Re-Imagining Death: Conversations about Dying, Loss, and Grief

The Missoula Public Library is pleased to partner with the University of Montana Humanities Institute on a series of informal talks, lectures, film screenings, and book club events designed to engage our community in a discussion about death, dying, and loss.

In the wake of a devastating epidemic, we need more than ever to gather for community discussion about a topic that is difficult, but essential to living a full life.

Throughout 2022, we will hold events each month featuring UM professors in the humanities who will share their expertise with the wider community. Professors in a range of disciplines will present short lectures on topics designed to generate discussion, including death rituals and beliefs around the world (African, Hindu, Irish, Middle Eastern); death experiences from past time periods, shifting attitudes about death and dying in cultural practices like funerals, cremation, and end-of-life experiences, and new movements to de-stigmatize discussions of death.

We aim to generate elevated and affirmative discussion that builds community through public engagement with a challenging topic during challenging times. We also encourage library patrons to suggest topics related to this series that they’d like to explore in future sessions. Most events take place on Monday evenings and are located in the library’s Cooper Room (Level Four). Film screenings take place Friday evenings, also in the Cooper Room.

For a full list of discussion dates and topics, please visit the Re-Imagining Death web page.