SO7 Episode 14 Reprise: Lecia Brooks and Lisa Veneklasen - Politics and Possibility
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
Release Date: 06/20/2022
SO 9 Episode 09: Meenu Vadera - Making the Impossible Possible
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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 – and its sister organization, , 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...
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SO 9 Episode 08: Shop with Us!
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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...
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SO 9 Episode 07: Screen BITCHES – Introducing the TOBies (and much more!)
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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 (), Malaga Baldi () and Aruna Rao () – 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...
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SO 9 Episode 06: Kathy Swarts – This is Your One Glorious Life
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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...
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SO 9 Episode 05: Age Has Revealed My Nature to Me
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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...
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SO 9 Episode 04: Who Are You?
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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....
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SO 9 Episode 03: June Millington - Music is Life
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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 50 years ago. At 75, June and her partner, Ann...
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SO 9 Episode 02: The Only Two-Old Bitches Interview of ChatGPT Ever!!
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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 but she gave us a lot to think about and had an amazingly positive view about aging. Hope she...
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SO 9 Episode 01: Maryjane Fahey - Glorious Broad
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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 , 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,” living “imaginative, open, spectacular lives.” This year Glorious Broads is pitching a limited...
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SO 8 Episode 10: Branca Moreria Alves - Call Me Feminist
Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel
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...
info_outlineHow 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 worked at the well-known Southern Poverty Law Center, a regional and national catalyst for racial justice, most recently as Chief of Staff. She plays a key role in their work to expose and dismantle white supremacy and nationalism.
Almost 20 years ago, Lisa founded Just Associates (JASS) and recently stepped down from her role as Executive Director. JASS is a transnational feminist movement building organization that strengthens the voice, visibility and collective power of women to transform the world.
Lisa and Lecia’s analysis and insights about these times -- including the power of older women to make change happen -- galvanize and provoke us to think differently about this political moment.
Learn more about this episode here!