Dead Advice: A Guide to Living (From the Dead)


I’m excited to announce that I’ve got a new project online. It’s called Dead Advice, and the premise is… well, it’s kind of weird one.

Here’s how it works. Imagine you’ve just died, and now you’re writing a letter to the rest of the world. What would you say? What would you share? Perhaps you’d write a letter to the young, or to your yet to be born child. Perhaps you’d list a series of regrets, or maybe write a treatise on marriage. The subject matter is entirely up to you.

There’s only one requirement on the site. Every letter must begin with the same first sentence: “Now that I’m dead, I want to tell you a few things.”

I was originally inspired to make this site after reading Thomas Lynch’s book, The Undertaking. I first came across it while in graduate school, and it’s stayed with me ever since. It drastically changed the way in which I viewed funerals and the mourning process, and it’s a book I pick up at least once a year.

Another inspiration for this site was my interest in poetry. I love how, when writing a poem, you can assume a lofty voice. Poems are all about the grand declarations, the big pronouncements. I wanted to create a format that let others assume this voice, to look back on their lives and tell us what they saw. To tell us what’s important.

Finally, my interest in repetition and variation is responsible for the one requirement. Though I knew each person would take on a very different subject matter, I wanted to tie all the letters to one another somehow. By beginning with the same first line, I feel it sets the tone well… and links (albeit loosely) each letter to the other.

I’ve got more details posted in the About and FAQ sections on the site. And so far, I’ve got a small number of letters posted up, in case you’re curious how others have tackled the format.

HUGE thanks to those folks who sent in letters, and are part of the initial launch. You guys could have done a multitude of other things, but chose to spend some of your precious free time contributing to this project. I’m flattered and grateful. The letters are exactly what I had imagined, and I look forward to seeing newer ones arrive.

Also, big thanks to Jane – who helped create the Dead Advice logo and masthead. Prior to having that logo in place, the project felt like a series of connected pages. Now that it’s up there, it feels like an honest to goodness site. Jane, you rock!

For everyone reading this – I invite you to peruse the site, and to read a letter or two. And if you’re so inclined, I invite you to submit a letter of your own. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

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