Forever Dixie: A Field Guide to Southern Cemeteries & Their Residents by Douglas Keister

Published by Gibbs-Smith; First Ed; October 13th 2008; ISBN 978-1-4236-0314-6; pages: 256; Price: $19.99

Cover for the book “Forever Dixie”

As a grave hunter, and avid bookworm, I pride my self in being kept in the loop on grave hunting, and cemetery related books in print, and in the process of being published. With that being said today’s review is on the handy pocket-size book “Forever Dixie: A Field Guide to Southern Cemeteries & Their Residents” by Douglas Keister.

“Forever Dixie: A Field Guide to Southern Cemeteries & Their Residents” chronicles thirteen of the most well-known cemeteries, south of the Mason-Dixon Line. In the book Keister masterfully covers some of the illustrious residents who call the thirteen cemeteries home with concise biographical narratives. One of the things I really enjoyed about the book, (and others) that Keister wrote, were the beautiful graveside photos.

Without going into too much detail some of the thirteen cemeteries you will find within the pages of this book include but is not limited to: Metairie Cemetery, New Orléans, Louisiana; Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia; Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee; Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina; and a host of others. There are over forty narrative biographies chronicling the lives of many of the south’s greatest sons and daughters. Not to mention GPS coördinates listed throughout the book will guide you to the graves of such southern luminaries as Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Colonel Sanders, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, and many others. One of the highlights I find interesting about this book, are the biographical narratives of common folk residents who called the south home.

If you’re familiar with Douglas Keister’s collection of cemetery books, you will more than likely be aware that these books feature sections with detailed descriptions on Funerary Architecture, Symbolism, & Secret Societies and Clubs. These sections help readers who are unfamiliar with the different forms of architecture, symbolism, and secret societies, found in cemeteries to better identify them. I think this is a nice feature, especially for those who don’t have Keister’s flagship book which started it all “Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography” which is kinda like the three sections I mentioned above pumped up on steroids.

If you’re looking for the perfect book that covers thirteen historic cemeteries, found in the Land of Dixie. This book is a must have. The combination of beautiful graveside photos, the biographical narratives, and just the info to be learned in this book is worth the price in gold. I really enjoyed this book.

Besides the above mentioned books that Douglas Keister wrote. He’s also the author of “Forever L.A.: A Field Guide To Los Angeles Area Cemeteries & Their Residents” “Stories In Stone New York: A Field Guide To New York City Area Cemeteries & Their Residents” and “Going Out In Style: The Architecture of Eternity“