This book is based on a project that began as a special issue of Rhetoric and Public Affairs, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Cleve Jones, the founder of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, opens the collection of essays with a memoir. An introduction gives a history of the quilt and its initial reception, looks at its current impact, and describes future plans and projects related to the quilt. Scholars and educators in communication studies and media studies explore the contexts and traditions out of which the quilt was conceived, resisted, and expanded during its formative years. They describe moral, emotional, and political awakenings inspired by the quilt and contemplate the quilt's legacy. Some specific subjects examined are the contemporary culture of public commemoration, reading the quilt as a postmodern text, and the quilt's search for a homeland. The book is illustrated with b&w photos. Morris teaches communication at Boston College. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)