Welcome!

I write about what it’s REALLY like to get old, from the blessings to the bullshit… yeah, that’s the [B].

My qualifications? I’m turning 74 and I’ve been writing professionally for over 50 years.

But there’s a catch…

I see old age as a balance between the good and not-so-good; I’m optimistic and very much pro-aging, but I’m also realistic. And that is what sets this newsletter apart:

I write about the strange contradiction of growing old: it’s wonderful (I talk about that)… and it also sucks (you’ll hear about that too).

I like to say that [B]old Age is bittersweet, but I want to know what you think! I invite you to have a conversation with me, and other readers, in the Comments that follow every one of my posts or essays. I try to respond to each one!I

Another writer who does this with just the right amount of self-deprecation, and with wit and wisdom, is the inestimable Anne Lamott. She’s new to writing on Substack but you can find her work in the WaPo and, of course, in her many books. I’m a huge fan.

Please join me as I write vulnerably and a little [b]oldly about tiptoeing into the foreign land of the old.

I love everything you're doing - and how you're doing it. You both inspire and inform in a beautiful way." - Karen Salmansohn

After 50 years as a reporter, editor, author, and podcaster, I’m taking time to confront big questions about identity, purpose, ambition, grief, and more.

I write about surprises

At almost 74, I find myself most interested in the aspects of aging that no one prepared me for. Things like:

• Living through today’s political chaoes: does [B]old Age even matter right now?

• Ambition: the complexities of ambition as you get older

• Sex: what sex is like with my long-time husband

• Self-doubt: depression and self-loathing

• Complicated grief: the grief of losing parents who didn’t quite accept me but I still long for

• Unexpected injuries: I fell smack on my face

• A writing crush: my writing crush on a younger man

I ask a lot of questions

About things such as:

• Learning to love yourself, if you’ve had a lifetime of self-doubt

• Defying ageist stereotypes you may be holding yourself

• Redefining your purpose, if you are of retirement age

You’re invited to reflect on your own aging here, too… no matter how old you are. Through [B]old Chat discussions and Q&As with esteemed [B]old Women writers, my Comment sections are consistently filled with personal shares that remind me how valuable a conversation is AND why I publish this newsletter.

“You are always asking the big questions, seeking how we can best live with vitality and wisdom. Whether it’s sharing your own story or bringing us amazing interviews I always learn something.” - Donna McArthur

Paid subscribers to [B]old Age get:

• My most personal essays, like this one about my late mother and this one on grieving

• My in-depth essays answering Ask Debbie questions such as, What if I get Alzheimer’s? and How will I cope if my husband (partner) dies?

• Q&As with [B]old Women about age, ambition, life, and writing

• Membership in the NEW No-Guilt [B]old Women Book Club

• Access to my complete archive of almost 100 articles about topics related to growing old (what it means, its contradictions, and how to make the most of it)

Free subscribers get occasional personal essays and the chance to upgrade anytime via the current low rate of $40/year.

I publish once a week, on Fridays. Occasionally I take a week off.

What subscribers are saying

I think our ability to be honest with ourselves about the personal shifts and adjustments we need to make is the definition of your Stack: BOLD. It's courageous to grieve what once was. - Paulette Bodeman

“I absolutely love your writing!!” - Isabel Cowles Murphy

“Debbie, I love what you’re doing for those of us in our 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond! Our bodies might be aging, but you’re a great example of who we can be when we remain curious, creative and open to new ideas. Thank you for being [B]Old!" - Karen Sommerville

Thank you so much for modeling how to live a great third act that is both forward looking and fully present." - Julie J.

Who is Debbie? She’s been called the “Queen of Elderstack”

I’m a 70-something podcaster, writer, author (I wrote one of the first books on business blogging for Penguin), editor (a nonfiction book coach), storytelling director (I founded a multigenerational women’s storytelling event), former reporter, Web pioneer (I coded my first website in 1996), nonprofit volunteer, wife, mother, grandmother and, well, a person who probably overthinks things.

After 30+ years in DC, I live on the Maine coast and in New Haven, CT with my husband of 52 years, Sam Harrington. We have three children in their 40s and six grandchildren. I’ve been called the Queen of Elderstack.1

For honest dispatches from a badass [b]old lady, subscribe to [B]OLD AGE. Omg, did I just call myself badass?? More about that here.