It turns out that teaching writing is almost as fun as writing itself—sometimes even more so. Especially when your class consists of eighty Writers of a Certain Age who are there because they want to be (Makes a nice change from teaching middle schoolers back in the day. Folks on Zoom can’t vandalize my car). And the places we go with prompts! When olders are encouraged to write freely, and mix imagination with a lifetime of experience, mind-blowing writing ensues.
This new class is called “Writing Boldly.” I’m teaching it for Secure Senior Connections, where I previously taught “Thee and Me Could Write a Bad Romance.” I am gearing up to offer those and more directly to you. Can’t wait!
So, all that is fun. What hasn’t been fun are the side effects of the newest vaccinations for COVID and influenza. Much better than the alternative, and definitely a First World Problem. But still.
Meanwhile I continue to be amazed by the proliferation of Crone Culture. My wish is that every woman reading this newsletter joins in by reading and writing vivid stories. Right now, I’m devouring Killers of a Certain Age, which is worth checking out just for the title. I’m sending off questions to the publicist for an interview, including whether author Deanna Raybourn was inspired by An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, another book about the blessings of invisibility for assassins. Bad Sisters isn’t quite our age range, but a great show. Give them a decade and you can just picture those characters joining the older assassin contingent. Really, there is so much going on for and about us. I’ve yet to see Diane Keaton’s new movie, Mack and Rita, but definitely on the list, along with Hacks.
All this is inspiring. The folks at Old School Clearinghouse, the organization founded by Ashton Applewhite (author of This Chair Rocks), told me they keep adjusting the criteria for inclusion on their resource list because there is so much more to choose from than when they started. I believe it. I set up the resources on my website a few years ago, and it’s ready for a major upgrade. There is more to review and include every day (and just a reminder to please send your favorite books, movies, podcasts and shows to me at stella [@] stellafosse.com —thanks very much!).
On the networking front, in addition to meeting with the Old School folks, I’ve been talking with Mary Labrie, who hosts the Australian podcast Women of a Certain Age (she’s @woacertainage on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). Mary makes all kinds of electronic trouble, including her dramatic radio and podcast series Girls Night Out. Look for an upcoming guest post from Mary, and I’m scheduled to appear on her podcast soon.
I’m also working on the money chapter for the retirement book I’m writing with Dr. Steevie Jane Parks. We Women of a Certain Age have a huge range of financial situations. But given the vagaries of wage discrimination, earning years interrupted by caretaking, and the earlier effects of ageism on women’s careers, many of us are struggling. I’m reading Fifty-Five, Underemployed, and Faking Normal by Elizabeth White and learning a lot about the choices people make so their lives will work. To learn more, I’ll attend a symposium hosted by WISER (Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement) at the end of September. The retirement book that Steevie and I are writing will have a positive focus, but it won’t shy away from the realities that many of us face in creating our best years.
I’m more convinced than ever that the key to living well is supporting one another through writing and reading our vivid tales, through advocating for policies that enable women as well as men to enjoy this marvelous time of life. I wish for you, dear Reader, the luxury of time to ponder where your creative dreams lie, and to pursue them right now, today, while the sun shines and the leaves begin to fall. Enjoy the miraculous Now.
All the best,
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