Ode to a Cemetery

A meditative journey through Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery.

Green-Wood, founded in 1838, was a leader in the Rural Cemetery movement in America. Its 468 acres encompass magnificent grounds, grand architecture, and world-class statuary. Throughout four seasons, Jacobson’s book captures the spirit of this verdant, history-drenched pastoral cemetery.

Bethany Eden Jacobson captures the landscaped beauty of Green-Wood Cemetery in her color and black-and-white photographs of century-old trees, wonderful vistas, and time-worn statuary. Her cinematic approach is a visual meditation on the transience of life and the importance of nature to the human spirit. The book also includes reproductions of her unique artworks on handmade paper inspired by the female Victorian statuary. Throughout the book, Cole Swensen’s poetic words reflect on the imagery creating a lyrical interplay between image and text.

Bethany Eden Jacobson is an award winning Brooklyn-based photographer and filmmaker. Her films and photographs have been exhibited at international exhibitions and film festivals. She teaches at Pratt Institute and Brooklyn College. Cole Swensen is the author of nineteen books of poetry. A former Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of the National Poetry Series and the PEN USA Award for Literary Translation, she has been a finalist for the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.