| Thomas Lynch developed poetic gifts as an undergraduate at Oakland University. He embarked on a dual career in literary creativity and mortuary science. As director of a funeral home he carries on his family's tradition of community service. As poet and essayist, he delights readers with reflections on family, work, memory, and the inspiring revelations discoverable in ordinary circumstances. His collection of essays, The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade won the American Book Award for 1997 and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Through writings published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, and The Times of London, he has won international admiration for the sharp light he cast on critical life-and-death issues, writing in a voice that has been described as charming, unsentimental, sardonic, and lyrical. Oakland University, committed to the artistic empowerment of its students, celebrated Lynch's accomplishments by conferring upon him the degree of Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa in 2001. |