I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney

September 18, 2025

I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney

Bud Stanley is a middle aged man who is having a bad year. He is bored stiff with his job as an obituary writer, his wife left him for what he admits is a far more interesting man, and his attempts at dating backfire. So one night after a particularly disastrous blind date and too many drinks, he writes his own obituary and accidentally uploads it to the newspaper's website. Oops. Suspended from the paper, Bud starts going to the wakes and funerals of strangers to try to reconnect with the living.

A funny rouching novel about life, dealing with grief, middle age, and the lingering effects of trauma, especially for middle aged men (who are taught from childhood that they are not supposed to cry or let their feelings show). Bud has wonderful friends (Tim, Tuan, Howard) which makes him luckier than he realizes. Ultimately, the message here is that life is precious and we never know how long we're going to get. If you enjoy the writing of Richard Russo or Andrew Sean Greer, you'll enjoy the fumblings of Kenney's Everyman.

I had no idea that there is even a template for an obituary