Maple Grove Cemetery | Bristol, ME

In the 1960s, journalist Carol Brightman founded the underground newspaper The Leviathan. As descendant of Maine whalers, a nautical theme felt especially fitting.

I envisioned her as a lighthouse—shining brightly through violent storms and warning others of danger.

The rolling borders evoke waves made by a woman unafraid to make them, while the slate’s natural striations resemble water washing over sand. The italic epitaph furthers this maritime imagery: Take to the open water — take to the deepest, freest water.