Author Talk: Abby Burnett – "Though Silent They Speak"

Author Abby Burnett will discuss her new book on the most unusual graves and graveyards in Arkansas, followed by a book signing opportunity.

Historian and author Abby Burnett's new book is a fascinating and informative guide to unusual graves and graveyards in Arkansas. Burnett explores marble monuments in city cemeteries and haunting carvings and inscriptions discovered in isolated, rural graveyards, while telling the stories behind these burials. She also discusses the wide variety of materials used to create markers, the styles of grave coverings common prior to the Civil War, practical advice on understanding tombstone symbolism and fraternal lodge emblems, using noninvasive methods to photograph and clean headstones, and other hands-on advice for extracting maximum information from a tombstone. Her stories include biographies of the murderers, accident victims, seers, and circus workers, among other colorful characters, buried in the graves. A don't-miss event for cemetery enthusiasts as well as historians, genealogists, and anyone interested in Arkansas's rich history.

Independent researcher Abby Burnett has long been interested in cemeteries and the stories they contain. Her focus on burial in the Ozarks led to her appearance in the AETN documentary Silent Storytellers and to writing Gone to the Grave: Burial Customs of the Arkansas Ozarks, 1850–1950. Burnett has written numerous entries for the online Encyclopedia of Arkansas and articles for the Association for Gravestone Studies. Though Silent They Speak: Arkansas Gravestones and Graveyards, her comprehensive guide to the state’s most unusual cemeteries, was published in December 2025. Burnett lives on Bradshaw Mountain, east of Kingston, with her partner and their four dogs.

For disability accommodations, call 479.856.7250 or email questions@faylib.org 2-3 weekdays before a program. Plan your visit by viewing our building map and details on accessibility services.

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