Research Catalog

Title

Unexpectedly eighty : and other adaptations / Judith Viorst ; illustrated by Laura Gibson.

Author

Viorst, Judith

Publication

New York : Free Press, 2010.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Additional Authors

Gibson, Laura.

Description

xii, 63 p. : ill.; 20 cm.

Summary

"What does it mean to be eighty? In her wise and playful poems, Judith Viorst discusses marriage, friendship, grandparenthood, and all the particular marvels--and otherwise--of this extraordinary decade. She describes the wonder of seeing the world with new eyes--not because of revelation but because of a successful cataract operation. She promises not to gently fade way, and not to drive after daylight's faded away either. She explains how she's gotten to be a 'three-desserts' grandmother ('Just don't tell your mom!'), shares how memory failures can keep you married, and enumerates her hopes for the afterlife (which she doesn't believe in, but if it does exist, her sister-in-law better not be there with her)"--Cover, p. 2.

Subject

Aging > Poetry

Genre/Form

Poetry

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

I. Eightyish -- One hallmark of maturity is having the capacity to hold two opposing ideas in your head at once -- Driving at night -- Been there, done that -- Up here in Maine -- What to talk about -- Ruth June -- Seeing is disbelieving -- Insurance, eternity, John Quincy Adams, polar bears, lab tests, and so forth -- House of cards -- Fifty years later -- II. Eightier -- How I know I'm old -- Missing -- Revelation? -- Delia and Max -- Stopping by my mirror on a sunny morning -- Among my grandchildren -- Thinking about great sex -- Washington dinner party -- Easier -- III. Exceedingly eighty -- Exceedingly eighty -- How to stay married -- I don't intend to gently fade away -- An afterlife -- Here at the restaurant -- It's not too late to give up being cheap -- Just because I'm elderly doesn't mean you can talk to me in elderspeak -- E-mail is a wonderful way to stay in touch with the children -- After giving the matter a great deal of thought -- Status report.

ISBN

• 9781439190296
• 1439190291

LCCN

^^2010004199

OCLC

• 503308200
• SCSB-11326733

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library