Sharnik, Barbara, 2007 February 24

Part of Collection

Call Number: RU 1055, Series Accession 2008-A-001

Scope and Contents

Barbara Sharnick describes her childhood interactions with her mother and grandparents, drawing upon the role of her congressionalist faith on her childhood and concept of family. She speaks from a New Haven nursing home. She illustrates a typical day there, in which she often has most of the day free to reflect, write short stories, and spend time with other residents. She shares anecdotes about marriage and sacrifice, family and obligations, and her relationships with other residents. She talks about aspects of the nursing home that enhance and detract from her vision of a home. She compares her relaxed, reflective time as a nursing home resident with her active experiences as a young woman studying journalism, working in government and advertising, traveling around the country and parts of Europe, and raising a family with her late husband, John. She describes shifts she's noticed throughout her lifetime in social relations, including interactions between the young and old and those between children and their parents. She draws upon her past and current experiences and those of others in her reflections. She talks about her visions of an ideal nursing home, a group home of several elderly residents with home medical care and an active living arrangement in which they could help each other by paying bills and cooking together, among other things.

Interviewer: Serrano, Jose

Dates

2007 February 24

Conditions Governing Access

As a preservation measure, original materials may not be used. Digital access copies must be provided for use. Contact Manuscripts and Archives at mssa.assist@yale.edu to request access