In the coming weeks I’ll be posting many of the articles I wrote as the (drumroll) D.C. Cemetery Examiner for the  Examiner on-line news/blog.

I have always been fascinated by cemeteries and old New England burying grounds. I love the sculpture and the architecture of the traditional cemetery, and spent many a day wandering about, or simply sitting in the quiet elegance of these places of repose.

No- I don’t find this fascination weird, morose or ghoulish. What nonsense. I consider myself an amateur, albeit dedicated historian. I will posit the opinion that the bland concept of the modern ‘Memorial Park’ -with flat markers and no character whatsoever- a travesty. With all due respect to lawn keepers, I’m not willing to sacrifice the beauty of funerary sculpture for ease of mowing- that’s what weed whackers are for. (Although I might go on record as expressing my dismay and resistance to noisy yard machines shattering the sublime silence.) Someone’s got to keep the grounds trim. The residents are otherwise ‘occupied’ in the afterlife.

I also took photos-I will post them along with the articles.