Overview

Tales of creative, daring older women have existed for generations. An ancient Athabascan legend tells of two elderly women abandoned by their migrating tribe. Overcoming the terrors of starvation and death, the women survived by depending upon their learned but previously unused skills in hunting, fishing, and shelter-building. Like the legend, the stories in this book remind us: we tell our stories to make sense of our experiences and to point the way to others. This wonderful collection of first-person accounts will encourage you, regardless of age or gender, to think about how you want to live as you grow older. Fortunately, unlike the ancient Athabascans, we live in a time of longer lives and expanding opportunities for women although, obviously, many barriers persist. In this book, you'll see women of different races, classes, and sexual orientations face various challenges and choices as they age. A loving daughter recounts how her mother moved beyond a ""bare and unadorned"" Mississippi upbringing. A California Chicana counters her mother's denial of her Mexican heritage. A bisexual polyamorist rejects a life like her mother's. There are (relatively) young elders - the writer/teacher/poet grappling with her legacy - and older ones - the nonagenarian New Englander investing (monetarily) in the future. And there are women who refuse to succumb to disabilities - like the retired history professor, with rheumatoid arthritis, now writing poetry. All are embracing new adventures and changing what it means to be an ""older woman.""

Full Product Details

9781587904547

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Reviews

You're Doing What? is an inspirational and insightful call to action to its readers. These stories are certain to encourage women - and men - of all ages to view aging as an opportunity to act on long deferred or never before-imagined dreams. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee How refreshing it is to sample a collection of essays by women of a certain age who ignored biases and barriers that discriminate against women, gave themselves permission to climb steep mountains, tore up the rulebook of tradition, and launched their own search for adventure, discovery, and meaning. Their stories are as unique as each of these women. - Eleanor Coppola, filmmaker, writer, artist Marjorie Lasky's book is a revelation, an entertaining read and perfect retort to all who wrongly assume that age renders women useless and incapable. These thoughtful, frank, and inspiring essays by older women show how human spirit can transcend age as they take on new challenges and adventures head-on and full of heart. - Helen Zia, former Executive Editor of Ms. magazine and author of the forthcoming book Last Boat out of Shanghai Being a man who believes women, on average, have more skills than men in the areas that count the most for growing older - intimacy, deep friendship, networking, caring for - I look to women to help define our way forward, just as I have done since the sixties in pursuit of gender equity in family life as well as in the workplace. The kids are grown, work is a memory, where to from here? This book provides poignant stories containing the kind of deep wisdom we need to live out our elder journey, together. - Terry A. Kupers, M.D., psychiatrist and author of Revisioning Men's Lives and Solitary: The Inside Story of Supermax Isolation and How We Can Abolish It To have a 'shout out' for the women over a 'certain age' and how these women reflect their energies, their 'smarts' and their most valuable experiences, is like pushing the 'positive button' for US ALL! Being able to jump up and down with our creative energies and being able to express ourselves is a gift, hopefully to those that follow us! - Inez Storer, painter and mixed-media artist You're Doing What? busts the prevalent myth that growing older means slowing down and retiring to a rocking chair on some musty porch. These women show that re-inventing oneself is a continual option, even well into those 'twilight years.' Pick this book up to motivate you, at any age, to live life to the fullest. - Dale Griffiths Stamos, playwright, screenwriter, teacher and co-author of RenWomen: What Modern Renaissance Women Have to Teach Us About Living Rich, Fulfilling Lives Many women of 'a certain age' tell me that, no longer young, they feel invisible in our culture. So, here in You're Doing What? Marjorie Lasky has assembled sixty-plus women who command their visibility. Lasky writes that these are 'stories by older women' - older than what, I have to ask? Younger than springtime! - Alan Myerson, film/TV director, teacher, poet I plan to use this book as my bible. - Stephanie Lee, investment advisor, jazz bassist, and rock violinist

"""You're Doing What? is an inspirational and insightful call to action to its readers. These stories are certain to encourage women - and men - of all ages to view aging as an opportunity to act on long deferred or never before-imagined dreams."" - Congresswoman Barbara Lee ""How refreshing it is to sample a collection of essays by women of a certain age who ignored biases and barriers that discriminate against women, gave themselves permission to climb steep mountains, tore up the rulebook of tradition, and launched their own search for adventure, discovery, and meaning. Their stories are as unique as each of these women."" - Eleanor Coppola, filmmaker, writer, artist ""Marjorie Lasky's book is a revelation, an entertaining read and perfect retort to all who wrongly assume that age renders women useless and incapable. These thoughtful, frank, and inspiring essays by older women show how human spirit can transcend age as they take on new challenges and adventures head-on and full of heart."" - Helen Zia, former Executive Editor of Ms. magazine and author of the forthcoming book Last Boat out of Shanghai ""Being a man who believes women, on average, have more skills than men in the areas that count the most for growing older - intimacy, deep friendship, networking, caring for - I look to women to help define our way forward, just as I have done since the sixties in pursuit of gender equity in family life as well as in the workplace. The kids are grown, work is a memory, where to from here? This book provides poignant stories containing the kind of deep wisdom we need to live out our elder journey, together."" - Terry A. Kupers, M.D., psychiatrist and author of Revisioning Men's Lives and Solitary: The Inside Story of Supermax Isolation and How We Can Abolish It ""To have a 'shout out' for the women over a 'certain age' and how these women reflect their energies, their 'smarts' and their most valuable experiences, is like pushing the 'positive button' for US ALL! Being able to jump up and down with our creative energies and being able to express ourselves is a gift, hopefully to those that follow us!"" - Inez Storer, painter and mixed-media artist ""You're Doing What? busts the prevalent myth that growing older means slowing down and retiring to a rocking chair on some musty porch. These women show that re-inventing oneself is a continual option, even well into those 'twilight years.' Pick this book up to motivate you, at any age, to live life to the fullest."" - Dale Griffiths Stamos, playwright, screenwriter, teacher and co-author of RenWomen: What Modern Renaissance Women Have to Teach Us About Living Rich, Fulfilling Lives ""Many women of 'a certain age' tell me that, no longer young, they feel invisible in our culture. So, here in You're Doing What? Marjorie Lasky has assembled sixty-plus women who command their visibility. Lasky writes that these are 'stories by older women' - older than what, I have to ask? Younger than springtime!"" - Alan Myerson, film/TV director, teacher, poet ""I plan to use this book as my bible."" - Stephanie Lee, investment advisor, jazz bassist, and rock violinist"

Author Information

A professor in the Contra Costa Community College District from 1973-2008, Marjorie Lasky taught Women's, United States, and Latin American History. As an older woman, she finished a PhD dissertation, ""Off Camera: A History of the Screen Actors Guild"" and a degree in Labor History at UC Davis, served as chief negotiator and president of her faculty union, founded Grandmother's Against War (Bay Area), and, upon retiring, took up the saxophone.

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