An Absolute Beast of a Link Roundup
To occupy you this weekend...
I tend to read, watch, and listen to an awful lot of Oldster-adjacent content. Every other Friday I’ll pass some of it along to you in a link roundup like this one.
PS This monster roundup will probably be too long and digitally dense to show up in full in your email. Click on the title to read the whole thing on the web.
PPS I never raised to annual subscription price to $60 like I said I would after Oldster’s 2nd birthday. It’s still a very affordable $55, which helps me to pay contributors…
“I don’t do what I do for awards and accolades…This is not for me to win a cookie at the end.” - for The Gentlewoman, OG newsletter-er and Oldster Questionnaire-taker Ann Friedman profiles the singular Chaka Khan, who at 70, earlier this month was inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“He looked at me and said in his Matthew, half-joking, very loving way: ‘It’s something, isn’t it? God is a bunch of drunks together in a room.’” Sorry—I’m still sad about Matthew Perry’s passing, and moved by tributes to him. Actor Hank Azaria, whom Perry helped get sober, published this touching essay about that experience in the New York Times. And People has links to the sweet remembrances his Friends castmates posted.
“Fear of Flying, a book so sexually frank that you may have found it hidden in your mother’s underwear drawer, broke new ground in the explicitness of writing by and for women.” - in the New York Times, Jane Kamensky writes about the 50th anniversary of Erica Jong’s erotic novel, and how its notions of a true sexual revolution never quite came to pass.
“…85-year-old Diltz — who first picked up a camera 57 years ago — may be the earliest of the great rock photographers still living. He is certainly the oldest one still working.” - in the New York Times, Alex Pappademas profiles photographer Henry Diltz.
Writer Kevin Powell helms a special issue of African Voices celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, available in print or PDF form. (h/t
)
Cartoonist/essayist
has a great piece about growing in her gray in veteran beauty editor ’s excellent newsletter, .
Speaking of
(an early Oldster Questionnaire taker!), today has an interview with her in .Last Friday not only did I get to be the featured interview in Kim’s wonderful newsletter that I’ve been reading religiously for more than a decade, I got to have my photo next to Barbra Streisand’s.
And speaking of Barbra, last week I bought my sister the audio book of her new memoir, My Name is Barbra, which Barbra reads herself. Yesterday
told me it’s incredible and I must listen, so today I’m going to get it for myself!“More than at any other time in my life, I don’t have that voice that says, ‘You’re fucking up.’ That’s a tremendous blessing.” - the late Leonard Cohen in a New Yorker video, on being older, and preparing to die. (h/t The Marginalian.)
“Elders don’t retire. Neither do artists. For Elders, this time of life is the busiest. You have to be there for your community.” - in The Walrus, Cathrin Bradbury writes “The End of Retirement.”
“The Old Lady project is an initiative to encourage the development of plays and musicals that feature significant roles for female identifying characters over 50, a demographic that is mostly unseen in mainstream media.” - Women stage and screenwriters 50 and over, here’s a contest for you:
“…as I watched, I couldn’t help but think that there was something pretty radical about a show that represents older people as still wanting more from life—romantically, emotionally, sexually—without pandering to younger viewers or infantilizing its mature subjects.” - in the New Yorker, Noami Fry reviews The Golden Bachelor, the first episode of which I cried through at times.
A still from The Golden Bachelor. John Fleenor/Disney. “If we’re all cosplaying adulthood, who and where are the real adults?” - in The Cut/NYMag, parenting columnist
writes “Does Anyone Feel Like an Actual Adult?”“One day, about two years ago, I looked in the mirror and was shocked to discover that my once-fabulous tits had transmogrified into a bosom.” - in the Atlantic, novelist Xochitl Gonzales writes about how she “wasn’t ready for the ‘Doña Body,’” and got a breast reduction. PS I highly recommend Gonzales’ novel, Olga Dies Dreaming.
“Every week Raquel and Madeleine, two friends born 67 years
apart, spend time together. Madeleine refuses to leave her
retirement home, but Raquel finds a way to bring her on a road trip.” - in the New York Times, “The Wisdom of Living in the Present, According to My
107-Year-Old Best Friend,” a beautiful, animated “op-doc” about an intergenerational friendship by Raquel Sancinetti.If you missed the navigating-an-unconventional-midlife “Ask Us Anything” event I did last Friday in
notes with poet, memoirist, “For Dear Life” newsletter-er, and Oldster Magazine Questionnaire taker , you can still check out the chat here.🚨It’s time for the monthly Oldster Top 10 by Modern Sounds radio host Cliff Chenfeld:
Welcome to the Oldster Top 10, where Modern Sounds radio host Cliff Chenfeld has combed through lots of songs out there to find some wonderful new tracks from artists that you may or may not have heard of. It’s hard to find great new music amongst the tonnage, but Chenfeld is here to make music discovery much easier for you. You can find all of these songs on the Modern Sounds playlist. Enjoy!
Ilsey – No California – Grammy nominated songwriter’s debut album channels Natalie Merchant and Stevie Nicks with help from Bon Iver and others.
Flyte – Even on Bad Days – You gotta find the joy, even on the bad days says this eminently listenable, warm British group that makes perfect Sunday morning music.
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – Crooked Tree – Grammy nominated contemporary bluegrass artist is back with an energetic beauty.
Goose – Hungersite – Surprisingly catchy song from the biggest new jam band in years
Julie Byrne – The Greater Wings – Ethereal, lush, beautiful song from her fabulous new album.
Jeff Rosenstock – Future is Dumb – If you were looking for a loud, rocking, over the top song about our current challenging state, buckle up, this is it.
Dawn Richard – Babe Ruth – Eclectic artist who skirts with hip hop, electropop and even some second line New Orleans touches them all on her new single.
Lazy Eyes – Fuzz Jam – Funky groovy psych-rock from Australia.
WhoMadeWho – Silence and Secrets – Electronic Danish pop trio stir with hugely satisfying song over clean, modern sonic production.
Becky G w/Peso Pluma – Chanel – Latino crossover star back with a fresh new song.
Bonus track: Sylvie – Further Down The Road –This seems like it travelled directly to us from late 60s/early 70s Laurel Canyon/Tapestry heyday.
That’s all I’ve got. Have a great weekend, everyone!
-Sari
SO much great stuff! Thanks for taking the time to do this every week, Sari :)
Wonderfully eclectic round up. I love The Old Lady Project especially after watching two brilliant actresses over 60 in Nyad.