“I returned to the same respiratory therapist for my annual checkup. I told her that her words to me, ‘You look good for your age,’ had inspired a book. ‘Wow!’ she said. ‘You wrote a whole book about that?’ ‘Twenty-nine kick-ass writers wrote it,’ I said. She gave me a thumbs up.” From the Preface
This is a book about women and ageism. There are twenty-nine contributing writers, ranging in age from their forties to their nineties. Through essays, short stories, and poetry, they share their distinct opinions, impressions, and speculations on aging and ageism and their own growth as people. In these thoughtful, fierce, and funny works, the writers show their belief in women and the aging process.
Contributors: Rona Altrows, Debbie Bateman, Moni Brar, Maureen Bush, Sharon Butala, Jane Cawthorne, Joan Crate, Dora Dueck, Cecelia Frey, Ariel Gordon, Elizabeth Greene, Vivian Hansen, Joyce Harries, Elizabeth Haynes, Paula E. Kirman, Joy Kogawa, Laurie MacFayden, JoAnn McCaig, Wendy McGrath, E.D. Morin, Lisa Murphy Lamb, Lorri Neilsen Glenn, Olyn Ozbick, Roberta Rees, Julie Sedivy, Madelaine Shaw-Wong, Anne Sorbie, Aritha van Herk, Laura Wershler
xi Preface
xv Acknowledgements
Insight
3 The Fixable (Nonfiction), SHARON BUTALA
13 Fearing (Nonfiction), ARIEL GORDON
25 Who Counts the Years? (Nonfiction), MAUREEN BUSH
29 Intent to Forgive (Nonfiction), JOY KOGAWA
33 A barn swallow relative to objects and places (Poetry), WENDY MCGRATH
35 the petals in me (Poetry), LAURIE MACFAYDEN
Elders
39 Listen (Fiction), ANNE SORBIE
47 Back to the Garden (Nonfiction), ELIZABETH HAYNES
55 Upriver (Nonfiction), ROBERTA REES
73 Help Fund Pam’s Vital Medical Procedure (Fiction), OLYN OZBICK
93 Sundowning (Fiction), DEBBIE BATEMAN
107 Perfect Purple Rose (Poetry), ELIZABETH GREENE
Body
113 you will be amazed (Poetry), LAURIE MACFAYDEN
115 Mastery of the Instrument (Nonfiction), JOANN MCCAIG
127 Body Composition (Nonfiction), WENDY MCGRATH
133 The Roxy Project (Fiction), CECELIA FREY
145 Rarification (Nonfiction), VIVIAN HANSEN
Love
155 The Art of the Scarf (Fiction), DEBBIE BATEMAN
171 She Will Drive (Fiction), LISA MURPHY LAMB
189 One More Minute (Poetry), JOAN CRATE
191 The Shave (Fiction), RONA ALTROWS
Timelines
201 Telescoping (Nonfiction), JULIE SEDIVY
211 Rajiana (Poetry), MONI BRAR
215 Aging in Three-Year Increments (Nonfiction), LAURA WERSHLER
227 Lilly’s Funeral (Fiction), MADELAINE SHAW-WONG
237 How I Got Old (Nonfiction), DORA DUECK
245 Adult Tween (Nonfiction), PAULA E. KIRMAN
253 Shuffle (Nonfiction), JANE CAWTHORNE
257 She shops at the Sally Ann and Value Village (Poetry), JOAN CRATE
Enough!
261 Part of the Furniture (Nonfiction), ARITHA VAN HERK
271 Kissing Kismet Goodbye (Poetry), MONI BRAR
273 Lookin’ Back (Nonfiction), LORRI NEILSEN GLENN
277 Well Preserved (Nonfiction), E. D. MORIN
281 One More Word (Poetry), JOYCE HARRIES
285 Notes
287 Contributors
