The Grand Generation: Memory, Mastery, Legacy

Anyone interested in elder artists, or the role of the elderly in the life cycle, should own a copy of this book As Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett notes in her introduction, the three authors have a fine feeling for people and their artfulness. In addition to bringing together their own expertise with a wide variety of folk art traditions, they have brought together in one volume a wide swath of work that has been done by folklorists in all fifty states with older craftspeople and storytellers over the past several decades. The work begins with a pioneering essay on the life cycle, situating the contributions of older adults within the span of a individual lifetime. The chapter, Memory, looks at storytelling, reminiscence, and memory art; Mastery explores the abilities of older adults to focus on tasks that require a lifetime of increasingly honed skills; the concluding chapter, Legacy, talks about the role of older people in the perpetuation of tradition, and the passing on of stories and handmade objects.