SUNY Canton to Host Acclaimed Author and Funeral Director Thomas Lynch for Virtual Living Writers Series

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Thomas LynchAn author whose life’s work as a funeral director in a small Michigan town has been the subject of two documentary films will be the next guest for SUNY Canton’s Virtual Living Writers Series.

He will read from his book “The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2. His writing and experiences in funeral services have been featured in two documentaries: “Learning Gravity” by the BBC and “The Undertaking” by PBS.

A prolific writer, Lynch is the author of five collections of poems, five books of essays and a book of stories. “The Undertaking” consists of 12 essays with topics ranging from a scheme to use cemetaries as golf courses to moving stories about mortality.

He has appeared on NCPR’s “Fresh Air with Terry Gross” and his work has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Paris Review. “The Undertaking” won the American Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award.

The event is co-sponsored by the SUNY Canton Funeral Services Department.

The event is free and open to the public. Participants can find the meeting ID and passcode information at the Living Writers website.

About SUNY Canton

As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, management, and healthcare fields. It is home to the Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.