Interview with Jane Hopkins, Author of Cemetery Reflections, September 22, 2022
Tell us a little about how the book came to be.
I visited an historic cemetery on Prince Edward Island and happened across a small headstone for a child. The epitaph read, “Step softly, a dream lies buried here.” Another headstone listed the deaths of 4 children, each 6 days apart. It was hard to fathom the hurt and grief the parents must have felt.
Each town on Prince Edward Island has a cemetery filled with several generations of the community. As I photographed these cemeteries I began to appreciate the unique designs of the carving as they changed through time. The epitaphs on the headstones intrigued me, and I began to keep a record of them.
How did the book evolve?
As I photographed more cemeteries, my interest shifted to the issues of grief for the families of the people buried there. Just by chance I came across an anthology of poetry from the late 1800s handed down through my husband’s family.
That book had a large section of poems specifically about death and grieving. I had never been particularly interested in poetry, but the sentiments were so touching, it felt like a perfect match for my photography. As I researched more literature of the period, I began editing my favourite quotations to make them more readable for modern tastes. Later I decided to supplement these with some family expressions of grief. And Cemetery Reflections took shape.
What makes this book important right now?
For many years the reality of death has been hidden away in hospitals and nursing homes. The pandemic has generated a renewed awareness of death on a scale that calls to mind other tragic epidemics of the past. Over a million people in this country have lost loved ones to the pandemic. In addition, baby boomers are now experiencing not only the death of their parents, but for some, siblings and friends.
What makes this book different from other books on cemeteries?
Cemetery Reflections uses a traditional photography book format but goes further by adding epitaphs, poetry, and prose to express the emotion behind the monuments. The book is designed in a free-flowing manner, much as what you would experience on a cemetery stroll, or when leafing through family albums and documents.
Who will want to read this book? Aren’t cemeteries a downer?
Cemeteries hold our history. In the 19th century they were our first parks. Some are peaceful places full of art and beautiful landscaping. Others are the center of the community where people gather to care for their loved ones with plantings and mementos.
When walking through a cemetery, sometimes you notice the carving, at other times the written sentiments; or perhaps you just absorb the mystery of it all. While there, you may remember someone very dear, and the circumstances of their death. You may wonder about your own death. It’s a safe place to reflect and find some perspective on life.
The book will appeal to art lovers and those interested in the role of cemeteries as the final repository of so many hopes and dreams, and as a meeting ground of the living and the dead. Those who have lost loved ones may find consolation and comfort in its
Finally, tell us about the publishing process.
I trained long and hard to do fine art printing and wanted a quality book that would reproduce my photographs clearly and accurately. Searching out local printers, I found one that seemed perfect. But the book was too expensive to print once the distribution cost was factored in. The printer was exploring less expensive options for me when the pandemic hit, and paper and shipping costs skyrocketed.
After exploring some other options, I decided to go with a print-on-demand company that also handles distribution. BookBaby was my final choice because their printing process is set up to produce a quality photographic book.
Cemetery Reflections is now on sale at Amazon and the BookBaby websites. Or ask your library to buy a copy.