There is something about the South that is particularly conducive to ghosts, hauntings, and assorted weirdness. From the dank bayous of Louisiana to the misty mountains of Appalachia, there is hardly a city, town, or whistle-stop that cannot boast of some resident spirit or similar unexplained phenomena. Dixie Spirits explores this uncanny aspect of the South in depth. A collection of authentic Southern "haint" tales and other accounts of the unexplained, the stories are set in the land below the Mason-Dixon Line—Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky (Transylvania), Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Old North State (North Carolina), South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Covering both the past and the present, these stories recount some of the most famous hauntings of all times as well as an assortment of anomalies that continue to defy speculation. The 62 stories in Dixie Spirits are organized into sections by state. Although the tales are about! the dead (and undead), they are as much about life and living as they are about death and dying. Love’s labor lost, the futility of war, crime and punishment—these are eternal themes that speak to us about the human condition, regardless of their supernatural setting. Moreover, these stories are based on factual, historical incidents involving real people and places.
Author Biography:
Christopher Kiernan Coleman has written extensively on history, with articles published in both popular magazines and scholarly journals. He currently has four popular books devoted to Southern history and folklore in print, including one dealing with the Civil War.
He received his BA in History from St. Anselm College and pursued graduate studies at the University of Chicago. He formerly worked with Metro Nashville's municipal museums for over five years, delivering lectures, curating exhibits and coordinating living history programs, as well as accessioning and studying its collections. He has also been site manager for the Bradford-Berry House, (the historic home of the Brigade Major of the Cumberland Militia during the frontier period) and is Director Emeritus of a regional cultural agency. He lectures occasionally as an adjunct instructor at Volunteer State College. Mr. Coleman is a member of the Tennessee Historical Society, the Tennessee Folklore Society, The Middle Tennessee Civil War Round Table, and the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society. Prior to settling in Nashville, he produced sponsored films and documentaries in New York. Mr. Coleman has been involved in the publishing industry since 1995.
Chris Coleman is currently at work at seveal new books related to the American Cvil War; the first book, on a little known aspect of the Lincoln Presidency is due for release by Schiffer Publishers in 2012.
