Organizers

I’m a pan-curious essayist and podcaster working out what to do with my “one wild and precious life.” I’ve long been involved with Crow’s Feet as a podcaster and essaying. At 72, I started chronicling the unavoidable journey of aging through my own research and experiences. From that blossomed Living in The 4th Quarter on Substack, exploring the shift from doing to being and the courage, resilience, and curiosity that got us this far. We are at the forefront of recognizing the value of lifelong knowledge. The writers, podcasters, influencers, and authors who have led this paradigm shift in aging are the true Exemplars of Aging.

For five years I’ve been writing about all aspects of aging in a weekly Substack newsletter, The EndGame, and last year I published a book, The AfterWork: Finding Fulfilling Alternatives to Retirement. In that time, I’ve been shocked by our culture’s low expectations for older adults. Our society equates productivity with value and sees those outside the workforce as unproductive, therefore worthless. I feel compelled to correct this perception. The Exemplars of Aging project shines a spotlight on older adults who continue to lead creative, meaningful lives, defying the low expectations with which we are held and, hopefully, opening minds to the myriad possibilities older lives can have.

After writing about vibrant older women for the past decade, a mastectomy tanked the launch of my latest book. The one bright spot: Rock On: Power, Sex and Money after Sixty was nominated for an Advantages of Aging award in Britain. I had the time of my life at the London ceremony. The A of A Awards recognize creative excellence in fiction, nonfiction, podcasts, and more. Two women, Suzanne Noble and Rose Rouse, made those awards happen. I’m thrilled that here in the U.S., a team of us came together to start the Exemplars of Aging Awards. The vivid culture of older Americans deserves to be celebrated.