Live slow, die old and leave a Botoxed corpse.

(No. 96) What I'm reading and watching about aging this week, by Stephen P. Williams

It’s summer. How wonderful is that? Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

I end up reading and watching a lot of stuff during the making of Stephen’s People. Today I’d like to share some links to books, articles and videos related to aging that I think you’ll like. Please add your own ideas in the comments.

Trashed by your own family, in a public obituary. This is a train wreck. Is honesty the best policy? I believe so.

Two Old Bitches is a podcast by two amazing women, Idelisse Malavé, 74,  and Joanne Sandler, 71. This week I became only the second man in eight seasons to be invited on the show, where I was so happy to talk to them about aging men, the potential for intimate robot pals, yuk yuk, and plenty more. I listened to my episode the other afternoon while speed walking my telomeres into good health. I think you’ll enjoy it.

A lot of people I know struggle every week to catch up with their todo lists, let alone fulfill themselves by finishing their novel or studying some obscure Mandarin dialect. This article says getting stuff done is not about will power, but rather it’s about having the right digital or analog tools for the job.

The mercurial and naturally fascinating writer, Gay Walley, is an elegant maverick, and a true artist. Recently, she published a six volume collection of novels called Venus as She Ages that reveals a deep engagement with the world, seen from above. As she gets older (and more beautiful), the years only seem to enhance her creativity.

Here is an inspiring video from Ashton Applewhite, who is waging the good fight against ageism:

A chilling tail of technology gone wrong: their eyes won’t get software updates any more.

Check out the 25 counties in the US where people live the longest. Many are in Colorado. I was born in Denver, so does that mean I’m gonna be around for a long time?

A tweet from the always interesting radio host, Loui B. Free.

(((Louie b Free Ⓥ))) @louiebfree

"The body treats loneliness as a state of threat." -- Steve Cole, PhD, of the University of California Los Angeles, on how lonely older adults, otherwise free of risk factors, saw triple the dementia incidence.

Published in 2021, How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a provocative book that seems to advocate for the usefulness off violence, and the naïveté of nonviolence, to prevent global collapse from climate change. It’s got a great cover. I’m not into violence for change — yet — but I believe our environment is an important issue for older people to tackle, because anyone born before 1960 can see how we all consume so much more than we did in the 70s. All of this hoarding and waste was in the name of progress and economic growth, but looking around, I don’t believe we made the right choices.

Decades ago, Linda Hoover recorded an album with the guys who would soon become Steely Dan. Fifty years later, the album is released.

Just looking at food can inflame your gut.

How to age like a rebel. (Live conscientiously, die old, and leave a Botoxed corpse.)

My niece and her partner came down to the city from New England for a visit this weekend. Two of my kids joined us for a raucous, hilarious meal. There’s nothing like spending time with Gen Z and young millennials to open my eyes about new ways of seeing America, older people and the future. I wish I could have dinners like this once a week. These kids give me a lot of hope.

Speaking of hope, I hope you enjoy some of these recommendations. I’d love to hear your suggestions, and share them with the newsletter.

Meanwhile, check out Our Dark Secrets, the newsletter about the future of people, the planet and prosperity I’m writing with my friend Ty Montague. We’d love to have you join us.

Peace, Stephen