Funeral homes give me the creeps. They always have, even though they serve a necessary function in our society. I have found it trying to be in one the few times I have had to attend a funeral, I can't imagine working in one! Sheri Booker, author of Nine Years Under: Coming of Age in an Inner City Funeral Home, worked at one for nine years and chronicled her experience in her book. I had the opportunity to interview her about her life, views on death, and what she is up to these days.
Q: What are some of the weirdest things you saw in the funeral home?
A: You see a lot of strange things in the business. Being in the embalming room with the body, you always get chills. It never got easier.
Q: What are people's reactions when you tell them that you worked in the funeral business?
A: Most people are intrigued and they want to know more. It sparks a conversation about how I got started in the business and they want to know about the myths- have I ever seen a body jump up? Do undertakers steal?
Q: Are you working on anything new now?
A: I am working on a project that is also a memoire. I left the funeral home and went to South Africa. Think Eat. Pray. Love for a black girl. It's a coming of age book. I learned about death from the funeral business. This book is about life after working in death.
Q: Does your having worked in a funeral home come up on dates?
A: I usually let my dates know up front that I worked for almost a decade in the funeral business. It hasn't scared anyone off.
Q: Do you already have your own funeral plans?
A: Yes, I want to be cremated and I want a funeral service. Death is the only thing that we are promised in life and no one wants to discuss it.
Q: Where else can we find info on you and the book?
A: You can visit NineYearsUnder.com.
