Names hold power in many different ways. Whether it be a job title or the name of the newest Beyonce song, something as simple as a name can spark a journey towards self discovery. For J.P. Gritton, author of Wyoming and Hamline University alumni, his own name inspired him to investigate the life of 13 year-old J.P. Gritton, child artist prodigy from France who mysteriously disappeared in the 1930s.
In an event hosted by the English and Communication departments as part of their Alumni Writers in Residence series, Gritton was invited to speak to students, peers and fans of his novel. He read a chapter from his novel before moving to an essay about his journey alongside the child prodigy.
The journey continued while he was looking for reviews of Wyoming online; Gritton stumbled upon a painting of a goat. To the naked eye, there was no correlation between the painting and Gritton’s novel, yet after examining it further, the author began to notice something different.
“I [enlarged] the image, and … in the top left corner, was my signature,” Gritton said.
Little did he know at the time, this signature would serve as the launching place for a project that would lead to him knowing as much about the 13-year-old as he did about himself.
“It became just an obsession, how did this kid disappear? Who was he? Am I related to him?… Trying to figure out how he died [became a] two, almost three year project,” Gritton said.
The event itself was led and organized by English professor Jermaine Singleton, who explained why this opportunity was important to students and faculty alike.
“We get a chance to think about our commitment to craft. And particularly with this event, the dilemma of creativity with digital media, and technology,” Singleton said.
First-year Layla Stenson chose to attend the event not only as a way to further their writing skills and authorship, but also as a mentee of Singleton.
“I chose to attend the Writer’s In Residence event because I wanted to meet J.P. Gritton and learn more about his storytelling and what inspired his novel,” Stenson wrote in an email. “I also attended because novel writing intimidates [me] a little bit so I wanted to glean more information about the process.”
For Gritton, the importance of his name and his identity venture further than a signature. He recalled how he felt growing up with a name that, at the time, he did not particularly like.
“I grew up deeply self conscious about my name, which is John Paul. And growing up, I would give a lot of flack. Because when I was a kid, [John Paul II] was the Pope,” Gritton said.
The event closed with an opportunity for audience members to ask Gritton questions, allowing him to share the things he has learned with a wider audience. Singleton echoed how important authenticity is in today’s world, especially in one with rising technological advancements and the resistance to let our devices — both literal and metaphorical — go.
“This notion of battles and doubles and doppelgangers speaks to the ways in which we have to be committed, even more committed in a changing world,” Singleton said.
It is this commitment to authenticity, to ourselves and to others that expands our hearts and minds so that we can inspire those around us. Without it, we would simply exist in a world of shadows, doubles and doppelgangers.