Beyond the Flash: Ramona Emerson

Missing Magnolias

Ramona Emerson, joins us to discuss Shutter which was longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction, whose central character, Rita, works as a crime scene photographer with the unique ability to communicate with the dead, which poses some challenges as a Navajo person. Inspired by Ramona's own experience working with the police department in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 16 years, we learn about the challenges in working crime scenes as a forensic photographer and the imperative to capture and catalogue all of the details for the families. Naturally in talking about death, we discuss what it means be haunted, literally and figuratively, what it means to grieve, and ultimately what determines justice for those who have lost.

Be sure to follow Ramona, author and filmmaker, on her website

And be sure to purchase your copy of Shutter at any major bookseller