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I read a short story in a horror/scifi anthology back in about 2005. Not sure when it was actually published. There was a love theme to the anthology.

A girl hung out by graveyards and ended up becoming a ghoul. When a ghoul would eat the living, they would take on the memories and personalities of the person they ate, for a very short time. It was mostly comic relief for the other ghouls.

But the girl who became a ghoul fell in love with another ghoul, and they ended up killing and eating a young couple who were in love so they could experience love.

Ringing any bells?

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  • I have been looking for a story which might be this one. I remember the title of the story was the name of the female ghoul. A poor young poet had loved a rich, popular girl from afar. After she died, he managed to obtain the key to her crypt. He wanted the female ghoul to eat her remains so she would "become" the girl temporarily. I thought it was part of a Lovecraft tribute collection, but have not had any luck finding it.
    – Will Feldman
    Commented Nov 8, 2015 at 4:06
  • yeah, that sounds pretty close to the same story. I remember a poet being involved. I wish I could find that story and that whole anthology is pretty good.
    – Harry Forbess
    Commented Nov 15, 2015 at 16:45

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It might be "The Throne of Bones" by Brian McNaughton. It's a short story collection; ghouls absorbing someone's personality by eating their flesh feature in most of the stories.

If so, there's a decent chance that you're referring to "Meryphillia", described in one review:

“Meryphillia” returns to the subject of ghouls. Meryphillia began her life as a lonely and death-obsessed girl. In death, she became a lonely and life-obsessed ghoul. Somewhere along the way, she falls in love with a poet. Once again, McNaughton proves he is as deft with subtlety as he is with outrageousness.

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