We have no way of knowing how many days of grand living we’ll be gifted. We’ve certainly become inured to the reality that life discloses our experiences moment by moment in real-time and it is up to us to determine how we choose to finesse all the “whatisness” life brings our way.
In this authentically captivating episode of Aging GreatFULLy, we welcome the founding editor of Creative Nonfiction magazine, and architect of the genre, Lee Gutkind, author and editor of more than thirty books. He’s appeared on many national radio and television shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Good Morning America, and National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. Even before Lee Gutkind was spotlighted in Vanity Fair Magazine in 1997 as “the Godfather behind creative nonfiction” he was its most active advocate and practitioner. In 1991, he founded Creative Nonfiction, the first and the largest literary journal to publish narrative/creative nonfiction exclusively. All the while, Gutkind continued to practice what he preached, immersing himself in diverse worlds for months and years and producing dramatic and intimate creative nonfiction books about subjects as rich and varied as the motorcycle subculture, child and adolescent mental illness, baseball umpires, veterinary medicine and organ transplantation.
However, his latest writing endeavor wasn’t looking outward into the lives of others, but instead inward, towards his very own. Undertaking perhaps his most difficult and challenging work to date, Gutkind took to the task of writing his own memoir, My Last Eight Thousand Days: An American Male in His Seventies. In his revealing, candid and vivid portrait of aging, Gutkind examines aging like we’ve never seen before. And while the words on the pages are his experiences, thoughts and stories, having read them, I feel they may relate in some way to to every listener, as Gutkind has managed to unearth the truth on aging like only he can.
A must-listen, wisdom-infused episode that is full of fun, because isn’t that what life is about? But we also shift our attention to some topics that are important and serious that need our attention too. And Gutkind shares candidly the challenges he faced in growing older, including making connections, making meaning of it all, and what he did to find his way to the many better todays and wonderful tomorrows to come. This is definitely a power-hour of enlightYOUment that delivers on so many levels you won’t want to miss!
Gutkind’s memoir is a fantastic read for everyone that I highly recommend—to get your copy of My Last Eight Thousand Days: An American Male in His Seventies, or to learn more about or connect with Lee Gutkind visit www.LeeGutkind.com.
Thank you, amazing listeners, for making the Aging GreatFULLy show your show! We appreciate the downloads, shares and thoughtful reviews and greatfull for our global family of listeners that have allowed this show to be awarded a top show on aging to listen and subscribe to! To connect with our show, visit our official host page at www.CTRNetwork.com/holleykelley Remember, You rock, you role model and you are the best listeners!