Aged Young Adults: Age Readings of Contemporary American Novels and FilmsPaperback, 15 May 2014

When Toula's father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding says to his daughter (age 30) "you look so old" or when Don DeLillo's protagonist (age 28) "feels old" in Cosmopolis, these young characters are attributed an age awareness that has received little attention in age studies so far. Leaving aside chronological or biological dimensions of age, this study approaches age as a metaphoric practice, suggesting that "feeling old" is not to be taken literally but metaphorically. The book examines the cultural meanings of age and aging and challenges often-quoted labels such as late-coming-of-age story or perpetual adolescence.