"Since Mentor, Telemachus' advisor in Homer's 'Odyssey', gave name to the figure of the 'wise teacher', fictional representations of mentoring have permeated different classic and contemporary cultural texts of different literary genres such as fiction, poetry, and life writing. The contributions of this volume analyse this narrative of mentorship that offers a mirror and also a narrative practice through which ageist views of later life (and also of youth) may be undermined, while it at the same time enables a study of questions relevant to wisdom in old age."--Page 4 of printed paper wrapper.

(from table of contents)Introduction : Of wisdom, growth, and gratitude / Núria Casado-Gual, Emma Domínguez-Rué, Maricel Oró-Piqueras -- Rediscovering ageing through narratives of Mentorship. Getting Old, Dreaming Youth: Notes about Fanny Burney / Maria Socorro Suárez-Lafuente -- I may be retired--however, I am still a very busy man / Marta Miquel-Baldellou -- Rumi, Sufi Spirituality and the Teacher-Disciple Relationship in Elif Shafak's "The Forty Rules of Love" / Billy Gray -- Saviors and Survivors / Margaret Morganroth Gullette -- Literary Mentors for Life / Núria Casado-Gual -- The Many Functions of Furniture / Roberta Maierhofer -- Experience as Mentor in Helping to Deal with Old Age / Susan Ballyn -- "One must take it as it comes" / Aagje Swinnen, Hanne Laceulle -- Toledo / Jeffrey Skoblow -- Lessons Learnt: CollAge for Maria and Brian. Of Trees and Fire / Antoni Cuadrado-Fernández -- Embodied Legacies of Mentoring and Role Models / Josephine Dolan -- Mentorship as a Lifelong Experience / Ander Errasti, Cristina Astier -- Reflections on Academic Generations and the Possibilities of Mentorship / Sarah Falcus -- All that Remains / Carme Farré Vidal -- On Listening to the 'Music for two Pianos' / John Kinsella -- Maria And Brian--Our Parental Figures in the World of Academia / Núria Mina, Ieva Stončikaitė -- Connecting People through Brian and Maria--No Limits / Elena Urdaneta -- To Feel Part of a Dream / Núria Casado Gual -- Let's have tea in "La Torre": Mentoring through Affection / Maricel Oró-Piqueras -- Your Child of Sorts--A Tribute to Maria & Brian / Emma Domínguez-Rué -- Notes. Notes on Editors -- Notes on Contributors.