Many people may think that a forensic anthropologist's job is morbid and creepy and could only be done by strange-minded people. After listening to forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, nothing could be further from the truth.
Kathy Reichs, the author, forensic anthropologist and inspiration behind the television series "Bones," paid a visit to Northeastern Pennsylvania on Nov. 16 as part of the Lackawanna County Library Lecture Series. Shopland Hall at the Scranton Cultural Center in downtown Scranton was the setting for Reich's informative presentation.
Anybody who is an avid fan of "Bones" knows that Temperance Brennan is portrayed as a mostly emotionless person devoid of bubbly charm. Her law enforcement counterpart, Booth has to work at drawing out her fun side. Since the show is based on the writing of Kathy Reichs, one would expect to find that same demeanor of Temperance Brennan in Reichs' personality. However, it was refreshing to find that Reichs had a very charming personality topped with a surprisingly corny sense of humor.
The informative presentation covered a variety of topics from the various factors used in identifying remains to the true stories that inspired the books she has written over the years. Reichs began the presentation by debunking the myth of the forensic anthropologist working as "lone ranger." Rather, they are surrounded by a team as seen on the series "Bones."
Sex, age, ancestry and height are just some of the characteristics that a forensic anthropologist must determine about remains. Reichs detailed some of the different ways that she can determine the individual characteristics of the deceased, such as females have larger pelvis bones than a man. She also described the factors in identifying whether skeletal remains are that of a child or an adult.
Another topic that was covered was identifying different marks of trauma. Reichs aided her lecture with the use of a PowerPoint presentation, allowing the audience to view photographs of various skeletal remains and pointing out examples of trauma such as gunshots and stabbing marks left in the bone.
After starting out in the archaeology field, Reichs decided to turn to forensic anthropology because she felt it was more rewarding to use her skills to help families identify the remains of their loved ones. After serving for many years in the anthropology field, she decided to combine her career with writing novels. She told the audience, "I take what I do in the lab and field and convert it into fiction."
Reichs decided to write a series of novels based on the character of a forensic anthropologist named Temperance Brennan. During her lecture, she systematically went through a number of her novels such as Deja Dead, Fatal Voyage, Grave Secrets, and Cross Bones, detailing the true stories behind the fictional cases that Temperance works on in the books.
One particularly interesting case was a story that inspired her book, "Death Du Jour." Ms. Reichs was asked to verify the remains of Jean La Barre. The Catholic church wanted to elevate her to the level of sainthood, and to do so, it needed to have Reichs verify that the remains buried under her name were indeed hers. One of the key factors that helped Reichs verify the remains were the marks on the teeth of the skeleton. Jean La Barre had done a lot of sewing in her lifetime, and one of the things that was common for people that did sewing was to break the thread with their teeth. The marks on the teeth that Reichs examined helped to further verify Jean La Barre's identity.
The lecture was wrapped up with some information on the television series "Bones" and Reichs' role in it. The character of Temperance became the same Temperance in "Bones." Reichs serves as scientific advisor to the show. She said that she "works with the writers to keep the science honest."
Reichs also announced plans for some future book writing. She explained that she is currently under contract to write one book a year. She is going to be releasing a young adult series titled "Viral," which portrays the adventures of Temperance's 14-year-old niece.
Following the presentation, there was a short question and answer session for members of the audience to step up to the microphone. Reichs also conducted a book signing following her presentation.
It was certainly a treat to be able to put a face to the name seen scrolling on the opening credits of "Bones." I was expecting Reichs to be very straightforward as Temperance is on television, but I was instead met with humor and charm. The lecture also gave me a newfound interest in her book series. Each of her books serves not only as a source of entertainment, but also as an educational tool because Reichs seeks to add a different element of forensic science to each of her stories.
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