The assumptions that come with aging are at the heart of Andrea Carlisle’s new book, There Was an Old Woman.
“Every person ages differently and so does every generation. So much of what we think we know about old age comes to us with bias,” writes Carlisle. “The book questions this bias, which we now have a name for: ageism.”
Carlisle will read from her book of essays as the featured author at Pendleton Center for the Arts’ First Draft Writers’ Series this evening, Feb. 15. The event begins at 7:00 pm. and is available to join in person at PCA or via Zoom. First Draft is always free to attend in either format.
In There Was an Old Woman, Carlisle questions our assumptions about old age itself and what our own old age means or will mean. But the book is not a diatribe. It’s an invitation to look into where the assumptions come from and what they do to us if we accept them.
“I explore what old age is actually turning out to be for me and for others I know. We’ve been led astray by images, especially of the old woman, in art, literature, children’s stories, movies, television dramas and comedies,” Carlisle notes. “The theme I return to over and over is the gap between what those images and stories tell us about growing older versus what actually happens. What is the truth about old age and what falsehoods about it do we need to reject?
The topic will be of interest to younger audiences too.
“My error as a younger person was to hear the conversations of my mother and grandmother through a filter that limited their humanity,” the author notes.
Personal essays are a facet of writing that can be more accessible to audience members who might struggle with poetry. Because they give a very close-up view of a life and the questions raised in that life, personal essays can challenge and expand our thinking. They can provide comfort, wit and compassion with regard to a range of topics. They bring a fresh point of view, insight, and hopefully a depth of understanding on subjects the writer has had a chance to explore, while the reader may not have had the time to do the same.
After the featured author and a discussion about the craft of writing, audience members, both in person and via Zoom, will have an opportunity to read from their own original 3-5 minute works during Open Mic.
More information is available by calling 541-278-9201 or online at PendletonArts.org.
