The Death Class

Death and Dying is an unconventional college course at Kean University in New Jersey taught by nurse-turned-professor Norma Bowe. The class has a three-year waiting list and brings students face-to-face with mortality through visits to cemeteries, prisons, and morgues. Author Erika Hayasaki spent four years following Dr. Bowe and her students, documenting their experiences in and outside the classroom. The narrative focuses on four students whose personal struggles with death, loss, and trauma intersect with the course material. The students form deep bonds while confronting difficult topics like suicide, violence, and grief. Through field trips, assignments, and group discussions, they develop new perspectives on life's most challenging aspects. The book explores how direct engagement with death can lead to profound personal transformation and healing. It raises questions about education's role in addressing trauma and society's relationship with mortality.

Readers found the premise compelling but felt the execution fell short. Many noted the book focused more on the professor's personal story and students' lives rather than the actual death class content they expected. Readers appreciated: - The core concept of teaching college students about death - Prof. Norma Bowe's dedication to helping troubled students - Raw, honest discussions about grief and mortality Common criticisms: - Narrative jumps confusingly between multiple student stories - Too much focus on dramatic personal situations vs. classroom material - Writing style described as "repetitive" and "meandering" Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (1,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (120+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.3/5 (50+ ratings) One reader summarized: "Expected a book about death education, got a biography about the professor instead." Another noted: "Important topic but gets lost in trying to tell too many stories at once."

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📚 Professor Norma Bowe's "Death in Perspective" class at Kean University had a three-year waiting list due to its popularity and unique approach to discussing mortality. 🎓 The author, Erika Hayasaki, spent four years following Professor Bowe and her students, attending classes, field trips to morgues, and even crime scenes to fully immerse herself in the subject matter. ⚕️ Before becoming a professor, Norma Bowe worked as a psychiatric nurse, bringing real-world medical experience to her teachings about death and grief. 🏥 The class visits to morgues and funeral homes weren't meant to shock students, but rather to demystify death and help them process their own experiences with loss and mortality. 💝 Several students in the book used Professor Bowe's class to heal from personal traumas, including one student who survived his mother's attempted murder-suicide and another who lost her father to suicide.