“A fascinating glimpse of new and evolving mourning rituals in American culture. As the son of cemetery managers, Sloane brings personal experience and knowledge to an otherwise academic history of burial methods, mourning, and memorials. . . .This is a great overview of mourning rituals in modern American culture.”

Publishers Weekly

“David Charles Sloane’s new book Is the Cemetery Dead? examines our evolving mourning rituals, specifically in relationship to cemeteries. . . .The book starts with Sloane’s deeply personal reflection on the death of his wife and his struggle to come to terms and choose a “resting place” (a phrase that itself belies our discomfort with the site’s function). The task is both enriched and complicated by the fact that Sloane hails from a long line of cemetery superintendents and sextons. His research is supplemented by his experience growing up within the walls of the cemetery his father managed. While he has fond memories of cemeteries, he also acknowledges that they face acute problems. . . .[Sloane] offers a levelheaded report on the death care industry. This coverage is valuable because the spatial projects piloted in cemeteries have a way of popping back up in the world of the living.”

Los Angeles Review of Books

“Highly recommended for all collections. . .Intertwined with a history of (mostly) American cemeteries, the author examines recent trends, including multi-vocality, with individuals and families having a greater voice in how burial and commemoration take place; the multi-sited nature of newer types of memorialization (public highways, tattoos, city murals); and trends in the disposition of bodies in cremations, green burials, and other less traditional methods. . .A splendid overview of changes in the last half century.”

Choice

“A meditative work whose power arises from Sloane’s own involvement in the scholarly, professional, and personal dimensions of American cemeteries. It raises significant questions about the role of death and its commemoration in contemporary American society in a conversational style that should make it appeal to a broad audience.”

Dell Upton, University of California, Los Angeles

“A thought-provoking book that asks: Can the American cemetery adapt to the challenges of natural burial, grieving through social media, and DIY practices that remove mourning from professional and commercial control? Vital reading for anyone concerned with the cemetery’s past, present, and future.”

Tony Walter, University of Bath

“In this compelling and insightful book, Sloane takes us on a journey through the history of cemeteries in American culture and how they have mediated loss, nature, and the meaning of life. He shows how in contemporary society, when mourning and memorialization seem to be everywhere from roadside shrines to tattoos to websites, the cemetery is struggling to remain relevant. In its lucid integration of memoir, history, and cultural analysis, this is a deeply moving reflection on changing social practices of death and why they matter.”

Marita Sturken, New York University

"Sloane successfully challenges readers to think about a multitude of factors that influence a person’s behavior during times of grief, including societal expectations, mortality trends (changes in longevity as well as changing causes of death), debates about whether someone should grieve publically or privately, and the impact of cultural, religious/spiritual, economic, and environmental influences. Whether you are a seasoned thanatologist or new to these diverse topics, this book provides a great deal of information from a personal as well as a scholarly perspective. It is an accessible and enjoyable way to explore the role of the cemetery in modern times and to contemplate its future role."

Carla J. Sofka | Omega