{"product_id":"the-speaking-stone-stories-cemeteries-tell-9781947602304","title":"The Speaking Stone: Stories Cemeteries Tell","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Speaking Stone: Stories Cemeteries Tell\u003c\/i\u003e is a literary love letter to the joys of wandering graveyards. While working on a novel, author and longtime Cincinnati resident Michael Griffith starts visiting Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, the nation's third-largest cemetery. Soon he's taking almost daily jaunts, following curiosity and accident wherever they lead. The result is this fascinating collection of essays that emerge from chance encounters with an interesting headstone, odd epitaph, unusual name, or quirk of memory. Researching obituaries, newspaper clippings, and family legacies, Griffith uncovers stories of race, feminism, art, and death. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Rather than sticking to the cemetery's most famous, or infamous, graves, Griffith stays true to the principle of ramble and incidental discovery. The result is an eclectic group of subjects, ranging from well-known figures like the feminist icon and freethinker Fanny Wright to those much less celebrated-- a spiritual medium, a temperance advocate, a young heiress who died under mysterious circumstances. Nearly ninety photos add dimension and often an element of playfulness. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Speaking Stone\u003c\/i\u003e examines what endures and what does not, reflecting on the vanity and poignancy of our attempt to leave monuments that last. In doing so, it beautifully weaves connections born out of the storyteller's inquisitive mind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Griffith's\u003c\/b\u003e previous books are \u003ci\u003eTrophy\u003c\/i\u003e (named one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2011), \u003ci\u003eBibliophilia\u003c\/i\u003e, and\u003ci\u003e Spikes\u003c\/i\u003e. He is Professor of English at the University of Cincinnati and was the Founding Editor of \u003ci\u003eYellow Shoe Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e, an original-fiction series from Louisiana State University Press.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Cincinnati Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50376779104530,"sku":"9781947602304","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_b9751983-47e9-4073-b2e0-239ce02a7817.jpg?v=1728607517","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-speaking-stone-stories-cemeteries-tell-9781947602304","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}