Memento Mori Festival
Morbid Anatomy & The Philosophical Research Society
Los Angeles, California · September 7 - 8, 2024

 
 
 

Join us for a weekend of Morbid Anatomy in Los Angeles, celebrating all things Memento Mori—Latin for “Remember you will die”—to celebrate the release of the new book Memento Mori: Contemplating Death to Live a Better life, by our founder and creative director Joanna Ebenstein.

This event consists of:

  • A day-long symposium at the historical landmark Philosophical Research Society with exciting Morbid Anatomy scholars and thinkers, along with vendors selling their wares.

  • Danse Macabre After-party in a historic courtyard where—over drinks!— you will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded people from around the world, with cocktails, music and performances including a magic lantern phantasmagoria show.

  • Immersive experiences including a death cafe at Hollywood Forever.

  • Special Tours (limited to 3o VIP Ticket Holders)

    • Getty Gallery tour, exploring highlights from the Getty’s collection through a morbid lens, led by arts educator—and Morbid Anatomy Mythologist in Residence—Liz Andres..

    • Philosophical Research Society Historical Architecture tour, in which you’ll learn all about this historically landmarked building.

 

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER FOR EACH OF THESE OFFERINGS BELOW

 

FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

DAY-LONG SYMPOSIUM

Saturday, September 7 · 12 pm- 6 pm
Philosophical Research Society (3910 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027)

Click here for more details on talks and speakers

12:00 · Introductory Remarks

12:30 · Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live A Better Life
Joanna Ebenstein, Morbid Anatomy Founder and Creative Director

1:00 · Where There is Death, There is Life
Sarah Chavez, Executive director of the Order of the Good Death

1:30 · The Watseka Wonder
Asti Hustvedt, Independent Scholar and Author of Medical Muses

2:00 · Memento Oblivisci (Remember You Shall Forget): Zombie Ideas, Trimalchio’s Feast, and Strange Loop of Surviving Your Own Death
Richard Faulk, translator of Frederik Ruysch and His Thesaurus Anatomicus: A Morbid Guide

2:30· Remember You Must Die. Might as Well Talk About It
Jillian A. Tullis PhD, Professor in the Department of Communication

3:00 · Stage 4 Cancer and My Night Sea Journey to Wellness
Independent Scholar of Religions Amy Slonaker, JD, PhD

3:30 · “A Smile that Makes Forever:” A Memento Mori of Teeth
Devon Deimler, PhD, Pacifica Graduate Institute

4:00 · Musings on Dead Birds
Liz Andres, Morbid Anatomy Mythologist in Residence

4:30 · Death in the Permafrost: Arctic Mementos Mori in the Age of Climate Change 
Colin Dickey, author of Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places and co-editor of The Morbid Anatomy Anthology.

5:00 · Persephone's Beauty Cream
Maryam Sayyad, PhD, Mythological Studies Scholar

5:30 · Book Signings

PARTY WITH PERFORMANCES, DJS, AND DRINKS
Saturday, September 7 - 8 pm - 11 pm
Philosophical Research Society (3910 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027)

Join us in the atmospheric courtyard of the Philosophical Research Society, and connect with the Morbid Anatomy community in person, over drinks! Enjoy a phantasmagoria-inspired magic lantern show by Melissa Ferrari and Epitaphs, an audio-visual performance by author and podcaster Al Ridenour, while DJ SV68 and the Mystical Sea Hag spin dark disco and other oddities for a Danse Macabre in the courtyard.