Some critical voices about the Òmemory industryÓ (aka the Òtherapeutic alternative to historyÓ :), its methodology and errant orientation:

 

Confino, A.  1997.  ÒCollective Memory and Cultural History: Problems of Method.Ó  American Historical Review 102: 1386-1404.

         *Reasoned, intelligent critique of the subject and the methodological issues raised by it.  Concludes by saying Ò perhaps the first task of the history of memory is to historicize memory.Ó

 

Klein, K.  2000.  ÒOn the Emergence of Memory in Historical Discourse.Ó  Representations 69: 127-50.

         *Lively, trenchant critique of the Òmemory industryÓ and the Òhypostatization of memory.Ó

 

Todorov, T. 1995.  Les abus de la mŽmoire.  Paris.

         *The title says it all.  Argues that le culte de la mŽmoire blinds us to present and future challenges.  Published three years after the appearance of the last volume of NoraÕs Lieux de mŽmoire.