Ellyn A. Lem; Rutgers University Press, 2020

The 65-and-older population is growing rapidly, driven by the aging baby boomer generation. As this demographic grows, so do opportunities to portray older adults in film, literature and other cultural works. Lem, a professor of English in the College of General Studies, investigates how such portrayals have evolved over time, including those by older adults themselves. Lem’s book also draws from gerontology research and interviews with older adults to give readers a detailed picture of the struggles and pleasures of aging that go beyond stereotypical portrayals often found in popular culture.