During the late nineteenth century people from all over the world were moving across our country in search of better lives, but many did not find them. Some could not overcome the overwhelming odds to succeed in a young, rapidly developing country. And when those people died, many ended up buried in the potter's fields of small, Midwestern towns. These are some of their mostly true stories, written in verse and beautifully illustrated. They are sometimes sad, sometimes humorous, and often heroic. Together they tell the other side of the story of the land of opportunity, one which is critical to our understanding of what it took to build this country, and the price that some paid.
About the Author :
Margaret Shaw Johnson, author and playwright, is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's School of Journalism and William Mitchell College of law. She served as a trial court judge in Minnesota's Third Judicial District for twenty-one years. Her experience gives her a unique understanding of the hardships and struggles of ordinary people, and her heartfelt compassion, and realization that fate can undo any of us, shows in her storytelling. Illustrator Jared Tuttle, a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and design, is a freelance illustrator and designer who specializes in illustration, branding and packaging. His style is diverse, ranging from classical influences to magical realism and anything in between and beyond.
Review :
"American history readers will relish The Haunting of Potter's Field: Stories From The Past, Unearthed from The Grave, a gathering of life inspections of immigrants and pioneers buried in Woodlawn Cemetery's potter's field in Winona, Minnesota... . As each vignette outlines how a person came to end up in the potter's field, readers receive a literary examination that encourages stage consideration. The unusual blend of historical examination, biographical sketches, haunting color embellishments by Tuttle, and a spirit-laced reflection of ordinary people who have passed makes for evocative reading."
-D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review.
"Margaret Shaw Johnson is a forensic poet, and in The Haunting Of Potters Field has enriched the penniless, given voice to the long ago silenced, and brought those almost anonymous into the creative limelight. The Midwest and Minnesota now have their own Spoon River Anthology, and these colorful and disparate lives, conjured with wit, love songs, and laments, are now properly memorialized to be remembered and cherished..."
-Lee Gundersheimer, theatre producer, playwright and performer, is currently the Arts and Culture Coordinator for the city of Winona, Minnesota.
"... The Haunting Of Potter's Field hearkins back to the style and tone of the early 20th century in Spoon River Anthology... Margaret Shaw Johnson focuses on the community's forsaken and tells us their stories with insight and compassion. Jared Tuttle's artwork adds an edgy gothic element to the text. One is transported to that time and place, and the writing is such that one can't help but read the book out loud.
-Ken McCullough. author of Broken Gates, Dark Star and Left Hand.
