The Women Who Came Before Us

Video from last year's International Women's Day reading in collaboration with Revel (RIP!). Featuring Abigail Thomas, Naz Riahi, Emily Rubin, and Blaise Allysen Kearsley.

Readers,

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and this month is Women’s History Month, and let me tell you, neither is nearly a sufficient amount of time to give air to 51% of the population—especially at a time when, globally, the clock is being turned back on our basic rights and bodily autonomy.

I mostly ignore these made-up designations. But last year Oldster collaborated with Nina Lorez Collins—then proprietor of Revel, a great platform for women over 40 that a few months ago closed—on an an essay series called “The Women Who Came Before Us,” and virtual reading on International Women’s Day 2022. Here I share with you video from that wonderful event.

Four great writers were featured. Each had written a piece for the series that you can revisit via the links below:

• Abigail Thomas wrote “Nobody Sat in Big Mom’s Chair”

• Naz Riahi wrote “The Unobliged Woman”

• Emily Rubin wrote “My Mother and Chanel No. 5 Turn 100”

• Blaise Allysen Kearsley wrote “A Jet All The Way”

They all read and talked about their essays during our virtual event, which you can watch here:

I hope you enjoy the essays and the video. I hope they inspire you to honor the women in your life, and the women who came before us, and to fight for women’s rights—not just this month, but always.

And, hey, maybe you’d like to contribute to an abortion fund, or to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, or the Black Mamas Matter Alliance or Madre, or any number of organizations that fight for women’s equality and rights, and to end violence against us.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

-Sari