The Every-Other-Friday(ish) Link Roundup
Some Oldster-adjacent brain candy to occupy you this final May weekend. PLUS: "The Oldster Top 10," Cliff Chenfeld's monthly playlist of new songs.
I tend to read, watch, and listen to a lot of Oldster-adjacent content. Every other Friday I’ll pass some of it along to you in a Link Roundup like this one. If you like what you’re reading here, please hit the ❤️ button to give Oldster a boost in the algorithm.
A tremendous amount of work goes into publishing Oldster—mine, and that of my contributors. Paid subscriptions keep Oldster going, and allow me to keep paying essayists and interviewers. Thanks to all who support my work here! 🙏
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Sonny Rollins, Jazz’s ‘Saxophone Colossus,’ Dies at 95 in Woodstock - John Barry in The Overlook.
Requiem for a Brilliant Artist: On Tony Stella - In Crimereads, Michael A. Gonzales looks back at the life and career of the artist and movie poster icon.
Wallace Shawn Isn’t Ready to Die - greta rainbow in Interview.
As I mentioned yesterday, I really loved The Christophers, featuring a cross-generational pairing of two greats, Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel. (Thanks for the rec, Chris Wells.)
The Derns Turned Cannes Into a Family Hang - Olivia Craighead in The Cut/NYMag.
With Shows Like ‘The Boroughs,’ TV Is Having a Senior Moment - Alexis Soloski in The New York Times. P.S. We watched The Boroughs on Netflix this week. It’s kind of like Stranger Things meets Cocoon—sci-fi-weird, dark, and funny, with enjoyable performances by Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Bill Pullman, Denis O’Hare, and others.
I’m so excited for Grantchester season 11, dropping on PBS Masterpiece on June 14th.
Joan Baez is Wiser Than Me - Julia Louis-Dreyfus interviews the folk icon and activist on her wonderful podcast/newsletter.
Now through June 14th at the Skylight Theater in L.A.: the late Henry Ong’s Ascent, about “the real-life triumphs and tribulations of Qian Xuesen (Trieu Tran), a young Chinese engineer who pursued the American dream and, in the process, made major contributions to the nation’s aerospace industry and this country’s security.”
Getting in and Out of Cars - Daniel Lavery on working at a senior center. In Mikala Jamison’s Body Type.
“Everything Feels Boundaryless,” Part I and Part II: Jane Ratcliffe’s two-part interview with poet megan falley about her grief in the wake of her wife Andrea Gibson’s recent passing.
ROSIE ODONNELL makes peace with her deep plane facelift, and I salute her. Let’s all choose whatever makes us feel best.
More men called Chris than women over 60 cast in lead roles - sam baker on a disturbing finding from an Age Without Limits poll.
My talented friend Deanna Kirk has a wonderful new record out, Ophelia’s Shoes.
A Prayer for Those Who Died for War: A Memorial Day Post - Sober Oldster Questionnaire taker Nadia Bolz-Weber in The Corners.
26 women in London spent over a decade building a community designed around friendship, proximity, and mutual support as they age - @livenearfriends on Instagram.
Summer Music: Hudson Valley: a summer concert guide + love letter to, quite possibly, the most vital live music region in America - my pal Will Hermes on the truly vibrant live music scene in the mid-Hudson Valley, where we both live.
Tomorrow, 5/30, the Upstate Photography Biennial opens at Center for Photography Woodstock (which is actually now located in midtown Kingston). It runs through September 6th.
Stop Saying These 12 Things About Aging—Especially to Yourself - Angela Haupt in Time.
This Florida Woman Was Responsible for Tupperware’s Success - Emilee Garber in Flamingo Magazine. (h/t Michael A. Gonzales)
‘I Hate All Photos of Myself And I Can’t Seem to Get Over It!’ - at Ask Polly Heather Havrilesky has some sound advice to a letter writer whom I relate to. (Back in April I wrote about how long it takes to come around to liking a photo of myself.)
Two new interesting classes from Five Things I’ve Learned: Writing a Memoir with Adam Gopnik Sunday, June 7th, and Messing With the Truth (In Order to Lie) Peter Orner. Use the discount code MEMOIRLAND10 to save ten dollars off the ticket price to each class—and now through July 1st, to any Five Things I’ve Learned class, including my own recent class, Five Things I’ve Learned about what Aging Means to Oldsters.
Sign up for Adam Gopnik’s and/or Peter Orner’s classes... Not Enough People Are Talking About Women’s “Third Act”—These Women Are Starting the Conversation - Christina Perrier in InStyle.
Why Don’t We Celebrate Getting Older? - Dana Boulos in The File.
What you learn when you sing to the dying, and what remains a mystery - Psyche.
How about you? Got any recs? Books? Shows? Movies? Music? Plays? Podcasts? Art shows? Places to travel to? Restaurants? Remedies? What’s good?
“I always enjoy the newsletter—but the playlist put it over the top for me! I have loved every song—and I want to support your work and your time.” - Karma Metzler Fitzgerald, paid subscriber.
🚨And now it’s time to put some new music into old ears. 👂 Here’s the monthly Oldster Top 10 by Modern Sounds radio host Cliff Chenfeld: (PS Last August, at Oldster’s 3rd birthday party I played the Modern Sounds playlist and everyone loved it. Several guests asked me to share the Spotify link.)
Welcome to the Oldster Top 10, where we listen to hundreds of new songs each month to find some wonderful new tracks from noteworthy artists who may not have caught your attention. It’s hard to find the great new music amongst the tonnage, but we are here to make music discovery much easier for you. You can find all of these songs on the Modern Sounds playlist on Spotify. Enjoy!
Suki Waterhouse – Tiny Raisin – She started as a British model and now makes upbeat pop music that feels a little cooler than much of what has broken through to a mass audience.
Rikas – Last Train To London – and…
Leisure – Let It All Out – When I was a boy obsessively listening to music in the last third of the previous century, I would not have thought that 45 years later, Toto would be more influential than the Clash, but here we are. The kids love Yacht Rock and are remaking it as their own. These two contemporary facsimiles are irresistible even if you thought Christopher Cross was too corny back in the day.
Stephen Sanchez – Sweet Love – Summer is not complete without a foot-tapping retro soul song to play in the backyard.
Yin Yin – Lecker Song – The very groovy band Khruangbin has spurred several trippy, mostly instrumental bands that provide tasty background music for nearly every setting at home. This Dutch outfit perfects that vibe.
Genesis Owusu – Stampede – Singer/rapper from Ghana delivers a stomper with a message.
Sean Solomon – Shooting Star – Striking debut album from singer-songwriter who goes very deep in Elliot Smith/Nick Drake mode but keeps the soundscape a little brighter.
Baby Rose – But, NVM – Soulful, cool singer whose voice would work in any era delivers simmering summer chill.
Aldous Harding/H. Hawkline – Venus in The Zinnia – The modern music ecosystem provides an opportunity for musicians to have consistent, solid careers without ever coming close to the mainstream. Aldous Harding has built a very consistent career with accessible, smart songs like this duet with Welsh singer H. Hawkline.
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas – It’s the biggest country song of the year and pretty good so you ought to check it out.
Hopefully there’s enough Oldster-adjacent content here to keep us all occupied through the weekend. If you like what you’re reading, please hit the ❤️ button to give Oldster a boost in the algorithm.
Thanks as always for reading and commenting thoughtfully, and for all your support! I sincerely couldn’t do this without you. 🙏 💝
-Sari
My husband thinks anything with science fiction attached to it is stupid. I locked his wheelchair wheels and made him watch Boroughs, he likes it. Go figure.
A half-hour well spent is one listening to the podcast "ill-advised by Bill Nighy." He redefines 'droll.' Answers listeners' questions on everything from dressing up to fly (he's in favor of it) to how to ask someone out. Each edition includes an eclectic playlist and 'Words that Should be Banned.' Fun.