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 describing who they are. The 80+ responses from our guests to this question fall into six categories.  All of them speak to an inspiring insight: no matter their age or circumstance, our guests live very much in the present and manage a beautiful blend of respect for their pasts and aspirations for the future. So before you listen, take a minute, answer the question for yourself. “Who Are You?” And then listen to the diverse and delightful reflections that these 19 guests offer on who they are.


In this episode, you will hear the voices of (in this order):

Chiemi Karasawa (Season 5, Ep 7)

Lucero Gonzalez (Season 5, Ep 4) /Sandra Garcia Betancourt (Season 1, Ep 2)

Cynthia Madansky (Season 5, Ep 9)

Geeta Misra (Season 4, Ep 1)

Sandra Guzman (Season 5, Ep 1)

Inca Mohammed (Season 2, Ep 9)

Tracy Hyter Suffern (Season 4, Ep 8)

Claron M. McFadden (Season 7, Ep 1)

Ruth Strassberg (Season 5, Ep 10)

Srilatha Batliwala (Season 6, Ep 7)

Branca Moreira Alves (Season 8, Ep 10)

Nadine Hack (Season 7, Ep 9)

Jaune Evans (Season 2, Ep 4)

Donna Uchizono (Season 8, Ep 7)

Sharon Louden (Season 4, Ep 7)

Sari Botton (Season 7, Ep 7)

Ayesha Pande (Season 8, Ep 2)

Stephen Williams (Season 8, Ep 1)

Marlyse Yearby (Season 8, Ep 5)

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 the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in the 90s and have been fast friends ever since. Over the past two years, Branca collaborated with her close friend, another well-known Brazilian feminist leader, Jacqueline Pitanguy, to write Feminisms in Brazil: Memories of Those Who Made it Happen. The book is receiving hugely positive reviews and Branca is already making plans for her next book. Branca was one of the earliest cheerleaders for Two Old Bitches and we continue to appreciate her feedback and insights. Tune in to our conversation with Branca, revel in her recollections of moments that matter, and watch out for her next book!!

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 epiphanies help us to turn lemons into lemonade, discover our calling, and fully own the ways that we are aging and saging. Immersing yourself in their insights and surprises may be one of the best ways to start a new year! We hope you enjoy and please let us know if you’ve had a life-changing epiphany or turning point that you’d like to share. We’d love to record it. 

In this episode, we will hear from (in this order): Jennifer Finley, Chiemi Kurasawa, Lucero Gonzalez (read in English by Sandra Garcia Betancourt), Claron McFadden, Ellen Bravo, Donna Uchizono, Sandra Guzman, Isa Infante, Dina Bursztyn, Srilatha Batliwala, Nadine Hack, Trudy Berlin, Ashton Applewhite and Renata Joy. With our deep appreciation to all of them for so generously sharing their wisdom.

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,” but it is clear that their art is an irresistible and enduring 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 wonderful space in Long Island City, NY, where they are longstanding members of a diverse intergenerational community of teachers, students and affiliated artists connected by craft and care, and where members are making ceramics into their nineties. Idelisse – who solidified her profound love of clay over the past 9 months at Brickhouse -- has been enthralled by the ways this community satisfies its members human need for a sense of belonging, mutual support and celebration. In our conversation, all three share the joys of losing themselves and the awareness of time when engaging deeply in creative practice. If you’re curious about what Rosanne and Liberty mean when they describe working with clay as a collaboration where often “the clay knows better” or about the story of how Liberty Valance got her name (Hint: It involves a short-lived marriage and a spiritual teacher), you’ll want to join us for a big-hearted and laughter filled conversation about art, work and life with these two dearest of friends.

Check out some recent ceramic art by Rosanne, Liberty and Idelisse right here! 

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 of the dance field. She spotlights the difficult journey that all dancers from excluded groups confront and the importance of creating spaces of solidarity and recognition for others, especially young dancers. Donna’s poignant story of discovering that she was destined to be an abstract choreographer (not a gynecologist), her creation of a now 30-year old dance company committed to innovation and collaboration, and her decision to stop performing in her own pieces offer insights into the joys and challenges of growing up and growing older in these times. Our conversation with Donna was the third in our series of episodes with choreographers/dance artists (see Marlies Yearby and Jody Oberfelder) who re-enforce, compellingly, that getting older and bolder – even for individuals whose lives are based on extraordinary physical feats -- is a never-ending and scintillating process of discovering how to work with what we have.  

Check out Donna Uchizono’s website where you will find information about performances of the Donna Uchizono Company, including upcoming pieces that she will be choreographing and presenting with the New York City Ballet in 2023.

“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 Dance Theater. Her activism and creativity also extend to healing and wellness as the creator of the “In Our Bones” creative process; to food activism in her newest project, Seed Awakening on the Eve of Blue, a multi-media space combining music, technology, science, voice and theater; and a recent foray into Digital Arts and the new world of Non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Her unstoppable and fearless curiosity and creativity buoyed our spirits as we know they will do for our listeners. And we trust you will not hesitate to find one of her performances, buy one of her Digital Art pieces and become as avid a Marlies Yearby follower as we have become!

Marlies is the first in our three-part series of talks with choreographer and dance artists and – wow! – what a way to begin! Stay tuned for our upcoming conversations with Jody Oberfelder and Donna Uchizono. Coming soon!!

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) and Malaga Baldi (goddess literary agent and country bumpkin) -- to explore three recent shows that really grabbed our attention. Good Luck to You Leo Grande is streaming on Hulu and features the inimitable Emma Thompson as a recently widowed woman in her fifties who hires a sex worker in search of her first orgasm. Hacks (Season 2) stars the always-mesmerizing Jean Smart -- who won her second Emmy for Hacks as lead actress in a comedy series this year -- and is streaming on HBO. And we have a lot of conflicting views and feelings about the fourth season of Borgen, a Danish political series streaming on Netflix and starring Sidse Babett Knudsen. If you want media commentary from an unapologetically old-bitch/feminist perspective (and who wouldn't??), listen to this lively episode, tune in to the shows we're talking about, and let us know what you're watching. Can't wait to hear from you!

and p.s.: Screen Bitch Aruna Rao was on 'unpaid' vacation in Norway when we recorded this episode. We hope to have her back next time!