'Fragile Grounds' at Jeanerette Museum

Jessica Schexnayder will be a guest of the Jeanerette Museum Wednesday.
She is the author of “Fragile Grounds: Louisiana’s Endangered Cemeteries” along with Mary Manhein.
The event is at 6 p.m. as a kickoff event for the Smithsonian’s “Water/Ways” exhibit, which the museum will be hosting.
“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.
Jessica H. Schexnayder, Denham Springs, 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.