coupland followed "microserfs" with his first collection of non-fiction pieces, in 1996. "polaroids from the dead" is a manifold of stories and essays on diverse topics, including: grateful dead concerts; harolding; kurt cobain's death; the visiting of a german reporter; and a comprehensive essay on brentwood, california, written at the time of the o. j. simpson murder case and the anniversary of marilyn monroe's death.