[T]his volume lays out a collection of succinct and straightforward discussions that speak to the complexities inherent in public commemoration that heritage professionals will find insightful, applicable, and thought-provoking. With examples and case studies rooted in the present and recent past, Commemoration offers a helpful glimpse into contemporary commemorative practice and does so with a decidedly forward-thinking lens, offering honest reflections on the challenges, deficiencies, and common pitfalls that face those treading into the slippery yet weighty territory of public memory, feeling, and remembrance.

The Public Historian

While stone and metal monuments, sanctioned landscapes, and applied commemorative phrases might appear stationary, their value and role will always be fluid continuously evolving to serve the dynamism of future generations. This collection of essays assembled by Seth C. Bruggeman encourages public historians and other heritage professionals to rattle public memory, to challenge complacent narratives, and to scrutinize and reclaim public memory in order to purposely and productively make remembrances relevant.

Julia Rose