<DIV>In her author's note to the book, Marion Winik writes that in Mexico on the Day of the Dead, ?people build altars to their loved ones . . . they go to the cemetery and stay all night, praying, singing, drinking, wailing. They tell the sad stories and the noble ones; they eat cookies shaped like skeletons. They celebrate and mourn at once.”<BR><BR>Striking that balance, <I>The Glen Rock Book of the Dead</I> presents snapshot portraits of The Jeweler, The Driving Instructor, The Bad Influence?and roughly fifty others who have touched Winik's life in some way, from her son's second-grade teacher to Keith Haring. Winik ties these portraits together with observations that strike chords of both loss and joy?forming not only an autobiography but a story of our time.<BR><br>Known for the honesty that made her debut memoir, <I>First Comes Love</I>, so riveting and powerful, Winik taps into the rich territory of her own life yet again to deliver a lyrical journey that ultimately raises the spirits.</DIV>