- Hardcover: 351 pages
- Publisher: Thorndike Press; Lrg edition (June 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0786264969
- ISBN-13: 978-0786264964
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Booklist
Stereotypical images have portrayed black women as sexual objects in their youths and as nannies as they age. This collection of essays, fiction, and poems offers a variety of perspectives on black women in middle age (from their late 30s through their 50s) celebrating newfound freedom from pressure and the expectations placed on younger women. The 43 contributors, famous and obscure, include Nikki Giovanni, Alice Walker, Susan L. Taylor, Rita Dove, Terry McMillan, Gloria Naylor, Maya Angelou, and Pearl Cleage. These women explore the transition into middle age-- the emotional, psychological, professional, and physical changes--from career switches to widowhood to accepting childlessless. Sober essays warn of the rising incidences of sexually transmitted disease among the aging and the facts about the approach and onset of menopause. Poems and short stories evoke the renewed sense of self and sensuality in some women as they age. The collection is arranged in four sections: personal growth, health issues, relationships, and love. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Book Description
Finally, a collection that celebrates, considers, contemplates, even criticizes'midlife' from a black woman's point of view. Age Ain't Nothing but a Number ranges over every aspect of black women's lives: personal growth, family and friendship, love and sexuality, health, beauty, illness, spirituality, creativity, financial independence, work, and scores of other topics.
Midlife today isn't your grandmother's'change of life.' Today, black women call hot flashes 'power surges,' and menopause, the 'pause that refreshes.' These days, middle-aged women may be newlyweds or new mothers, as well as grandmothers or widows. They may experience the empty-nest syndrome and then the 'return-to-the-nest syndrome' as adult children move back home. They may navigate the field of Internet dating, travel the world, teach homeless women, take up pottery, or study international business.
This anthology captures all of these aspects of midlife as experienced by some of the finest voices in African-American writing today. Featuring the work of Maya Angelou, J. California Cooper, Pearl Cleage, Nikki Giovanni, Susan L. Taylor, Alice Walker, and dozens of others, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number will make readers think, laugh, and cry and will be the perfect gift book for spring. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Midlife today isn't your grandmother's'change of life.' Today, black women call hot flashes 'power surges,' and menopause, the 'pause that refreshes.' These days, middle-aged women may be newlyweds or new mothers, as well as grandmothers or widows. They may experience the empty-nest syndrome and then the 'return-to-the-nest syndrome' as adult children move back home. They may navigate the field of Internet dating, travel the world, teach homeless women, take up pottery, or study international business.
This anthology captures all of these aspects of midlife as experienced by some of the finest voices in African-American writing today. Featuring the work of Maya Angelou, J. California Cooper, Pearl Cleage, Nikki Giovanni, Susan L. Taylor, Alice Walker, and dozens of others, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number will make readers think, laugh, and cry and will be the perfect gift book for spring. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
feeling good about yourself!,
By Tia J Goldschlag (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Age Ain't Nothing but a Number: Black Women Explore Midlife (Paperback)
Brice's anthology - Age Ain't Nothing but a Number - is all about ways to feel good about oneself. Written from the Black Women's perspective -- an oft-whispered voice in the self-esteem arena -- this book creates a great sense of pride -- for all women -- about feeling good and feeling all the better in the process of aging. I found it very inspiring and insightful - but more so, truly a delight to read. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Midlife Time is the Right Time,
By
This review is from: Age Ain't Nothing but a Number: Black Women Explore Midlife (Paperback)
Editor Carleen Brice has put together a wonderful collection of stories and essays along with some poems for and about Black women in their "midlife". Midlife, in Brice's words at a recent book signing, can be defined not so much by age, as by the life experiences a woman has gained. For Brice, mid-life began for her in her late twenties when her mother became ill and died. At about the same time, she began to evaluate her relationships and aspirations. In this anthology, women who are well known such as Alice Walker, Pearl Cleage, J. California Cooper and Nikki Giovanni and others not so well known, write about a period in their lives that define midlife in all of its joys and tribulations. Gloria Wade Gayles regales us with a tale of a middle-aged woman throwing out her inhibitions at a dance in "Who Says an Older Woman Shouldn't Dance". It is a commentary on how society in general feels about women who just don't care what others think. Lucille Clifton's well-known poem "New Bones" is a delight and fitting here. Elaine Lee tells of preparing her mother-and herself for death in "Full Circling". In "Homegirl Reunion", Joan Hopewell-Hartgens questions why her friends would throw a reunion for their childhood friends who are turning fifty that particular year. She almost backs out of the reunion but decides to go and basks in the seasoned womanhood they have attained. There are excerpts from "The Women of Brewster Place "by Gloria Naylor and "A Day Late and a Dollar Short" by Terry McMillan. And remembering that getting older oftentimes means getting better as far as sexuality is concerned , Opal Palmer Adisa adds sassiness with her poem "Gray Pussy Hair". Amazing! This collection proves that as women grow older, they can grow with grace and wisdom despite the issues encountered. This is a delightful compilation that will make a great gift for any woman, young or old. Dera Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Age Ain't Nothing Nut A Number,
By
This review is from: Age Ain't Nothing but a Number: Black Women Explore Midlife (Paperback)
I really enjoyed this collection of writings by now middle aged African-American women, Nikki Giovanni, Susan Taylor,J. California Cooper, Plearl Cleage, Maya Angelou, April Sinclair and many more not so famous sisters, but excellent writers with wonderful stories to tell. Not about their bouts with hot flashes, but just about life and the changes in it. It's like sitting with friends and listening to their stories, I really enjoyed it!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Health, Mind & Body > Personal Health > Aging
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics > United States
- Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Criticism & Theory
- Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > United States
- Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > Classics
- Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > History & Criticism
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
