Biography

With affection for her home state, award-winning writer and photographer Deborah Burst travels the jagged coast of Louisiana in search of historic treasures. In her fourth book and second in the Louisiana’s Sacred Places series, Spirits of the Bayou captures the poetic beauty and artistic landscapes of hidden graveyards, sacred temples, and shrouded bayous. Packed with one hundred photos, it’s a must-read for locals and a rare treat for those beyond the state’s borders.

Schedule

1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
State Capitol, House Committee Room 6
Discussion
Spirits of the Bayou, Another Journey inside the Louisiana Sacred Places Series

2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Bookselling Tent
Book Signing

Spirits of the Bayou: Sanctuaries, Cemeteries and Hauntings

More than a book, Spirits of the Bayou delivers a renewed appreciation and a poetic presence built upon the past. One by one, each chapter unlocks the doors into ancient houses of worship, probes the eerie shadows of cemeteries and delves deep inside the bayou’s haunted legends.

A seeker of knowledge in a quest to capture the beauty of Louisiana’s sacred places, Deborah Burst has amassed a most unique portrait of artistic landscapes. It’s a compelling gallery, a rarity in the literary world with both the magic of her words and the emotional flavor of her photographs.

For the connoisseur, the book deserves a place on the coffee table and for the adventurer, neatly tucked in a backpack. It’s a must read for locals and a rare treat for those beyond the state’s borders.

The second book in Burst’s Sacred Places series, follows a trail of discovery, wonder and intrigue from New Orleans to the jagged coast of Cajun country.

“Literature that creates an authentic sense of place can be difficult to find. A writer who can capture the real spirit of a place is even more rare. Deborah Burst is such a writer and her Spirits of the Bayou does justice to one of America’s most historic and hauntingly beautiful settings, South Louisiana. In words as vivid as her photos, Burst’s work brings readers what is inescapably sacred in this creole corner of the world.” C. E. Richard, author of book, Louisiana, An Illustrated History and companion documentary, Louisiana: A History produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting