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 educat ion by developing sensitivity to theory, empathic understanding, and s elf-awareness. This article examines these fictional accounts against two theoretical perspectives - the political economy of aging and theo ries of personal meaning - and encourages epistemological experimentat ion.