six to carry the casket and one to say the mass
Six to carry the casket and one to say the mass: reflections on life, identity, and moving forward offers the unique opportunity for its readers to start a new dialogue, take an active hand in creating culture and reshaping the world, and think about making meaning from formative experiences and relationships. From family dynamics and professional challenges that bolstered and battered him to the TV shows, films, books, and people who impacted his queer identity, Bill deconstructs the world that he inherited and begins to reconstruct the person he wants to become through short, poignant, thought-provoking, and frequently hilarious essays. The post-2020 world revealed to Bill that social transformation only comes with individual choices. If he wanted the world to change, he had to truthfully and compassionately understand how choices made long ago brought him to this moment and how the choices he makes now shape the future.
For anyone looking to make meaning out of their lives and the world around them, this book offers a model.
what people are saying…
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"In the spirit of David Sedaris and Dorothy Zbornak, Bill Hulseman's witty debut offers a masterclass in learning to take pride in one's family, faith, and identity."
— Terry Babcock-Lumish, PhD
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"A radiant, heartfelt mosaic of life’s deepest intimacies and tiniest quirks. Hulseman’s essays shimmer with truth and humor, inviting readers to stitch their own stories with meaning."
— Ezra Bookman, ritual designer, artist, and founder of Ritualist
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"A beautiful set of reflections on what it takes to be known and a reminder that we are all worth knowing."
— Shalini Vajjhala, PhD, Executive Director of PRE Collective
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"Six to carry the casket is the story of how love wins, lessons gleaned from the past, and how to actively build a more just and loving future, especially for those whose survival and thriving have previously not been centered. This book gifted me with moments of joy and a grounding in hope."
— Lauren Brownlee, educator and Co-Leader of the Quaker Coalition for Uprooting Racism
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"Six to carry the casket and one to say the mass masterfully distills wisdom from life’s diverse experiences. Bill’s compelling storytelling invites readers to remain attentive and embrace the abundant lessons life offers. With narratives that resonate deeply with your own life, he inspires you to explore your deepest curiosities, making the journey both personal and transformative."
— Glenn Llopis, CEO at GLLG, Author, Make Reinvention Your Superpower, and Forbes Leadership Strategy Contributor
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“Six to carry the casket is a celebration of life’s messy, beautiful contradictions: the way grief and joy intermingle, how family can be both a source of frustration and profound love.”
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"Six to carry the casket speaks to our times. When so much of the contemporary essay narrows focus, finally, with Hulseman, we have an essayist brave enough to broaden, to broach the manifold issues of the day by a sweeping portrayal of where public and private, spiritual and secular, and international and domestic merge. Moreover, Hulseman manages this by intimate account. His prose rings with the relatable humor and warmth of a dear friend. Though he has left the world of professional education, he nevertheless remains our educator of the heart, and we would all do well to follow his lead."
— Taylor Strickland, author of Dwell Time
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"You’ll be transported to vivid moments: Marks & Spencer in Belfast during a bomb threat, a confounding sleepover with a neighbor, a 10-year-old announcing he’s a pacifist, a smile during a sitcom that opens a door to understanding. Bill’s writing is a cross between Frank Bruni and David Sedaris: honest commentary, vivid storytelling, and humor–a lot of humor. These thought-provoking, comforting, and inspiring pieces on humanity, individuals, and society did more than move me. It’s as though the window I peer through to understand the world became a little less dusty (a film of dust I didn’t even realize was there!)."
— Alice Moody, writing instructor & discussion facilitator, owner of Platinum Pen Consulting
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"A tour de force, entertaining and timely journey of exploration, discovery and acceptance, of ourselves and of those we love most. Making sense of the world around us and the world beyond with the noble purpose of grounding ourselves in the here and now, this book helps find meaning in the gifts and obstacles the universe unapologetically and unrelentingly sends us slicing through the loud everyday noises of our busy world, staring us in the face for honest answers."
— Adnan Kifayat, former Secretary of State John F. Kerry’s Special Representative to Muslim Communities, Founder of Blueprint Strategies, LLC, and Adviser to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
about bill
Bill Hulseman is a writer, ritual designer, and former educator whose work explores identity, belonging, and personal agency. His debut book, six to carry the casket and one to say the mass, is a collection of deeply personal essays examining the identities we inherit, the traditions we navigate, and the power we have to shape our own narratives. Through reflections on family, culture, Catholicism, and queer identity, Hulseman offers a nuanced exploration of what it means to carve out space for oneself in a world that often seeks to define us.
A former middle school principal, teacher, and campus minister, Hulseman holds degrees in religious studies, the comparative study of religion, and education leadership. His time in Catholic schools gave him both a profound appreciation for religious practice and a firsthand understanding of the tensions between personal identity and institutional tradition. His writing is informed by this background, as well as his deep love for pop culture—where figures like Madonna and The Golden Girls helped him see himself long before the world was ready to.
Hulseman now lives in Seattle with his husband, Jonathon, where he continues to write, design rituals, and lead meaningful conversations about identity, religion, and belonging.