Celebrity sexpert Joan Price, 82, on senior sex, line dancing, and legacy

And finding optimism and humor even when the challenges seem massive

Welcome to [B]old Age, where I’m obsessed with the bittersweetness of growing old, from the blessings to the bullshit. Find revealing personal essays, and Q&As with [B]old Women, like this one, for paid subscribers; [b]old discussion posts are open to all.

I have drawers, shelves, and boxes filled with sex toys! Periodically I distribute those I no longer want to my friends. They smile when they see me arrive with a sack! - Joan Price

Joan shows off the new, updated edition of “Naked at Our Age”

If I had to credit one person for helping me to think more expansively about the definition of sex, it would be Joan Price. Joan, 82, is a senior sexpert who is renowned for her practical and sympathetic advice. I found her work online almost a decade ago and have been following her ever since. I interviewed her on my podcast several years ago (it was one of the most popular episodes) and got back in touch recently when I saw that she had new editions of her two most popular books¹.

Her frank and “spicy” (her word) explanations of desire, sex, and what constitutes intimacy have helped me to understand changes in my 70-something body, especially what to do about the phenomenon of decreasing libido. Don’t wait to feel aroused, she counsels; start fooling around first and desire will come afterwards. That came as a surprise to me and my husband of 53 years; very reassuring.

Four years ago, Joan was quoted in the widely-read New York Times Magazine cover story, The Joys (and Challenges) of Sex After 70. Just last week, she and her 82-year-old boyfriend were profiled in the NYT about their sexual relationship.

And now you can listen to a fascinating conversational interview with Joan on the NYT Modern Love podcast—that reveals all about her sex life as an older woman!

A Widow’s Guide to Sex (NYT Modern Love Podcast, March 18, 2026)

Here’s the transcript of the podcast with an intro by Anna Martin, host of the Modern Love podcast, and fabulous photos of Joan by Lauren Segal.

Today, we get our very own view behind the scenes with Joan to find out more about her life as a [b]old woman.

Debbie Weil: First, how is your recovery from your car accident?

Joan Price: In April 2025, an unavoidable car crash left me with three neck fractures. You can read more about it on my blog. Recovery is still an ongoing process. Luckily I’m able to do everything I could do before – even teach my line dance classes! I still have discomfort and tire easily. Many thanks to my physical therapist and my wonderful Pilates trainer/ bodyworker for helping me get to this point.

DW: What does [b]old age mean to you?

JP: [B]old age to me means accepting, even celebrating the aging process, adjusting to my body’s ever-changing needs and demands with all the tools I can summon, and trying to find optimism and humor even when the challenges seem massive. One of my mottos: “As long as this is my reality, what can I take charge of?”

DW: You and your partner, Mac Marshall, live by choice in separate abodes in northern California’s Sonoma County. Do you think that distance contributes to a more robust sex life for the two of you?

JP: Absolutely. We see each other when we want to. Living apart gives us solitude and independence. When we come together, we’re ready for connection!

DW: What’s your response to why so many of us are hung up on PIV (penis in vagina) as the definition of sex??

JP: It’s what we were taught was “real” sex.