Giving a Voice to Sorrow: Personal Responses to Death and Mourning

Here, Zeitlin, director of City Lore, a cultural center in New York City, and folklorist Harlow gather examples of how mourners have channeled their grief into creative endeavors. Capsule summaries of the backgrounds to the projects are followed by descriptions of the actual activities. The creations range from a temple's woven casket cover that incorporates the names of deceased congregation members to a yearbook of an AIDS treatment program, to the swan song of a member of the VA Troopers, a theater troupe in a veteran's hospital. Some of the more affecting projects include the 100 hand-blown glass stones made by an artist in memory of his grandfather and the design and construction of a father's casket by his children. With its interesting stories and readable style, this is recommended as a supplement to bereavement collections in public libraries.