Refreshingly good writing and proof that creativity doesn’t necessarily wane with age.
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
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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