
How did archivists partner with activists to document and preserve the history of AIDS activism? How are archivists and community partners activating AIDS archives to reveal AIDS’s continued impact on marginalized communities? What lessons can archivists take from this moment of social and community memory-building as we grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic?
In this episode, co-hosts Anna Trammell and Chris Burns speak with Marika Cifor about her recent book, Viral Cultures: Activist Archiving in the Age of AIDS (University of Minnesota Press, 2022). Cifor is an assistant professor at the University of Washington. In this episode, Cifor discusses her inspiration for exploring AIDS archives, how the concept of vital nostalgia can inform archival theory and practice, and lessons for memory workers and activists interested in documenting other social justice movements.
Episode Extras

For more information:
Viral Cultures: Activist Archiving in the Age of AIDS, to purchase from the publisher click here.
Marika Cifor’s about page and faculty website.
Visual AIDS, The Artist+ Registry and Archive Project
Visual AIDS, Artists+ Registry
New York Public Library, Gay and Lesbian Collections and AIDS/HIV Collections
New York Public Library Digital Collections, ACT UP New York Records
NYU Special Collections, Downtown Collection
More podcasts about the book: https://share.transistor.fm/s/95fe97c6 and https://newbooksnetwork.com/viral-cultures