Wanted: ‘Paranormal affairs’ chief. Eerie job ad seeks ‘purveyor of ghosts.’
MACON — The job posting reads like a thesaurus of the otherworldly.
It seeks a “Chief Liaison with the Beyond,” a “Curator of the Curious,” an “Ambassador to the Unexplained,” an “Official Unofficial” ghostly go-between.
The position popped up on LinkedIn late last month. It calls for a glorified tour guide to Macon’s legends and lore, including haunted mansions and tales of murderous woe like that of restaurateur Anjette Lyles, accused in the 1950s fatal poisonings of two husbands, her mother-in-law and her 9-year-old daughter.
As of early May, the posting had attracted more than 30 applicants. (Beware: The winning candidate will not earn boo-coup bucks.)
While the work is part time for hourly pay, it will be a prominent gig. Visit Macon, which promotes tourism here and in surrounding Bibb County, hopes to tap into people’s increasing obsession with the eerie and the unexplained, a spirited segment of the travel market.
“That’s what visitors are looking for, something out of the ordinary. … The unexplained, the macabre, the paranormal,” says Gary Wheat, Visit Macon’s CEO.
Savannah already has a well-established and extremely lively ghost tours industry — so much so that authorities in the city of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” banned late-night tours last year after residents complained they couldn’t sleep.
While Macon is known more for its well-preserved antebellum architecture, Cherry Blossom Festival and rich musical heritage, Wheat says tourists these days also want to delve deeper into the city’s soul and its souls.
“We are always very respectful and we do not poke fun or disrespect anyone in any way,” he says. “It’s our way of welcoming people who truly enjoy hearing those stories.”
The 750-word LinkedIn post concludes with a cryptic quip: “No prior ghost-hunting experience required. But we won’t rule it out.”
Wheat says he has read the thing several times. “It is unlike any job description I have ever come across.”
About the Author
Joe Kovac Jr. is Macon bureau chief covering Middle Georgia for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
