RIP Leigh Boone

A couple weeks ago I was walking home deep into the early morning hours when I was brought up short by this memorial.



The bicyclist who was injured in the multi-firetruck crash I wrote about here died twelve days later.

I find specific, handmade public memorials like this beautiful and moving. Though they are often not as cleanly designed as the Oklahoma City National Memorial or the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for example, they are as conceptually loaded and resonant. Austinites, think of the tribute to Ivan on the Lamar at 5th St underpass. Have you ever wondered who Ivan was? Or who renewed his memorial from time to time?

No surprise that there's a book that speaks to this phenomenon.

UPDATE:

My friend Patricia clued me in to the Ghost Bikes phenomenon. Boone's memorial is included on the website.