# Event Details - **Event Name**: Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 08 Apr, 2026 at 05:00 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: In Ireland today, those involved in after death care—particularly, undertakers (a.k.a. funeral directors), embalmers, clergy, and humanist and civil celebrants—spend considerable time in the presence of both the deceased and the bereaved. Among those who facilitate funeral home visitations, home wakes, removals, funerals, and burials or cremations, stories about spirits of the dead making themselves known (and other potentially supernatural experiences) are a significant portion of shared occupational lore that is informed by long-established beliefs and practices. These stories (termed ‘memorates’ by folklorists), combined with ethnographic observations of how death care workers perform their jobs, reveal a range of belief, disbelief, and hedged positions on the existence of spirits, an afterlife, and more mysterious aspects of reality in a supposedly disenchanted world. Burns Library will host a complimentary reception beginning at 5:00pm, with Prof. Cashman's lecture to follow at 6:00pm. All are welcome. Ray Cashman is Provost Professor of Folklore at Indiana University Bloomington. He is the author of two prize-winning books: Storytelling on the Northern Irish Border: Characters and Community (2008) and Packy Jim: Folklore and Worldview on the Irish Border (2016) as well as numerous articles and essays. Elected a fellow and board member of the American Folklore Society, Cashman has served as editor of the Journal of Folklore Research and series editor for two book series published by Indiana University Press. For further background on Professor Cashman and his Burns Visiting Scholar residency, please visit the Burns Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies web page. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/newton/ray-cashman-burns-scholar-spring-2026-exploring-belief-in-spirits-of-the-dead-among-contemporary/200029742215935 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, storytelling - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 12 ## Ticket Details ## Event venue details - **city**: Newton - **state**: MA - **country**: United States - **location**: John J. Burns Library - **lat**: 42.336771151909 - **long**: -71.171286633219 - **full address**: John J. Burns Library, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Bapst Building,Newton, Massachusetts, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/da6e72dcc4b00157aa36cb3e2b1cb360e3a3edc657136172bc6d3fd5495742c4-rimg-w956-h620-dcd1d3a5-gmir?v=1774980892 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary being held? - **A:** Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary takes place on Wed, 08 Apr, 2026 at 05:00 pm to Wed, 08 Apr, 2026 at 05:00 pm at John J. Burns Library, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Bapst Building,Newton, Massachusetts, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary ? - **A:** Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary is organized by Irish Studies at Boston College. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary is ideal for party-goers, social butterflies, and anyone looking for a great night out with music, drinks, and good vibes. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Newton, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Ray Cashman, Burns Scholar Spring 2026: “Exploring Belief in Spirits of the Dead among Contemporary", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/da6e72dcc4b00157aa36cb3e2b1cb360e3a3edc657136172bc6d3fd5495742c4-rimg-w956-h620-dcd1d3a5-gmir?v=1774980892", "startDate": "2026-04-08T17:00:00-04:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/newton/ray-cashman-burns-scholar-spring-2026-exploring-belief-in-spirits-of-the-dead-among-contemporary/200029742215935", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "John J. Burns Library", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "140 Commonwealth Avenue, Bapst Building,Newton, Massachusetts", "addressLocality": "Newton", "addressRegion": "MA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "42.336771151909", "longitude": "-71.171286633219" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "In Ireland today, those involved in after death care—particularly, undertakers (a.k.a. funeral directors), embalmers, clergy, and humanist and civil celebrants—spend considerable time in the presence of both the deceased and the bereaved. Among those who facilitate funeral home visitations, home wak", "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Irish Studies at Boston College", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/irish-studies-at-boston-college/13346957", "description": "The Irish Studies program at Boston College offers a richly interdisciplinary study of Irish and Irish-American culture, history and society. " } ] } ] ```