Stories to connect, stories for life review, stories to heal, stories to provide or elicit information, stories to live by. This issue of Generations examines the power of people's stories in personal and professional life. Paying attention to these stories can change the way we think about aging--our own and that of others--and can change the way we work with older people. The authors show how the tools of literature and the humanities can be used to enhance understanding, communication, and practice in the field of aging.