What to Read, Watch, and Listen to this Weekend...

Some Oldster-adjacent content, special for you. PLUS: "The Oldster Top 10," Cliff Chenfeld's monthly playlist of new songs for old ears.👂

Cherry Pie, 1962, Roy Lichtenstein.

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.

While I have you…The advertiser- and venture-capital-funded approaches to media have failed and contributed to the demise of most legacy publications and outlets. They got all of us accustomed to never paying for content we consume, while deep-pocketed corporations and investors bought the power to determine what was presented to us. It turned out that wasn’t sustainable. Fortunately, the reader-supported approach is working. Support with your dollars the publications you’d like to see survive.

Now through my 60th birthday on October 2nd, save 10% off Oldster’s already low subscription rates of $55/year and $6/month. After that, prices go up to (the still pretty reasonable rate of) $60/year and $7/month. Thanks to all who already support my work there! 🙏 I’m grateful.

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• RIP: 1. British actor Terrence Stamp, who died last week at 87 (Ronald Bergan, The Guardian); 2. What’s Happening star Danielle Spencer, who died at 60 (Sopan Deb, The New York Times); WKRP in Cincinnati star Loni Anderson, who died “days before her 80th birthday.” (Christopher Weber, AP News)

  

  Left to right: Terrence Stamp, Danielle Spencer, Loni Anderson. All Photos via Getty Images.

• “For people over a certain age, it is hard to imagine pop culture without [Steve] Buscemi…” - the actor—now starring in Season 2 of Wednesday, launching on Netflix September 3rd—sits down with Austin Considine at The New York Times.

  

  Dave Benett/Getty Images

• I’m looking forward to watching My Mom, Jayne, Mariska Hargitay’s HBO Max documentary about her mom, Hollywood pinup Jayne Mansfield, who died when Hargitay was three.

• At Sixtysomething, Mel Harris Is Enjoying a New Phase - Julie Pfitzinger at NextAvenue. As a Thirtysomething superfan, I’ve been keeping up with the actress, (who played Hope Steadman) on Instagram. Hoping this classic late ‘80s/early ‘90s show will be streaming soon!

• That time in December 2023 when I got to interview another Thirtysomething star, Melanie Mayron (who played Melissa Steadman):

  Madwomen, Melissa, Millie, and More...

• The Secret to Aging Stronger (Not Smaller) - at Gentle Lifts, Estee Pierce talks with Emily Rogers “about friendship, body-like, and strength training as a strategy for aging.”

• Lectures on Tap - "Trump and the Fall of Republican Leadership" - my smart political scientist cousin, Dr. Seth Masket will be giving a talk at Caveat on Manhattan’s Lower East Side Monday, September 1 · 6:30 - 8:30pm EDT as part of this fun edutainment-at-a-bar series.

  

  Get tickets…

• John Fogerty on the Best and Most Misunderstood Music of His Career - in Vulture/NYMAg, the Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman, who today releases Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival years (John’s Version) breaks down some of his songs.

• Singer-songwriter, memoirist, newsletterer, and Oldster Questionnaire-taker Neko Case on Marc Maron’s wonderful (and waning) podcast:

• Aging Looks a Lot Like Living: Your face tells a story - Bobbi Brown

• "At My Big Age, Why Do I Care What Someone Thinks?" - at Big Undies, Roxane Gay takes Corinne Fay’s Style Questionnaire.

• What I Stopped Buying When I Stopped Buying Into Anti-Aging - Skylar Liberty Rose.

• The Look Book Goes to Senior Splash: Swimmers ages 62 and up did leg raises and flexed pool noodles during water-aerobics class in Spanish Harlem. - Jeremy Rellosa in Curbed/NYMag.

  nymag

  

  A post shared by @nymag

• My Guitars - Elissa Altman in The Bitter Southerner.

• How I Got Famous…and discovered the secret to success, fifty years later. - Joyce Maynard.

• Ron Howard has worked with everyone from Bette Davis to J.D. Vance. He has stories about all of them. - at Vulture/NYMag Bilge Ebiri profiles the 71-year-old actor/director.

  nymag

  

  A post shared by @nymag

• I’m 64, He’s 23 - Kathy Griffin.

• Many people pointed me to Griffin’s piece ^^^ after reading this one of mine:

  All the Young Dudes

• It Happened To Me: Oldster's Sari Botton Tried To Have A Fling. (An Update To Her Wildly Popular xoJane Experiment.) - Hey, look, it’s me, in Jane Pratt’s newsletter, Another Jane Pratt Thing. More on me and a younger dude.

• My Check Engine Light Came On - Dr. Dionne Mahaffey atIn Session with Dr. Dionne.

• Belated congratulations to my friend Laurie Gwen Shapiro on the publication, and rave reviews, of her biography, The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage that Made an American Icon. Brian already read and loved it. I’m next…

  

  Order the book…

• With her photobook, Midlife, art photographer Elinor Carucci presents a searingly personal view on aging and relationships. - Elizabeth Smith at Personal Work Journal.

• Incidentally, Elinor Carucci took The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire last year:

  This is (Almost) 53: Fine Art Photographer Elinor Carucci Responds to The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire

• What my top 5 pieces tell us about midlife women right now. - sam baker

• RIP AJLT: How Much Was Our Internalized Ageism To Blame? -MUTHR, FCKD

• A new start after 60: I read out my old diaries online – and my youthful secrets went viral - author and agent Betsy Lerner in The Guardian, on going viral on TikTok.

How about you? Got any recs? Books? Shows? Movies? Music? Plays? Podcasts? Art shows? Places to travel to? Restaurants? Remedies? What’s good?

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🚨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.)

Check out Cliff Chenfeld’s show on WLIW/All Arts

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!

1. Drugdealer w/Weyes Blood – Real Thing – Weyes Blood makes sublime music, she channels Carole King and other 70s stalwarts and has teamed with Drugdealer, another AM 70s aficionado to make this elegant, expressive track.

2. S.G. Goodman – Fire Sign – Emerging Americana fave has a touch of Lucinda Williams’ direct delivery and no-nonsense lyrics.

3. Role Model – Sally, When the Wine Runs Out – This tune has caught fire in part because of the many celebs who have danced to the song on stage with Role Model including Natalie Portman, Bowen Yang and Kate Hudson. The song itself is irresistible and a bit old school pop-rock a la Fountains of Wayne.

4. Hermanos Gutierrez w/Leon Bridges – Elegantly Wasted – Swiss Latin instrumental group known for its dramatic cinematic sound teams up with the always reliable and memorable Leon Bridges for one of the tastiest tracks of the summer.

5. Obongjayar – Not In Surrender – Nigerian singer based in UK brings the funk in this irresistible track.

6. Jon Batiste – Big Money – First track from his upcoming album is a rootsy, joyous romp that taps into his New Orleans core.

7. Barry Can’t Swim – Childhood – The breakout DJ who is now headlining festivals makes eclectic albums that go way beyond the 4 on the 4 floor beatfests that you might expect.

8. Phillip-Michael Scales – Something About You – It’s hard to keep track of all of the artists who are making sweet soul inspired music and Scales’ new song is one of the best.

9. Del Water Gap – How To Live – Vulnerable, searching, melodic track from indie pop artist who is assembling an impressive catalog.

10. Tame Impala – End Of Summer – Their 2015 album Currents is one of the best of the 21^st century and they are set to return with a new album and tour later this year. This sprawling first single suggests they are moving beyond traditional song structures.

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Hopefully all this will keep you occupied through the weekend. If you like what you’re reading here, please hit the ❤️ button to give Oldster a boost in the algorithm.

I’ve got a full slate of great new pieces for you next week, too…even though I’m about to go away. (That’s right, I wrote/edited/scheduled a bunch of stuff for you ahead of time.) Thanks as always for reading, for commenting thoughtfully, and for all your support! I really couldn’t do this without you. 🙏 💝

-Sari