Issue 10: The Bonus Years

NO. 10

The Bonus Years

PS MAG A ZINE MAY/JUNE 2015

MAY/JUNE 2015 ISSUE 10

MILTON GLASER

An Exclusive Interview

“My Own Life”

by OLIVER SACKS

THE ELDER BOOM Celebrating The Lindy Hop

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The Bonus Years May/June 2015 Issue 10

FEATURES

26 Hop to It! Celebrating the Lindy Hop

by VICTORINE LAMOTHE

29

The Oldest: The Keys to Living (Extremely) Longer and Stronger

by CRISTINA NASCIMENTO PATEL

33

How the Elder Boom Can Change Us for the Better

by JANICE LYNCH SCHUSTER

36

An Exclusive Interview: The Creative Genius of Milton Glaser

by CHRISTINA BURNS

44

“My Own Life”

by OLIVER SACKS

2

DEPARTMENTS 6 Remember When 10 Did You Know?

12 Health & Wellness:

Staying Hydrated 16 Life with The Eden Alternative:

The Passions Project 20 Dr. Lori: The Older Americans Act

and Elder Abuse 22 Tip of the Hat: The Ripple

Effect of the Greatest Generation

by Walter Backerman

IN EVERY ISSUE 4

Letter from the Publisher

48 Books: Inside the O’Briens

and A Fine Romance 50

Games & Puzzles

54 Fun & Games 57 Horoscopes 61 Puzzle Solutions 64 The Last Laugh Left: The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is among the tallest, widest, and longestlived of all trees on the planet, estimated to be 2,300–2,700 years old.

PHOTO: STACY GOLD/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE

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LE T TE R FROM THE PUBLI SHE R

Sincerely, John Polatz Publisher and CEO 4

PHOTO: COURTESY LEADINGAGE

In March, PS Lifestyle had the pleasure of being one of the sponsors of the Great Minds Gala hosted by LeadingAge and Intergrace Institute at Copper Ridge.

It was a particularly beautiful night in Washington, DC, the very elegant and entertaining Diane Rehm hosted the evening, and the room was filled with hundreds of people who have made it their work and passion to improve the care and support of our Elders. I was especially honored to present the Proxmire Award to our March/April cover figure, Jeanne Phillips (aka Abigail Van Buren, author of “Dear Abby”). The Proxmire Award was given to Jeanne because of her and her family’s commitment to raise pubic awareness and funding for Alzheimer’s so that it will someday—soon, hopefully—cease to exist. When the time comes without the specter of Alzheimer’s and dementia, we can thank Jeanne and so many others for gifting us with those bonus years.

PS Magazine has had the good fortune to ripen with age as well—we’re now up to the double-digits as this marks our tenth issue. We celebrate by kicking up our heels to celebrate the Lindy Hop and the dancers of yore who originally made it so popular. We explore human life span and how longevity and an aging Boomer population will affect our society, while pausing to consider the supercentenarians in our midst. Our cover story is on the iconic graphic designer Milton Glaser, who has impacted us all with his “I [heart] NY” logo and countless other designs and products (and was honored this year with Jewish Home Lifecare’s Eight Over 80 award.) Lastly, we feature a somber essay by the famed Dr. Oliver Sacks, as he eloquently shares the news of his terminal illness and considers his own mortality. Please enjoy this issue of PS Magazine.

Salon PS LLC CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

John Polatz CO-FOUNDER

Scott Fisher

MAGA ZINE PUBLISHER AND CEO

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Shelley Kondas VICE PRESIDENT — ADMINISTRATION & LICENSING

John Polatz

Susan Polatz

EDITOR IN CHIEF

VICE PRESIDENT — FINANCE & ACCOUNTING

Christina Burns

Ranae Lewis

ART DIRECTOR

VICE PRESIDENT — TECHNOLOGY

Elle Chyun

Brandon Crafts

EDITORS AT LARGE

VICE PRESIDENT — BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Lori Stevic-Rust Laura Beck, The Eden Alternative CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Katherine Adams Victorine Lamothe Janice Lynch Schuster Cristina Nascimento Patel

Brian Goetz VICE PRESIDENT — BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Kristin Hinkson DIRECTOR — PROCUREMENT & LOGISTICS

Kenish Patel DIRECTOR — HUMAN RESOURCES

Debra Moore

PS Magazine is published by Salon PS Magazine LLC 55 Public Square Suite 1180 Cleveland, OH 44113 Phone: (440) 600-1595 Fax: (440) 848-8560 © 2015 Salon PS Magazine LLC.All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

To order a subscription or to distribute PS Magazine at your business, contact info@salonps.com Cover: Milton Glaser by Christopher Lane PS Magazine regrets the errors that were printed in the March/April 2015 issue, in the article “Going Platinum.” The article incorrectly cites the town where Jim and Rose Fitzpatrick met (page 38), and mistakenly lists Rose’s name as “Liz” on page 39. PS Magazine thanks The Villas of Canterfield in Atlanta, Georgia for directing our attention to these inaccuracies, as well as their participation in the article.

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POP CULTURE, NEWS, AND EVENTS FROM PAST DECADES

Remember When...

1935

The mutual aid fellowship to help achieve and maintain sobriety, Alcoholics Anonymous, was founded by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio.

1945

Representatives of 50 countries participated in the signing ceremony for the Charter of the United Nations, which took place in San Francisco, California.

PHOTO: UN PHOTO/YOULD

PHOTO: © BETTMANN/CORBIS

Nabisco’s Ritz crackers were introduced nationally, initially marketed as a taste of affordable luxury in the midst of the Depression era.

Sam and Anna Mary Shoen founded do-it-yourself moving company, U-Haul, after they could not find a rental utility trailer to move their possessions from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon.

PHOTO: 123RF/NARONGSAK

PHOTO: PR NEWSWIRE

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1955

Kermit the Frog made his television debut on Sam and Friends, a live-action puppet show created

by Jim Henson and his eventual wife, Jane Nebel.

1965

1975

Novelist Arthur Hailey’s bestselling suspense book, Hotel, was published, eventually made into a motion picture, and years later, a successful television series.

PHOTO: 123RF/NARONGSAK

The lava lamp, originally labeled “Lava Lite,” was introduced to the American market.

Steven Spielberg’s motion picture, Jaws, became the highest-grossing film in history at the time and established the concept of the “summer blockbuster” in the film industry.

PHOTO: UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE/UIG VIA GETTY IMAGES

PHOTO: 123RF/BLUEEE

The television quiz show, The $64,000 Question, designed to challenge contestants and viewers to answer correctly eleven questions over a week, made its premier.

PHOTO: BETTMANN/CORBIS / AP IMAGES

Sony’s Betamax (also called Beta, and referred to as such in the logo) videocassette tape system was first released.

PHOTO: 123RF/ LUCA ALARICO SPEROTTI

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1985

The Discovery Channel began broadcasting as a television channel with documentarystyle programming focused on popular science, technology, and history.

1995

2005

Actor Christopher Reeve became a quadriplegic after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia.

PHOTO: AP PHOTO/AKILI RAMSESS

Watergate scandal whistleblower “Deep Throat” was revealed to be former FBI agent W. Mark Felt.

PHOTO: AP PHOTO

French supercentenarian Jeanne Calment became the “oldest person ever,” according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

PHOTO: AP PHOTO

TWA Flight 847, originally scheduled to fly from Cairo to San Diego with en route stops, was hijacked by a terrorist group who held it hostage for 17 days.

PHOTO: AP PHOTO/HERVE MERLIAC

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National Geographic Society released March of the Penguins in theaters, becoming one of the most successful documentary films ever.

PHOTO: JÉRÔME MAISON. © 2005 BONNE PIOCHE PRODUCTIONS / ALLIANCE DE PRODUCTION CINÉMATOGRAPHIQUE.

Remember When...

Disco Fever Emerged

O

n May 31, 1975, Van McCoy’s “The Hustle” became a number 1 hit on the music charts, eventually selling over one million copies to become one of the most defining songs of the disco era.

The song was actually inspired by a new dance of the same name, a mixture of Swing and Latin performed to a disco beat. The song itself helped elevate the dance, along with its flamboyant disco fashion, into a cultural phenomenon.

Right: The basic step of the Hustle dance. DIAGRAM: BETTMANN/CORBIS / AP IMAGES

Left: Frank Morgan, a dance instructor for 35 years, does a disco dance step at Huckleberry’s Disco in Chicago, Illinois. PHOTO: AP PHOTO Right: First Lady Betty Ford and entertainer Tony Orlando dance on stage at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. PHOTO: AP PHOTO/MADERE 9

?

DID YOU KNOW

Mother’s Day Origins

PHOTO: ALFRED WEGENER INSTITUTE

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Fathers Get Their Own Day President Richard Nixon officially declared Father’s Day as a US holiday in 1972. Decades earlier, American fathers had rejected the idea of the national holiday, viewing it as an attempt by merchants to replicate the commercial success of Mother’s Day.

PHOTO: 123RF/JENNIFER BARROW

Found in the Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica, deep-water glass sponges are considered to be the oldest living organisms on earth. Their longevity is attributed to extremely cold temperatures that slow the biochemical processes, so they have lower rates of respiration, reproduction, and metabolism. Their large sizes have led scientists to estimate a lifespan of up to 10,000 years.

However, these assumptions have recently been undermined in a new study from the Alfred Wegener Institute, who noted an accelerated growth rate as a result of the disappearing ice shelf due to climate change.

PHOTO: 123RF/ SVETLANA KOLPAKOVA

The Oldest Living Organism

The founder of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis, was actually unmarried and childless. She proposed the holiday following the death of her own mother. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially established the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Fascinating Facts to Know and Tell Lab-Grown Body Parts Scientists at The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine have had a high success rate transplanting lab-grown bladders into young patients with congenital birth defects. The bladders use biodegradable materials that are then populated with stem cells from the patients, so that their bodies won’t reject the transplant. The institute is working to grow tissues and organs and develop healing cell therapies for more than 30 different areas of the human body, from bladder and trachea to cartilage and heart.

PHOTO: WAKE FOREST INSTITUTE FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

America’s Missing Servicemen The Department of Defense has used DNA analysis to identify the remains of at least 150 military personnel from Vietnam, Korea, and WWII, one of whom was the Vietnam “Unknown Soldier,” now recognized as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. Today, DNA samples are taken from everyone who joins the US Armed Forces so there may never be another American “unknown soldier.”

PHOTO: JOERG HACKEMANN

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

by KATHERINE ADAMS

I

f you’re like a lot of older adults, you might not be drinking enough water. You may not even recognize it when your body needs more water, since the normal signal that tells us to drink—thirst—diminishes as we age. Dehydration is not only a common but also a very serious condition, particular with older adults.

A lack of thirst is not the only factor contributing to dehydration. As we age, our bodies become increasingly at risk for dehydration due to numerous physiological changes.

An adult is usually about 60% water.

But seniors typically lose lean body mass, so that their average water 12

PHOTO: ISTOCK/GBRUNDIN

Staying Hydrated for Healthy Aging

PHOTO: STOCKBYTE

retention is only about 50%. Add to this lessened kidney function, which makes processing liquids more difficult. Indeed, renal mass decreases up to 25%, taking with it some of the kidneys’ efficiency to filter urine, as well as the ability to store and process concentrated urine. But most importantly, dehydration has more serious consequences to older adults than to others.

There has been some debate about how much water people need to drink everyday. The rule of eight and eight, or eight glasses of water eight times per day, has been challenged by some, who say that humans today are overhydrating themselves with excessive water-drinking and that most people get plenty of fluids in their daily life— from food and other drinks—without too much extra effort. But these studies aren’t aimed at seniors’ needs, and more studies are just now coming to light about just how important it is for us to be more diligent about hydration as we age.

As it turns out, dehydration is responsible for increased mortality of hospitalized seniors, and causes seniors to be hospitalized more often and more repeatedly than other

age groups. Unfortunately, a stay at the hospital might even cause or exacerbate dehydration, since it may not be significantly prioritized during treatment. This is true of hospice care and long-term care facilities as well, where patients may be responsible for their own hydration and their water intake is not necessarily monitored closely.

Water intake falls to the wayside with patients who have decreased swallowing ability due to Parkinson’s disease, are physically or mentally incapacitated due to stroke or dementia, or are otherwise confused or having problems communicating.

If a senior is incontinent, too warm, or being treated with laxatives or diuretics, dehydration could well set in. Many medications also increase 13

dry mouth and cause constipation, which are signs of dehydration and signals to increase the amount of water we should be drinking.

Hospital or senior care community staff play a crucial role in the prevention of dehydration, but it is important for older adults and their families and caregivers to recognize the importance of hydration, since seniors can more quickly become dehydrated and have serious complications when they do. Those who have issues with incontinence or frequent urination may be reluctant to drink more water, since the stigma of constantly rushing to the restroom might be a source of embarrassment for some. But the risks are too great to be ignored. Dehydration can result in dizziness, which can result in dangerous falls. It can cause sudden and acute confusion and cognitive problems, fatigue, increased heart rate, loss of appetite, constipation, and even nausea and vomiting.

All of these can have even greater consequences when compounded with medical problems, heart conditions, medication, and so on.

The signs and symptoms of dehydration may be vague, deceptive, or 14

even absent in older adults. Lighter signs and symptoms of dehydration that should alert you to the need to drink more water include dry mouth and nose, loose and dry skin including tenting skin on the forehead, tiredness or weakness, and restlessness. Dehydration often causes symptoms such as confusion, constipation, or, less frequently, fever or falls, however, these particular symptoms can occur as the result of many conditions and therefore they cannot solely determine if the cause is dehydration. Always pay close attention to the color of your urine to be sure it never becomes darker than a light yellow.

To avoid dehydration, make sure you know which medications you take that may cause water loss, such as diuretics or laxatives, anti-depressants, and numerous others. Keep track of how much you drink, having water throughout the day instead of all at once, and aim for eight glasses a day unless you have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which precludes such a water regiment. In warmer weather, outside in the sun, or partaking in some activity or exercise, be aware that more water is needed. Teas and

ASSESSING YOUR HYDRATION URINE COLOR CHART

© JASON LEE

8

7

6

5

other non-sugary drinks are fine, as are fruits, vegetables, and soups with high water content, and yogurt.

It’s a good strategy to drink a full glass of water 30 minutes before each meal and before a snack, as well as with any medication you take throughout the day; this will not only set a schedule, it will positively impact digestion and improve intestinal health. Make a point to have water or another healthy beverage within your reach as you go about your day, either by your bed or chair or carry around a

4

3

2

1

smaller bottle of water. And, if you just don’t like to drink water, drink something more appealing, such as flavored waters, tea, or lemonade sweetened with agave. There are plenty of recipes for healthy alternatives to try.

Drinking enough fluids will decrease pain, reduce constipation, and keep you more alert and out of the hospital. Understand that you should not drink simply to satisfy your thirst but to stay healthy and enjoy yourself.

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LIFE WITH THE EDEN ALTERNATIVE

MAKING IT COUNT with The Passions Project

by LAURA BECK

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ALL IMAGES © 2015 HEIDI WAGNER PHOTOGRAPHY

M

y neighbor Sara once told me, “If there’s anything you feel passionately about doing, do it now.” Her words gave me pause. Was I living my passion, I wondered?

Was I being true to myself? In her 70s, Sara had a love for travel and would journey each winter to someplace new—the more remote and challenging the destination, the better. For me, the significance of Sara’s story was less about her advancing years and her exotic adventures, and more about her bold commitment to herself. Her choices continue to remind me that, no matter what our age is, the current moment is what counts.

Last October, Sara’s story and others inspired a presentation I was doing about living with passion and purpose at any age. As I left the stage, questioning whether what I shared had really touched anyone, a woman approached me with damp eyes and introduced herself. She got it, I thought. What a relief. What I learned though, as our conversation unfolded, was that she didn’t just get what I was talking about, she was living it.

In 2011, Heidi Wagner had an idea. Having worked in long-term care at Frasier Meadows in Boulder, Colorado since 2002, she began to see glimpses of how to bring her work with Elders together using her renewed passion for photography.

Not entirely clear where this calling would lead her, she decided she wanted to do a portrait series of Frasier Meadows residents doing what they love.

“I would say to the residents, ‘I want to know what your passions are.’ ‘Passion’ is kind of an intimate word, so it was a little awkward at first. But the more we talked about it, the clearer it became… the name ‘Passions Project’ was the right title for this work,” says Heidi.

It wasn’t long before a particular hallway at Frasier Meadows was graced with 41 portraits of residents living their passion. A great source of pride for the community, the project was clearly a game-changer.

Relationships began to unfold around newfound, mutual interests, and the conversation about aging took on a different shade.

“As I’m connecting with people about their passions, there is something that comes through when people are genuinely interested in 17

showing you who they are,” says Heidi. “I’m not asking them what their age is, because honestly, I don’t care. That’s not what this project is about.”

Heidi’s words affirm that when we have the opportunity to know someone well, ageism is a moot point. Where individuality is supported and celebrated, stigma and preconceived notions have no place. This sense of identity is also richly entwined with those things we hold dear, that enliven us and enrich

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our relationships. “Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit,” states Principle Six of the Eden Alternative philosophy, “The opportunity to do things that we find meaningful is essential to human health.” Through meaningful engagement, too, we continue to grow and deepen our capacity for joy, both of which are key to our overall well-being.

“These portraits reflect the spirit of a community,” Heidi shares.

“They say ‘this is who we are, these are the things we love.’ Living with passion and purpose is about being alive. When we see someone living their passion, we see someone we can be inspired by, someone we might wish to know better.”

Heidi’s desire to chronicle others had clearly shed light on her own passion. Inspired by the subjects of her photos to live life to the fullest, she left Frasier Meadows in 2013 to pursue a fulltime career in photography and her commitment to growing the Passions Project nationwide. Since then, Heidi has completed other Passions Projects in Northern Colorado and Iowa, and interest is brewing in other states.

Once during a recent visit back to Frasier Meadows, a group of residents asked Heidi if she would ever return to work there. “I told them that doing so would mean I wasn’t living my passion as a photographer,” says Heidi. Having been touched, themselves, by the Passions Project, they unanimously agreed that she shouldn’t return.

“Looking back, this all began with me searching for my own voice,” says Heidi, “And in turn, the project ended up giving a voice to a population of people I so deeply appreciate and enjoy. I’m always so energized when

I work with someone on their portrait.

Living with passion and purpose… it’s really about being alive.”

For more information on the Passions Project visit: thepassionsproject.wordpress.com.

Laura Beck is the Learning and Development Guide for The Eden Alternative, an international, non-profit organization focused on creating quality of life for Elders and their care partners. For more information about The Eden Alternative, go to www.edenalt.org.

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The Administration for Community Living celebrates May as Older Americans Month to honor seniors and acknowledge their contributions. This year, the Doctor theme “Get into the Act” is to raise Lori Stevic-Rust awareness to prevent elder abuse, and support older adults’ engagement in their communities while remaining active participants in their physical and emotional health through social engagement.

Abuse and neglect can take on the obvious signs of bruises and poor health. However, the more insidious type of concerns can be the less obvious. An aging adult with cognitive deficits can suffer his May marks the 50th from poor judgment, insight, and anniversary of the Older impaired problem-solving skills Americans Act, which that may lead to self-neglect. They Congress passed in response to may refuse care or isolate themthe lack of social services for self from others, even under the seniors in the community. Today, approximately 53 million people in watchful eye of family and staff in a senior community. the United States are 65 or older.

Seniors can also become Further, there is a rapid growth in victims of financial exploitation.

Americans who are 85 and older— a group that tends to struggle with Vulnerable individuals can be more complex medical, psychological, coerced or manipulated into signing important legal documents and social needs, which often or paying disproportionate rates presents even more challenges to for supportive services. Even communities and care providers.

The Older Americans Act Elder Abuse

&

T

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well-known but unscrupulous funeral homes and financial advising groups have been reported for selling higher priced items or services to seniors who may not have fully understood what they were signing.

The number of phone scams aimed at seniors is also on the rise.

Since October 2013, the IRS has recorded 290,000 scam calls threatening lawsuits or arrests if seniors do not give them personal information. Some scams seek out personal information including calls from alleged hospital or healthcare workers asking for social security numbers, or from alleged law enforcement agents claiming a grandchild or greatgrandchild is in trouble or hurt and in need of money.

Empowering older adults to get involved in their senior community and remain active is vital. Seniors who are isolated can suffer with depression and more complicated medical and emotional issues.

Those who are connected to their community and have strong family advocates are less vulnerable to abuse and neglect by simply

having the supervision and added protective eyes on them.

Unfortunately, a simple relocation to a senior facility does not always guarantee protection from abuse and neglect—particularly selfneglect. Often, a balance needs to be struck between supporting independent choices with seniors who are living in a community and protection from self-neglect or other forms of abuse. If you have been a victim of abuse within a facility by staff, other residents or family members, there are organizations that can help.

Senior living facilities are mandated by law to report suspected abuse, exploitation, or neglect of residents within 24 hours to local social service departments. Reports can be made directly to Adult Protective Services who are required by law to investigate. If you or somebody you know is in immediate danger, call 911.

Report abuse to responding law enforcement officers and seek out a protective restraining order for issues of physical, mental, or financial abuse.

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The Ripple Effect of the

Greatest Generation

by WALTER BACKERMAN

T

he American men, women, and children who lived through World War II shared years of sacrifice, disrupted lives, and total commitment to one unified purpose.

Their dedication and sacrifice has left a profound legacy that continues to inspire their children and the younger generations, who now reap the rewards of what was sowed with blood and sorrow seven decades ago.

THE SCHULTZ FAMILY Neither torpedoes and bombs nor minefields and the stench of battle deterred Fred Schultz from his 22

duties, as he tirelessly served as a combat medic. This unsung hero, forced to face a brutal enemy unarmed, never swayed from his path nor gave in to fear. Years later on a frigid, icy January day in 1961, while delivering diapers on a truck, he fell and broke his leg, and was suddenly out of work with no way to support his family. This event broke more than his leg—it did what our former enemies couldn’t, it broke his spirit.

The Schultz family “had no income, no health insurance, no workers compensation—nothing to fall back on,” recalls Fred’s son, Howard, in his book, Pour Your Heart Into It. They lived in the

© SAM KERR

T IP OF T HE H AT

PHOTO: AP PHOTO/KIN CHEUNG

the community and in treating their employees (referred to as “partners”) with respect and dignity. And in every step of his success, Howard has acknowledged that he is paying homage to his father, a very brave and courageous man who took care of his family as best as he could, and the values he established in him.

Howard Schultz Bayview projects in Canarsie, Brooklyn, a federally subsidized housing complex. “In the 1950s and early 1960s, the American Dream was vibrant, and we all felt entitled to a piece of it,” recalled Howard, who vowed that one day he’d have the financial security that had eluded his father.

From those humble origins, Howard managed to become one of the most respected entrepreneurs in America when he built Starbucks from a regional group of coffee shops to now more than 21,000 locations worldwide. Starbucks has been honored with numerous awards recognizing their leadership in serving

THE McMURRAY-NESMITH FAMILY Desperate times have been known to provide the perfect brew for young love, but not always the most enduring mixture. In the romantic uncertainty of war, Bette McMurray married Warren Audrey Nesmith before he went off to fight in WWII. While her husband battled overseas, Bette gave birth to their son, Robert Michael, but when the war ended, so, too, did their marriage.

Divorced and a single mother with aspirations of becoming an artist, Bette was restrained by the financial reality of finding a paying job, so she became a secretary at Texas Bank & Trust.

During this era, electric typewriters were gaining wider use in offices throughout America. They 23

increased typing speeds but they had one major drawback: the ink from the ribbon of these new typewriters was difficult to remove so if there was any error, the entire page would need to be retyped.

One day, Bette watched painters decorating the bank’s windows and observed them correcting their mistakes by painting over them. She realized that this approach might solve the problem that she and thousands of other secretaries were experiencing.

She experimented with a white, water-based tempera paint to cover over her typing errors, and once dry, corrected her errors. By 1956, she had sold her first batch of correction fluid, originally coined Mistake Out, and was inundated with orders. She enlisted the help of her son, Michael (who later became part of the 1960s band, The Monkees) and some of his friends to fill the orders. She tweaked the formula with her son’s chemistry set, applied for a patent and trademark in 1958, and renamed her product, Liquid Paper.

In 1980, the Gillette Corporation paid $47.5 million dollars for her 24

invention. Sadly, she died just six months later from a heart attack at 56. Half of her more than $50 million dollar estate went to Michael and the other half went to two charitable foundations: Gihon Foundation and the Bette Clair McMurray Foundation created for the sole purpose of helping women find new ways of making a living.

THE BACKERMAN FAMILY While at a USO dance in Manhattan and on furlough, my father, Big Al, stood at the edge of the dance floor and stared at the beautiful “Bell Of The Ball,” Reba.

Finally, he summoned up the nerve to ask her for a dance but was turned down several times because “the dance was promised to another soldier.” He approached her again until she said, “maybe now.” Within a few months, while on another leave, they were married. By war’s end, they had two children and my father was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant, but the nomadic life of the military wasn’t for my mother and her growing family, so they returned home to New York.

My mother’s father, Jake, was a seltzer delivery man driving his

PHOTO: COURTESY WALTER BACKERMAN

Reba and Big Al Backerman

horse-drawn cart over cobblestone roads since WWI ended in 1919. He knew of a route for sale in the developing part of New York City known as the Bronx. And so, my father became a seltzer man, a profession he crafted to perfection.

After a summer of exploring the world and enjoying my last fling before starting law school, I returned home to the sobering reality that while I was away my father had nearly died from emphysema. I put my plans on hold to help on his route until he got better, but he never really did.

Six months became six years and

now, more than 40 years later, I still travel the same roads with exactly the same bottles (some more than 100 years old) in almost precisely the same way my father did, and my grandfather did before him. My father is gone but his wisdom and legacy endure: Most importantly, to always believe in yourself; to value what you have; to never give up.

I have collected just a small handful of stories about those who were affected by the aftermath of WWII. There are millions of others—all worth contemplating.

For those who think only about the future with no reverence for the past, reflect and pay homage to those who have sacrificed so much battling their nightmares, so that we might be able to realize our dreams.

Walter Backerman is best known as Walter the Seltzer Man, a third generation seltzer delivery man in New York City who works the route that was originally created on horse and cart by his grandfather in 1919. Walter has a great fondness for American history, particularly of the 20th century, and is an avid collector of popular culture memorabilia.

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p g n t i o h t e a r L H b i n y d e l Ce

by VICTORINE LAMOTHE

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PHOTO: GJON MILI/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

E

very year on May 26, dancers of all ages and from around the globe gather to swing, step, and sway to the tunes of classic big band jazz. On World Lindy Hop Day, they celebrate the late legendary dancer Frankie Manning—born on May 26, 1914— and the iconic dance he helped popularize.

Originating in Harlem, New York, in the 1920s and ’30s, the Lindy Hop reflects a fusion of diverse dance influences, including the Charleston, ballet, jazz and tap steps, and the Breakaway, and its basic step is the eight-count swing-out. Harlem dance halls,

especially the magnificent Savoy Ballroom, served as a fitting backdrop for its spirited, creative rhythm—and the swinging music of the era, big band jazz, provided the perfect soundtrack. The Lindy Hop’s name was allegedly inspired by the renowned aviator Charles Lindbergh (aptly nicknamed “Lucky Lindy”), who, in 1928, famously “hopped” across the Atlantic Ocean in a plane for the very first time—inspiring the headline, “Lindy Hops The Atlantic.” And just like its moniker, the Lindy Hop’s essential traits were influenced by prominent music of the time. Jazz’s spontaneity and self-expression within the structure of teamwork infuse its stunning energy and smooth style—marking a unique departure from other dance styles.

After developing in the late 1920s, several high-profile dancers aided in bringing the Lindy Hop to the masses, including Shorty “George” Snowden, Leroy “Stretch” Jones, and Herbert “Whitey” White, all of whom regularly participated in Saturday night contests at dance halls packed to the brim with wide-eyed, dazzled spectators. The most acclaimed was, by far, Frankie Manning.

INTERESTING FACTS • World Lindy Hop Day is on May 26, 2015.

• Although the Lindy Hop is supposedly named after Charles Lindbergh’s “hop” across the Atlantic, there technically aren’t any hops in the dance.

• Last year marked the centennial of Frankie Manning’s birthday, and brought together over 2,000 Lindy Hoppers from every corner of the globe.

Traveling from his home in Harlem to Hollywood sets, he helped share the Lindy’s unparalleled fun and energy. And his most famous Hollywood appearance—in a 1942 comedy film entitled Hellzapoppin’, boasts a heart-stopping sequence that many Lindy Hoppers still admire to this very day.

In addition to these iconic dancers, other artistic genres and historic events shepherded the Lindy to the forefront of popular dance. The jazz 27

great Duke Ellington penned a song as a tribute to a Lindy Hop dancer.

Louis Armstrong, who was a contemporary of Shorty “George” Snowden, composed a piece of music just for him. And the esteemed Harlem Renaissance poet Countee Cullen discussed the joys of dance in a poem titled, “She of the Dancing Feet Sings.” What’s more, American servicemen even played a part in the Lindy Hop’s rise to prominence.

During World War II, they brought it with them during deployments to Asia and Europe, letting its lightheartedness usher in welcome moments of entertainment.

Not surprisingly, the Lindy Hop became the dance par excellence of the Swing Era (1935–45), lending its exuberance to ballrooms, theaters, and nightclubs everywhere throughout the Great Depression and World War II. It also mirrored changing social standards of the time, as women had the ability to choose whom their partners were—and how they expressed themselves when they danced.

Although the Lindy Hop was all the rage during the Swing Era, it unfortunately experienced a period of decline during the 1950s and ’60s 28

with the rise of rock ’n roll music and dances such as the Twist and Mashed Potato. During the ’60s, especially, it dwindled due to an increased lack of interest in partnered dancing. Luckily, though, its downturn didn’t last long.

Accompanying a renewed fascination with swing music and dance—particularly in Great Britain, the United States, and Sweden—the Lindy saw a resurgence in the 1980s that continues today.

Over 40 countries on five continents dance the Lindy Hop, and swing clubs, studios, and festivals that preserve its rich legacy are present in practically every major city. And because it doesn’t require difficult technical training, people of all ages and backgrounds are discovering its zest and pizzazz. But while the Lindy Hop might be as popular as the latest dance fads, its essence and identity will always be linked to the storied dance halls of the 1930s and ’40s—and, of course, the incredible dancers who brought it to life.

Victorine Lamothe is a writer and dance enthusiast living in Brooklyn, New York.

PHOTO: ISTOCK/FZANT

THE OLDEST The Keys to Living (Extremely) Longer and Stronger

by CRISTINA NASCIMENTO PATEL

In April, Jeralean Talley from Michigan, who turns II6 years old on May 23, became the world’s oldest living person. In a recent interview with Time, she revealed that she doesn’t feel sick, tries to do the right thing, and makes sure to attend church every Sunday. How does someone who was born in I899 manage to continue leading a long, healthy life?

29

Ms. Talley is what scientists call a “supercentenarian”—a person who lives to be older than 110 years old.

There are very few of them in the world with an estimated 60 in the United States and only 300 worldwide, and these people spend, on average, only the last five years of their life with any age-related disease. Many of the world’s oldest people credit their strong family and religious ties to longevity.

Scientists are studying supercentenarians closely to isolate the factors that result in longer, healthier lives. According to Dr. Thomas Perls, Associate Professor of Medicine at

Supercentenarians have a rare combination of genetic traits that help protect them from age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s Disease.

30

the Boston University School of Medicine and Director of the New England Centenarian Study, supercentenarians are clinically alike and also genetically similar. In its thirteenth year, the New England Centenarian Study is the largest study of centenarians and their families in the world. Dr. Perls and his team of researchers study people who lead extra-long lives to see whether they can be a model for healthy human aging.

“Supercentenarians have a rare combination of genetic traits that help protect them from age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s Disease,” says Dr. Perls. “For the average person, the key to living longer can be attributed to your environment 80% of the time, while the role genetics play is estimated at 20%. For supercentenarians, the situation flips—genetics is 80% responsible for longevity. The world’s oldest people have another trait in common.” He believes that supercentenarians may have hit the genetic lottery. “The older you are, the healthier you’ve been,” says Dr. Perls. In other words, people with exceptional longevity are healthy until the very end of their

lives. Another common trait shared by supercentenarians? Most of them did not smoke.

Women win the longevity marathon—80% of centenarians (people who live to be 100) are women. It’s unclear why this is, but it might have something to do with the fact that women age more slowly because of their reproductive and longevity-enabling genes in the X chromosome, according to Dr. Perls.

Life expectancy is defined as the average years that a person may live.

In the United States, the average life expectancy is 76 for men and 81 for women. Lifespan, however, is the oldest age ever achieved by a member of our species. Jeanne Calment of France, who died in 2007 at the age of 122, is the oldest person to have every lived. The life spans of humans will only change when someone lives longer than Ms. Calment.

The New England Centenarian Study won’t lead to expanding life span much further than it is.

Rather, Dr. Perls and his team hope “to discover the mechanisms by which the aging population can so markedly delay or escape really bad diseases like Alzheimer’s.”

Jeanne Calment has the longest confirmed human lifespan on record, living to the age of 122 years, 164 days.

PHOTO: AP PHOTO/FRANCOIS MORI

You can’t control your genetic makeup, but embracing good habits will help you fight age-related diseases, says Dr. Perls. He shared some changes you can make to you improve your health and lifestyle.

Avoiding red meat can go a long way to improving your diet. Red meat contains iron, and studies have shown that iron build-up may be a cause of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Instead, switch to eating more fish 31

and vegetables in your diet.

Avoiding cigarette smoke and alcohol will help you stay healthier later in life. Smoking is one of the most toxic substances to the body.

Many studies show that maintaining a tight social network is critical to leading a longer, healthier life. Women tend to have stronger social networks, and that may be part of the reason women tend to live longer than men.

Scientists agree that exercise helps reduce the effects of aging.

Strength training with weights is especially helpful to build muscle that could help prevent falls.

Muscles are active tissues when it comes to producing substances that are good for you.

Anti-aging clinics that promote hormone replacement therapy should be avoided. These are expensive, don’t work, and are very dangerous.

Scientists agree that most people have an average set of genes that get us close to 90 if we eat well and maintain healthy lifestyles.

Environmental factors and diet play a huge role in chipping off years of our life expectancy. People fight longevity-enabling genes with 32

Born on May 23, 1899, Jeralean Talley, the world’s oldest-known living person, holds her great-great-grandson.

PHOTO: REUTERS/ REBECCA COOK

smoking, a lack of exercise, rotten diets, and too much stress in their lives. As a result, people are reducing expectancy rates with unhealthy behaviors and toxins. For a majority of people, life behaviors play the largest role in longevity.

If you are or know of a supercentenarian and their family who might be interested in participating in the New England Supercentenarian Study, please contact Dr. Thomas Perls at 888-333-6327 or tperls@bu.edu.

How the

Elder Boom

Can Change Us for the

Better

by JANICE LYNCH SCHUSTER

M

ILLUSTRATIONS © M. MUSGROVE

uch has been written about the Age Wave, where increasing life expectancy coupled with the millions of Baby Boomers reaching older age is creating an unprecedented demographic shift. As a result, we need to find ways to care for loved ones, meeting their needs for medical care, financial security, safe housing, reliable transportation, and community involvement. Some efforts underway to serve today’s elders hold hope and promise for the generations to come.

In her new book, The Age of Dignity:

Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America, MacArthur Fellow (often referred to as the “genius” award) Ai-jen Poo describes the challenges America faces.

Ai-jen, whose career started when she began organizing domestic workers in New York City, feels that the issues facing older adults, their families, and paid caregivers offer an opportunity to re-imagine old age and to develop programs that will “potentially bring us together as a nation.”

“We have yet to come up with a plan to support families that are grappling 33

with this question [of elder care],” she said in an email. “And we are at a point as a nation where we cannot afford not to have a plan.…I truly believe that this moment of demographic change in our families is an opportunity to develop the bold solutions we know we need to support 21st-century American families.”

Older adults often express their desire to age in place, and to remain in their homes and communities.

Doing so can present a few challenges, especially for people who live in large, rambling suburban homes, complete with many flights of stairs and with no access to public transportation. The Village Movement, which began as a grassroots effort for elders to help one another, has grown into a national peer-to-peer network.

In “Villages,” older residents volunteer to help one another with tasks and chores such as minor home repairs

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and transportation to physician appointments. As these networks evolved, they hired paid staff to help members navigate care and services in the community. Today, members pay a modest annual fee, and, while they are able, volunteer in the community. There are now some 150 Villages operating in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, with another 120 under development. They share ideas and information through the Village to Village Network, which helps groups organize, establish, and manage Villages.

Another promising strategy can be found in similar models that enable volunteers to receive credits for the time they serve. When necessary, they can redeem those credits to request services. One such program is Partners in Care, a private non-profit that operates in the exurbs of Washington, DC. Founded 22 years ago, Partners has some 2,500 members who volunteer “time, gifts, and talents” to assist each other in meaningful ways, and to stay engaged members of their own communities. New members participate in an orientation program in which they

list their skills and interests and what they are able to share. A coordinator then matches member requests. (In one instance, a member was tapped to share expertise in Russian.) For the most part, however, volunteers offer to provide companionship, based organizations, PACE programs transportation, and small home offer the health and supportive repairs and maintenance. services people need to remain in A similar program operates in their own homes and communities.

Japan, where 25% of the population Ai-jen Poo’s vision for an Age of are elders. Ai-jen explains that the Japanese earn an alternative currency Dignity sounds deceptively simple: called the Fureai Kippu, or “caring “We would have policies and supports that ensure dignity and independence relationship tickets,” which, Ai-jen for Americans of all ages and writes, “allow neighbors to care for circumstances, whether you’re a neighbors, bank that time, and caregiver, an aging American, a receive support for their relatives on home care worker, or a person with the other side of the country, or for a disability.” Building that system, themselves if they need it later on.” however, will take a great deal of A pilot project based on this idea is ingenuity, innovation, and invention. being tested in New York City.

To do that means starting now, with In the 1970s, a group based in what we have and where we are, to California developed a novel approach to home-based care called build a future where we can all live and thrive.

PACE, Programs for All-inclusive Care of the Elderly. Today, more than 100 programs are offered in 32 Janice Lynch Schuster is the lead states. To be eligible, a person must writer at Magellan Health in Washington, DC, and an author of Handbook for be 55 or older and need a level of Mortals: Guidance for People Facing care provided by a nursing home.

Serious Illness.

Through contracts with community35

36

The Creative Genius of

MILTON GLASER An Exclusive Interview with America’s Greatest Designer

by CHRISTINA BURNS

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LANE

MILTON GLASER comes across as eloquent and memorable as his large body of work that has influenced advertising, products, and print media for the past six decades.

Raised in the Bronx, he attended the famed LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and then received a highly sought college education at Cooper Union. He received a Fulbright scholarship and moved to Bologna, Italy where he continued his studies under the master of still life painting, Giorgio Morandi. Upon his return from Italy, he joined the newly formed Push Pin Studios, an art studio that became known for its eclectic American style.

In a townhouse that was built at the turn of the century as a Tammany Hall clubhouse, Mr. Glaser co-founded New York Magazine and later his design studio, Milton Glaser, Inc. During the 1960s and 70s, in addition to putting out the weekly issue of New York Magazine, he designed posters, logos, and other corporate communications that have since become part of 37

everyday American culture, from the psychedelic poster of Bob Dylan to the design, inside and out, of the Grand Union supermarket, The World Trade Center restaurants, and the Rainbow Room. His work has been celebrated in one-man shows at the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Boston, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

In 2009, President Barack Obama presented Mr. Glaser with the National Medal of Arts, along with eleven other recipients including Frank Stella, Rita Moreno, Clint Eastwood, and Bob Dylan. That was the first time a graphic artist has ever received the honor. Earlier this year, he was celebrated as an honoree of Jewish Home Lifecare’s annual Eight Over 80 award.

Mr. Glaser put down his drawing pen to speak with PS Magazine in this exclusive interview.

PS Magazine: You have spent your career designing posters for well-known events and institutions as well as in the design of logos and public spaces.

Does it matter to you if people appreciate good design that surrounds them?

38

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF MILTON GLASER, INC.

Milton Glaser: What matters to me is the fact that my design has an effect on people. That it either informs them or enables them to understand things or it introduces ideas to them. In any case, the point of design, in general, is determined by certain objective realities like trying to sell more product or trying to tell people whether to turn left or right or trying to make them feel more comfortable in a chair they’re sitting on. There are so many different manifestations of design. People use design as a definition of what things look like, but that is not what design is. Design is attempting to solve a realistic condition and move that condition from one place to another, more desirable place. For me, it’s nice if people are conscious of my design not because of an appreciation of good design but that it makes their life easier and more understandable. If you design a chair and you discover that when you sit in it, you’re more comfortable, then you’ve accomplished something regardless of what the chair looks like. Although people will talk about design (and chairs) in terms of their appearance, the real issue is whether functionally it improves the conditions of your butt.

PS: Your design of “I [heart] NY” is incredibly popular and widely recognized as a symbol of New York City (and state). When you first created it, did you realize it would not only be popular but would remain so for this long?

MG: I thought it was going to be used in a campaign that would last a month and then be over, and then disappear into the hole of history to never be seen again. So it was a total surprise to me. The still appealing character it has is very mysterious. It was done in 1977 and if you go down to Chinatown that’s all you can see. I can say I was totally unprepared for its acceptance and use. I don’t think there’s anything else I’ve done that has achieved that level of familiarity.

It’s everywhere. “I love New York” is in every country in the entire world, including many countries that don’t speak English. It’s become a universal instrument for saying, “I love anything.” It works immediately in any language. So, it really required a change of what language is to achieve its results.

Philip Roth’s Nemesis The cover design references a stifling heat wave in Newark, New Jersey and the protagonist’s interest in javelin throwing.

PS: After 9/11, you revised the logo with “I [heart] NY More Than Ever.” What is the story with that?

MG: On 9/11, I realized that my love of the city had intensified. Like anybody who has a relative in the hospital or [has someone who] has died recently, you don’t realize until that moment how much you love that person. And that’s what people in the city were feeling. The intensification of that experience, I love NY, became obvious. So, I did this immediately because I realized my own intensification and I

Brooklyn Brewery Logo The “B” is designed to look like it belongs on a Dodgers uniform.

39

printed it, and got [the help of] 50 school kids and within the same week, it was posted all around the city, in every doorway. And it eased the pain, to some extent, the same way as your acknowledgment of loss makes it meaningful. And people wanted to say that, “I love New York more than ever,” and here it became visible all through the city.

You’d walk through the city and see that reiterated in doorways 50 times. So it was a very powerful and expressive instrument and the city really embraced it.

PS: In 1968, you co-founded New York Magazine, where you remained until 1977. What was your model for creating the magazine when it first began?

“I [heart] NY More Than Ever” Poster The black stain on the heart symbolizes the World Trade Center site.

MG: Well, we didn’t have very much of a model except for its precedent, which was the version that was an insert in the Sunday Herald Tribune, and Clay [Felker] was the editor of that. When the Herald-Tribune decided to leave New York and give it up, Clay said he’d start another magazine and maybe call it “New York.” We managed to acquire the rights for the name and we happened to discover what it was after we had committed to it. The first year of publication was a disaster, we didn’t know what we were doing.

We were taking pieces from everything else that existed in our experience and tried to put it together into a coherent city magazine that was not The New Yorker, because we knew that we couldn’t compete with them. We didn’t have the sophistication or the depth, or the insight or the history.

40

Clay was a boy from the Midwest and I was a kid from the Bronx, and we had very different views of the city and what was interesting in the city, but they complemented each other. And we had an awful lot of terrific young writers around, not to mention wonderful illustrators and photographers who provided a lot of the content.

And then, maybe because of its lack of refinement and lack of coherence, people began to like it. Or maybe they felt sorry for us. And we developed a view of the city, characterized by things like The Underground Gourmet.

We knew everyone in the city wanted to find cheap places to eat. But that was limited by ethnicity. And it was socially unacceptable to eat in an ethnic restaurant, curiously enough. What we did was make it part of the mainstream culture. We said, it’s OK to eat here and you can get the best food in town at the cheapest level.

PS: Has it ever backfired when you reported on restaurants that you love and suddenly you couldn’t go because they became too popular?

MG: All the time. Once you reported on it, you destroyed it. I remember writing about a fish restaurant in the jewelry district that had twelve counter seats. The guy went out fishing in the morning and then cooked the fish at noon and we did a story on it, and we went there and 300 people were outside the door.

The guy just closed and left. That was characteristic of what could happen. That’s the price of discovery.

PS: And then you started to realize how powerful the magazine was?

MG: It was one of the indications that people were paying attention, for sure.

The Underground Gourmet column still exists today.

41

PS: You recently released a button design that communicates the issue of climate change. Is that a topic that you are most passionate about right now?

MG: What’s important to me is the intervention of art and social life and culture. I don’t see those things as separate. I think if you’re in the arts, the first thing that you want to do is offer an alternative to capitalism and a consumer-based economy, and acquisition and greed. People who have a holistic vision of the world, that think we are here for other things besides money and profit, want to contribute to that perception. So, with climate change, there is nothing more fundamental beyond saving the earth. There is no bigger issue. What is astonishing is the immunity that institutions and people have to preventing any action. And the idea of still resisting it as a reality is so shocking to me, until you examine the relationship between money, politics, culture and so on. Certainly climate change is among the things one is concerned with, but no more than anything else, all the other dreadful things that happen in human activity. We just did a publication for Human Rights Watch, and we work for institutions that are pro bono basically because we think that things can get better. And we think that is the role of art in human culture.

PS: What did you do for Human Rights Watch?

MG: We are just launching a magazine that we did for them. One of the problems with all the appeals for money is that it’s too difficult to deal with these issues. What I’m most interested in is understanding how to penetrate people’s indifference. So, we did a magazine that was based on a tabloid newspaper so that there was no deep reading that you had to do that you would resent before you started. And taking advantage of everything I know about how you inform people visually so that people will actually read this product and actually respond to it. That is not a simple issue. The problem is how you separate yourself from everybody else who is appealing for help and make people decide that this is worth helping, 42

and move them to action. Moving people to acknowledgement and action is really the basis for what I want to work for and what I have tried to work for over the years.

PS: Is this what you’re spending a lot of your energy doing?

MG: Well, I do everything. I come to work everyday and do whatever is on the table. It’s a mixed bag from furniture to restaurants to pro bono organizations to identity.

PS: You once gave a talk and listed the ten things you’ve learned, with your number nine relating to getting older. What have you learned about aging?

The iconic Bob Dylan poster was inspired by a self-portrait of Marcel Duchamp.

MG: Aging, like every other phenomenon, is a frame of mind. When you age, there are limitations on your energy, on your knees, on your mind. What is significant is your response to these changes and maintaining of one’s balance in aging and understanding that there are some things that you can no longer do. And you simply have to accept the fact that there are things that you can no longer do and there are other things that you can do for the first time. It gives you more of a sense of what is valuable.

That’s aging’s greatest asset. And what matters, and what doesn’t. The most important thing for me is to keep my mind alive, and to maintain my own curiosity. And to feel that there’s always the possibility to learn something that you didn’t know before. Outside of that, there’s not much more that you can say about something that is as inevitable as aging is.

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ILLUSTRATION © KATHERINE ROBINSON

44

My Own Life Dr. Oliver Sacks on Learning He Has Terminal Cancer

by OLIVER SACKS month ago, I felt that I was in good health, even robust health. At 81, I still swim a mile a day. But my luck has run out— a few weeks ago I learned that I have multiple metastases in the liver. Nine years ago it was discovered that I had a rare tumor of the eye, an ocular melanoma. The radiation and lasering to remove the tumor ultimately left me blind in that eye. But though ocular melanomas metastasize in perhaps 50 percent of cases, given the particulars of my own case, the likelihood was much smaller. I am among the unlucky ones.

I feel grateful that I have been granted nine years of good health and productivity since the original diagnosis, but now I am face to face with dying. The cancer occupies a third of my liver, and though its advance may be slowed, this particular sort of cancer cannot be halted.

It is up to me now to choose how to live out the months that remain to me. I have to live in the richest, deepest, most productive way I can. In this I am encouraged by the words of one of my favorite philosophers, David Hume, who, upon learning that he was mortally ill at age 65, wrote a short 45

autobiography in a single day in April of 1776. He titled it “My Own Life.”

“I now reckon upon a speedy dissolution,” he wrote. “I have suffered very little pain from my disorder; and what is more strange, have, notwithstanding the great decline of my person, never suffered a moment’s abatement of my spirits. I possess the same ardour as ever in study, and the same gaiety in company.”

I have been lucky enough to live past 80, and the 15 years allotted to me beyond Hume’s three score and five have been equally rich in work and love. In that time, I have published five books and completed an autobiography (rather longer than Hume’s few pages) to be published this spring; I have several other books nearly finished.

Hume continued, “I am... a man of mild dispositions, of command of temper, of an open, social, and cheerful humour, capable of attachment, but little susceptible of enmity, and of great moderation in all my passions.”

Here I depart from Hume. While I have enjoyed loving relationships and friendships and have no real enmities, I cannot say (nor would 46

I feel intensely alive, and I want and hope in the time that remains to deepen my friendships, to say farewell to those I love, to write more, to travel if I have the strength, to achieve new levels of understanding and insight. anyone who knows me say) that I am a man of mild dispositions. On the contrary, I am a man of vehement disposition, with violent enthusiasms, and extreme immoderation in all my passions.

And yet, one line from Hume’s essay strikes me as especially true: “It is difficult,” he wrote, “to be more detached from life than I am at present.”

Over the last few days, I have been able to see my life as from a great altitude, as a sort of landscape, and with a deepening sense of the connection of all its parts. This does not mean I am finished with life.

On the contrary, I feel intensely alive, and I want and hope in the time that remains to deepen my

friendships, to say farewell to those I love, to write more, to travel if I have the strength, to achieve new levels of understanding and insight.

This will involve audacity, clarity, and plain speaking; trying to straighten my accounts with the world. But there will be time, too, for some fun (and even some silliness, as well).

I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for anything inessential. I must focus on myself, my work, and my friends.

I shall no longer look at “NewsHour” every night. I shall no longer pay any attention to politics or arguments about global warming.

This is not indifference but detachment — I still care deeply about the Middle East, about global warming, about growing inequality, but these are no longer my business; they belong to the future. I rejoice when I meet gifted young people — even the one who biopsied and diagnosed my metastases. I feel the future is in good hands.

I have been increasingly conscious, for the last 10 years or so, of deaths among my contemporaries. My generation is on the way out, and each death I have felt as an

abruption, a tearing away of part of myself. There will be no one like us when we are gone, but then there is no one like anyone else, ever. When people die, they cannot be replaced.

They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate — the genetic and neural fate — of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death.

I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers.

Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.

“My Own Life” by Oliver Sacks, originally published in The New York Times. Copyright © 2015 by Oliver Sacks, originally published in The New York Times, used by permission of The Wylie Agency LLC. 47

BOOKS FICTION

I NSI DE T H E O’ BR I ENS

A

uthor and neuroscientist Lisa Genova successfully breathes life into the fatal illness, Huntington’s Disease. Inside the O’Briens is a heart-wrenching tale of a traditional Boston Irish-Catholic family’s struggle with Huntington’s, an inherited disease in which nerve cells break down over time and cause involuntary lurching movements and loss of cognitive function in people during their prime working years.

Police Officer Joe O’Brien inherits the disease from his mother, and struggles with his career and family life, and his own personal journey with this terminal illness. Most 48

troubling to Joe and his supportive wife, Rosie, is that each of their four adult children have a 50/50 chance of inheriting the disease, which usually becomes symptomatic for people in their 30s and 40s.

The children have a choice to learn their fate, and each of them struggles with the decision of whether to let genetic testing reveal the presence or absence of the faulty gene.

Lisa Genova has carved a niche for herself in the world of fiction.

Readers need not resort to The Journal of Neuroscience to learn about the rare medical conditions in her novels. The author presents Huntington’s Disease, as she did with early-onset Alzheimer’s in her debut novel Still Alice, in the most realistic and compassionate way, without compromising medical facts. In doing so, Dr. Genova brings an awareness and dignity to the struggle of the O’Brien family in her novel, and to the 30,000 families coping with Huntington’s, the quintessential family disease.

BOOKS NON FICTION

A FINE ROMANCE

S

ome thirty years ago, Candice Bergen wrote her first memoir, describing her life as the child of a famous comedian-ventriloquist and a Southern beauty. It was a bestseller. Now, she gives us an overview of what has happened since.

A Fine Romance is about the loves of her life: before she wed the brilliant French director Louis Malle, her career at its apex, and finding love again in her fifties after the terrible death of Mr. Malle. But mostly, it’s about the bond she experienced with her daughter, Chloe. Having come to love and marriage relatively late in life, she was ambivalent about having a child right up until the moment of her daughter’s birth. It was, as she says, when her life began.

Chloe is the framework of the book: she starts and ends Ms. Bergen’s narrative. In between we get glimpses of her first marriage, which was a

difficult relationship that was dominated by absence, especially after Ms. Bergen took up residence permanently in Los Angeles to become the rapier-witted, intelligent Murphy Brown. The marriage suffered, but made it through until the very end, when Mr. Malle succumbed to a rare brain disease.

Ms. Bergen is observant and descriptive while remaining succinct. She brings attention to both the universal mundaneness of life as well as what has been remarkable about her life. She presents the very typical troubles of a woman trying to have it all: a career and a family. Now reaching 70 years, she is frank about her dismay at aging, of seeing people she’s known all her life pass, and her own fears but she is determined to keep learning and growing, an example to us all.

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Illustrated by David Helton

50

Š 2015 Highlights for Children, Inc. All rights reserved.

Keep Kitty Dry How can this kitten reach its playmate without getting its toes wet and without jumping over any puddles? Answer on page 61

Illustrated by Lynn Adams

START

FINISH

Š 2015 Highlights for Children, Inc. All rights reserved.

51

Need an idea for a cat’s name? Here are 24! See if you can find each of these names in the grid below. They are hidden up, down, across, backwards, and diagonally. Can you scratch them all out?

Answer on page 61

Name List ASHES BOOTS BROWNIE CLAW CORA FLUFFY FRECKLE GEMMA GINGER GUS HARRY LOLA

52

MAX MEOW MONSTER MOUSE PERCY POUNCE PUPPET ROSIE THOR TUNA WHISKERS ZIPPY

U S P G O R M H E L Q G

L R E G N I G A G L O V R I H P W Y R X E K L Z O W S E R R F W M C A C

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© 2015 Highlights for Children, Inc. All rights reserved.

Inside Joke

Q: What’s a tree’s favorite drink?

A: Root beer.

Illustrated by Jamie Smith © 2015 Highlights for Children, Inc. All rights reserved.

53

FUN & GAMES

Solutions on page 63

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 1

2

7

3

4

5

6

8

9

10

11

12 13

14 15

16

17

18

ACROSS 1. Meeting break (11) 7. Movie company with lion logo (inits) (3) 8. Initial-based abbreviation (7) 9. Tremble (6) 10. High point (4) 13. Warmth (4) 14. Pretentious (2-2-2) 16. Pasta envelopes (7) 18. Sumerian sky-god (3) 19. Soft, rich, milk product (5,6) 54

DOWN 1. Creating a distinctive mood (11) 2. Kingston’s island (7) 3. Customary habits (6) 4. Bookworm (4) 5. Geologist’s time measure (3) 6. Weather condition (11) 11. Weather conditions (7) 12. Scandinavian language (6) 15. Capacity (4) 17. Struggle for superiority (3)

© ANY PUZZLE MEDIA LTD

19

WORD SEARCH: EMOTIONS Emotions

© ANY PUZZLE MEDIA LTD

L D O N I D R O O E E L D Y F

W R U A H R R T C F O F C A T

I E E A N G E N N V R Y P E I

O Y U E R H A D E R T A H P R

AFFECTION AFFECTION ANNOYANCE ANNOYANCE CURIOSITY CURIOSITY DESIRE DESIRE DISGUST DISGUST GRIEF HATRED GRIEF HOPE HATRED HOPE

A L T O D Y O G N I H T A O L

F O G S O A N E S O S O R H R

I E R N N G M O D U W R D O R

L O N O I E I E L E O L E R O

A A H I A R S O Y H R R E Y H

E S G T U I E G I S R I N U T

E E L C R E R F R N Y U I U E

HORROR LOATHING LOVE LUST MISERY SUFFERING WONDER WORRY

H I D E S I Y H F L E R E D Y

F E O F E U R I L U F O A I A

S Y R F G W T S U G S I D R U

U I N A F L Y Y O I G G I N I

HORROR LOATHING LOVE LUST MISERY SUFFERING WONDER WORRY 55

FUN & GAMES

Solutions on page 63

SUDOKU Sudoku—also known as Number Place—is a logicbased, combinatorial numberplacement puzzle. The aim of Sudoku is to enter a number from 1 through 9 in each cell of a grid. Each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of each number.

LETTER SOUP Can you rearrange the floating letters below to spell out the names of various sports? Each letter should be used exactly once in the resulting set.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

56

2

5 2

4 6 6 5

4 3 8

3

2

8

8 4 6

8 3

2

9 4

2 3 1

7

6 2

1 4

7 5 5

7 5

6 9

MAY/JUNE 2015 HOROSCOPES by Chris Flisher ARIES (March 21–April 19) More than any other time this year, you may be a fountain of verbiage. Words, text messages, and emails may come pouring out of you like water from a rainstorm gutter.

With that in mind, prepare yourself with the right words and be ready to use them on your behalf. This may be an important fork in the road for you so you’ll want to be especially cognizant of your ability to influence and convince others.

Research may also play an important role in your time so be careful with facts and figures. If you quote, be sure you are accurate. If you are studying or honing in on some new skill set, be mindful how valuable your insights may be and open up to share your intuitive insights.

TAURUS (April 20–May 20) This may be a particularly important time for your investments and all things monetary. Whether you are looking at long-term contracts or simply negotiating for a higher benefit, be sure to have your facts in place. You may have the gift of diplomacy and that may serve you

well especially if you are in talks about your future. Plans that you make today may have a significant impact down the road so plan wisely and with accountability so that your outcome is responsible and self-serving. Keep relatives in mind as you seek to establish a legacy that has depth and character. Large institutions may figure heavily in your decisions so heed their advice.

GEMINI (May 21–June 21) You may be sitting front and center and the spotlight will be squarely on you. With that in mind, you may want to prepare yourself accordingly. Your quick wit may be in top form and you may be equally adept at accomplishing many things at the same time. Even though your ruling planet, Mercury, will be retrograde, use this as an opportunity to set the record straight.

Retrogrades are ideal slices of time for righting any wrongs. If you have had fallouts or misunderstandings, this may be the perfect time to set them back on 57

course. Life is short and forgiveness can be quite liberating. This may truly be the time to seize the moment.

CANCER (June 22–July 22) Expect to bring some longterm projects over the finish line during this period. Whether you have been working on a new health regime or simply getting your papers in order, you may find that you are finally able to put some things behind you. There may be nothing so thrilling as seeing your goals and projects come to a successful conclusion. As long as you have checked your facts and been diligent in your duties, you may find great pleasure in coming to an end. In each ending there awaits a bold new beginning so prepare yourself to launch something new as you put the wraps on the old.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Find a group of friends or associates to create with and jump in with both feet. This should be an excellent time for any and all collaborative projects. Whether you are working on a community project or simply hanging out with likeminded associates, the time has come to mingle. Obviously the highest form 58

of this energy comes from service to others, which is why work that benefits the greater source of humanity may be your best and wisest choice. When you are able to combine your multitude of creative energy with others, you may find that the result is far larger than what you could have offered yourself. This should be a period of time to get out, roll up your sleeves, and pitch in to help others.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You should be witnessing an abundance of activity and dialog in and around what occupies your time.

Mars and the Sun, which will undoubtedly motivate you in the most ambitious fashion, will join your ruling planet, Mercury.

Occupation does not always imply your job. Rather, this is how you occupy your time. If you have a hobby or an interest that pulls you each day, then expect action to occur in that arena. With those concepts in mind, you may want to focus on research, writing, phone calls, or other forms of communication that shed light on how you spend your time or how you’d like to spend your time going forward.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) This should be an excellent time to enroll in any sort of educational endeavor. You may want to investigate something that has always piqued your interest, but you may never quite have had the time in the past. This same theme may also serve your spiritual side as well. Exploring new ways of looking at the world may come from study or travel. Even if you never leave your house, you may find that you are especially drawn to spiritual matters or new and exotic locales.

Armchair travel can be quite fulfilling particularly if you are able to embellish your experiences by pairing your explorations with new and unusual foods and flavors.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may do quite well to research some of your investments.

Perhaps you have decided to divest yourself of some funds or reallocate your portfolio. A real drive to find the best options may prompt you to dig into the research to support your ideas. As long as you are responsible and can account for everything with back–up plans and alternatives, you may be quite willing to take a

little risk. Much of the fun and interest may simply come from the process. Pouring over facts and figures and doing the background work might be quite fulfilling and profitable at this time. The researcher in you may really enjoy digging into the facts.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Discussions may be on your table during this stretch as you and your partner try to work out details. This may be an excellent time to redouble your efforts to set facts straight and get things in order. With Mercury in retrograde for part of this time, you may want to rethink plans going forward, or at least give them a second glance.

It may be that you have procrastinated or avoided a necessary discussion and you are no longer able to kick the can down the road, so to speak. The time may have arrived to have an honest talk, or you may be asked questions that you may no longer be able to dodge.

You may find that clearing the air serves you better in the long run.

59

picture you may be quite satisfied CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) with the results. If you can train your This should be an energetic aim on community-based projects time for you to work on a new daily schedule. Your options may embrace that allow you to highlight your creative instincts, you may witness a new approach to work or a new exercise regimen. Both of these out- a win-win situation. You may find that giving of yourself in creative lets hold the promise for being ways brings you the greatest internal responsible in a new manner. You satisfaction. Try and set your sights may feel the time has come to wipe on helping others. the slate clean and start something new that will ultimately benefit you PISCES (Feb. 19–March 20) and your health. Since the way you Much of your focus during this spend you days may directly impact your attitude and health, it might be time may be directed by your primary homestead. You may be moving or wise to incorporate a new habit. rearranging your house or family for Remember a simple adjustment in your daily patterns can have quite a that matter. While this may appear to be a daunting task, you may come positive impact further on. A little longer walk each day, or maybe park to see the benefits in your daily your car just a little bit further or take work. Perhaps you are coming to the stairs a little more often. It helps. realize that there has to be a better way to get tasks done when it comes to the family, but that the only way AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Expect to be quite motivated to through it is to jump in and roll up your sleeves. While you may be very participate in group projects. Your special skills may be in high demand motivated to discuss your options, you may also see how the ultimate during this time as three motivating planets gather in your creative arena. purpose does impact how you spend your time. Your keyword for this This area may be especially active and vibrant as ideas and suggestions period of time may be efficiency. come bubbling out of you with remarkable regularity. As long as you © 2015 Chris Flisher keep your eye trained on the larger 60

FUN & GAMES SOLUTIONS Magazines for every age!

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62

FUN & GAMES SOLUTIONS WORDSEARCH SOLUTION

CROSSWORD PUZZLE SOLUTION A

D

T

J

O

U

A

S

M G M

A

O

G

S

A H

P H

I

V

C E

A

T

A

V

I

I R

E

A

N M

E

E

O

R

O

N

R

A A

E Y

M

D

C M

E

L

R

I

N

M

I

A

O

S

T

M C

H

L

T

P

D L

O

N

D

R

I C

C

S

E R

E

R

E

E

D

A T

N

U R

S

E

9 4 3 5 8 1 7 2 6

8 5 6 7 2 9 3 4 1

5 2 9 3 7 8 6 1 4

6 7 8 1 5 4 2 9 3

4 3 1 2 9 6 8 7 5

1 8 4 9 6 2 5 3 7

3 9 5 8 1 7 4 6 2

W R U A H R R T C F O F C A T

I E E A N G E N N V R Y P E I

O Y U E R H A D E R T A H P R

A L T O D Y O G N I H T A O L

F O G S O A N E S O S O R H R

I E R N N G M O D U W R D O R

L O N O I E I E L E O L E R O

A A H I A R S O Y H R R E Y H

E S G T U I E G I S R I N U T

E E L C R E R F R N Y U I U E

H I D E S I Y H F L E R E D Y

F E O F E U R I L U F O A I A

S Y R F G W T S U G S I D R U

U I N A F L Y Y O I G G I N I

LETTER SOUP SOLUTION

SUDOKU SOLUTION

2 1 7 6 4 3 9 5 8

L D O N I D R O O E E L D Y F

7 6 2 4 3 5 1 8 9

1. TENNIS 2. BASKETBALL 3. SWIMMING 4. BOXING 5. FOOTBALL

63

THE L AST L AUGH

SAM GROSS, THE NEW YORKER COLLECTION/THE CARTOON BANK

“I read somewhere that when two people live together for a long time, they start to look like each other.”

The Cat An antique dealer is walking through town and sees a cat drinking milk from a saucer in a shop window. He is shocked when he realizes that the saucer is very rare and worth quite a bit of money.

He enters the shop and says to the owner, “I really like the cat. Would you be willing to sell it to me?”

The shop owner replies, “Sorry, the cat is not for sale.”

The antique dealer says, “I’ll give you $100 for it.”

The shop owner agrees and the antique dealer picks up the cat. As he is about to leave, he casually adds: “Oh, would you mind throwing in the saucer? The cat seems to like it.”

The shop owner replies, “No, that’s my lucky saucer. I’ve sold dozens of cats since I got it.”

64

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