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AGELESS AUTHORS ANTHOLOGY

THE BEST WORK FROM WRITERS AGE 65 AND OLDER

Refreshingly good writing and proof that creativity doesn’t necessarily wane with age.

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A collection of work from the competitors in a nationwide writing contest for senior authors.

In this debut, one-of-a-kind compilation, editors Bivona (The Secret Lives of Ordinary Women, 2013, etc.) and Upshaw (co-author: Cheaper to Kill than to Maim, 2002, etc.) have gathered the best entries from a competition exclusively for writers ages 65 and older. They present them in three categories—poetry, essays, and short stories—with the winning entries listed first, followed by honorable mentions and other notable works. Each is followed by a short bio of the author, which showcases the fact that they’re as varied as the topics they write about. Some have extensive professional writing experience, others very little. The title describes the writers as ageless, and the themes of this compilation are, too—love, war, family, loss, childhood, and nature, to name a few. The varied pieces range from the silly (Greg Rogers’ comical poem about procrastination) to the serious (Michael Coolen’s recollection of losing his father to cancer) to the suspenseful (Robert Robeson’s account of being a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, caught in enemy fire). One of the goals of the competition was to shatter the stereotype that elderly people are “physically and mentally broken, unable to think straight or keep up with the youth culture,” and this anthology overwhelmingly accomplishes this. The wisdom in the poetry, the memories shared in the essays, and the creativity in the short stories are all fine contributions. The authors’ wealth of experience gives them unique insights into specific historical events and life in general. Ultimately, this collection may convince some youth of the value of the older generation and also encourage seniors to continue in their creative pursuits. Also, the latter will enjoy the wry, goodhearted humor throughout the book, which lightly mocks the nuances of aging, such as 92-year-old author Barbara Mott’s comment: “Young people think they are so smart. But if you took away all their devices for communication, they would be lost. We, on the other hand, can talk [for] an hour on any subject, barely taking a breath.”

Refreshingly good writing and proof that creativity doesn’t necessarily wane with age.

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-692-98164-1

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Ageless Authors

Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018

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THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE

50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...

Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").

Pub Date: May 15, 1972

ISBN: 0205632645

Page Count: 105

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972

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NUTCRACKER

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

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