Journeys of Life: Engaging the Work of Thomas R. Cole

Trained as a cultural historian, Thomas R. Cole is one of the most influential scholars of his generation, with his work moving beyond and impacting many other fields and disciplines. His work includes The Journey of Life: A Cultural History of Aging in America, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Cole also published No Color Is My Kind: The Life of Eldrewey Stearns and the Integration of Houston, creating along with the book an accompanying film, The Strange Demise of Jim Crow, which was nominated for a regional Emmy and a National Humanities Medal. Cole created a number of other films as well. In all of his work, there is an emphasis on religion, spirituality, and moral meaning. Cole is also a Jewish spiritual director, and this work has become a major focus for him in retirement. This edited volume engages or responds to Cole’s work, which spans cultural history, oral history, aging studies, film, medical humanities, religious studies, and more. As such, this book is not about Cole per se, but the impact of his ideas and subsequent inspirations.

Nathan Carlin is the director of the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). Carlin holds the Samuel Karff Chair and the rank of professor. He has published nine previous books, including (with Donald Capps) Living in Limbo: Life in the Midst of Uncertainty.

Kate de Medeiros is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. She has authored or co-authored over fifty peer-reviewed journal articles, four books, and eighteen book chapters and also serves as editor or associate editor for four journals.