THE GRAND GENERATION Memory, Mastery, Legacy

by Marjorie Hunt and Steven Zeitlin Hufford, Mary, Marjorie Hunt, Steven Zeitlin

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.

127 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Isaac Timm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shows the extent in which folk craft plays in lives, not only the older generation, but its influence in following generations. Our modern culture, our generation, is missing its ties to the past. In American we can't tear down our old things fast enough? Is American's past full of sunshine happy Disney memories? No, but by ignoring the good and the bad, we burying our heads in the sand.