Overview

Distinctive demises and bizarre burials of the Southern states.  Inspired by actual newspaper articles, these disturbing and bizarre accounts explore the macabre, and sometimes humorous, instances of death and dying. The tragedy of death and burial is eclipsed by graveyard gossip and unbelievable stories of mishaps. Some demises were distinctive in their ridiculousness, some in their atrocity, and some in their stupidity. Egregious murders and suicides highlight the barbaric nature of humanity--husbands killing wives, children killing children, and people killing themselves--and yet the horror of these crimes equally matches the absurdity of the acts. From failed hangings to lynch mobs, ghostly inhabitants to vampire cults, this collection of stories revels in these incredible historical accounts. It is indeed a ghastly grab bag of tales, both ludicrous and laughable. Keven McQueen teaches composition and world literature at Eastern Kentucky University, where he earned an MA in English after receiving his BA from Berea College. McQueen has written more than twelve books, spanning such genres as true crime and mystery. He has appeared on Darkness Radio, 30 Odd Minutes, Crime City Central, and The Fringe Radio Show to discuss his true-crime stories and to quench listeners' morbid curiosities. McQueen is also the author of The Axman Came from Hell and Other Southern True Crime Stories, published by Pelican.

Full Product Details

9781455628780

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Reviews

""In a vivid and wide-ranging resource for the morbidly curious, McQueen cleverly recounts the lynchings, murders, suicides, live burials, and grisly incidents that filled newspapers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century South. Not for the faint of heart."" --Lesley Pratt Bannatyne, author of Halloween Nation: Behind the Scenes of America's Fright Night

Author Information

Keven McQueen teaches composition and world literature in the department of English and theatre at Eastern Kentucky University. He has written more than ten books in such genres as true crime and mystery, with a focus on Kentucky or Indiana history. McQueen has spoken about historical crime and similar topics before the Kentucky Historical Society and has also made appearances at the annual Kentucky Book Fair and the Southern Kentucky Book Fest. In addition to serving as a tour guide at White Hall, the mansion of emancipationist Cassius Clay, McQueen was once an archivist at the Berea College library and a watchman at a funeral home. After receiving his BA from Berea College, he earned an MA in English from Eastern Kentucky University and is listed in Who's Who in America. A member of the Madison County Historical Society, he lives in Berea, Kentucky.

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