Many of our AGS members are avid readers. If you are one of them, we hope you’ll join us on the third Sunday of each month for the AGS Book Club. Each month we'll focus on a book about cemeteries, gravestones, mourning customs, funerary practices and death & dying. We hope to include books written by AGS members, classics in our field, newly published books, as well as fiction that feature the subjects mentioned above.
Details for our next book club meeting:
Facilitator: Katie Goodsell
When: Sunday, December 14th, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
Where: Please register here: https://ags.wildapricot.org/event-6439623
We'll send a Zoom link to the registrants on the day of the book club meeting.
Our selection for December 2025: Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral by Todd Harra
Why do we embalm the deceased? Why are funerals so expensive? Is there a reason coffins are shaped the way they are? When―and why―did we start viewing the deceased? Ceremonies for honoring the departed are crucial parts of our lives, but few people know where our traditional practices come from―and what they reveal about our history, culture, and beliefs about death. In Last Rites, author Todd Harra takes you on a fascinating exploration of American funeral practices―examining where they came from, what they mean, and how they are still evolving.
Our conventions around death, burial, and remembrance have undergone many great transitions―sometimes due to technology, respect for tradition, shifting sensibilities, or even to thwart grave robbers.
Looking forward to seeing you in December!
Your hosts: Katie Goodsell and Ashlynn Rickord Werner
PO Box 2975 | Amherst, MA 01004 The Association for Gravestone Studies is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Copyright 2024
