What's Good
An Oldster Magazine Friday Link Roundup with plenty to read, watch, and listen to this weekend.

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. Fortunately, the reader-supported approach is working. Support with your dollars the publications you’d like to see survive.
Your paid subscriptions help me keep publishing Oldster Magazine, and paying contributors. Your support is greatly appreciated! - Sari Botton
RIP George Wendt, best known as “Norm” on Cheers (and also as Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis’ uncle), who died at 76 last week. - Anthony Hawyard in The Guardian.
I haven’t seen it yet, but my mom and dad both separately vouch for Nonnas on Netflix. Vince Vaughn plays a man who—while grieving his late Italian mother—decides to open a restaurant staffed with Italian nonnas. Based on a true story, with a great cast, including Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Linda Cardellini, Drea de Matteo, and others.
Speaking of that movie: At the Table With Lorraine Bracco of Nonnas - Randi Mazzella in Next Avenue.
Bruce Springsteen has released a live EP from the May 14th opening night of his “Land of Hope & Dreams” Tour in Manchester, England. It includes…certain remarks.
I very much enjoyed Larry Fink: Sensual Empathy, a show of the late photographer’s work curated by Oldster Questionnaire-taker Lucy Sante, currently on view at the Center for Photography Woodstock in Kingston, NY. I had the good fortune to work with Fink now and then years ago, when I was on the arts/nightlife beat at WWD and W.
Molly Jong-Fast Reflects on Her Mother’s Dementia and the Fleeting Nature of Fame - in Vanity Fair, an excerpt of How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter’s Memoir
Robert Forster, the surviving member of ‘80s Australian band The Go-Betweens, released a new record on the Tapete label last week called Strawberries. Here’s a video of the title track, which Forster performs with his wife Karin Bäumler.
At Yahoo! Life, Jenn Romolini’s got a new beauty advice column for women over 40 called “Face Time.”
The memoir entries in Oldster contributor Kim France’s Girls of a Certain Age newsletter are very much worth the price of admission.
“One Fifth is where I realized that, in America, charm is more important than ability.” - at NYMag/Grub Street, an excerpt of restaurateur Keith McNally’s memoir, I Regret Almost Everything. I haven’t read the book yet, but I got it for my uncle for his birthday, and he’s been loving it.
How to Look at Art - a new New York Magazine newsletter you can sign up for, from Oldster Questionnaire-taker art critic Jerry Saltz.
What I Learned When I Went Back to My Old Therapist - Kera Bolonik in The New York Times/Well
Her parents died 9 days apart, but Sarah Silverman gets the last laugh in 'PostMortem' - Terri Gross at NPR/Fresh Air. I look forward to watching Silverman’s new Netflix special.
“Jill Sobule, the acclaimed singer-songwriter who died tragically on May 1 in a house fire in Minneapolis at the age of 66, will be remembered with a series of Jillith Fair—Loving Jill Sobule tribute shows across the U.S. throughout the rest of the year.” - at Parade, Craig Rosen reports on “Jillith Fair.”
What a treat to catch Oldster Magazine Questionnaire Live guest ROSIE ODONNELL on an episode of And Just Like That. (Season 3 began last night.)
“Earlybirds, a roving dance party that ends as most nightclubs are opening, caters to women who have things to do in the morning — and need dancing more than ever.” In The New York Times/Style, Maggie Bullock writes, “Party Till the Break of 10pm”
Counterpoint, from MUTHR, FCKD, aka Vivian Manning-Schaffel, here at Oldster last fall:
Have you checked out Jessica Nordell’s interview with me, which I cross-posted yesterday? She somehow got me to crystallize my thoughts about Oldster Magazine and aspects of aging in a way I hadn’t before.
And I loved Maria Mendoza’s illustration of me that accompanied the piece.
NYC friends, come to Book Club Bar in the East Village Monday, June 9th at 8pm to hear this conversation on "writing midlife" that Ramona At Midlife filmmaker Brooke Berman has put together. Moderated by Orange is the New Black star Alysia Reiner, featuring Joanna Hershon, Hillary Jordan, Carolita Johnson, Zibby Owens and me. Be sure to RSVP if you’re coming!
How about you? Got any recs? Also: HOW ARE YOU? What’s getting you through this trying time?
Okay, that’s enough Oldster-adjacent content to keep us all occupied for a few days. If you like what you’re reading here, please hit the ❤️ button to give Oldster a boost in the algorithm.
Thanks as always for reading, for commenting thoughtfully, and for all your support! I absolutely couldn’t do this without you. 🙏 💝
-Sari














Loved your own oldster interview :) Loved Nonnas, too. What the heck...I usually love everything you post! Happy Friday!
Enjoy reading Oldster! Me, 69 years young. What is getting through this trying time, avoiding the news, and reading all the humorous posts on Substack.