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Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Do You Have Taphophilia? - A Guest post by author J.P. Choquette


Today I'm changing things up a bit.  I want to welcome J.P. Choquette, author of six suspense novels, to join us and tell us a bit about her latest pursuit - taphophilia.  So, do you even know what that is?  Well, J.P. is here to share with us:

Do You Have Taphophilia?

Do you like to explore old cemeteries? Do gravestones with their beautiful, intricate stonework float your boat? Do you love nothing better than to meander through graveyards, reading tombstone inscriptions and photographing particularly unusual memorial stones? If so, you’re not alone and may be a taphophile. Taphophiles are those who enjoy everything from a quick, solitary walk through the local cemetery...to those who plan trips around visiting graveyards. Some aficionados are focused on a certain type of grave—say military—while others just enjoy being out and exploring new-to-them cemeteries.

Personally, I like the peacefulness I find in cemeteries, and the solitude. When my son was young, I would walk in one close to his school nearly daily as I waited to pick him up. I’ve visited very unique crypts in New Orleans, and seen the “grave mounds” of South Korea, but have never actually planned a trip around visiting a certain cemetery. Old stones are my absolute favorites. I usually don’t walk in the newer parts of a cemetery. I particularly like those that tell something about the person buried there, and the stones that have unusual or exceptionally beautiful carvings. Some stones and crypts are truly works of art.

Old gravestones in a Vermont cemetery.

 A Brief History of Cemeteries

Did you know that up until the late 19th Century, most bodies were buried in the city in which the person had lived? This became problematic in a number of ways. Firstly, there were too many bodies and not enough space to bury them. Take for example, the Paris Catacombs. Secondly, it was far easier for diseases to spread. The solution? Garden cemeteries. During the mid-to-late 1800s, garden cemeteries located in the countryside became popular in Europe. Here, there were monuments, roads for carriages to traverse, walking paths and beautiful landscaping. A stellar example is the Gothic Highgate Cemetery in London, England (though this wasn’t perhaps an official “garden” cemetery, as it was still within the city limits).

In the United States, it was 1830 before similar types of burial grounds were created. Before that, stated author and associate professor at the University of Missouri,  Keith Eggener, people were generally buried in churchyards, town greens and sometimes on private homesteads. (Check out the article that features Dr. Eggener via The Atlantic.) Here in Vermont, for example, it’s not unusual to find a small cemetery located in one’s backyard. In fact, there is a house less than a quarter-mile from where I live with a small plot of six or so graves tucked under some trees. Eggener stated that while in the past, we had more of a connection to the infirm and dead (this was pre-nursing homes and during the time when wakes were still held in private homes), now as a rule we prefer to create a sort of boundary between ourselves and death.

Cemeteries can be very peaceful places to visit.

“Isn’t Thinking About Death Morbid?”

The cold, hard truth is this: we’re all going to die someday. For me, learning about things like Victorian death jewelry, early funeral practices, mourning rituals, and yes, even an occasional walk through the cemetery, reminds me of the preciousness of life. Rather than running through it with blinders on and pretending that we’re not all headed in the same direction, perhaps taphophiles are slightly better prepared for what comes next. You remember that old saying, carpe diem (seize the day)? Taphophilia reminds us to embrace every day as though it were our last.

I think too, that one can be a taphophile without spending a great deal of time thinking about death and dying. After all, some cemeteries like Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont, are completely fascinating in their own right. In fact, my son’s class recently visited it on a fieldtrip and the kids loved it...especially the soccer ball and race car!

This has been a brief introduction to taphophilia. I could go on and on about the subject. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the fascinating site, Cemetery Traveler. You’ll learn more than you ever thought possible about all things cemetery and graveyard related.  😊  

Thanks so much to Kay for letting me visit her great blog and share a little about one of my passions.

J.P. Choquette’s sixth Gothic-inspired suspense novel, “Let the Dead Rest,” just came out this week. And yes, it may include a mysterious gravestone in the woods. J.P. loves to go for long walks, sip hot beverages and read voraciously...just not all at the same time. Learn more at her website, www.jpchoquette.net.

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I want to thank J.P. for this most interesting article on taphophilia - the love of graveyards.  I have several friends who have visited many cemeteries and taken rubbings of their loved ones info.  They also tell me about the peace and tranquility to be found there.  When she and I were talking about what she might share here, she suggested this topic and I found it fascinating.  Will you find me in a cemetery before long?  Maybe, who knows?

I also wanted to mention J.P.'s new book that is just out - Let the Dead Rest.  I will be reading it before long and sharing my thoughts - goal is sometime in September, so watch for that.  I told J.P. that she pretty much had me with the cover - I love 'creepy' doll covers.

Good luck with your writing, J.P.!  I really enjoyed this.  

25 comments:

  1. I have two friends that use to do gravestone rubbings and another that is fascinated by the sometimes curious messages on the stones.

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    1. I think that so many people are interested in finding out about their heritage, this kind of goes along with it.

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  2. I do enjoy visiting older cemeteries and reading the messages, seeing the dates, and wondering about the people buried there. Some of the newer ones lack any sense of personality, but older ones are often both beautiful and peaceful.

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    1. I agree. My parents are in a cemetery that is very new and it just doesn't appeal to me to linger. However, the cemeteries in New Orleans, for example, a whole different thing.

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  3. Thanks for a fascinating post, Kay. While I don't seek out cemeteries, anytime I find myself near enough to walk in, I do. Like you, I find them peaceful, and worlds unto themselves. I'll be checking out this author as well.

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    1. I think it's interesting when one runs across one just in the middle of suburbia. I suspect in our area, it would be a family graveyard for a family ranch, the land surrounding it having been sold for development. And there the little cemetery remains.

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  4. Fascinating post! I do enjoy walking in graveyards and visited several while researching my family tree and my uncle's (he lives in Canada so would send me off to photograph anything he found about out in the "old country"). But I never knew it had a name! I shall tell people I'm a taphophile now - that will impress them! 😉

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    1. You should tell people that you are a taphophile! I was very interested when J.P. proposed this topic for her guest post. Of course, I also love Gothic things, so I guess my liking for posts about graveyards is not all that strange.

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  5. My husband loves to explore cemeteries, older ones especially. I like them too but he is the real fan. We don't travel a lot so we don't see many new ones. That new book in the photo has a very creepy cover. I did not know of that term for loving cemeteries. Thanks to J.P. for the information and I look forward to your thoughts on the book.

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    1. Yes, the cover on J.P.'s new book is a little scary, but I like that. And, yes, watch for my thoughts. I plan to read it before long. The term taphophile was new to me too. I'm glad she suggested it for the topic.

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  6. I love visiting old cemeteries! There's something about them that intrigues. But I never knew there was a word for it. Fun post! :)

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    1. Thanks, Lark! The name was new to me as well. I'm glad that others have found J.P.'s post interesting.

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  7. This is a fascinating post! I certainly am not aware of that word - Taphophilia. Another new word learned. :)

    Let the Dead Rest sounds intriguing. I'll be watching for your review, Kay. Love that creepy cover.

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    1. I know. It's a good cover for what I've read about the book.

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  8. I didn't know this was a thing! I'm fascinated by cemeteries and could happily spend a full day in a particularly old one. I've read another book by Choquette but now I need to try this one!

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    1. Somehow, I thought you might like this post, Katherine. I just felt like it would suit you. And, by the way, I'm almost certain that I ran across J.P. on your blog and visa versa. I remember your review of one of her other books (which I also have to read at some point).

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  9. Interesting! I love old cemeteries, too. I've always found cemeteries peaceful, not scary. They're very helpful for genealogy purposes as well, which is another love of mine :)

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    1. Yes, I think that it's interesting how many people are devotees of checking out cemeteries because of tracing genealogy.

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  10. If you are into genealogy like me, cemeteries are your friends!

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    1. I can see how that would be the case, Gayle.

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  11. What a great post! Thank you for sharing. I have always liked walking through cemeteries and reading the tombstones--although it isn't something I do very often. I love cemetery settings in books, especially. Whether peaceful or creepy, they make good settings.

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    1. Thank you, Literary Feline, glad you enjoyed the post. And yes, I agree, cemeteries do make wonderful book settings, don't they? :)

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  12. How fascinating! When I travel I do like to walk through cemeteries and see the old tombstones. Looking forward to hearing more about the book!

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    1. Iliana, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I love to walk through old cemeteries while on vacation too. :) If you ever find yourself in Vermont, don't miss the opportunity to check out Hope Cemetery in Barre. It's amazing--full of gorgeous stones created by very talented Italian carvers long ago.

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  13. Thanks so much again, Kay, for letting me write this guest post. And look at all the lovely comments! My vacation kept me offline so it was a nice treat to come back to work today and read this feedback. Happy to hear there are many other taphophiles out there like me. :)

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!