Please contact your university, college, or public library to see if they have the following databases.

American Psychological Association, PsycINFO User Services Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. (800) 374-2722 (in North America). (202) 336-5650. Fax: (202) 336-5633. Email: [email protected]. Website: http://www.apa.org

Available via subscription. Provides access to an important journal in the field of death studies and education, Death Studies, which will be discussed in the evaluative sources section. This indexing database provides access to citations and abstracts in the fields of medicine, sociology, psychiatry and education. Coverage is international and includes 1400 journals in 30 languages, as well as English language book excerpts. Coverage begins in 1887.

The H.W. Wilson Company, 950 University Avenue, Bronx, New York 10452. 800-367-6770. Website: http://www.hwwilson.com Email: [email protected].

Available via subscription. WART is a bibliographic database with abstracts for articles from more than 285 periodicals published internationally. This includes English-language periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins, as well as periodicals published in French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish. It also indexes reproductions of works of art that appear within those indexed periodicals. Coverage begins in September 1984.

The H.W. Wilson Company, 950 University Avenue, Bronx, New York 10452. 800-367-6770. Website: http://www.hwwilson.com Email: [email protected]

Available via subscription. Wilson Humanities Abstracts provides an index to over 350 English-language periodicals. Among the disciplines included are: art, folklore, history, literature, literary criticism, music and performing arts, philosophy, and theology. WHUM indexes and provides abstracts for feature articles, interviews, bibliographies, and reviews (film, books etc). Coverage begins in 1984.

Fulton, Robert, ed. Death, Grief and Bereavement: A Bibliography 1845-1975. Center for Death Education and Research, University of Minnesota. New York: Arno Press, 1977.

An excellent resource for retrospective coverage. Containing over 3800 English language books, journal articles, audio-visual materials, and educational resources for studying death, this work was unique at its time of publication because it sought to provide scholarly insight into what was once a new field of study. No literary and theological works have been included. Journalistic efforts at explaining views and treatment of death have also been omitted. The goal of this bibliography was to provide materials of empirical study about dying, bereavement, terminal care issues, and mental health concerns. Special attention has been paid to social concerns, such as abortion, suicide, and organ transplantation. No annotations are provided and entries are arranged alphabetically by author.

Miller, Albert Jay and Michael James Acri. Death: A Bibliographic Guide. Meutchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1977.

This bibliography has been organized by discipline, making it much easier to use than the Fulton work. Covering education, humanities, scientific, theological, and social aspects of dying, this bibliography is an excellent resource. Users can search under the broader discipline based categories or refer to the author and subject indexes provided. Many of the works collected have very brief annotations, making it much easier to determine the worth of a particular resource. Of special interest, of course, are the sections for humanities and religious/theological resources. The authors have also included literary works, which will provide excellent opportunities to discuss the arts, as well as individual themes and metaphors covering a variety of disciplines, and social perceptions. This bibliography is also not limited to English language materials. Users will find a fair amount of works in French, Italian, and German. An impressive amount of attention has been paid to the social aftermath of death and memorial societies, as well as resources describing the affect of the deaths of public leaders. Interestingly, the authors have also provided �famous last words� and epitaphs. There is even a section covering humor. This work is highly recommended, even though it is no longer current (coverage ends in 1974). Entries are arranged alphabetically by author under the aforementioned disciplinary categories.

Simpson, Michael A. Dying, Death, and Grief: A Critically Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook of Thanatology and Terminal Care. New York: Plenum Press, 1979.

The stated goal of this work is to help students, teachers, clinicians and scholars make their way through the exponentially increasing amounts of resources about death and dying. The author has taken special care to point out books that one should not use to research the topic. Included among those that �are not suitable for use at all� are personal account books claiming to �prove� the existence of an afterlife or those steeped in melodramatic retellings of loss and recovery. All sources are annotated and there is a star-based ratings system, which enables the user to evaluate resources based on subject matter and how well it is presented. Most unique about this book is that it has an entire section devoted to public grieving rituals. Section 16 of the section �Key Journal References� (p. 267-268) is devoted the �The Death of Public Figures.� Simpson has provided some of the most interesting and obscure sources of the three bibliographies covered in this paper. For example, he has found several pieces, which illustrate public reactions, including those of children, to the deaths of Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, including a case study about a mental patient�s reaction to the the death of the latter. However, Simpson often lets his personal opinion color his annotations. If you mind reading an annotation comprised of three sentences, one of which is �No, no,� you may wish to refrain from using this resource. If you can see past this, sections 2.4 and 2.5, death and the arts and death and religion, respectively, should be of interest. This work covers English, French, Scandinavian, German and Dutch resources. It also provides a guide to film distributors and libraries with good audio-visual collections in this subject, as well as a guide to finding resources in Great Britain.

Death Studies. Counseling, research, education, care, ethics. Ed. Robert A. Neimeyer. Taylor Francis Group, London. ISSN 0748-1187 Website: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

This scholarly journal has been included in order to provide more contemporary coverage of the topic. Published 8 times annually, the journal includes current scholarly research, practical approaches, and scholarship in the areas of bereavement, grief therapy, death perception, suicide, and education. Also includes notes about current laws and legislation, brief descriptions of current seminars or exhibitions of note, and book reviews. Subscribers (individual $142, institutional $328) to the print version have free access to the electronic versions of issues (beginning with v.21, n.1, January 1987) at http://www.catchword.com. Non-subscribers have access to the January 1987 and February 1987 editions of the journal free of charge and are able to access later articles for a fee. Specific articles from the journal will be discussed later, but this is an important guide for maintaining a current collection for death studies, as well as an excellent resource for information.

Kennedy, Charles A. �Cult of the Dead.� The Anchor Bible Dictionary. v.2. New York: Doubleday, 1992. pp. 105-108.

One might expect this piece to refer to a public cult of ritual and sacrifice, perhaps of some graphic and violent nature, but this is not the case. The �Cult of the Dead� was actually a private, familial affair. The cult existed in non-Judeo-Christian traditions as well. Important to the scholar because it touches upon the tomb or grave as monument and memorial. The tombs of prophets and martyrs stood as separate memorials, but the tombs of the latter were also later incorporated into early Christian churches. The art scholar will also find the intersection of death, tomb, and building to be an interesting research area, in terms of the evolution of the public memorial. There is a great deal of information about archaeological finds in this area.

Thomas, Louis-Vincent. �Funeral Rites.� Trans. Kristine Anderson. In The Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Mircea Eliade. v. 5. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987. pp. 450-459

Covering a wide variety of religious and cultural traditions, this piece offers a brief overview of the components of funeral rites from a religious perspective. The piece covers the progression of events in various funerary rites, including Chinese Taoism, African cultural and spiritual traditions, and Mexican Catholicism. There are descriptions of a variety of practices including cremation, entombment, cemeteries, symbolic offerings and cannibalism. Special attention has also been paid to views on the decay of the human body after death and the influence that this has had upon funerary practice. It also contains a list of bibliographic resources and is valuable because it examines less obvious traditions, as opposed to Judeo-Christian practices, which are usually covered to the exclusion of all others in many texts.

Shefer, Elaine. �Death.� In Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography: Themes Depicted in Works of Art. Ed. Helene E. Roberts. V.1. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1998. pp. 221-233.

Insightful and descriptive, this essay discusses how artists throughout history have incorporated death as a theme in their work. Although public memorials are not discussed, the evolution of the use of death as a metaphor in art is clearly illustrated with well-known examples. By the 20th century, death in art has become a tool to demonstrate the violence, cruelty, and stupidity of humanity, as opposed to a vehicle for pondering man�s spiritual place in the known world. Various motifs, such as skeletons, are discussed at length. This will prove useful, especially to the scholar interested in examining the Mexican tradition �El Dia de los Muertos,� which will be discussed later. Scholars can also apply the themes, ideas, and motifs discussed here to an analysis of the forms of contemporary stone monuments, which pay homage to the dead. A lengthy bibliography is provided at the end of the essay.

Levinson, Drunell. �Mourning Art: Yesterday and Today.� Fiberarts v.22 (Mar/Apr) 1996, p.17

This article was found by using Wilson Art Abstracts (WART) and can be found under the subject heading �Mourning Pictures.� The actual article was not examined, but based on the abstract, it appears to be an excellent general resource for the use of art as a grieving tool, as well as how death is depicted in the contemporary arts. Subjects discussed include: domestic arts commemorating the death of George Washington, �name memorials� (such as the Vietnam War Memorial), and the Aids Quilt.

�Memory and Mourning.� Folk Art v. 19 (Summer 1994), p.18

This article was found using WART under the subject heading �Mourning in Art-Exhibitions.� A relatively short piece, but a nice overview of death as depicted in the arts. The piece focuses on the exhibit �Memory and Mourning: American Expressions of Grief,� which was shown at the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York 16 October 1993 - February 1995. The exhibit covered how Americans have grieved for and commemorated the dead since the mid-nineteenth century. At the time of this paper, I did not have the opportunity to find an exhibit catalog.

Kastenbaum, Robert J. Death, Society, and Human Experience. 6th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.

An excellent textbook, which covers all aspects of death, dying, grieving and perception, complete with quizzes, a bibliography for learning materials, tables and illustrations. This text covers the following main subject areas: death perception, the meaning of death (medical and social), leading causes of death, hospice care, death education, AIDS, suicide, violent death, children and death, assisted death, and bereavement. The text focuses on American society, but also describes the various cultural and ethnic traditions among various groups within the U.S. There is also some comparison to differences between death in America and foreign nations. This is a recommended starting point before conducting specific disciplinary research, as it provides the general framework for any discussion. For example, there are new memorials to commemorate plane crash victims. The grieving that occurs after a disaster of this kind is dissimilar to that after the death of one individual celebrity and dissimilar to grief for war dead or slain law enforcement officials. Therefore, in order to provide the clearest analysis of the meaning of such a memorial, one should understand a bit about what survivors experience. The text is also important because of the amount of attention paid to the victims of AIDS. Used in this bibliography as a memorial resource, the AIDS Quilt can be better understood if one is informed about the disease and its aftermath. It is current and well researched. The book has received a great deal of praise from researchers in the field.

Calo, Carole Gold. �Memorializing the Unspeakable: public monuments and collective grieving.� Art New England. V. 19, no. 6 ( Oct/Nov 1998), p. 28-9.

This article was found using WART and is listed under the subject heading �memorials.� The author provides a good discussion of the Vietnam Memorial, as well as Holocaust memorials and various others. Examines the role of modern memorials as commemorations of the dead, communal support for survivors, and education. Includes some discussion of how memorials affect our recollection of events and how tragedies will be remembered by future generations.

Dietsch, Deborah K. �Memorial mania (increase in number of monuments).� Architecture. v. 86 (September 1997). Pp 94-97.

This article was found using Wilson Humanities Abstracts (WHUM) and can be found under the heading �monuments-philosophy� and �monuments-United States.� Although I could not personally examine the article, the abstract indicates that Dietsch feels that there is a new trend in America-to memorialize everything. She sees this a divisive, as opposed to a benign, respectful way to honor the dead. In her view, memorials are all about the present and the act of commemorating, rather than about the past and the memory of those we are allegedly celebrating.

Jorgensen-Earp, Cheryl R. and Lori A. Lanzilotti. �Public memory and private grief: the Constructions of shrines at the sites of public tragedy.� Quarterly Journal of Speech. V. 84, no. 2 (May 1998). Pp. 150-170.

This article was found using WHUM and is found under the subject heading �Mourning.� The authors focus on the Oklahoma City Bombing and try to show how leaving stuffed animals, candles, and other objects at tragedies aid in the grieving process. The authors examine various letters and items and also compare their findings to the more �private� mourning rituals for children in the nineteenth century. This piece is a nice compliment to the article about the Texas A&M Bonfire shrine, which will be discussed later.

The National Parks Administration maintains an excellent online resource for photos, history and full descriptions of each of the monuments found on the National Mall at http://www.nps.gov/nama. The National Mall contains six national, public memorials: The Washington Monument, The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, The Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, The Korean War Veterans Memorial, and The Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Hawkins, Peter S., Ph.D., M.Div. �Ars Memoriandi: The NAMES Project AIDS Quilt.� In Facing Death: Where Culture, Religion, and Medicine Meet. Edited by Howard M. Spiro et al. New Haven, Massachusetts: Yale University Press, 1996. pp. 166-179.

This essay provides a succinct history of the Quilt. It also examines its cultural and artistic contribution to American society. Not only an important nexus between bereavement and activism, the Quilt is also part of a new form of memorial art. It is unique because it is, along with the Vietnam Memorial Wall, a new type of monument. It uses names. The effect of this simple addition of names cannot be understated. It is thousands and thousands of names. Each panel is the culmination of a life--years, mementos, garments, and photos. It has become tradition to read the names of those memorialized by the Quilt at each showing and, in my opinion, it is impossible to not be overcome with emotion by this.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt Website
http://www.aidsquilt.org
Accessed 21/11/00.

Created in June 1987 by a group of activists from San Diego, California, the Quilt has, unfortunately, grown to commemorate more than 43,000 victims lost to the AIDS virus. The panels have been photographed and made available online. Users are able to search the Quilt by panel number or by name. Visiting the site is almost as emotional as seeing the Quilt in person. I was able to find the panel for a dear friend, which I had not yet had the opportunity to see. The site hopes to add an archive of photos, memories, and other artifacts. Portions of the Quilt are constantly displayed across the country and the site provides viewing information. There is also information about the display of the Quilt on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on 11 October 1987.

Berger, Alan. �Remembering Columbine.� Landscape Architecture. V. 9, no.8 (Aug 2000). Pp. 121 and 124.

I was unable to locate a copy of the article but according to the abstract found on WHUM, the article deals with a proposed memorial to honor the shooting victims at Columbine High School on 4/20/98. Students, teachers, and community members will offer input as to appropriate design and to location. There is also an effort to organize and preserve all mementos left at the spontaneous shrine at the school in Littleton, Colorado. I wonder if the shooters will also be included in this memorial. (Probably not.)

Paz, Octavio. �The Day of the Dead.� In Death and Identity. Edited by Robert Fulton. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1965. pp. 382-395.

This essay is an examination of the Mexican tradition of �Dia de los Muertos,� which takes place on 31 October annually. Participants bake and purchase sweets in the shapes of skulls and skeletons, participate in parades, festivals, and pilgrimages to cemeteries. Food offerings are left at the graves of the deceased and there is a public acceptance that death is part of life, at least for just one day. Entire communities come together to sing, dance, dress up in costumes to celebrate life and honor the dead at the same time. This piece offers important background on this event to both the religious and artistic scholar seeking to unravel the meaning of this tradition.

Salvador, Ricardo J. �What do Mexicans Celebrate on the "Day of the Dead?"
Available at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjsalvad/scmfaq/muertos.html.
Accessed 10/04/01

Examines the Day of the Dead celebration. Includes photos, links to descriptions of traditional foods, and explanations of family activities. Explains the origins of the traditions and includes links to more information about various regions in Mexico, as well as links to maps.

Dia de los Muertos.
http://www.azcentral.com/rep/dead/
Accessed 10/04/01.

Extensive site containing information on the history of the day of the Dead. Users can access a timeline of the holiday, information about traditional food preparation, and specific activities associated with the celebration. Information about the use and symbolism of the altar is also included. Each section of the site links to articles, glossaries, and additional features, such as postcards and videos. very interesting and thorough. This site also contains photographs and multimedia.

Young, Amalie. �Highway Shrines Draw Fire: Religious Memorials
to traffic victims a hot issue in several states.� Detroit News 30/1/2000. Available online at http://detnews.com/2000/religion/0001/31/01300156.htm
Accessed 14/11/00.

Central focus is in Portland, Oregon, but piece focuses on public reactions to crosses left at the side of roads to memorialize victims of traffic accidents. Some have expressed their disapproval by vandalizing or destroying these shrines, while others, such as Oregon Senator Marilyn Shannon, have chosen to generate public support for legislation that would make the shrines legal. Interestingly, Texas law allows memorials only at those sites were alcohol was a factor. Michigan only expresses interest if such sites become a traffic hazard.

Grider, Sylvia, Ph.D. �The Archaeology of Grief: Texas A&M�s Bonfire Tragedy is a Sad Study In Modern Mourning.� Discovering Archaeology. July/August 2000. pp. 68-74.

The article discusses the collapse of the Texas A&M Bonfire in 1999, which collapsed during construction killing 12 students. The bonfire had been a long-standing tradition at the school. In order to understand this tragedy and its affects on the student body and community, the author is cataloging and describing all the mementos left behind at the spontaneous shrine at the scene of the accident. She is collecting photos, poems, stuffed animals, and is interviewing survivors and those who left mementos. The goal is to create a body of research, which will help future generations understand how we grieve publicly. A special note: this article is the inspiration for this bibliography.

An online archive of Grider�s work can be found at http://bonfire.tamu.edu/beam/.
The research effort is entitled Project BEAM.

Young, James E. The Texture of Memory: Holocaust Memorials and Their Meaning. New Haven, Massachusetts: Yale University Press, 1993. pp. 283-349.

This text examines the various monuments to the Holocaust across the globe. Of interest here are chapters 11 and 12, which cover various Holocaust Memorials throughout the United States, including Boston and Washington, D.C. The author examines how these monuments aid in accepting and validating the experiences of millions of Jews during WWII. He also examines the power of the monuments in America, as they are not located at former death camps or villages once populated by Jews that were all but wiped out by the Nazi machine.

The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/ffmem/

Dedicated in 1990, this is a tribute to firefighters with photos and information. Located in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
http://www.nleomf.com/TheMemorial/memdefault.html

Dedicated in 1991, this tribute is located on Judiciary Square in Washington, D.C.

Woven throughout the annotations are links to websites that serve as a new memorial medium. Anyone can put one up and anyone can visit. This is a new aspect to public grieving going on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, around the globe.

Olson, Melissa and Darrel Crase. �Presleymania: The Elvis Factor.� Death Studies v.24, no.3. (May/Jun 1990), pp. 277-282

The loss of Elvis Presley is a huge part of Americana. Graceland, the singer�s mansion in Memphis, Tennessee has become a shrine. This article discusses the importance of Elvis� death, in terms of it being a way for fans to express their feelings without guilt. An entire community has developed with �The King� as a sort of spiritual leader. Common interest in Elvis allows fans to vent feelings of grief and sexuality and to share hope of a �rags to riches� reality.

Since 1983, a clinic dedicated to Elvis with a memorial wall. Sizable donations earn anyone a place on the Elvis Memorial Wall.

A Tribute to John Lennon. 20 Years Gone.
Available at http://www.angelfire.com/music2/20yearsgone/starter.html
Accessed 10/04/01.

Another aspect of contemporary grieving, the electronic memorial. This site contains articles about the Beatles' break-up, John Lennon's last days at the Dakota, his last will and testament, and information about his murderer. Also includes Yoko Ono's letter to the parole board concerning the release of Mark Chapman. With video and photographs.

Parsons, Talcott and Victor Lidz. �Death in American Society.� In Essays in Self Destruction.
Edited by Edwin S. Schneidman. New York: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1967. pp. 133-170.

Although this essay provides a lot of information about funerary rites, the funeral industry, and what can be considered unrelated and private issues surrounding death, it also provides a good analysis of the assassination of John F. Kennedy (1963) (pp. 159-162). The essay explains public reactions and the �state funeral.�

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