YES WE CAN CAN

Joanne Sandler, 73, is on an endless journey to find her bitchy voice. A lifelong feminist, Joanne was ‘institutionalized’ for nearly two decades (including as Deputy Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women-UNIFEM). She continues to write books (most recently, Gender at Work: Theory and Practice for 21st Century Organizations) and articles about women's rights transnationally.

Her lifelong motto still applies ”Always leave while you’re still having a good time!” 

Idelisse Malavé, 76, a Puerto Rican immigrant, has been honing her feminist bitchcraft for decades. After practicing law in the 70s and 80s, she went on to lead progressive organizations –the Ms. Foundation and the Tides Foundation – and co-wrote two books, Mother Daughter Revolution (Bantam) and Latino Stats (The New Press), the latter with her daughter.

Ide’s motto these days is: “If it pleases me, I will.”

SO 10 Episode 01: Alison Buchanan – Finding Your Voice & The Essence of Freeness

What happens when a woman decides she will no longer be quiet—on stage or in life? That question is at the heart of our conversation with Alison Buchanan, an internationally respected soprano, teacher, and the Artistic Director of Pegasus Opera Company. Alison has spent decades building a career in spaces that were never designed for her, and she’s done it by refusing to shrink, soften, or be anything less than her full, "precocious" self.

You may recognize Alison’s voice from Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, but her story reaches far beyond that moment. She talks openly with us about finding her "precocious" voice early, including walking out of her church at age 11 because the pastor couldn't explain where the dinosaurs were in Genesis and surviving a rigid industry that told her "Black people shouldn't sing opera." We delve into the physical power of the "hoo-ha," the reality of keeping your "mojo" as you age, and how grief and menopause live in the body.

This episode marks our return after a long break, and it reminds us why these conversations matter. Alison’s life and work show that getting older doesn’t mean fading out; it means getting clearer, braver, and finally saying what you’ve always known to be true.

SO 9 Episode 07: Screen BITCHES – Introducing the TOBies (and much more!)

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. For three reasons. First, because Debbie was inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences (Oscars!) this year --so this episode features her firsthand account of an Academy newbie, walking the (other) red carpet. Second, because we actually found at least one film and a dramatic series with really superb portrayals of older women. If you haven’t seen Slow Horses (Apple TV) or Nyad (Netflix), stop what you’re doing right now and tune in. We thought that Annette Bening and Jodie Foster were extraordinary in the way they portrayed 60-year old Diana Nyad and her best friend Bonnie Stoll in Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida. (Only three of us loved the movie.) And while they are not main characters, three —not one, but three!— powerful and pivotal women over 50 in Slow Horses – Sophie Okonedo, Saskia Reeves, and Kristin Scott Thomas  -- epitomize characteristics you rarely see attributed to women of a certain age. 

SO 9 Episode 09: Meenu Vadera Making the Impossible Possible

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 5,000 women in Delhi and other Indian cities prepared to work as private chauffeurs, taxi drivers, bus drivers and now in the newest initiative –as long-haul tractor trailer drivers! Meenu is both creating opportunities and safety for women, as well as challenging and changing the transport industry.

That’s Meenu. She makes the impossible possible. Which is why she has received numerous awards for being a groundbreaking social impact entrepreneur, a feminist inspiration to activists everywhere and a champion of women’s and young people’s leadership. As she enters her 60s, we wanted to hear about how she is thinking about what’s next in her work (if any feminist angel investors are reading this blurb, Meenu wants to hear from you!)], what she thinks about ‘later daters' and pursuing pleasure, and how she interjects so much joy and generosity into the world.

We are so thrilled that you get to share a part of the amazing energy that Meenu shared with us!

Kathy Swarts – This is Your One Glorious Life | S9 E06

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 longed-for romance between a man and a woman --in this case, Gerry Turner and his choice, Theresa Nist who married immediately after the show ended to only announce their divorce three months later in mid-April! The real story is the phenomenal friendships forged by the gutsy, adventurous and authentic women who were chosen to ‘contest.’

Join us to hear Kathy, and two other contestants who make surprise cameo appearances, reveal how their experiences on the show awakened new curiosities and aspirations. From finding a man who loves life as much as she does to hosting her own TV show, Kathy, and her new crew of friends, are exploring a new range of possibilities for what’s next.

We’re sure you’ll want to know more so once you’ve tuned in to this TOB episode, join Kathy and Susan Noles, another contestant, for their new podcast, The Golden Hour. This conversation roused our interest in delving into the diverse approaches and stories of ‘later daters,’ so if you have an experience to share about dating in your 60s, 70s or 80s – or why you’ve decided to forego the experience – please reach out to us through our website or DM us on Instagram or Facebook! Enjoy the show!

SO 9 Episode 08: Shop with Us!

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 celebration of all the women artists and shopkeepers who valiantly – and we deeply value their vision and courage – immerse themselves in the beauty, the fabrics, the designs and personal expression that goes into stocking and staging their stores.

We feature interviews with three NYC iconic owner/founders who have had their stores for 30 to 40 years: Luxor Tavela (who sadly passed away 2 years ago and whose artist husband, Jeffrey, is keeping it open!), founder of Paracelso in Soho; Vici of Muleh in Chelsea, NYC; and Rene of Rene on the Upper East Side of NYC. We also visit with Guadalupe Goler of Goler Shoes in Santa Fe.

All of these women are artists, steeped in passion, creativity and care for their clients. All are immigrants who brought their love of fashion and their dreams to the U.S. All have had clients for many decades who are now bringing their daughters and granddaughters to these temples of style. We also include some tips on shopping New York City’s iconic department store – Century 21 (which Idelisse calls ‘the mother ship’) and give listeners a quick rundown of some of the best older-women-fashionista sites and influencers.

Jeanne Silverthorne - Age Has Revealed My Nature to Me | S9 E05

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 exhibits including PS1 and the Whitney Museum in New York and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. Jeanne is on the faculty of the School for Visual Arts and has written extensively about art in a range of publications, most recently in the Brooklyn Rail with “Playing It Out” about aging as an artist. She is witty and wise, and surprisingly shy though you’d never guess it. More about that in our lively conversation with the delightful, insightful and gifted Jeanne Silverthorne.