An Interview with Mary Jumbelic

Mary Jumbelic, M.D. is an author and former Chief Medical Examiner of Onondaga County, NY. In her twenty-five-year career, she has performed thousands of autopsies and helped to pass national safety policies for consumer products, preventing untimely deaths. You might’ve seen her as an expert witness on Dateline, 48 Hours, Discovery Channel, Law&Crime, and more. While retired from government work, Mary continues to consult on cases, pursuing her passion for writing by sharing her stories of experience both in and out of the morgue. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her first book, Here, Where Death Delights (2023), has been featured in Times Square and is the recipient of international press and awards. Mary’s second book, Speak Her Name: Stories from a Life in True Crime (2025) has received early praise, and is now available.

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Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I have enjoyed the process of writing down my thoughts since receiving my first diary at the age of thirteen. From then on, I have continued to journal, whether about my personal life or my professional career. I absorbed the gift of storytelling from my father, a man whose tales of adventure growing up in the hills of Pennsylvania captivated me and the neighborhood kids. In college I took creative writing but really found my passion for it after leaving my twenty-five-year career in government service. Taking classes, attending conferences and writer’s workshops, I honed my craft and began to tell my stories of my life with the dead.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

My first book, Here, Where Death Delights, comes from a Latin quote present in many morgues around the world: “Let laughter flee, let conversation cease. This is the place where death delights to help the living.” So, within the confines of my book, ‘here’ is the place where death will enlighten and educate.

My second book, Speak Her Name, came from a brainstorming session with my oldest son, the cover illustrator of both books. He had read the early manuscript and understood the stories I wanted to convey. We spent hours at a picnic table in Vermont discussing it all, choosing and rejecting ideas until we settled on the final title; I felt its powerful call to action.

What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?

When I opened my first box of books, pulled one out, and held it in my hand, the moment made it tangible, real. Or perhaps, surreal. When I went into my local Barnes & Noble to buy a novel for myself and the salesclerk asked me if I had seen my book in the ‘New & Notable’ section, my stomach flipped. I hurried over and saw my book sitting on the shelf next to real authors. It felt unreal, and I was thrilled about my new reality.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Speak Her Name, my latest book, is divided into sections that open with Bruce Springsteen’s song lyrics. I worked hard to track down the copyright and communicate with Sony Music Entertainment for approval to quote the lyrics from my favorite songwriter and musician. The songs I chose are: Growin’ Up, Born to Run, It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City, Tougher Than the Rest, Souls of the Departed, Real World, and No Surrender. These songs reflect the emotions of the stories and my life.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I hope readers approach death differently. It is an important part of life, not something to shy away from or be frightened by. The dead have much to teach us about living. It is by remembering them that we also keep them alive. I am richer in spirit by having known them, even if only in death.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

My first book focused on my choice of forensic pathology as a career – what led me to it, how I navigated it, and how death affected and strengthened me and my family.

My second centered on how I became a woman in a world filled with violence against women and why it remains important to tell their stories.

My third book will deal with my experiences working in mass disasters, and the personal toll it takes. Having been at some major disaster sites such as Ground Zero, I feel this is important to share.

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