I was originally thinking of going skiing today but the freezing rain has put a bit of a damper on my plans. I will however be attending the Thomas Lynch reading tonight and then I'll be going to a party afterwards. I don't know about you but I haven't heard of many poets who also happen to be funeral directors as well. It should be an interesting night.

Here's some more info about Thomas Lynch:

Thomas Lynch

When: Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 pm
Where: de Sève Cinema, J.W. McConnell (Library) Building

Born in Detroit, Thomas Lynch is a poet, essayist, and funeral director. His collections of poetry include Skating with Heather Grace (Knopf, 1987), Grimalkin & Other Poems (Jonathan Cape, 1994), and Still Life in Milford (Jonathan Cape & Norton, 1998).

He has published two collections of essays: The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade (Norton, 1997), which won The Heartland Prize for non-fiction, The American Book Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award; and Bodies in Motion and at Rest: Meditations on Mortality (Norton, 2000).

He has been an Adjunct Professor in the graduate creative writing program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Currently he lives in Milford, Michigan where he is the director of Lynch & Sons funeral home.

His most recent book is a memoir that explores his Irish-American heritage, Booking Passage: We Irish and Americans (Norton, 2005).