http://hdl.handle.net/2451/28144 papers in progress Search the Channel search http://archive.nyu.edu/simple-search http://hdl.handle.net/2451/31346 Title: Sweet Old things and Dirty Old Men: The Vices and Virtues of Old Age inMuriel Spark's Memnto Mori<br/><br/>England, Suzanne; Rust, Martha<br/><br/>Abstract: Inspired by William F. May&rsquo;s writings on the vices and virtues ofthe elderly we offer our reflections on his ideas as they are revealedby Muriel Spark&rsquo;s novel, Memento Mori.. May argues that exemptingthe old from moral criticism positions them as &ldquo;moralnonentities&rdquo; and relieves the old, their caretakers, and societyof moral responsibility. We, the coauthors of this paper, are from twodifferent disciplines, namely Renaissance and medieval literature(Martha Rust), and social work and critical gerontology (SuzanneEngland). We offer our individual readings of the ways the novelillustrates May&rsquo;s ideas, and conclude with our thoughts about howour collaboration opened up space in our own thinking and for continuingcross-disciplinary dialogue.<br/><br/>Description: Paper presented at Theorizing Age, Maastricht, ND, Oct. 4, 2011 http://hdl.handle.net/2451/31535 Title: Sweet Old Things and Dirty Old Men: The Vices and Virtues of Old Age inMuriel Spark's Memento Mori<br/><br/>England, Suzanne; Rust, Martha<br/><br/>Abstract: Through the lens of Muriel Spark&rsquo;s dark comedic novel, MementoMori, this paper explores questions of morality, mortality, and themoral choices and performances in old age and in the systems and placesof care. Spark&rsquo;s elderly characters are complex moralactors&mdash;some virtuous and some decidedly not&mdash;who have beenreceiving mysterious phone calls telling them simply, &ldquo;Rememberyou must die.&rdquo; We, the co-authors, are from two differentdisciplines, namely Renaissance and medieval literature, and social workand critical gerontology. Among the questions that interest us is theparadox of a master narrative that on the one hand exempts the old frommoral criticism yet holds them to a higher moralstandard&mdash;essentially positioning them as moral nonentities, andrelieving the old, their caretakers, and society of moralresponsibility. Another is the question of whether moral agency in oldage has distinctive aspects, and whether consciousness of one&rsquo;simpending mortality effects moral reasoning and performance. In thispaper we offer our individual readings of the ways the novel opens upconceptual space in aging theory, and conclude with our thoughts aboutwhat our collaboration suggests for continuing cross-disciplinary dialogue.<br/><br/>Description: Paper submitted to The Journal of Aging Studies March 27, 2012 http://hdl.handle.net/2451/28145 Title: Driving Miss Dasy: A Narrative Turn<br/><br/>England, Suzanne; Tosone, Carol