On this date in 1863, Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldier's Cemetery at Gettysburg. Lots of surprises about this moment, and how it changed America, in my book "Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries."

New England has the coolest old graveyards. The South Burying Place, in the middle of downtown Concord, Mass.

What they say…

Today would have been Charles Portis's 90th birthday. The embrace and celebration of his work this year with the publication of his Collected Works by Library of America, which I had the privilege of editing, was amazing. This thread hits the highlights of that coverage. 1/

The gruesome discovery of 215 bodies buried in unmarked graves behind a jail outside of Jackson, Mississippi, has left a community in disbelief. amna reports.

The cowardice of imprecise language: Nearly all of the national headlines for this story refer to a “lost” or “forgotten” Black cemetery. This local news outlet gets it right, with the word “destroyed.” wtsp.com/amp/article/ne…

Old New Castle, Delaware at night

For the owner of this historic Black cemetery in Miami, preservation is personal. Nice journalism by c. isaiah smalls ii Miami Herald amp.miamiherald.com/news/local/com…

Over My Dead Body, spotted in the wild at Sundance Bookstore in Reno.

Yesterday near sunset at Natchez City Cemetery, in Natchez, Mississippi

So happy to be reading this at Strand Book Store Greg Melville 🪦💀⚰️

📣 Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please. In April through September, visitors can view the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every half hour.

The remains of more than 100,000 Native Americans are held by prestigious U.S. institutions, despite a 1990 law meant to return them to tribal nations. Here’s how the ancestors were stolen — and how tribes are working to get them back. propublica.org/article/repatr…

From Congressional Cemetery in DC yesterday. Had the privilege to participate in the cemetery’s Tombs and Tomes Book Festival. Terrific event!

Memorial Day, 1940: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery

This San Francisco park has an eerie secret: Tombstones embedded in its walls. Where I share my favorite S.F. secret, and ask for yours. What's your favorite fun/surprising/off-the-beaten-path find in the city? Thanks Beth Winegarner, now on Bluesky and Mastodon/San Francisco Recreation and Park Department! 🪦🪦🪦 sfchronicle.com/totalsf/articl…

Honored to be included in this book with so many writers I admire — Elizabeth Kolbert , Douglas Fox, Carolyn Kormann, Ben Goldfarb, Emma Maris, Ian Frazier, and more — edited by the outstanding Bill McKibben . Out now. #BestAmerican2024 Mariner Books harpercollins.com/products/the-b…