"Your Life, Your Funeral"

This article about my book was published in the Chicago Tribune (and suburban editions) yesterday.

By William Hageman, Tribune Newspapers

January 9, 2012

Erika Dillman comes by her interest in death naturally.

"My grandparents were in the business," she says. "They sold embalming fluid."

When she was 8, her grandparents took her to a funeral convention — what kid wouldn't be thrilled? — where she picked out a particular casket in which she wanted to be buried. 

"I knew your funeral was something you had to plan for, to buy things for," she says. "Now, it's the party aspect I'm obsessed with." 

Dillman has written "The Party of Your Life: Get the Funeral You Want by Planning It Yourself" (Santa Monica Press). In it, she not only makes a good case for a memorable, personalized funeral, but also explains how to pull it off and why it's becoming more common. 

"People want more control. They want a more personal occasion. Those are the two main things," she says. "They want to personalize it and have something meaningful for them. ... They want something more than a church service and burial." 

She says she hopes the main thing that people take away from the book is the notion that it's OK to do what they want, not what survivors might think they would have wanted.  Continue reading article.

Thanks for visiting. Click to visit The Party of Your Life website.

Another Review on Amazon.com

"5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, January 5, 2012By
Katie Yates - See all my reviewsThis review is from: The Party of Your Life: Get the Funeral You Want by Planning It Yourself (Paperback) I come from a tradition which emphasizes that 'death comes without warning' and thus the beautiful humor and specificity of Erika Dillman's 'The Party of Your Life' as a fearless and compassionate, completely helpful adventure into what happens next. A must read. A must have."
       

Thanks for visiting. Click to visit The Party of Your Life website.

A Review on Amazon.com

"5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Thoughtful and Practical, January 7, 2012By
Jeff Eisenbrey - See all my reviewsThis review is from: The Party of Your Life: Get the Funeral You Want by Planning It Yourself (Paperback) I first picked up Erika Dillman's book at a party and my wife took it out of my hands because I'd become anti-social. Dillman was the most interesting person in the house. What was I to do? I bought the book.
The funniest people are those who know too much about how people are, and on the subject of kicking the bucket people are, well . . . funny. The author finds a lot of material here and clearly has a blast with it. Reading her book is a rare combination of laugh-out-loud funny and revelatory. It turns out that there's a lot to know about the handling of corpses, emotions, relatives, and legal matters. Dillman has done her research and she delivers it in a wry and lively package.

The best part, for me, was having my imagination shoved out of the nest to flap around party planning. Themed funerals?! Really?! Cool! Decorations, dress-up, music, those choice last words. Read it with your spouse. Visit with your favorite fading relative and you'll have a lot to talk about. Or you could leave it out at a party and see what happens."       

Thanks for visiting. Click to visit The Party of Your Life website.

My First Review

Here's the first review of The Party of Your Life from the American Chronicle:

"If someone has died, we know it isn't fun. But, when a loved one isn't dying or has just died, that is the best time to read the new book "The Party of Your Life." It is a fun read, especially if you're working in the funeral industry or planning your own funeral for down the road.

Why shouldn't you plan an uplifting fun funeral for yourself?

In her new book, "The Party of Your Life: Get the Funeral You Want by Planning It Yourself," author Erika Dillman has a variety of ideas from farewell music to funeral parties. It is true that more families are bypassing the traditional funeral service for a more personal location or a party that feels like a celebration of life. Your funeral should be memorable and it should reflect your spirit in life." Click to continue reading review.

Thanks for visiting. Click to visit The Party of Your Life website.