Memorial Mania: Public Feeling in America

If you want a straightforward book about the history of memorials, then this is not the appropriate book for you. If you would like to know what exactly this book IS, read on:In Memorial Mania, Erika Doss argues that in recent years, Americans have developed a near-obsession with creating more and more public memorials at a rate previously unmatched in American history. Doss maintains that this urgency stems from both anxiety about national identity and a change in how Americans deal with emotion, particularly when it relates to history and/or memory. Whereas in the past memorials pertained more to a need to commemorate great events or great people, a majority of today’s abundance of memorials commemorate emotion, such as grief, shame, or anger. This in turn, Doss argues, is a direct result of how affect has significantly gained predominance in modern American culture and is now valued as a source of knowledge. Emotion is no longer private, but something that is public and shared, often through memorials. In presenting her argument, Doss relies heavily upon primary sources in the form of the memorials themselves and also employs a great deal of psychology.This book is a valuable work of scholarship. Doss manages to present an argument that is clear, thorough, and well-articulated. She expertly shows just how diverse the emotional responses to a monument can be in a society that is as multi-cultural as the United States. Her evidence, much of which appears in the form of excellent photographs of memorials in question, is compelling if at times overwhelming. The photographs are definitely one of the best assets of the book. The argument itself is highly interesting and innovative, in that Doss is analyzing memorials in light of affect rather than more traditional approaches, such as power or identity (although Doss does certainly tie in identity, too). Doss has a strong background in art history (all of her degrees are in this field), and that certainly shows up in her work. At the same time, by focusing so much on emotional motives behind memorials, Doss glosses over the possibility of more simple motives at the root of memorials (i.e. sometimes a cigar is just a cigar). Additionally, Doss struggles greatly with the issue of bias throughout the book -- she has definite opinions that she does impose on her subject matter, and some of her opinions, stated as though they were fact, could easily cause offense to a reader. In other words, read it with an open mind, and don't just accept every single statement as absolute fact.

Monument Mania looks at the explosion of (mostly American) tendency to commemorate so many things with formal and ersatz memorials in the 20th and 21st century. The book is organized around themes (Grief, Fear, Gratitude, Shame and Anger) with focus being put in each section on one or more memorials (or type of memorials) and their stories and development. The memorials to the shooting at Columbine High School, the World Trade Center, and Pentagon and Pennsylvania 9/11 memorials, the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial, the World War II Memorial on the Mall and others are examined in depth, looking at their development and their role (and the changing of their role) in the landscape of memory.Doss is a professor of American Studies, and as such the book is not a straight historical narrative. Rather it approaches the issue in a interdisciplinary manner, bringing in history, sociology, psychology, art theory among other fields. The author also is not a dispassionate neutral observer - he carries in a very strong political lean that may be offputting to some readers. One very positive piece is that he illustrates the text with a large number of photos of the memorials he is discussing so the reader can have a better understanding of what he is trying to say.The book was published in 2010, at a point where many of the monuments related to 9/11 that he spends a lot of time discussing, were still being debated and built, and others such as the World War II monument was still fresh. It would be interesting to see him update the material to reflect what has become of the fights over memorials, their role and meaning for something so fresh in our memories. Possibly to compare the artists conception drawings with how the memorials turned out.One discordant part of the book is that it just ends. His last chapter discusses memorials as reflections of anger, or dealing with subjects that mean different things to different people (such as the evolution of the Little Bighorn battlefield). But then the chapter ends, and it is on to the notes. After going through his journey, the reader is just left out there, with no final wrap up or thoughts after having been through this survey of topics. It doesn't diminish the book's survey but it just leaves it feeling a bit unfinished.

As the other reviewers have suggested, this is a critical look at the current trends in memorial building--the "mania" in the book's title. As a student of memorials myself, I find this social criticism helpful, and I personally value the book.

This book explores the sociological and emotional need/desire to memorialize in a clear and easily accessible way. Sometimes books like these rely too heavily on philosophy, but Doss' work uses plenty of examples and explanation to back up her points. I used this book while doing research for my thesis, but it could definitely be enjoyed as a casual non-fiction read.

I purchased this for a class. So far the reading has been very informative, and relevant to the class.

The author allows her personal biases through to the point that respectful disagreement and scholarly discourse is nigh impossible.

Mostly 20th c memorials. Geared toward psychology and not history.