Fragile Grounds by Jessica H Schexnayder

Fragile Grounds by Jessica H Schexnayder

Fragile Grounds compiles stories and photographs of endangered cemeteries throughout Louisiana’s coastal zone and beyond. These burial places link the fragile land to the frailty of the state’s threatened community structures. The book highlights the state’s vibrant diversity by showing its unique burial customs and traditions, while it also identifies the urgent need for ongoing documentation of cultural elements at risk. Cemeteries associated with the culturally rich communities of Louisiana reflect the history and global settlement patterns of the state. Yet many are endangered due to recurring natural and man-made events. Nearly 80 percent of the nation’s coastal land loss occurs in Louisiana. Coastal erosion, sinking land, flooding, storm surge, and sea-level rise have led to an inland migration that threatens to unravel the fabric of Louisiana and, by association, hastens the demise of its burial places. As people are forced inland, migrants abandon, neglect, or often overlook cemeteries as part of the cultural landscape. In terms of erosion, when the land goes, the cemetery goes with it. Cemeteries fall prey to inland and coastal flooding. As cities grow outward, urban sprawl takes over the landscape. Cemeteries lose out to forces such as expansion, eminent domain, and urban neglect. Not only do cemeteries give comfort for the living, but they also serve as a vital link to the past. Once lost, that past cannot be recovered.

Jessica H. Schexnayder, Denham Springs, Louisiana, is a Louisiana native and is passionate about documenting the people, history, and culture of south Louisiana. Her writing and photography have been featured by the Louisiana State Archives, Louisiana Cultural Vistas, Country Roads, Heart of Louisiana, and Inside New Orleans.

Mary H. Manhein, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is author of The Bone Lady: Life as a Forensic Anthropologist; Trail of Bones: More Cases from the Files of a Forensic Anthropologist; Bone Remains: Cold Cases in Forensic Anthropology, and the mystery novel Floating Souls: The Canal Murders. She is retired director of the Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory at Louisiana State University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781496814326
ISBN 10	1496814320
Title	Fragile Grounds
Author	Jessica H Schexnayder
Series	America's Third Coast Series
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	University Press of Mississippi
Year published	2017-11-30
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.