In a world where aging is often feared, award-nominated author, poet and psychotherapist Jane Seskin takes readers on an emotional road trip where they can celebrate the joys and challenges of aging. In “Older, Wiser, Shorter: The Truth and Humor of Life After 65” (Tallfellow Press, August 21, 2024), Jane Seskin reflects on how resilience and self-discovery helped her combat life’s trials and tribulations, especially as she grew older. Through a collection of 89 poems, Jane redefines the narrative of aging and offers readers a positive take on what is often perceived as a negative.
“Older, Wiser, Shorter” is an insightful collection of poetry; authentic, funny, quirky and heartfelt, acknowledging the physical vulnerabilities, emotional losses, and surprises people encounter in their senior years. Seskin also pays tribute to the sense of power, resilience and new-found joys people discover as they acknowledge and accept their aging. Jane’s talent for finding the universal connecting tissue of even our most intimate moments will resonate with readers seeking to discover new ways to honor the past, celebrate the present, and welcome the future.
Growing old is a gift. Believe in it. Respect it. Embrace it. From varicose veins to doctors’ appointments to forgetting why you walked into the kitchen, “Older Wiser Shorter” illuminates the ups and downs of growing older, one poem at a time. We are fortunate enough to feature a couple of poems from Jane’s brilliant new book, below.
At the Office of the Male Gynecologist
Did you
ever think
it was odd:
no real conversation,
no dinner,
no foreplay
and You
pay Him?
Stripper
The only times
I’ve felt
like a stripper
were when
the markers
were placed
on my nipples
for the yearly
mammogram
and
for a moment,
just a moment,
the sparkles
made me feel
really cool
and sexy.
I Will Not …
go gently
into that
good night.
I will
complain,
gripe,
argue,
criticize,
protest,
organize,
negotiate,
take action
and do my
very best
to fight
for my life,
if there is
any hope
for
a conscious
one.
Some Words About Varicose Veins
I
no
longer
wear
Bermuda shorts.
Jane Seskin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the author of 13 books (most recently the poetry collection “Older, Wiser, Shorter: The Truth and Humor of Life After 65”.) She’s also written nonfiction articles and poetry online and for national magazines and journals (20 poems published in Cosmopolitan Magazine, five poems in Woman’s Day. Eighteen of her posts have been published in the Metropolitan Diary column in the New York Times.) Jane has been a writer-in-residence at the Vermont Studio Center and Noepe Center for Literary Arts. She has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Find out more about Jane at her website.
