"Nature abhors the old," said Ralph Waldo Emerson, and yet poet John Donne wrote, "No Spring nor Summer Beauty hath such grace / As I have seen in one Autumnal face." So, is aging a gift—or a curse? In this thematic collection, we present texts that reflect on this question.
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Relationships
Kevin Henkes is the author of Olive’s Ocean, a 2001 coming-of-age chapter book for young readers. Kevin has written and illustrated several books for children and young readers, including Waiting (1991) and The Year of Billy Miller (2013). Henkes was born in Wisconsin, and this Midwest state is the home of his character Billy Miller, as well as Martha Boyle, the 12-year-old protagonist in Olive’s Ocean. In the novel, Martha grapples with the sudden death... Read Olive's Ocean Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Education, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags British Literature, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction
On Beauty by the celebrated British author Zadie Smith was published in 2005. On Beauty was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Smith is known for writing novels and essays that analyze the intersections of identity in the contemporary world with nuance, clarity, and empathy. She is also known to be influenced by the classic English author E.M. Forster. On Beauty is loosely based on Forster’s masterpiece... Read On Beauty Summary
Publication year 1817
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Ancient Greece, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1995
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Relationships
Our Souls at Night is Colorado author Kent Haruf’s last novel, and it was published in 2015, after his death. Like much of Haruf’s other writing, this novel is set in the fictional town of Holt, Colorado. The novel begins with 70-year-old Addie Moore making a proposition to her neighbor Louis Waters that they sleep together—literally, not sexually—in order to combat the loneliness that they often feel, especially at night. They have both lost their... Read Our Souls At Night Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Self Help, Sports, Psychology, Psychology
Publication year 2007
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Animals, Grief / Death, Parenting, Relationships, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 1982
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Science / Nature
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Travel Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Rules Of The Road is a contemporary young adult novel by established author Joan Bauer, first published in 1998. It is the first book in the Rules of the Road series. The second book, Best Foot Forward, was published in 2005. Joan Bauer’s own complicated childhood with an alcohol-addicted father inspired Rules of the Road, which was met with critical acclaim. It won both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Golden Kite Award... Read Rules of the Road Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past
Sabbath’s Theater by Philip Roth, published in 1995, is a work of literary fiction that follows the titular character Mickey Sabbath, an aging yet lustful man, as he navigates life after the passing of his long-time mistress, Drenka. As Sabbath runs from his loss and his unhappy marriage, he finds himself in New York City, confronting the pain of his first wife’s disappearance and the death of his older brother, Morty, during World War II... Read Sabbath's Theater Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1928
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Modernism
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Literary Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals
Tags Animals, Modern Classic Fiction, Grief / Death
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Relationships
Something Borrowed is a work of romantic fiction from author Emily Giffin, published in 2004. It was a critical and commercial success, earning rave reviews and landing a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. The novel was Giffin’s first, and she has published several more books in the same genre. Some of her other books include Love the One You’re With (2008), Heart of the Matter (2010), Where We Belong (2012), and Something... Read Something Borrowed Summary
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Elizabethan Era
Publication year 2024
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fame
Publication year 1991
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Inspirational