‘Tis the season

Writer Thomas Lynch presents a chickenor-the-egg quandary when examining his two vocations: He has served as a funeral director in his home of Milford since 1974, and has also published several books of poetry that examine death and mortality. At first blush, it dosen´t seem like those two careers could be any more different, but it’s not like Lynch fills his volumes with doleful reflection on his lost Lenore. Instead, he offers insight into the state of what our funerary practices have become.

“Our culture has gone astray,” Lynch said in a phone interview. “We only have to look to the two recent celebrity deaths of Robin Williams and Joan Rivers. Their deaths and burial became more performance art.”

As part of the Made in Lansing series sponsored by the Historical Society of Greater Lansing, Lynch will discuss the evolution and reinvention of ancient funeral rituals in modern society in a presentation called "A Good Death." The event will point out the value of having the body at the funeral and why our society has grown away from that centuries-old tradition.

“We are in an era of what I call ‘karaoke funerals,’ where the living’s memory and hurt take precedence over the dead person,” Lynch said. “Funerals have turned into very narcissistic events where the living try to outhumor each other.”

Lynch will be joined by Emily Galer, promotional manger for Schuler Books & Music in Okemos. Galer grew up in Pickford as the daughter of a funeral director and spent time as a mortuary apprentice. She has worked at Schuler for six years, but is still considering mortuary school.

As Lynch examines how the living deal with things on this side of the Pearly Gates, at Michigan State University, author Jane Congdon will discuss her musings on the Great Beyond.

In “Mr. Joe: Tales from a Haunted Life,” Congdon illustrates a real man who says he’s been visited by apparitions of the dead, but his true story lends complexity to the word “haunted.”

MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities hosts a talk with Congdon, a former English teacher and reporter. She will discuss “Mr. Joe,” which she co-wrote with the memoir’s eponymous subject, Joseph Barnett. Barnett had chilling experiences while working the custodial night shift at an old elementary school. Seeing ghosts, however, may of been the least of Barnett’s worries, as he was a family man who lived a life of perceived failures. Congdon will also talk about tips for writing a memoir and the challenges one has when sharing someone else’s story.

Finally, on Sunday, take a walk among the tombstones when the Historical Society leads a tour of DeepDale Memorial Gardens, highlighting the stories of several late local notables. Learn about architect Darius Moon, daredevil Arzeno “The Stratosphere Man” Selden and famed photographer R. C. Leavenworth.

Hopefully, they’ll let the tour guides tell their story for them, but you never know …

Bill Castanier contributed to this story

A Good Death

Discussion with author/poet Thomas Lynch 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 Lansing City Hall 124 W. Michigan Ave., Lansing lansinghistory.blogspot.com

RCAH Artist in Conversation:

Jane Congdon 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 C304 Snyder Hall 362 Bogue St., MSU campus, East Lansing rcah.msu.edu

DeepDale Cemetery Tour

2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21 DeepDale Memorial Gardens 4108 Old Lansing Road, Lansing lansinghistory.blogspot.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18-SUNDAY SEPT. 21>> ‘THE 60/50 THEATRE PROJECT’ BY MSU DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre presents “The 60/50 Theatre Project,” an original production that details MSU’s involvement with the civil rights movement. The show is part of the university’s yearlong Project 60/50, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and the 60th anniversary of the landmark Brown vs. the Board of Education decision. “The 60/50 Theatre Project” will be a series of short scenes and monologues, both serious and humorous. “It is a chance for an honest reflection about the question (of) how far we have come,” said MSU Associate Professor of Acting Rob Roznowski, the show’s playwright. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $10. Studio 60 Theatre, 542 Auditorium Road, MSU campus, East Lansing. (800) 942-7866, whartoncenter.com. (Continues Sept. 24-28.)

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18 –SUNDAY, SEPT. 21 >> ‘BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO’ BY PEPPERMINT CREEK

To start its 12th season, Peppermint Creek Theatre Co. presents the Tony-nominated and Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.” The lives of two American Marines and an Iraqi translator are forever changed by an encounter with a quick-witted tiger who haunts the streets of war-torn Baghdad. “Theater should be a place where we can dissect, investigate, and tackle topics that we are grappling with as a society and open a door to dialogue,” said the company’s artistic director, Chad Badgero. “’Bengal Tiger’ does that in a way that will both shock and enliven audiences.” 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $15/$10 students and seniors. Miller Performing Arts Center, 6025 Curry Lane, Lansing. (517) 927-3016, peppermintcreek.org. (Continues Sept. 25-28.)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19 >> KITTY DONOHOE AND JEN SYGIT AT THE TEN POUND FIDDLE CONCERT SERIES

Opening the milestone 40th season of the Ten Pound Fiddle Concert Series are Michigan singer/songwriters Kitty Donohoe and Jen Sygit. The Fiddle is an organization of volunteers that has hosted concerts and dances in a variety of venues since 1975. This week’s show is at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Donohoe, a former booking agent for Ten Pound Fiddle, is known for her blues-tinged, Irish-influenced and storytelling songs. In 2008, Donohoe performed her song “There Are No Words” live at the dedication of the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. Sygit recently received an award at the Garden State Film Festival for her song “Sugar High,” which she contributed to the soundtrack of the Lansing independent movie, “Buffalo." 8 p.m. $15/$12 members/$5 students. Unitarian Universalist Church, 855 Grove St., East Lansing. tenpoundfiddle.org

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 24 >> LANSING’S GOT HEART AT THE LOFT

Local artist Geoph Aldora Espen and drag queen extraordinaire Ace Deville will host a night of drinks, hors d’oeurves and entertainment. Various visual arts will be displayed while local musicians Mark D Beats, Taylor Taylor, Stevie B and the Beast Toned and DJ Skulletfish headline the performances. “You’re in for a magical evening centered completely on local talent and culture,” Espen said. Open mic times will be available for anyone willing to share spoken word performances or play music throughout the night. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24. $3/$2 advance/FREE for performers. The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing.