Lincoln-based author Stephanie Grace Whitson spoke at Seward Memorial Library Oct. 21 on how she cultivates names, stories and inspiration from cemeteries.
“I have a fascination with old cemeteries,” Stephanie Grace Whitson told her audience.
Packed into the conference room at the Seward Memorial Library Oct. 21, attendees listened to Whitson describe the inspiration for her more than 20 books, a talk she called ‘Stories in Stone.’
As the title of her talk might imply, Whitson has become a sort of cemetery tourist. She takes the opportunity to scope out cemeteries of interest during her travels. Then, while the rest of the world whizzes by, Whitson carefully reads, studies and observes, gleaning potential stories from headstones.
“Some people think it’s morbid. I don’t think it is at all. It’s a great way learn history and to kind of reconnect with the past,” Whitson said.
Whitson attributes her involvement with cemeteries to her brother working as a professional funeral director.
“When I would go home from Nebraska, he’d tell me, ‘I buried the king of the gypsies last year. You wanna go see his grave?’ And he’d take me to this little cemetery and we’d see the very impressive king of the gypsies’ final resting place,” she said.
One of her favorite memories, Whitson said, was spending Thanksgiving at the funeral home where her brother worked.
“We cleared out the lower floor of the funeral home and had 40 family members for Thanksgiving in the funeral home,” Whitson said. “It was just a comfortable place for me.”
As Whitson continued her talk, she showed the audience some pictures of headstones, explaning her fascination with iconography and symbols.
In one picture she showed a headstone with an intricate and highly detailed carving of an angel.
“The symbols I find comfort me,” Whitson said.
Whitson continued showing pictures of headstones, taking the time to explain what drew her attention to each one, and made guesses as to the family’s or individual’s backstory before later taking the time to research at home.
Another detail Whitson is careful to look at are the epitaphs. She shared the verses she’d come upon. Some were serious and straightforward. Others were sad, and occasionally, she would find humorous epitaphs, clearly written to incite a chuckle.
Whitson said she has gotten ideas for character names and novel plots from spending time at cemeteries.
“I let my imagination do the rest,” she said.
Whitson then showed the audience another headstone—her own.
Breaking the brief silence with a laugh, Whitson admitted she’s had her headstone made for quite some time because of her first husband’s death, and although she has remarried, hopes to be buried next to him with a plaque above her name stating where “her beloved second husband” is buried.
Whitson believes death to be one of the things all humans have in common.
“We’re all sharing the same common destiny,” she said.
Many of Whitson’s books are available at the Seward Memorial Library.
