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Resting with the Photographs

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There are several reviews here about the Yaloms' (mother and son) book on American cemeteries. Since the reviews focus principally on the text, I wanted to take a moment to discuss the moving black and white photographs by Reid Yalom, a photographer from San Francisco. First of all, it was a wise decision to place the photographs in a distinct portfolio in the front of the book. In this way, they avoid becoming only dispersed illustrations for Marilyn's well-written text. The photographs are historical documents, of course, but they are so much more. Each image stands regally on its own, framed by a skillful and sensitive fine art photographer. Take a moment to meander through the portfolio of images-- letting go of the details about where and when, much as you would stroll through these cemeteries themselves on a quiet Sunday afternoon. After all, the cemetery AND the photograph are places to meander, to explore, to meditate and to REST. Resting your eyes and thoughts on one of Reid's poetic images gives the viewer an opportunity to reflect. There is as much life in these images of graves and cold stones as there is death. Reid has managed to inject a feeling for a live human presence to spite the fact that there is only one image with a live human figure, Plate 46. In perusing these photographs, we feel a warm human spirit circling around, not some eerie ghost of the past, but a strong immediate presence of those who are our loved ones. Through Reid's choice of sparkling light on stone (Plate 42 for example), through the artful presentation of photographs and drawings of those buried on the graves (Plate 44 as example), and through the dramatic images of statuary (the last Plate 64 especially), we feel the strong continuation of the souls who are resting here. In this final photograph of statuary, Kate Tracy and her mother, their arms wrapped around each other are offering comfort to those of us alive who are walking there and facing the inevitability of our own mortality. Plate 52, Spirit trail, is my favorite image. At first it seems so lonely but then, as I rest my eye on the path, I feel a presence--surprisingly, that of myself walking the stony road accompanied by my own spirit into the rest of my life. Wander through these photographs. You will not regret it. They are thoughtfully composed with an eye for the way nature, stone, and human spirit can combine--especially when brought together by an artist like Reid Yalom.

Terrible.

Customer Rating:

From the title, I expected this book to be an excellent overview of American cemeteries and burial practices. I was disappointed. Not only are there factual inaccuracies but the author has a number of the dates wrong. Also, from the extremely short shrift given some of the cemeteries I wonder if the author spent more than 15 minutes in any of them, if she even bothered to visit them at all. This book is an embarrassment. Save your money.

The American Resting Place: 400 Years of History Through Our Cemeteries and Burial Grounds

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The American Resting Place: 400 Years of History Through Our Cemeteries and Burial Grounds. by Marilyn Yalom and Reid S. Yalom. 2008. 352 pages. My wife found this book at a local library while browsing the shelves. I picked it up off of her "to read" book pile. I had just recently re-watched a one hour program on PBS about Cemeteries and so my interest had been piqued. This book begins with an extensive set of black and white photographs of various burying grounds and objects with in them. The photography is well done and the black and white format with its shades of gray and shadows was a much better stylistic choice then color. Then begins the text. The text is well written, well researched, and moves along at a good reading pace conveying main ideas and themes intermingled with tidbits and interesting facts related to local burials and traditions. The book takes a journey chronological, and geographically. In a sense it follows the spread of American Civilization across the mountains, the prairies, and over the oceans to Hawaii. The text does a good job of laying out a basic framework of traditions with localized religious, cultural, and geographical considerations played out on that general framing. The only real drawback to this approach is that occasionally the author will interject more than a personal reaction. The author will on occasion interject a personal observation or commentary. These commentaries however do not really affect the readability, tone, or scope of the text. They are a paragraph every third chapter or so at most. If anything they prick one's own conscience and stimulate personal reflection. The research which went into creating the background frame is admirable and included in the bibliography. Much of the local flavorings are enhanced by the author's travels to these sites and interviews with local personalities. The book is a very good basic reference guide to the breadth of American funerary and burial traditions. It does not purport to be the subject matter expert on say the burial mounds and grave goods of the Blackducks or Dutch Colonial settlers outside of New York. Rather it provides an informed readable survey with enough depth to halt the readers and spark interest in further investigation. The book is not a theology text but more of a travelogue. My only real complaint is that the photos were separated from the text by putting them all together in the beginning. I feel that they would have benefited the text and the educational capabilities of the book by ending the need to flip and search. Of course that would have eliminated the artistic focus of the photos and perhaps changed their personality.

the American Restin Place	Customer Rating:
Interesting book. My spouse is to read it next and she has a keen interest in cemeteries old and new.

A Brilliant Literary and Photographic Resting Place

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A great read! "The American Resting Place" is an extraordinary book. Written by Marilyn Yalom, who is best known for her scholarly works on women, and photographed by her son Reid, this book presents American cemeteries over a period of 400 years so as to recreate our cultural history, both textually and visually. Despite its vast scope, the book reads smoothly and managed to hold my attention from beginning to end . I especially liked the chapter on Chicago's cemeteries, with their great religious and ethnic diversity, and the one on New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The photos are outstanding. No wonder that Newsweek magazine (which called my attention to this book) said "The American Resting Place" was a fascinating way of illuminating our history. Kudos to Dr Yalom and her son Reid, an outstanding photographer.