ABSTRACT
It is many, many months after the start of this book that the coeditors have sat down together to review the wealth of information and insights offered by the chapter authors. The cause of the crash of TWA Flight 800, an immense tragedy which had just occurred as we began the introductory chapter, has only recently been determined; family and friends of the victims of that flight have already acknowledged the first-year anniversary of that disaster with private and public ceremony. If we have learned anything over the last decade, it is how to mourn together our separate tragedies. This was demonstrated in the collective demonstrations of grief and public condolences for mourners following the Oklahoma City bombing, the TWA 800 downing, and, most recently, the very distinct deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Theresa. Worldwide, it has become more acceptable and more common to talk about and show grief in the public arena.
