Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial: A Symbolic Cemetery on the National Mall
Chapter 2: Immediate Memorials: Mourning in Protest
Chapter 3: Oklahoma City: Reframing Tragedy as Triumph
Chapter 4: Columbine and the Power of Denial
Chapter 5: Commemorating 9/11: From the Tribute in Light to Reflecting Absence
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Harriet F. Senie is Director of the M.A. Program in Art History and Art Museum Studies at City College, City University of New York, and also teaches at the CUNY Graduate Center. She is the author of several books and numerous articles on public art, and is co-founder of the international organization Public Art Dialogue and co-editor of its journal, Public Art Dialogue.

Reviews

"This richly informed account of recent memorials identifies a notable shift from honoring singular heroes to venerating the loss of civilian life. How this shift occurred and its national consequences are among the intriguing questions raised and answered in this landmark study." -- Sally Webster, author of The Nation's First Monument and the Origins of the American Memorial Tradition
"What do we memorialize in America today, what-and who-is memorable? Harriet Senie's thoughtful and well researched book considers how many of the nation's contemporary memorials-from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to the September 11 National Memorial-conflate violence and tragic loss with imperatives of collective unity and survival, denying the fissures in the American Dream and diverting Americans from imagining new and different futures."-- Erika Doss,
author of Memorial Mania: Public Feeling in America
"In this landmark exploration of public art, politics, and cultural landscape, Senie...considers how the concept of "national memorial" has shifted from recognition of political/military leaders and victories in war to visualization of collective identity that recognizes victims, their families, and a shared sense of loss...Supplemented by ample notes and black-and-white images, this articulate, thorough analysis of memorials and national identity is required
reading for those interested in public art, public history, memorials, memory studies, and other related fields in the fine arts, liberal arts, and humanities...Summing Up: Essential." -- CHOICE
"There are many good things in Memorials to Shattered Myths especially Senie's insightful interpretation of the modern phenomenon of spontaneous vernacular memorials, which arise on the site of tragic incidents ranging from fatal traffic crashes to random shootings and are quickly festooned with flowers, balloons, candles, stuffed animals, and handwritten tributes." -- New York Review of Books