A couple of weeks ago, my friend Steve Goldstein and I rendezvoused at Forest Lawn Glendale with NPR correspondent Karen Grigsby Bates to talk shop about grave hunting.
Karen is so our people. She knows her way around a cemetery and understands the appeal of graving from not only the celebrity angle but also how it relates to the study of the history of the surrounding community. She's also known as "Queen of the Dead" around the studio for her timely interviews with people who seem to die just before their stories air. That didn't make us nervous. Much.
Steve and Karen with Humphrey Bogart (niche above Karen's head)
That day she was working on a story about FLG in relation to Michael Jackson and his long-suffering road to burial. His family has announced that he'll be entombed there in the Great Mausoleum, with a private service currently scheduled for this Thursday at 10 a.m.
We spent around an hour exploring some graves, chatting about the history of FLG, why people like us enjoy exploring cemeteries and of course, Michael. Her story, "Finally, A Resting Place For Michael Jackson," aired today on All Things Considered. Thank you, Karen, for inviting us to participate and for including our comments!
