Modern Good Reads discussion

Hi, Dianne. I'm glad that I found this group and your discussion as well. It will be great to find out what's happening in Boomer Lit. Of course, I am a Boomer. I am also an author and am working on my own piece of Boomer Lit right now. I'm going to check our Goodby Emily by Michael Murphy now. Look forward to listening in...

Here's ny Amazon review of a Boomer story that I read last year: "A Place of Forgetting" by Carolyn Rose: Took a "Look Inside" and bought this book from Amazon.com for my ereader. Knowing that the story began in New York's Catskill Mountains during 1960's -- the time and near location where I grew up as a teen -- the first page piqued my interest. Love, war, relationships and self-awareness all ring true in this early Vietnam Era story as Elizabeth Roark searches to find her way in the world. Kudos to Carolyn J. Rose for a novel that gets to the heart of the intrepidation felt by young adults facing the unknown. Her story is well-written and overflowing with fresh metaphors. Readers will relate to a cast of characters whose fears, tears, laughter and longings are timeless! Bette A. Stevens, Maine

I totally agree, Dianne. For me "Boomer Lit" puts a clear and positive tag on a genre that has so many potential readers looking for books 'they' can relate to.

I published my first novel, When Least Expected, at the end of October 2012. (My previous writings live only in my laptop.) Classification was a problem for me; I decided to call it women's contemporary fiction. It is, in fact, boomer lit, a term I had yet to encounter.

I am on the leading edge of the boomer generation and I write about what I know best. And what I know best is not growing old, bad health, or sitting on my front porch in a rocking chair. It is about active, intelligent women who are making major life changes. Those changes range from retirement to widowhood to divorce to new careers to new adventures.

The boomer generation has had a massive physical impact on our society from the day they were born. Their emotional impact was first felt in the 60s. Their earnings and investment impact came with their adult working years. Their future care needs will eventually have monstrous impact on our health and financial systems, the results of which remain unseen at this time.

It is the perfect time for this new genre to emerge on the reading scene, and I now write knowing what my genre is. I am participating in the monthly boomer lit group read and am intrigued by the variety of subjects and styles that fit into this new classification.

Incidentally, you don't have to be a boomer to enjoy boomer lit, any more than you have to be YA or NA to enjoy reading those books.

I found this group through the Boomer Lit group, so I'm excited to see what other boomer books are available. I write boomer lit myself, although I didn't know there was a specific genre for it. I love the definition that it's all about coming of age, although I concentrate more on the "you're never too old to have fun" aspect of it. I consider myself a champion of the "newly-old," helping other boomers to face complex issues with humor. It's a cause I can really get behind.

This is the first I've heard of Boomer Lit - but now I gotta check out some of these works!

Excellent, Dianne. Tweeted with hashtags.

I think one of the reasons for the dearth of Boomer Lit is that many of us in the Boomer Generation aren't yet clear-headed enough to share what we think of our experiences.

I just read what could be considered a "classic" Boomer Lit novel by one of the major authors of the 20th century David Lodge. It's called Therapy and I reviewed it in a blog post,explaining how it ties in with Boomer Lit although it was published a while ago (in 1995. Here's the link: http://claudenougat.blogspot.it/2013/...

The book recounts the sad-and-funny experiences of a successful fifty-something TV sitcom writer whose wife of many years suddenly abandons him. A must read!

Therapy

Dianne wrote: "I just finished a book that I think is one of the more charming books I've read in a long time. It's by Lord David Prosser and recounts a gentle tale of time in a small village. The humor is wicked..."

Thanks Dianne, will look it up!

Me, too!

I just read the excerpt they have for My Barsetshire Diary... I couldn't stop cracking up!

I just finished Helen Simoson's contemporary fiction novel MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND. A thought-provoking read for Boomers and beyond!

I'm working on my first short story (5,000 words) for the YA/Adult audience. PURE TRASH, The Story is about one day in the life of a poor boy in rural New England in 1955. Is there anyone who would like to read a pdf before it goes to print? If so, you can email me at bettestevens@tds.net

Thanks, Dianne. I'm new at navigating, but will try to find it.

Bette wrote: "Thanks, Dianne. I'm new at navigating, but will try to find it."

Bette, you can find it in the home page directory. Post at the top has full instructions for posting a R4R. Thanks.

Thanks, again. I found R4R and will wait until my story is released to post. Appreciate the support and discussion from this great group!

Thank you Dianne! Yes let us never forget the price paid by so many for so little reward and recognition. Stop and give a buck, because it will help a man and make you feel better!

Boomer lit is so a much better title than hen lit or worse still, hag lit.

I, too, find myself vacillating on my opinion of the best definition. Boomer Lit has been defined in the Boomer Lit group here on Goodreads as dealing with the changes of dealing with the move into another stage of life. Some have suggested it should, instead, be defined as stories about the boomer generation, those born from 1946 to 1964. Which should it be? Can it be both? The question still remains unanswered for me.

As Diane mentions in her post above, the themes of "wife leaving husband" and "pivotal reunions" do tend to be often used. Yet, those same themes are real life. Do we not all know someone who fits into this scenario? Are those themes overused? Perhaps. So, another question remains unanswered for me.

Did YA and NA adult go through such a definition challenge when they first appeared as genre literature? Is it a matter of growth pains associated with the development of a new genre? Or is this an example of one more enigma of the boomer generation?

Boomer lit...a misplaced idea of maybe a menopausal event? I do think the term 'Boomer Lit' should be placed into the age segment of 46-65. We all have different attitudes and experiences developed by the time we hit the grey hair. So to suggest it is about 'Crones' or the changing of life must realise these happening miss many of us. If you lived in a era of austerity you have surely be affected by living conditions, so your Boomer Lit places different demands on your reader. I see many on Goodreads be absolutely focused on one epoch, Nazi, others on the rise and fall of Vietnam. I read book of "Coming of Age" set in the fifties and 'Conspiracy theories of the sixties. All fall into the Boomer group. But many of this people are reading History, or Romance, reading 'War & Peace or Jane Austen. Do we have to label everything? I think it becomes a small curse of the writer, he being labelled, he is being put into a category he may not want to be in. Many of the so called 'Chick Lit' could also be Boomer Lit, or Crone Lit or just a great Love story. By labelling you create a class of books that is not in the best interest of the writer. I am a ornery old guy, I write about the dirty wars of my era, it would be boomer lit. On a recent trip to Syria I read a book, the author, Giok Ping Ang warned me to be Chick Lit, I was fascinated by the precept of the story, Yes it was a romance, well written with heart and soul. It was maybe filed under Chick lit, but I found it a refreshing story and will read it again. I may not have picked it up because of the label, I picked it because I consider the Author a loyal friend, one I have never met. My thought is lose the sub-labels, they confuse the reader and may have them back off!

Many of us go through different phases, not necessary age related. In my limited experience(my own life) many bigger changes take place because of health reasons. Ask any cancer survivor. I change, was forced to change my life because I transitioned through different societies. Europe, Africa, North America, Central America. Every time I had to adjust my life to different conditions, from finding companionship to new cuisine. This may sound silly, I remember one time I had a craving for Trout, I was tormented in my dreams, finally I broke down and paid 300 Rand to have a frozen box delivered to Mombasa. The change of life or what is described as midlife crisis is more of a mental state than a actual debilitating curse.
I am from a different era, different living conditions, different experiences, all the things that form our personality. We use the midlife crisis as a psychological excuse, because we want some excuse to slow down, what is more convenient. Why do more teens commit suicide then 60 yr olds? Why do we think the heartbreak of a divorce is different from a 55year old woman than a 35 yr old? Why do we call some books Chick Lit, is it because we think men have no knowledge or need for romance? Let's all think for a moment, do we shortchange on generation or gender for the other?

Dianne wrote: "Beautifully put. Erich, I don't know if you're a writer, but if you are, I'd like to know of what!!!
Just finished what I would probably call a "boomer lit" book, although once again I am frustrate..."
Thanks Dianne for replying. I am a writer that has crossed different elements of life. Being what they call a Boomer...makes me laugh, the real boomers is a Kangaroo. I studies the so called midlife crisis from the point of men that still have passion, they are being put aside, out of the minds of living dreams.
Like I said I have roamed societies with the view if it does not kill me it will make me stronger. I played the games of wars in the dark corners of the world. But I always tried to have a little romance to ease the homecoming to a empty lair. I carried a gun in one hand and loved a woman with the other. I read chick lit, because it still makes me long for the charm. I write thrillers because they too need some romance in the pages. Yes, I travelled on Savage Roads when others retired, but being a 'Boomer' does not put you in the ranks of the invalid and useless old. I write under Erich Penhoff!

I've been reading a number of articles about Boomer Lit. It seems that some authors are taking up the charge to get Boomer Lit recognized as a general genre, with other genres under it as sub-genres, such as Horror, Mystery, Romance. I understand why, if you are a Boomer Lit author, one would want the category to be accepted as a head genre, but it doesn't make sense to me. Boomer Lit refers to an age group, whether it's character ages that Baby Boomers can relate to, or story lines from a generation period described as the Baby Boomer generation. Considering that, it would not make sense to sublimate the age group of the story characters into the overall genre designation if it's, say, a horror story. Horror is already a genre, so Boomer Lit would be the sub-genre, not the genre heading with Horror as the sub-genre. I don't understand the authors that want to turn that around. It's already widely held that YA is not a recognized genre, but instead a sub-genre. The same goes with the new NA. The same should be held for BL.

Never heard of "boomer lit". As a librarian (by day) I'll have to incorporate it into my list of subdivisions. As an author, when I wrote a book about growing up in the 50s and 60s (it was published last year) I thought I was writing literary fiction or perhaps women's fiction. I guess I can add "boomer lit" as a category!

Christopher wrote: "I've been reading a number of articles about Boomer Lit. It seems that some authors are taking up the charge to get Boomer Lit recognized as a general genre, with other genres under it as sub-genre..."

Christopher, I think this just reflects the desperate marketing attempts in the publishing world, especially if you understand how Amazon works. Authors who find a category or a sub genre with few competitors can sell a few books then claim their book is an Amazon Bestseller, #4 in Boomer Lit...it's a marketing ploy.

Dianne wrote: "Welcome to each and every one of you!
So what is "boomer lit"? Whether you're a boomer or not, you're probably well aware of the impact of the Vietnam War, Woodstock and an attitude of rebellion th..."

Hi Dianne, as you define it so well in your first post, do you not think that maybe the boomer genre only applies to a US market? The Vietnam war, Woodstock etc. Be interested to know your thoughts

I'd be interested to see what people class as 'Boomer' too. After all, the Second World War and Vietnam War changed the lives of people in many countries.

I don't fit into that generation myself, but my father fought in the early days of the Vietnam War (and I actually won a national history competition for my writing about it!). But I'm Australian, and my father was in the Australian Army...

I definitely think it's a time period people have been ignoring and ignoring and ignoring when it comes to books. I know my father's commander from Vietnam (who is a lot older than he is) is considering writing a book, but I suspect it's not going to be fiction. I'd love for more people to write about this era.

I still don't really understand what sets boomers apart. And though we are all human, cultural differences do set us apart. We didn't have a Kent State and our 60s cultural revolution was very much overstated, though you can argue that the swing to the Right in British politics in the 80s was a reaction to the 60s.

Best book I ever read on Vietnam was


The Things They Carried

What sets Boomers apart from our parents is the Depression, World War II, and the early stages of the cold war. Our parents' generation was extremely unified by the war, and though many of them would deny this, their political policies and lifestyles display this unity. Those Presidents who had served in action always turned to government control during bad economic times. I remember when President Nixon froze prices, just as President Roosevelt did. It was not until President Carter and Alfred Kahn that deregulation of industry began, first in the transportation industry. At one time all airfares were set by the government, and we had this huge communications monolith called AT&T.

As children our haircuts were semi-military and unconsciously this was considered patriotic. I remember how vehemently that generation reacted to long hair. It is understandable. That generation faced some of the most evil authoritarianism ever created on our planet, and only by standing solidly together did they defeat it. They had political differences, liberal and conservative, but they never talked of splitting up the US, for they faced an enemies who intended to do just that.

I just read Stan's thoughtful post above. I agree that the depression & WWII of our parents' time shaped the lives of the first wave of boomers. In my memoir, which is the book that lives only inside my laptop, I reflect on who I am. I was shaped not only by family and others around me, but also by those who came long before. There is so much of our environment beyond our control. Yet we are in control of where we take this person we have become. Life is about choices. If we seek to understand ourselves, and the 'why' of ourselves, we can all become better people. That is important not only because of today's world, but because we leave our own imprint of future generations.

Dianne wrote: "I think my parents' generation was defined by the WWII and I also think a lot of that generation held that time as the time when they were most alive. Think the same may be true for those of us for..."

I think the generation of today will be defined by the internet. passive experiences through a computer screen, less restraint when hiding behind the relative anonymity of an online persona, different ways of 'learning; and absorbing information.

People who were 10 on 9/11 are in their early twenties now. Security measures will define some of their thinking.

Tragedy + Time = Comedy. That could be why we haven't written these books yet, we need time for more perspective. Problem is, we could run out of said necessity before we do the writing! I saw a movie a few years ago, I think it was called Boynton Beach Club? about aging boomers, but they were more like my mother's generation, and I wondered where have these people BEEN? They knew nothing, or at least nothing that I know from living thru the decades since 1965. And BTW, I don't know how we're defined, but my kids and I almost fit together into the boomer generation! I was born in 1946 and my first kid was born 1965!

Anyhow, I'm writing down all the recommendations here, hoping to find some relevance.