Rake, drunkard, aesthete, gossip, raconteur extraordinaire: the narrator of Bohumil Hrabal’s rambling, rambunctious masterpiece Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age is all these and more. Speaking to a group of sunbathing women who remind him of lovers past, this elderly roué tells the story of his life—or at least unburdens himself of a lifetime’s worth of stories. Thus we learn of amatory conquests (and humiliations), of scandals both private and public, of military adventures and domestic feuds, of what things were like “in the days of the monarchy” and how they’ve changed since. As the book tumbles restlessly forward, and the comic tone takes on darker shadings, we realize we are listening to a man talking as much out of desperation as from exuberance. Hrabal, one of the great Czech writers of the twentieth century, as well as an inveterate haunter of Prague’s pubs and football stadiums, developed a unique method which he termed “palavering,” whereby characters gab and soliloquize with abandon. Part drunken boast, part soul-rending confession, part metaphysical poem on the nature of love and time, this astonishing novel (which unfolds in a single monumental sentence) shows why he has earned the admiration of such writers as Milan Kundera, John Banville, and Louise Erdrich.

This book takes its point of departure from the overwhelming interest in theories of the body and performativity in sociology and cultural studies in recent years. It explores a variety of ways of looking at dance as a social and artistic (bodily) practice as a means of generating insights into the politics of identity and difference as they are situated and traced through representations of the body and bodily practices. These issues are addressed through a series of case studies.

Offering an introduction to the main themes and issues that have emerged in the study of the body over recent years, Helen Thomas illustrates the complex relationships that exist between the body, society and everyday life.

This is the first volume devoted to the topic of dance and quality of life. Thirty-one chapters illuminate dance in relation to singular and overlapping themes of nature, philosophy, spirituality, religion, life span, learning, love, family, teaching, creativity, ability, socio-cultural identity, politics and change, sex and gender, wellbeing, and more. With contributions from a multi-generational group of artists, community workers, educators, philosophers, researchers, students and health professionals, this volume presents a thoughtful, expansive-yet-focused, and nuanced discussion of dance’s contribution to human life. The volume will interest dance specialists, quality of life researchers, and anyone interested in exploring dance’s contribution to quality of living and being.

Love in the Third Age is set in the beautiful present-day Willunga Basin of South Australia at a time in Bruce River’s life when his youthful vitality has drained from his body, and all he is left with is the memory. An overweight, divorced, out-of-love, aged care worker, Bruce is about to turn sixty and coming face-to-face with the burning question—to do or to decline? Bruce’s life is presented as a roller coaster ride of battles with a bad back, impotence, and diminishing career prospects, while at the same time telling the comic stories of his online love life and his nearest and bitterest. Some of his friends are in their third age and going through similar confronting experiences. His clients and mother are in their fourth age and having a tough time. His much younger ex-girlfriend hasn’t even thought about getting older and is bent on revenge against him and won’t take any prisoners. Other characters are equally challenged by aging, but flying brilliantly above the mess. At times, Bruce is torn apart as he must witness the struggles of those aging before his very eyes. He is gripped by the writing on his own wall, battered and bruised by a cunning woman scorned, yet determined to find a way through the rest of his life that will bring purpose, dignity, lasting love and some kind of inner peace. If you’re approaching, experiencing, or even worn down by aging, Love in the Third Age may just turn all that around and give you many moving and funny moments to laugh at both on your own and with others.