Moni Basu, ”In Search of Spirits in Cassadaga”

Moni Basu reads her story, "In Search of Spirits in Cassadaga," originally published in Flamingo Magazine. 

Basu, a member of the Low-Residency MFA in Narrative Nonfiction faculty, travels to the quiet Floridian community of Cassadaga, known as the psychic capital of the world and home, since 1894, to followers of Spiritualism, a faith that believes that we never truly die. Instead, we leave our bodies and become another form of matter and our spirit selves can still interact with the living. 

Over the years, a mysterious shroud surrounded Cassadaga. It's known as a mecca for mystics, a haunted corner of a swampy state. Basu headed to Cassadaga to investigate these mysteries and found herself asking personal questions about the afterlife. 

In addition to her work as an MFA Mentor, Basu, a veteran journalist with CNN, teaches as the Michael and Linda Connelly Lecturer for Narrative Nonfiction at the University of Florida.