ROBERT COLES

Old and on Their Own

Photographs by Alex Harris and Thomas Roma

"Old and on Their Own is a tribute to the strength of the human spirit and the will of elderly people to survive." — Washington Post

Long recognized for his work with young people, the prominent child psychiatrist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Coles explores the lives of the elderly in Old and on Their Own. Dr. Coles introduces us to eleven men and women over the age of 75 living on their own. These older Americans share their thoughts, memories, aspirations, and worries, and tell us what it means to be old. Their stories are full of humor and hope, told with courage and dignity.

The photographic essay by Alex Harris and Thomas Roma provides an important visual dimension to this book. Harris photographed in Durham, North Carolina, and Roma in his native Brooklyn. Whether rural or urban, black or white, rich or poor, these elderly people emerge as strong and inspiring individuals who deserve our respect and admiration, and who show us how to live our later years to the fullest.

"I have more ideas and plans now than I've ever had — last things to do before I take my last breath! The trouble is doing them all, even getting near to doing them all: that's the big challenge." — from Old and on Their Own
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Dr. Robert Coles has spent his life doing documentary work. He teaches at Duke University and the University of North Carolina and is the James Agee Professor of Social Ethics at Harvard University. Alex Harris is a photographer and professor at Duke University. Thomas Roma's work has been widely exhibited and published. He is professor of photography at the Columbia University School of Arts.

1999 / paperback / ISBN 0-393-31912-1 / 7" x 9" / 40 photographs / 192 pages / PHOTOGRAPHY