Aging to Perfection
Exploring the intersections of aging, justice, and narrative through scholarly inquiry and personal reflection.
Scamming the Scammer:Revenge was sweet until . . . it wasn’t
I string along Medicare scammers for sport—playing the fumbling old woman, hiding the phone in a kitchen drawer, feeding fake numbers to men who think they've found an easy mark. It's satisfying, even funny, until a woman named Melissa picks up the phone. She's good—too good—and something about her voice makes the game feel different. What starts as a story about outsmarting con artists turns into something harder to laugh off
Justice Wears Red Boots: Dorothy Van Soest's Until It's Over
Dorothy Van Soest is nearly 84, and she has things to say about sexual violence, Indigenous land rights, corrupt politicians, and what it finally means to be enough. Her fourth Sylvia Jensen mystery is the most personal — and the most satisfying — book she's written. Read the full post here.
Finally: A Grandparenting Book for the Rest of Us
Lurking behind every grandparent is the “perfect” grandparent: an outdated cultural icon who can make our lives miserable. In my case, the perfect grandma stabs me in the back when I falter or overstep her ridiculous notion of appropriate boundaries.
To escape her tyranny, I turned to books. After slogging through celebrity memoirs (way too self-congratulatory), I discovered Terri Apter's groundbreaking work. Where everyone else—including my perfect grandma—advises "zip your lip," Apter offers something radically different: understand the dynamics, then make conscious choices about how to engage.
Here's more on the book and my interview with Dr. Apter.
Authenticity and Masquerade in Late-Life Identity Development
Explore the interplay between authenticity and masquerade in late-life identity, reflecting on how social environments shape and sometimes constrain our true selves.
Step-by-Step Approach to Narrative Analysis
Learn a step-by-step approach to narrative analysis, blending personal reflection with literary theory for richer, more insightful research.
Autoethnography: Notes at the Boundary Between Self and Society
Auto-ethnography is quite seductive. It’s the ultimate post-modern research approach, and you don’t even need Ethics (IRB) approval!
Narrative Studies
Delve into thought-provoking works on narrative’s role in shaping identity, learning, and public service, including studies on lyrical sociology and counter-narratives.
Other Things Narrative
Explore key works on narrative, from the seven basic plots to queering evidence-based practice, offering insights into storytelling’s complexities.
Narrative Practice
Explore key resources on counter-narratives and their role in addressing racism and resisting dominant storytelling frameworks.
Narrative Research Methods
Discover essential readings in narrative research that bridge personal stories with academic inquiry, offering insights into the art of storytelling.
Autoethnography
Explore the transformative power of autoethnography through key works that weave personal narratives with cultural analysis.
Insidious Ageism: Why are Old People Disappearing?
I didn’t take ageism seriously until I started to disappear. . .
A dose of gorgeosity for those of us getting on in years
A poem by Louise Glück.
Another Wild Old Lady!
"All were veteran activists," she said, and "all had energy to spare."
Creating Social Change Through Creativity
Moshoula and Karen have published their amazing interdisciplinary collection on anti-oppressive research methodologies. It includes my chapter, "Conversations with Suzanna.”
Sex and Intimacy after 60: Ethical and Practical Considerations
I've had some requests for the PowerPoints and handouts from a lecture I gave at CSWE, so here you go!
Final Visit
Dad hands me a warm rose petal, brown, around the edges, “Huh. Soft. Feel that.”
Simian Crone
Down in the shadows still very still, she labors away, her widow’s hump …
New Narrative Studies
Here are some studies that might be of interest to researchers.
Refining the Narrative Turn: When does story-telling become research?
As narrative research matures, its boundaries must be more clearly defined.
“Breathe Deeply, Read Widely.”