Quilts, Mourning, Remembrance and African American Lives

How do we tend the loss of a loved one? What are some of the things people in mourning need and feel to do? Where are the sites, and what are the roles, for creativity in grief--this fundamental human emotion and experience of profound distress prompted by loss? What supports people during this extraordinarily difficult time? Looking at case studies in Gee’s Bend and beyond, this paper explores connections between practices of quiltmaking and processes of grieving, on links between quilts and loss. Running like a sturdy thread through the literature devoted to quilts and African American lives (surveys, studies, and stories) are examples of, and testimonies by, individuals who have drawn on quilts and their making and use as vital resources in the excruciating work of grieving a loved one. Creatively and intently studying this rich source material, I consider the utility of quilts in tending sorrow and giving form to grief.