of H&R Block and a Kentucky woman who fought for accessible health services—provide fascinating glimpses into the broad scope of humanity in a way that will appeal to fans of Humans of New York. This provides solid guidance on obituary writing, as narrow as that goal may be.
Customer Reviews
An Informative Read!
James R. Hagerty is an obituary writer for the Wall Street Journal. His purpose in writing this book is to teach the general public how to write a more accurate obituary as often obituaries are written by a family member or friend who is grief stricken. Their grief might often cause the obituary to be dull or lack details. A good point that he made was, does the family member or friend even know important dates or life events? Therefore, this author recommends writing your own or leaving notes on what you want said in your obituary. Writing it at a younger age can help reevaluate how your life is going and what you still want to accomplish.
This book is fascinating and informative! It sheds some light on what it takes to write an informative and meaningful obituary! This book gives great guidance with questions to think about, information to include/not include, and whether or not to include humorous parts of their lives or their personality. Not only does this book give great advice on how to write an obituary, but also how to write your own life story. This author also included his own experiences with writing obituaries for his job, family and even himself.
This book can be read all at once or one that you read over time. I loved how this author included humor in such a serious topic, it made this book more relatable! A highly informative book that that I encourage anyone who is wanting to write their own life story or obituary to consider reading!