Oldster-ish Stuff I've Been Reading, Listening To, Watching...
Some fun and thought-provoking links for you.
(I’d accidentally sent this with a wrong link, and also only sent it to some subscribers, so here it is again.)
Led by my fascination with what it means to pass through time in a human body, I tend to read, watch, and listen to an awful lot of Oldster-ish content (or which at least has Oldster-ish elements to it). Now and then I’ll pass some of it along to you.
What makes something qualify as Oldster-ish, you ask? It either highlights or calls into question what it means to be a particular age. Or, it’s nostalgic for any age group’s heyday.
Here are links to articles, fiction, podcasts, and videos I’ve recently enjoyed:
“My mother told me if I didn’t marry by 25, I would end up ‘on the shelf.’ Still single at 36, I’m learning to appreciate the view.” Don’t miss Shubnam Khan’s moving New York Times Modern Love essay.
“Dancing Through New York in a Summer of Joy and Grief” byCarina de Valle Schorske in the New York Times Magazine.“I turned 33, then 34, and my body seemed to grow old without bringing my spirit along with it.”
Danse Redécouverte: Inner Ballerinas Rediscovered Speaking of dancing…here’s video of a troupe of older women in North Carolina reclaiming dance for themselves in their later years. (A 42-year in-law of mine is the baby of the group!)
“The Silver Era of Andie MacDowell” In The Zoe Report, journalist/novelist Lauren Mechling profiles the actress—who plays mother to her real-life daughter Margaret Qualley in the new Netflix series, “Maid”, based on Stephanie Land’s wonderful memoir by the same name.
“Tina Bell: Unsung Goddess of Grunge” A podcast about Tina Bell, the Black, late front-woman of 80s and 90s seminal grunge band Bam Bam, whose influence on Nirvana and other Seattle bands has been sorely under-acknowledged.
“Alive in the 90s” Speaking of 90s bands, Gen X-ers with nostalgia for the 90s music scene might enjoy this newsletter from my fellow ex-Longreads writer/editor Aaron Gilbreath.
“Geezer Punk Set to Be the Next Big Thing” If you laughed when you noticed that Bam Bam link in bullet #4 took you to the website for Buttocks Productions, you might also enjoy this vintage satire by Kevin Mandel in Vol. 1 Brooklyn, whose cast of characters includes a band called “Sweetfart.”
“Help! I Couldn’t Stop Writing Fake ‘Dear Prudence’ Letters That Got Published” What happens when a novelist in the young adult category grows too old to relate to his audience? “As the sun set on my twinkhood, the teenage characters in my unfinished drafts had become suspiciously middle-aged in their preoccupations…” - Bennett Madison, in the new iteration of Gawker.
Everything is Fine, a podcast for women over 40 co-hosted by Kim France and Jennifer Romolini, never fails to be eye-opening and fun (including the episodes where they skip booking a guest and just chat with each other).
“Darkness on the Edge of Cougartown” an oldie but goodie by Sarah Peters Miller in The Cut. I’m a complete Sarah Peters Miller stan. (For those even older than me, “stan” is a mashup of “stalker” and “fan.”) Everything she writes is smart, funny, and moving. I greedily read everything she publishes, where ever she publishes it. Check out her newsletter, The Real Sarah Miller.