Stonecipher by Bea Nettles

Poetry about each season written using words photographed on gravestones that are nouns, verbs and adjectives located in Champaign County, Illinois. Bea tells us: "This summer I began to photograph the last names on headstones that could be used as parts of speech. I went out early in the mornings and spent peaceful hours walking the rows of stones with only the birds for companions. I found this quest fascinating and wondered how these family names came about. Often people were named after places, occupations, plants, animals, colors and personalities.  Many names became familiar, but some were absolutely unique. All were found within thirty minutes of my home in Urbana, Illinois, primarily in Champaign County. It seemed appropriate to arrange these words poetically by the seasons to emphasize the passage of time."