Ai-jen Poo is a woman who cares. That caring shapes her activism as a next-generation labor leader, a gifted organizer, campaigner, advocate and author. Ai-jen is also faithful. At the threshold of the second half of life –she just turned 50— she has spent the last 25 or more years dedicated to growing a domestic workers’ movement. Always crucial yet routinely undervalued, family caregivers are more and more essential as our nation ages, as we age. Ai-jen founded and leads the National Domestic ...
Dec 01, 2024•55 min•Season 9Ep. 10
Meenu Vadera greets the world and all it has to offer with curiosity and buckets of ideas and inspiration. We met Meenu in Delhi more than 10 years ago. A friend wisely advised us to hire newly-trained women chauffeurs to drive us around the city. These inspiring and fierce young women had graduated from the program that Meenu founded and led – Sakha Cabs for Women and its sister organization, Azad Foundation , which trains low-income women to become drivers. It continues to grow with more than ...
Oct 01, 2024•39 min•Season 9Ep. 9
When the world is too much to bear, we go shopping. When we celebrate, we also go shopping. When we’re bored or in search of distraction...you guessed it: we shop. Conflicted feminists suffering from rampant consumerism? Perhaps, but it’s also our form of meditation and imagination, of reconnecting with ancient rites of hunting and gathering. This episode about shopping – in New York City and Santa Fe – is a tribute to women. Firstly, the women who taught us to shop: our mothers. And it is a cel...
Sep 05, 2024•47 min
TOB followers know that we are obsessed with discovering positive and powerful roles for older women in movies and TV. That’s why we lure our sister Screen Bitches -- Debbie Zimmerman ( Women Make Movies ), Malaga Baldi ( Baldi Literary Agency ) and Aruna Rao ( Gender at Work ) – onto the podcast at least twice a year to schmooze about what we’re watching and how TV and movies challenge (or regrettably affirm) stereotypes of older women in popular media. This time, we were kind of gobsmacked. Fo...
Jul 01, 2024•42 min•Season 9Ep. 7
True confessions: as Two Old Bitches, we fully expected the Golden Bachelor to be the height of cringey, old-people porn. Watching 22 women in their 60s and 70s compete for the affections of one old man threatened gladiator-level, fury- induced female feuds. And were we ever wrong! Kathy Swarts, one of the most memorable of the contestants, set us straight in our delightful conversation with her. Kathy, at 70 years old, helped us understand that the real story of the Golden Bachelor is not a lon...
Apr 16, 2024•40 min
American sculptor Jeanne Silverthorne, 73, is an “artist’s artist” known for cast rubber pieces and installations drawn from her studio, turning everyday objects and people into “metaphors for the inevitability of age and decay, …tempered with humor, hope and humanity.” (For photos of a favorite work of ours, Banshee: Self-Portrait at 73, see our website and social media.) She has showed her work at leading New York galleries for decades (currently at the Marc Straus Gallery) and in one-person e...
Mar 18, 2024•44 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Who Are You? It’s a simple and profound question that we ask (almost) every guest on Two Old Bitches. And given that most of our guests are women over 60, we were curious if a review of their answers might reveal some patterns or insights into how we identify as we age. What we found: for some people, it still changes daily. Others had epiphanies early in life and still identify with that early notion of who they are. And then there are those who are completely stumped by the thought of describi...
Jan 19, 2024•29 min
If you were deeply enmeshed in the ‘womyn’s’ music scene or romped topless through the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festivals in the 1970s and 1980s, then you will pulsate with memories of the amazing, kick-ass all-women’s rock group, Fanny. Even if you missed it, we hope you can imagine how revolutionary and transgressive Fanny was in its heyday in the early 70s. Which is why we were thrilled to find June Millington -- wild woman, lead guitarist and the band’s co-founder -- as kick-ass now as she was...
Nov 02, 2023•47 min
We couldn't resist. We were way too curious about ChatGPT to let all of the controversy and (rightful) concern about the dangers of AI deter us from asking it about our favorite topic: the experiences of women in our second half of life. So we asked Chat to take on the persona of an older woman, "dive into the muddy waters of gender and ageism" and share "wisdom that only comes from years of livin' and loving." What we found? You be the judge. She is clearly artificial and not very intelligent b...
Sep 24, 2023•27 min
Two Old Bitches love a good reinvention story. By her count at 73, MaryJane Fahey is on “her 5th reinvention!” (But who’s counting?) She was a designer, published author, now an editor, writer, future playwright, future sculptor –and the list goes on. A few years ago, she started Glorious Broads , a media platform that encourages “women of all ages, younger ones especially, not to be scared of aging.” On Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook, GB lifts up fabulous older women, “sages not saints,” livin...
Sep 05, 2023•38 min
Branca Moreira Alves, 82, is absolutely certain about a lot of things: that her primary identity is ‘feminist’, that life is a lot of fun, and that moments matter. A key leader in launching the second wave feminist movement in Brazil -- during its brutal dictatorship from the mid-60s to the mid-80s -- Branca shares vivid memories and poignant reflections on feminist awakenings, political evolutions and balancing public protest and private privilege. She and Joanne met when they both worked at th...
Feb 24, 2023•48 min
You know those “aha” moments, those flashing lights of clarity, the thundering realization that you’ve met your passion? We realized that so many of the women we’ve talked with on TOB have had these at different points in their lives. And these epiphanies, turning points and serendipitous happenings continue throughout our lives. So, as we start 2023, we went back to different conversations with the extraordinary women we’ve interviewed on TOB to understand the amazingly diverse ways that epipha...
Feb 08, 2023•37 min•Season 8Ep. 9
Gifted ceramic artists Rosanne Ebner, 67, and Liberty Valance, 73, have worked with clay for five or six decades. They say laughing that “it just happened,” yet it is clear that their art is an irresistible and abiding calling. It surfaced for Liberty in preschool where she created her first works–an elephant and ashtray she still has— and for Rosanne in high school. Liberty and Rosanne are also generous and skilled teachers. They are both instructors at the Brickhouse Ceramic Art Center , a won...
Jan 09, 2023•50 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Donna Uchizono is the first and only American-born choreographer of Asian ancestry to receive notable national and international recognition in the history of modern dance. She’s received a Guggenheim and a “Bessie,” been commissioned by the likes of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Oliver Sachs, and toured her eponymous dance company around the world. We mention this first because – as you will hear in our conversation with Donna – it is a reality that she stresses not as a boast, but as an indictment o...
Dec 13, 2022•40 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Gutsy, vital, creative Jody Oberfelder is committed to a life of ‘becoming,’ recognizing that becoming older is also about learning to trust your voice and continue to advance. This New York-based choreographer, director and filmmaker – leading Jody Oberfelder Projects (JOP) -- considers herself ‘mid-career’ at 68. She continues to challenge herself to create live performances that are inclusive and collective and that center each participant’s experience (check out her performances of Walking t...
Nov 01, 2022•46 min•Season 8Ep. 6
“I have to create, because that is an extension of my breath,” is just one of the many insights into living deeply and meaningfully as an artist that 62-year old director and choreographer extraordinaire Marlies Yearby shared during our illuminating conversation in this episode. The multiple honors she’s received include Tony and Dora-award nominations for her choreography of RENT, the Drama League Award for the Los Angeles production of RENT and critical acclaim for her company, Movin’ Spirits ...
Oct 20, 2022•51 min•Season 8Ep. 5
What are you streaming these days? Two Old Bitches always wants to know, especially if you find shows that feature pithy, provocative and stereotype-busting roles for women of a certain age. Luckily, we're seeing some uptick in those (though not nearly pithy and provocative enough and mostly white women....). That's why we're back with two of our three magnificent Screen Bitches -- Debbie Zimmerman (commentator extraordinaire and fearless leader of feminist film organization Women Make Movies) a...
Sep 26, 2022•31 min•Season 8Ep. 4
As soon as we learned we landed an interview with Judy Gold, stellar comedian, actor and writer, Two Old Bitches started grinning and giggling. What a coup! Once we actually began talking with her, we laughed out loud, and often, at her insightful zingers. Judy, whose comedic heroes are Joan Rivers and Phyllis Diller, makes you laugh, and think. Approaching 60, her many credits include: countless stand-up comedy performances; two Emmys for her work as a writer and producer on The Rosie O’Donnell...
Sep 12, 2022•45 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Fifteen years ago, Ayesha Pande, a successful editor with top publishers (e.g. Farrar Straus and Giroux) struck out on her own to build a mission-driven literary agency with an antiracist focus based in Harlem. Ayesha Pande Literary has flourished and is known for launching an award-winning, bestselling and inclusive list of authors, scholars, and emerging writers. Its team of almost all BIPOC women agents represent acclaimed authors such as Ibram X. Kendi (How To Be An Antiracist), Danielle Eva...
Aug 18, 2022•43 min•Season 8Ep. 2
What does it take to be a man whom we interview on Two Old Bitches? Stephen P. Williams, 64, only the second man on our show in five years, is an excellent example of just what it takes. A journalist, author, visual artist and the creator of Stephen’s People , a newsletter on aging, he is as fascinated by getting old as we are. (Full disclosure: his piece on Old Men sex dolls in his newsletter also captured our imagination!) Stephen has written that as a boy growing up in Kansas, he “leaned back...
Jul 07, 2022•40 min•Season 8Ep. 1
How do we respond to this political moment? Pessimism is tempting and optimism may feel foolhardy, yet a sense of possibility fueled by hope made enduring sense to us when we spoke with Lecia Brooks and Lisa Veneklasen in 2021. After the Biden/Harris victory, long-time activists Lecia and Lisa tapped into their wisdom and clear-eyed assessment of what we’re facing and what’s possible in the struggle for overdue and drastically needed social and political change. For the past 16 years, Lecia has ...
Jun 20, 2022•41 min•Season 7Ep. 15
Maya is a nationally renowned racial justice and equity activist and advocate who ran for mayor of New York City in 2021. She should have won! In our conversation with her in 2018, she shared that she was no longer an optimist, but hadn’t given up hope. She has “a passion for the possible” combined with a laser focus on fighting for our democracy. If you watch TV news (MSNBC), you likely saw her share her sharp analysis on the assault against our country’s values and heard her wise counsel on pr...
Jun 06, 2022•48 min•Season 7Ep. 14
Our conversation with activist historian and organizer, Leah Wise, now 75, originally aired in 2017 . She spoke with us about the threat to democracy then which has only worsened now. She challenged us to think deeply about the responsibility of generations to carry young people forward as they step up and take over. Our conversation with Leah was rich in history and wisdom, her life reflecting the intersecting struggles and gains for racial, gender and economic justice in the Southeast of the U...
May 23, 2022•32 min•Season 7Ep. 13
In honor of Mother's Day we are bringing back this classic from season 4. “ Two of my heroes are mother and my grandmother…My mother taught me to be a woman. She was the strongest person I’ve ever met. And someday I’ll be the woman she wants me to be ” - Tracy Hyter-Suffern It’s complicated. Mothers. They’re sometimes cast as heroes and role models, often as victims or villains. In almost 40 conversations with other old bitches, mothers emerge as essential to the fabric of so many parts of our h...
May 08, 2022•31 min•Season 7Ep. 12
We have long marveled at Ellen Bravo’s ability to balance the demands of being a feminist activist and author. Her books are driven by the same social change values and objectives that have fueled her many decades of organizing for justice and equity for women and families. She is the former director of 9to5 –yes, the group that inspired the movie– and co-founder of Family Values @ Work, a successful network of state coalitions working for family-friendly policies that have secured locally manda...
Apr 25, 2022•44 min•Season 7Ep. 11
What a treat to talk with a fierce feminist who’s been a force of nature for more than half a century! At 71, Nadine embodies a lifelong commitment and ever-evolving talent to amplify her passion for social justice. Her volunteer work in 1964 on Shirley Chisholm’s campaign for New York State Assembly and at Women Strike for Peace with Bella Abzug immersed her in an understanding that sexism, racism, classism and militarism are inextricably linked. She’s been an intersectional organizer ever sinc...
Mar 14, 2022•40 min•Season 7Ep. 10
Stories transport us across time and space, bring us together, help us make sense of our lives and the world, make us laugh and cry, and even change our minds. Stories fuel social change and personal change. Their power drives us, as Two Old Bitches, to collect edgy elder women’s stories to share with story-loving listeners of all genders and ages. And to discover and tell our own stories. In this episode, we each share a personal story crafted in a recent storytelling class. Yes crafted, becaus...
Feb 14, 2022•31 min•Season 7Ep. 9
What’s better than ‘talking shop’ with a serious and sensational sister traveler? That was the joy that TOB experienced when we interviewed Sari Botton, founder of the recently-launched substack magazine, Oldster . Oldster takes a fresh look at what it means to age at any stage of life, featuring writers of all genders and age groups. It fully reflects the brilliance and wizardry of Sari who, at 56 years old, bring decades of writing, editing and teaching experience including as former Essays Ed...
Jan 25, 2022•36 min•Season 7Ep. 8
There could be no greater gift to Screen Bitches than finding the HBO-Max series Hacks, starring Jean Smart. We brought together three of our most dedicated Old Bitch streamers – Malaga Baldi (literary agent), Aruna Rao (women’s rights thinker and consultant), and Debbie Zimmerman (head of Women Make Movies and world-recognized expert on women and media) – to explore what is so powerful and ground-breaking about 69-year old Jean Smart’s mesmerizing portrayal of an aging comedian (think Joan Rive...
Jan 06, 2022•38 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Prepare to be utterly astounded as you listen to our conversation with Isa Infante! This self-described “life force,” follows her heart and her values, wherever they take her. That means challenging good ole boys in Tennessee by running for mayor of Knoxville and as the Green Party candidate for governor. It means passing by a bar, hearing bluegrass music, and deciding to start a women’s bluegrass band, even though she could only play three chords. It means deciding, at 63, to go to law school. ...
Dec 16, 2021•35 min•Season 7Ep. 6
