Duplex Planet

When David Greenberg graduated from art school he knew he wanted to work with the elderly--this book explains why. David asked his friends at the nursing home such questions as "Would you rather have a dizzy spell or stub your toe?"; "What is sleep?"; "Who is Frankenstein?"; "Why do people yell?"; "What is embarrassment?"; and "What can robots do?" He wrote down their odd, often unconnected answers and published them in his zine, Duplex Planet, from which he collected the extracts reprinted in this book. While at times it seems that sport is being made of the mental drift of the elderly, at other times the nursing home residents are shown to be sharp and witty, or sad and reflective. The book, which promises cheap laughs, actually delivers a variety of strong emotions, and at the same time offers a balanced portrayal of aging that doesn't shy away from its more frightening aspects.