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Journey into the cemetery and beyond with author Minda Powers-Douglas and meet cemetery sextons, gravediggers, preservationists, writers, artists, authors, ghost hunters, the director of a funeral museum, a genealogist, and an assortment of taphophiles (people who love cemeteries). Discover what’s really behind our attitudes toward death, graveyards and those resting inside them. Find out what is superstition and what’s fact in this insightful and often funny guide into the world of cemeteries.
You’ll meet British horror author Simon Clark, “low-brow” artist Madame Talbot, genealogy author and lecturer Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, Jon Austin from the Museum of Funeral Customs, and New Orleans Voodoo Priestess Miriam, as well as many more intriguing individuals.
Come explore the dark side … it’s not as scary as you think.
Media Inquiries
If you are a member of the press or bookstore and would like to schedule an interview with Minda Powers-Douglas, ask for a quote, or inquire about a speaking engagement or book signing, please contact:
Interview Questions & Answers with Author Minda Powers-Douglas
Q. Why do you think it’s important that people talk about the subject of death with their loved ones? A. Death is not an easy subject to discuss, but it is a fact of life. Because we don’t want to talk about it, we’ve made it taboo. It didn’t used to be like that, though. Less than a century ago, many Americans involved the entire family in preparing a loved one for burial. Even the children had roles. I think it’s very important for family members to discuss their last wishes. Pre-planned funerals are an amazing gift for a family. It’s much less stressful to go over what a parent or grandparent wants ahead of time, rather than try to figure out what that person wanted once he or she has passed away. Plenty of families have argued as to whether to cremate or bury a loved one. If you don’t ask that person before she’s gone, how will you really know?
Q. You’ve already done some traveling while researching Cemetery Walk. Where would you like to go next that you haven’t been? Where would you go again? A. I’ve never been to Europe, but it is definitely one of my top goals to travel there—for general interest as well as the cemeteries and burial sites. We really have nothing that can compare to the cathedrals, tombs and catacombs in places such as England or Italy. As to places I’ve been and want to return, no question: New Orleans. I first fell in love with it in 2003 when my husband and I visited for our first anniversary. We returned in December 2004. Now I want to go back and see what has survived Hurricane Katrina and, if possible, help rebuild the cemeteries that were so awe-inspiring.
Q. What made you decide to self-publish? A. A lot of effort was put into my decision. At the time I decided that a book on cemeteries was such a “niche” subject that it seemed the best route for me. And since I didn’t have a lot of expendable cash on hand to pay the exorbitant fees to purely self-publish (as in paying a designer and printer as well as buying a thousand books and then storing them), working with a print-on-demand publisher seemed the best way for me to go. It also gave me the control I desired. A few months ago, though, I spoke to a couple of agents who turned out to be interested in Cemetery Walk, but I was so close to publication that it was a moot point. I’ve also developed quite a following, thanks to the Internet. For my next book, I’ll probably talk to some agents ahead of time to feel things out. Do I regret my decision? Not really. The way I see it, you live and learn. I did it on my own, and I’m proud of that. That’s what it’s all about.
Q. You still work full-time, and now you’ve started your own magazine (Epitaphs Magazine). How did you ever find time to write? A. Once I started working on Cemetery Walk, I guess the real question was, “How did I ever find time to not write?” I just did. I didn’t assign myself a specific time or place to write, I just wrote any time I could. This book had to get out. After talking to at least three-dozen people, their stories were so great I had to share them. It was hard to decide which ones to write first. I haven’t even written all the stories down except in my notes. I’ve got enough left to fill another book—or at least a few magazine issues.
Q. What is it about cemeteries that fascinate you so much? A. I get that question a lot! Cemeteries connect us to the past, whether that past is centuries-old or just a few days old. I don’t see them as sad places at all. They can be emotional places, obviously, but not always sad. For the last year or so, my father-in-law would ask my husband, “Why is she writing a book about cemeteries? She’s going to get depressed! She should write about something else.” While his heart is in the right place, he really doesn’t need to be concerned. Cemeteries are peaceful places with grass and trees and beautiful monuments. People tend to be respectful in them—which is more than I can say for most places. Sure, you can creep yourself out by thinking, “Wow, there are dead people under there!” But what’s the point in that? I see them as gardens of memories. If you look at a gravestone you know for a fact that somebody lived and then died. But it’s not the death that’s important—it’s the life. I may not know anything about a person buried below me, but what I do know is that this person made a difference to someone else’s life. If he hadn’t, then there wouldn’t be a marker now, would there?
Q. Aside from cemeteries, what else inspires you? A. Reading. I love to read. All good writers do. Some of the writers who have inspired me the most are Stephen King (ever since I was a kid), Chuck Palahniuk, Dorothy Parker, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (just try and find a better short story than “The Yellow Wallpaper”) and Richard Layman. I love a good ghost story. And even if I’m not reading a horror story, I want to be haunted by whatever I’m reading. I want it to stick in my craw and keep me thinking about it for weeks. Aside from that, anything imaginative really trips my trigger. Give me a movie with something behind it, and I’m happy for the rest of the month. Just don’t bore me with the same old story. Be creative and be passionate about it. If we don’t have passion, what’s the point?
Free Recipes!
Due to popular demand, I've added some of the recipes used for the "Cemetery Walk" book launch event in October. Some are Louisiana recipes, but one is my very own. Enjoy!
Minda's Huck Finn Sweet Potatoes
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Ingredients: - Two 40-ounce cans of sweet potatoes/yams - 1-1/4 cups butter - 1-1/2 to 2 cups brown sugar (depending on your sweet tooth; NOT firmly packed) - One 6-ounce bag of pecans (in small pieces) - mini marshmallows (enough to cover the dish)
Preparation: Drain about half the liquid from the cans of yams. Pour the yams and rest of liquid in a baking pan and mash with a hand masher until not chunky. Melt the butter then mix in brown sugar. Pour mixture over mashed yams then hand stir it all together until the butter/brown sugar is even mixed in. You can use the masher to do this if you want. Cover yams with broken pieces of pecans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (watch so that pecans do not burn. When dish is thoroughly heated, add marshmallows and bake until marshmallows get slightly toasty brown on top.
Serve warm and enjoy! Serves 8 or so, depending on how hungry you are.
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Louisiana Curried Fruit
Ingredients: - 1 can (20 oz) chunk pineapple - 1 can (20 oz) pear halves - 1 can (20 oz) peach halves - 10 maraschino cherries - 1/4 cup margarine - 1/2 cup brown sugar - 1/2 teaspoon curry powder - more or less to taste
Preparation: Drain fruit; cut up as desired. Combine fruit in a 2 quart casserole. Melt margarine in a 2-cup measure. Stir in brown sugar and curry powder. Pour brown sugar mixture over fruit.
Cook for about 30 minutes in 350° oven.
Last updated 11-5-08
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