Dead Lines: Slices of Life from the Obit Beat

by George Hesselberg

In a lively collection of feature obituaries and related news stories, longtime newspaper reporter George Hesselberg celebrates life, sharing the most fascinating stories that came from decades of covering the obit and public safety beats. 

In more than forty years at the Wisconsin State Journal , Hesselberg frequently found himself writing about fatal accidents, crime investigations, and the deaths of the wealthy, famous, or notorious. But he was most drawn to the curious, the unknown, and the unsung—the deaths that normally wouldn’t make much of a splash, if any mention at all, in the news columns of a daily paper. 

Digging deeper, he uncovered the extraordinary among the ordinary, memorializing the lives of a sword designer, a radio villain, a pioneering female detective, a homeless woman who spoke fluent French, a beloved classroom tarantula, and many more. Their stories are alternately amusing, sad, surprising, and profound. Together they speak to a shared human experience and inspire us to see the people around us with new eyes, valuing the lives while they are still being lived. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

208 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2021

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for all Madisonians. As an ex-reporter this book made me miss the core of what journalism is: sharing people’s stories (and as Hesselberg makes clear: everybody has one).

[Therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are surrounded by fascinating people if we would just take the time to know them.

[Carol]

This new book from my long-time friend George Hesselberg is a great example of that fact that all lives matter. As an old-school newspaper reporter, George got to know people ranging from celebrities to the homeless. Everyone had a story, and their obituary often told it well. Dead Lines is a collection of many of these very short vignettes, including a few for animals whose lives were particularly interesting. I knew some of those featured in the book, including Professor Harald Naess of the University of Wisconsin Scandinavian Studies department, but the book is a wonderful way to get acquainted with a wide variety of people through the one thing they all left behind - an obituary.

Please note that I don't use the star rating system, so this review should not be viewed as a zero.

[Lori Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look inside the lives of some interesting characters, some ordinary folks, and other living creatures, too. George’s writing style brings each and every one of them back to life in your mind as you read about them. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes amusing, sometimes inspiring, and always interesting.
Highly recommend!!

[Marianne Pilger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. I live in the area where this takes place. I remember a few of the people that the author wrote about. It is a fun enjoyable book. If you live in and around Madison Wisconsin I recommend you get a copy of this book. You will like it!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

George has such a readable style. This book is more a collection of delicious short stories than a collection of dry life summaries. It will leave you looking for the interesting people in your own days.

[Vicki C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the way the author organized these stories, the behind the scenes of people and animals that had passed away. Some were funny, some made me cry, but all were honoring the person's life. I am compelled to write my own story, so when I go my family can use the information I want to highlight my life.

[Ashley DiCesare · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
cool idea but i got bored very quickly, just not my thing

[Olivia Kaltved · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of this but WOW it was a struggle to get through. Would not have finished if it wasn’t for book club

[Kimberly Wethal · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a newspaper reporter I’m a biased toward other writers from my industry, but this book was so well-written. Short stories written in a conversational tone made it a quick read. Spending almost all of my life in/near Madison, it was fascinating to read about the everyday people who don’t make regular headlines but leave such an impact in the area.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WI historical society does it again! Somehow they seem to consistently publish such wonderful local writers.

This book made me weep and smile and chuckle. So many quietly lovely sentences. Warts and all but not unkind depictions of a diverse group of individuals. The author does a wonderful job of making you see how fascinating everyone around us is, if we only take the time to notice. Feels like Brian Doyle in some ways, showing you a bit of the ugly sides of life but enough of the simple pleasures and unexpected beauty to make even the painful parts feel wondrous.

I started becoming interested in obituaries in vet school, reading them when taking a mental break at my grandparents’ house. Reading the paper quietly with them in the front or dining room, flipping between the funnies and the obits, unwilling to read any of the sad world news or boring local politics. It was weirdly soothing to read these stories that focused less on the death and disease, and more on the greater context of a person’s life. Many were laundry lists of relatives and hobbies and jobs, but every once in a while one was so unexpectedly moving, it would really hit me hard. This is basically an entire book of obits that hit hard. I was also delighted to see a quite a few animals represented here too - the kindergarten tarantula, the mauling marshmallow-hating polar bear, one half of Mo and Jo the donkeys. And such unexpected tidbits of WI and Madison history— the street directory with no Presbyterian churches, the way graveyards are organized, the police chief dealing with the Madison anti-war protests, the tragic chimney corpse, the Bigfoot foot, and some of the history of local shoe repair shops. I could read so much more of this and was so disappointed when it finished— all too soon! The author’s writing style doesn’t feel ostentatious or even particularly noticeable, and I think that’s part of what makes it so compelling.

[John Nondorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't expect outrageous stories here. Most of these essays are dedications to ordinary Wisconsinites--and the occasional pig or tarantula--who often are not celebrated in the press.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of expanded obits that Hesselberg wrote. As someone who has been touched by death a few times lately, but also as an English teacher, I've been thinking more and more about how to write an obituary and also what friends and relatives have to say about people after they have finished living. Hesselberg's treatment of local Wisconsin people is emotional, but not in the overly-sappy way. Sometimes his stories are amusing, particularly the people who had to convince someone else that they were alive and the obit was published incorrectly. Sometimes they're heart-breaking, like couple who passed just hours apart. Sometimes they're interesting, like the stories of people who were integral to how this area developed. And sometimes they're intriguing, like the story of the body found in a Madison chimney, a case that has actually been solved since Hesselberg published. And then there are a host of animals, which I did not expect, from class pets to zoo occupants to roadside attractions.

All the stories are expanded obits, since Hesselberg went back to do research on some of the subjects and interview loved ones, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. Those were my favorite parts, usually, because they gave the descriptions of these people some pop and character, especially Midwest character, which frequent mentions of strong work ethics, Midwest kindness, and even regular visits to the neighborhood bar. The stories are only 2-4 pages long, so you can flip to one anywhere in the book, read about someone, and then close the book five minutes later, helping to keep the memory of someone alive while you go about the rest of your day. It's nice, really. I'm glad Hesselberg wrote this book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not the obituary reader in my family; my dad is, so I picked up this book thinking I might get it for him if I liked it. Plus, most of the people lived in or near where I live in Wisconsin, and obituaries are all from the Wisconsin State Journal.

The obituaries covered a wide variety of people, ages, and races. And they were interesting, I just thought they'd be more so.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Hesselberg has a knack for capturing the essence of a person or animal's life and their impact on friends, family, and the community. This collection tells their stories after they have died -- a series of obituaries he wrote while working at the Wisconsin State Journal. Truly a slice of life from the obit beat! Many fascinating stories of everyday people and animals.

[Pegeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of obits of Wisconsinites actually is a people’s history of southern WI in crafted capsules. As a fledgling writer, each essay also is a model of clarity and connection to our humanity, with a dash of humor. Highly recommended.

[Terry McIntire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably reading a book based on obituaries is a good way to end the year. This was a book about people and sometimes animals that I didn't know. It is very insightful looks at the lives those we think of as being ordinary. We are all unique and sometimes very special.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a selection of various artfully-written obituaries about some of the most fascinating characters in and around Madison during Hesselberg’s career. The vignettes are often poignant, fascinating, humorous or some combination therein.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read by legendary Madison, Wis., news and feature writer and columnist extraordinaire George Hesselberg. Condensing one’s life into a few paragraphs takes great skill and a deft touch. A breezy and smart journey through some interesting slices of history.

[Bexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and sad short snippets of various people's lives in the Madison area. A quick read, good for those interested in the stories of regular people.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book is a combo obit/news report collection of significant and/or quirky Madison, Wisconsin-area characters. It is written in a folksy, reader-friendly style.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great examples of the form! I think I like the obituaries of homeless people best.

[Marilee Steffen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite newspaper reporter, now retired, shares news stories and obituaries he encountered in his decades long career at the Wis State Journal.