TAKING NEXT STEPS - GERONTOLOGICAL EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND THE LITERARY IMAGINATION

This article interprets two literary works - both about old women who have suffered strokes and are near death - and argues that literature can make essential contributions to gerontological research and education by developing sensitivity to theory, empathic understanding, and self-awareness. This article examines these fictional accounts against two theoretical perspectives - the political economy of aging and theories of personal meaning - and encourages epistemological experimentation.