Raquel Medina – Författare

This collection examines representations of Spanish queer aging through investigations of literary and cinematic representations of this demographic, offering a showcase for research on communities often made invisible due to age and sexual identity in Spanish culture with wider implications for queer aging studies research.The volume builds on theoretical foundations established by queer aging studies scholars and the ways in which queer aging differs from heterosexual aging, examining negative topics that arise in literature and film (such as the AIDS crisis, the silencing of queer aging individuals, and social stigmas against this group), in addition to positive topics (like the creation of communities and spaces for queer aging characters). Chapters are structured in conversation with one another about key themes in depictions of queer aging in Spanish culture. Several chapters examine such topics as the aging body, stereotypes and discrimination, old age tropes, and queer invisibility, while others highlight positive representations in exploring the importance of the connection to home, family, and community spaces for queer communities. The collection represents a critical step in future work on queer aging to take future research beyond the Spanish context to extend to new geographic and disciplinary borders.This book will be of interest to scholars in aging studies, gerontology studies, queer theory, health humanities, and Spanish literature and culture.

Contrary to very well-known mainstream films, the films discussed do not focus on the negative aspects normally associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but on the importance of portraying the perspective of the persons living with Alzheimer’s and their personhood.

Across more than 30 chapters spanning migration, queerness, and climate change, this handbook captures how the interdisciplinary and intersectional endeavor of Age(ing) studies has shaped contemporary literary and film studies. In the early 21st century, the literary study of age and ageing in its cultural context has ‘come of age’: it has come to supplement and challenge a public discourse on ageing seen mainly as a political and demographic ‘problem’ in many countries of the world. Following a tripartite structure, it looks first at literary and film genres and how they have been shaped by knowledge about age and ageing, incorporating both narrative genres as well as poetry, drama and imagery. The second section includes chapters on key themes and concepts in Age(ing) Studies with examples from film and literature. The third section brings together case studies focussing on individual artists, national traditions and global ageing. Containing original contributions by pioneers in the field as well as new scholars from across the globe, it brings together current scholarship on ageing in literary and film studies, and offers new directions and perspectives.