The Man Who Loved Funerals

The Man Who Loved Funerals is the story of Charlie, a homeless man who reads the obituaries each day and chooses a funeral. He makes friends with the dead because he finds them dependable. Hevisits them at their graves and shares his most intimate thoughts with them. Then one day, at a funeral he meets an attractive, exciting woman, who tells himshe is dying of cancer and invites him to her funeral.They fall in love and Charlie teaches her to accept death while she teaches him to live. Lisa dies. And just as a Zen master chops wood and carries water until he reaches enlightenment and then carries water and chops wood, Charlie returns to his daily funeral, now celebrating life.

Maryanne Raphael was born in Waverly, Ohio, the oldest of ten children. She has lived in Hawaii, Morocco, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, New York, and now lives in Carlsbad, California. Maryanne taught at The New School in New York, at Ohio University and at the University of Hawaii. She has one son Raphael, Ginger and a grandchild, Zeal Thomas. She is author of Mother Teresa, Called to Love, and co-author of Runaways, published by Authors Guild/Backinprint.com with iUniverse.com.