In Patrick Grossi’s “Plan or Be Planned For”:  Temple Contemporary’s Funeral for a Home and the Politics of Engagement, it makes me consider a number of questions that I ask myself as a public historian.  What is the purpose of the funeral of a house?  Would it make more sense to do a funeral of an historic landmark, such as a diner or church?  How important to the community is one house in a bad section of town?  How much engagement can you truly receive from the public for such an event?

From a historic perspective, is this one house worth the time an effort to be eulogized?  The quote that Grossi uses of Frank Lloyd Wright is an interesting one.  “But the passing of the cornice with its enormous ‘baggage’ from foreign parts in its train clears the way for the American homes  that may be modern biography and poems instead of slanderous liars and poetry crushers.  “The Cardboard House” 1931

The response from the neighborhood was a surprise to me.  Why was it important to honor another ‘fallen victim’ of circumstance.  I think there is an importance that comes from being part of a community, even if it is dying.  Creating a dialogue between people is a necessity for remembering the past and keeping memories sacred.