Meet the Author of Strange Tales from Mortuary School: Edward Sembor, Ph.D.

For writers and artists, inspiration can come from a variety of sources over a short or long period of time. For faculty member Edward (Doc) Sembor, Ph.D., the inspiration to write Strange Tales from Mortuary School simmered in many ways throughout much of his life. 

From 1959-1964, The Twilight Zone captivated audiences with its mixture of the unexplained, strange, humorous, and scary. For Dr. Sembor, it intrigued and fascinated him.

As the Director of Continuing Education for a small New England college in 2004, Dr. Sembor was inspired by his surroundings. His office was located in the same area as the school of mortuary science. Dr. Sembor quickly became curious about what the students were learning and became acquainted with the teaching staff. 

In 2005, Dr. Sembor started his 17-year (and still counting) career at Marianapolis. “At about the time I started at Marianapolis, using my imagination, I started to develop a story, with a Twilight Zone twist, about an incident at a mortuary school,” said Dr. Sembor. More stories soon began forming. Over the years, Dr. Sembor revised and refined the tales, constantly looking for ways to improve them. 

Halloween at Marianapolis is a big deal. On the day of the annual Halloween parade, Dr. Sembor would often read a story to students in his classes. He said, “They listened in silence and seemed to be fascinated by the tales. Some even said I should try to get them published.”

In 2021, Dr. Sembor sought to do just that. With the help of his daughter, Jacqueline ’09, Dr. Sembor self-published his book through Amazon on July 3, 2022, bringing his unique stories to life. You can purchase Strange Tales from Mortuary School on Amazon through this link. 

Marianapolis is hosting a book reading for Dr. Sembor on Friday, October 21, at 7:00 PM in the McGannon Library. While the book is available on Amazon, copies of the book will be available at the signing for a discounted price. In addition, Dr. Sembor will donate all proceeds to Marianapolis from any book purchases made that evening and will sign books for anyone who donates to the cause. Refreshments will be available. 

Dr. Sembor encourages all aspiring writers “to use their imagination and develop their voice to do so. Whether fiction or non-fiction, we all have stories to tell, and for me, that has been the best way to learn.”