Aging

"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.

The Life of Samuel Johnson

by James Boswell

Publication year 1791

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Guilt, Aging, Friendship, Truth & Lies

Tags British Literature, European History, Life-Inspired Fiction, Arts & Culture, Social Class, Depression & Suicide, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

James Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791) is often considered to be one of the finest pieces of biographical writing in the English language. Samuel Johnson was an English poet, essayist, and lexicographer who produced a pioneering and influential Dictionary of the English Language. However, he is less well-known today for his writings than as the biographical subject for Boswell, a lawyer from Scotland who first met Johnson in 1763. During their 21-year friendship... Read The Life of Samuel Johnson Summary

The Master

by Colm Tóibín

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Literature, Loneliness, Love, Mental Health, Aging, Death, Family, Friendship, Social Class, Art

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Irish Literature

... Read The Master Summary

The Minority Report

by Philip K. Dick

Publication year 1956

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fate, Safety & Danger, Aging

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

“The Minority Report,” a short story by science fiction author Philip K. Dick, follows the story of Precrime Commissioner John A. Anderton as he decides whether or not he will commit the murder of a stranger, Leopold Kaplan, of which he has been accused approximately one week in advance of the event. Through this political and psychological dilemma, Dick explores the themes of predestination versus free will, the importance of personal values versus the greater... Read The Minority Report Summary

Theo of Golden

by Allen Levi

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Race, Aging, Death, The Past, Family, Fathers, Art, Beauty, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Literary Fiction, Christian, Contemporary Literature

... Read Theo of Golden Summary

The Postmortal

by Drew Magary

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Future, Science & Technology, Marriage, Conflict

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

The Postmortal by Drew Magary is a science fiction thriller that follows a man named John Farrell in the decades following the “postmortal cure,” a type of genetic engineering that stops aging. The novel grapples with the human experience amid technological advantages, religious zeal, and increasingly human-driven crises. Magary, whose legal name is Andrew Schuyler Magary, is a journalist, humor writer, and novelist. He has written for magazines such as GQ and is the co-founder... Read The Postmortal Summary

The Red Pony

by John Steinbeck

Publication year 1933

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Environment, Plants, Place, Fathers

Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age, Animals, American Literature, Historical Fiction

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck was published in installments from 1933 to 1936, as a novella in 1937, and in a short story collection, The Long Valley, in 1945. Steinbeck drew upon his experience living in the Salinas Valley. The four stories that make up The Red Pony are considered works of classic literature and bildungsroman, or coming-of-age stories. Steinbeck also wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film adaptation of The Red Pony, and... Read The Red Pony Summary

The Refugees

by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Family, War, Aging

Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Trauma & Abuse, Vietnam War, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, World History

The Refugees is a 2017 collection of short stories by celebrated Vietnamese American author, Viet Thanh Nguyen. Nguyen has written fiction, academic nonfiction, and children’s books, and his novel The Sympathizer won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016. Nguyen received his doctorate in English at the University of California Berkeley, and he currently is a literature professor at the University of Southern California. Nguyen’s scholarship and literary works focus on the experiences of Vietnamese communities in... Read The Refugees Summary