Dr. Rory Schmitt
Author / Playwright / Screenwriter / Academic / Fulbright Scholar
Dr Rory O’Neill Schmitt is the author of six books exploring history, culture, art, and the enduring mysteries of place. Much of her work is rooted in New Orleans, where the past is never entirely past: its houses, streets, legends, and larger-than-life figures continue to inspire stories of hauntings and restless memory.
In The Haunted Guide to New Orleans (2025), co-authored with Dr Rosary O’Neill, she delves directly into the city’s ghostly lore. The authors’ newest book, The Blood of the Baroness (2026), tells the dramatic story of Micaëla de Pontalba while weaving in the supernatural presences of historic spaces.
Dr Schmitt’s additional books include New Orleans Voodoo: A Cultural History (2018), Edgar Degas in New Orleans (2023), Kate Chopin in New Orleans (2024), and Navajo and Hopi Art in Arizona (2016), all published by Arcadia Publishing.
A Visiting Fulbright Scholar (2024–2027), Dr Schmitt leads faculty development for seven graduate programmes at the University of Southern California.
