An old man lies dying. Propped up in his living room and surrounded by his children and grandchildren, George Washington Crosby drifts in and out of consciousness, back to the wonder and pain of his impoverished childhood in Maine. As the clock repairer’s time winds down, his memories intertwine with those of his father, an epileptic, itinerant peddler and his grandfather, a Methodist preacher beset by madness. Harding’s novel won the Pulitzer Prize and was named an American Library Association Notable Book.

The concept of old age has not been static throughout time. In this beautifully illustrated book, six authors explore how the best thinkers and artists of each historical epoch in the West have treated old age. They examine, too, the myths that have grown up around it and the images, both visual and verbal, that have been created to encapsulate that thing which we all shall become.

This rich anthology gathers poetry, short stories, and more. Authors include Anne Sexton, Kurt Vonnegut, Harold Pinter, Anton Chekhov, William Carlos Williams, Alice Walker, Philip Roth and more. Selections explore themes of identity, love, family, community and how aging changes our perceptions of each.

The middle-aged make up the biggest, richest, and most influential segment of the country, yet the history of middle age has remained largely untold. This book delightfully explores the history of the idea of “middle age,” including how its biological, psychological, and social definitions have shifted from one generation to the next.