The Poetic Life Narratives of Midlife and Older Bisexual Adults: Struggle,Survival,and Healing in Three Acts

Abstract

Empirical discourses surrounding bisexuality often focus on challenges and disparities. This analysis identifies counternarratives of coping and survival among 21 midlife and older bisexual individuals. Findings are presented in three found poems followed by interpretations within participants’ life experiences. Each poem depicts an “act” of life, separating narratives into three stages of meaning-making. Act I: The Struggle captures early-to midlife experiences fraught with confusion, isolation, mental health challenges, and interpersonal conflict. In Act II: Coping and Survival Looks Like…participants reflect on strengths, skills, and relationships they used to confront significant challenges. Act III: Healing Bisexual Futures presents reflections on what bisexuality means to participants in later life and how they envision their futures. This streamlined version of complex and messy life histories represents an agentive story-telling process in which participants seek meaning and cohesion in narrating their lives. Creative methodologies are well-suited to capturing this narrative nuance and poignance.

Keywords

life course narrative analysis creative methods coping queer LGBTQ

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