Exciting Times

Another book birthing day--

The new anthology Twenty over Sixty publishes today, and it feels kinda WILD to have two new books arrive in the world within two months. You all know how much i love wild, so i wanted to share the news here. Editors Beth Weintraub and David Galef previously published 20 Over 40, and with this they further celebrate authors who've circled the earth over sixty years. Writer Priscilla Long considers these stories "in turn engaging, moving, sad, sexy, suspenseful, scary, wrenching, amusing, and insightful. They are brilliant and they touch the heart. They are further evidence, if any were needed, that for storytellers, peak ages of creativity may clock in at 60 or 70 or 80." My own small story contrasts the devastation of recent California wildfires with climate projections for the Emerald Isle. Facing down long-term impacts of the Potato Famine, Ireland has become a model of food self-subsistence, partnering with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream flowing nearby. In "Incongruous," however, an Irish visitor center displays how Scandinavian glacial melt is anticipated to replace that warmth and turn the whole island white. The Californian grandfather and granddaughter characters are jolted.

In the photo above, three writer friends--all of us over 60--summon our wildness for a swim in the Gulf of Maine's chilly waters on a none-too-warm October day. We challenge each other to push through whatever discomforts and disappointments these many years bring our way to keep celebrating all the things we feel grateful for. Sometimes, yes, hilarity is involved. That's the positive news for people-and-planet i want to focus on here. From the anthology's description: Smart, skillful, and often hilarious, these stories celebrate the full spectrum of experience, proving that life after sixty is as rich and alive as ever.

ThirdAct.org

Another group of people over 60 is the Third Act Initiative. With volunteers gathered into groups by geography or by affinity such as Creatives, Union, or Faith, they recognize the unharnessed power of older generations to use life experiences and skills--from communications to scientific expertise to organizing--to help ensure a more stable planet. For example, the image above highlights an online gathering next week to celebrate Joanna Macy's legacy following her passing last year at 96. As Joanna often said, "this is the most exciting time to be alive, because it so clearly calls us into our moral strength, courage and creativity."