Our Picks

As the aging population grows, so does the plentiful stream of writing, film, Internet, data, audio, and other resources about being and becoming older. Here are a few of our favorites on topics we have explored in our programs:

Places We Call Home & the Impact on Healthy Aging

Please enjoy the following resources as part of our inquiry into the 2023-2024 season topic of, Exploring Healthy Aging in the Places We Call Home: From a Piece of Nature to Our Bodies…

Head Turners: Architect Susanne Stadler Designs for a New Age, by Jessica Ritz
In this featured article, an architect and interior designer talks to Shondaland about how her principles of inclusive design address housing’s long-ignored challenges.

Aging in Place: Growing Older at Home, by the National Institute on Aging
A resource guide on how to age in place with specifics on planning ahead, support suggestions, common concerns, and expected costs.

Our Stories Connect Us to Place and People, by McKalee Steen & WeRNative
An article about how a common thread uniting many of our stories is that they are often connected to a specific place; and, how we can bring a fresh perspective to storytelling – one that connects us all to the land and each other.

A Sand County Almanac:  The Land Ethic, by Aldo Leopold
Published in 1949 as the finale to A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold’s “Land Ethic” essay is a call for moral responsibility to the natural world. At its core, the idea of a land ethic is simply caring: about people, about land, and about strengthening the relationships between them.

Stewarding the land for family and nature: The Spraggins family land ethic, by Tina Shaw
An article published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service featuring an Illinois family stewarding the land for enjoyment and nature.

Writing Prompts for Grandparents: Share Intergenerational Tales, by Debbie Hall & CreativeWriting-Prompts.com
For many, land & specific places hold special connections to memories. Hear more about this in our At Home, On Air conversation with Mistinguette Smith.  And find your own inspiration through these engaging writing prompts for grandparents and grandchildren … grab⁤ a pen, rekindle that storytelling spirit, and embark on ⁢a magical journey ⁣of intergenerational ⁢tales together.

Cladoptosis Is Healthy, by Candiece Milford
Cladoptosis is an annual dropping of twigs or branches. In this article, published by the Modern Elder Academy, Candiece shares, “When we let go of what’s no longer serving us, we create spaciousness in our lives to nourish what we really want (or need) to cultivate.”

Good genes are nice, but joy is better, by Liz Mineo
A Harvard Gazette article highlighting a longitudinal study by Harvard, which has proved that embracing community helps us live longer and be happier.

A Dry, Gin Martini, by Susanne Stadler
A narrative, published by the Modern Elder Academy, about the importance of being out in the world as we age for the simple joys and connectedness we find all around us.

The Land We Share, by Steve Meyer and Christine Cunningham
A remarkable collection of 60 essays, published in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Geographic. The two authors delve into how hunting on public lands nurtures the human spirit, sustains physical health, and deepens appreciation for the natural world.

Connecting to Our Land is Connecting to Our Culture, by McKalee Steen & WeRNative
An article explaining how we are all connected with our surroundings in a relationship that goes back thousands of years – one where we take care of the land, and the land takes care of us.

Publications recommended by Hood Design Studio, by a variety of authors including Walter Hood
A collection of books, essays and articles highlighting landscape design. Some of the selections place a special focus on diversity, inclusion and resilience within the context of place.

The Human-Animal Bond & Healthy Aging

Please enjoy the following resources as part of our inquiry into the health benefits of human-animal relationships, a topic we explored at ‘Creature Comforts’ the 4th annual agein…

Our Symphony with Animals, by Aysha Akhtar, M.D.
A deeply affecting book that sheds light on how far animals will go to help us, and how much better we need to treat them in return.

Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live, by Allen M. Schoen, D.V.M., M.S.
A book sharing the vision for a society in which we cease to be owner and pet, human and animal, but are simply respected companions connected by an inimitable bond–Kindred Spirits.

The Soul of All Living Creatures: What Animals Can Teach Us About Being Human, by Vint Virga, D.V.M.
A veterinarian and veterinary behaviorist delves into the inner lives of animals and explores the relationships we forge with them.

Made For Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond, by Meg Daley Olmert
A novel showing the roots of the age-old bond between humans & animals and its great importance to our well-being.

Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and Their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives, by Jane Miller
A testimony to the transformative benefits of the human-animal bond for our wounded minds and hearts. 

Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health,by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, M.D. and Kathryn Bowers
A revelatory depiction of what animals can teach us about the human body and mind, exploring how animal and human commonality can be used to diagnose, treat, and heal patients of all species.

Life on All Fours, by David Fredrickson
A love story framed by loss and narrated by one whose four paws are firmly on the ground … two stories but one shared journey—a dog and a man, and the hearts they touch along the way.

The Physical & Emotional Work of being at Home with Growing Older

When Life Throws You Curveballs, Embrace the ‘New Normal,’  by Jane Brody
A brief but powerful essay about one’s approach to life, including one’s older life.

When Things Go Missing, by Kathryn Schulz
A longer, contemplative essay about loss.

Overflow, by Calvin Trillin
Brief and humorous, witty break from heavier aging matters.

Aging 2.0, from Metlife in conjunction with Louis Tenenbaum
A general guide to aging in place.

Lifelong Housing Certification Checklist, from Oregon Lifelong Housing
A checklist that you can use to ensure your home will work for you in the long term.

Fall Risk Assessment Tool, from Johns Hopkins University
A resource to ensure safety in homes, hospitals and other spaces.

And check out our monthly newsletter, Something to Write Home About, with additional stories & resources sent straight to your inbox!

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