Two Old Bitches: Stories from Women who Reimagine, Reinvent and Rebel

"Bold and brave. Dancing on the edge. Living each day as if it's my first or last." At 55 years, Geeta has perfected the practice of joyful disruption. She moves seamlessly between her lives in New York and Delhi, pursuing intersecting passions: gender and sexuality, film and other creative arts, and a wide web of friendships. Our conversation with Geeta ranged from exploring how she co-founded CREA – a feminist human rights organization that is creatively located on two continents – to how she arrived at her beliefs about sex work and her provocative views on culture and community in the U.S. Geeta's determination to suspend judgment, her belief in a web of humanity that offers support and sustenance, and her lust for joy and creativity are inspiring from start to finish. We love celebrating this aspiring "funky bitch" and know that you will too.

"I'm so happy. That's what surprises me. I never thought I'd survive 50. I've been suicidal a lot of the time. I was so poor and such a mess. And my life is beautiful now. Beautiful."

Joy Kane can make anything swing: an interview, a piano lesson, a song. At 91, she remains a musical enchantress, guided through life by her motto: If they're buying it, I'm teaching it. She turned her early training as a modern dancer and a classical and jazz musician into a career teaching the Methode Dalcroze in her 50s and started to write a series of books about her method in her 70s. She was born in Cleveland during World War II and was deeply affected by the genocide and totalitarianism that infused the zeitgeist of her formative years. Joy does not shy away from the tragedies or disappointments in life; instead, she shows us how -- through good times and bad -- her talent, her grit and the welcoming reception her work generated in France made re-invention a constant theme of her life. You'll be enthralled with her reflections on the ways in which her 90+ years mirror the history of women standing up to patriarchy. Be as inspired as we were by this unstoppable nonagenarian! And by the piano solos in this episode. They were all composed and performed by Joy especially for this podcast!

"I lived the first 15 years of our life without any reflection. No questioning about who am I? What do I want? That is my fight in life right now. Not just for myself but for every single girl out there. You cannot take a girl's voice away. You cannot take a girl's education away. And I will fight for that." Meet "the original" Houry! At 56, she brings unstoppable positive energy to advocacy for the rights of women and girls worldwide. Her journey of joy and discovery began in the 1970s when she left her Armenian community in Lebanon with her new husband, arrived in New York City and quickly transitioned to a life of disco at Studio 54 and building a posh hair salon business that catered to glitterati from Madonna to Jennifer Grey. More than thirty years later – with three sons and a successful business – Houry realized that in the rush to do it all she hadn't taken the time to reflect or, as she said, "feel the sand between her toes." And she'd been too busy to get the education she'd longed for all her life. A therapist, a divorce, a job search, and night school led Houry to fulfill lifelong dreams: becoming a woman who has a voice, a college degree, and who has no problem feeling things, being present, and saying whatever she wants. Or, as we call it, a Being in Total Charge of Herself!

"I'm still the same person that was my mother's disciple. Women have to have their own resources. That's what my mother was saying when she said, 'Your husband is your degree'. You need your own resources. I also need to ask for help. I cannot be superwoman."

Hendrica Okondo, 62, credits much of her wisdom and courage to women: her mother and grandmother, Nobel-prize-winner Wangari Maathai, and countless women leaders who she worked with over 40 years supporting women's and girls' rights worldwide. Raised in Kenya, she's lived and worked in more countries than most people will visit in a lifetime (from Sudan to Somalia and the UK to Switzerland), had more careers than most people dream of (from scuba diver to gender advisor) and is a storyteller extraordinaire. She recently returned home after 'retiring' from an international career in the United Nations and the World YWCA. She now follows her passion to promote the sexual and reproductive rights of young girls throughout Africa, blending her profound and life-long Catholic faith with an irrepressible spirit. She likes to remind religious leaders that the first person to see the risen Christ was Mary Magdalene, who is portrayed as a sex worker by many writers, so -- if she was the first person to see the risen Christ -- then Christianity was started by a sex worker. Shower yourself with her sage advice and contagious laughter as soon as you can!

"To me, it's not about age, it's not about race, it's not about ideology...I don't know that we have ever confronted such a dangerous time to democracy in our country. What it does say to me is that we fundamentally have to fight for democracy. And that means many different things."

Maya is a nationally renowned racial justice and equity activist and advocate. And she is no longer an optimist. But she hasn't given up hope. She has "a passion for the possible" combined with a laser focus on fighting for our democracy. If you watch TV news, you've likely seen her share her sharp analysis on the assault against our country's values and heard her wise counsel on priorities for collective action, including activism on the upcoming census. At 54, she has litigated, lobbied the U.S. Congress, and developed programs to transform structural racism in the U.S. and in South Africa. Maya recently served as Counsel to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, chaired the New York City Police Department's Civilian Complaint Review Board, founded and led the Center for Social Inclusion, and is now Senior Vice President for Social Justice at the New School. Maya's guidance, struggle and compassion in these perilous times are enough to turn these Two Old Bitches into possibilists as well. And you?

"I'd be struggling to make the fabric do what I wanted and she'd say, 'no, you have to listen to the fabric, the fabric will tell you where it wants to go.'"

Idelisse's mom -- Emma Delfina Carattini Padro de Malavé – died at 99 on December 10, 2017. And we wanted to record this podcast as a tribute to her life, a life that spanned nearly a century. She grew up in the hills of Puerto Rico, thwarting gender stereotypes and asserting her love of freedom and beauty, and then immigrated to New York in her early 20s for work and family. Both fierce and (as Idelisse says) 'demure', Emma's story is about love of family and homeland, the strategies that smart women developed to survive and thrive, and channeling talent and imagination into creating every day beauty. That creativity lives on in Ide and Emma's granddaughter, Esti. As does the determination that Ide and her daughter Esti inherited from Emma: to live life fully and with appreciation for the indescribable feeling of the morning sun, the comfort of that first cup of coffee with steamed milk, and the memory of Emma's music-filled laughter.

"It was just an ocean of stars. And you're in the middle of night. And it's pitch black. You can't see your hand in front of you. And…you just sit there and wait for the light." Having a crazy dream is good. Making it come true is rapturous! And that's what Betsy "La Guapa" Gude did on the cusp of her 59th year, all-too-aware that 60 was not far off. One of her dreams was to cross the Atlantic on a ship, but not a luxury liner. As you'll hear, her odyssey began when Betsy happened upon the Galeón Andalucía (a replica of wooden ships in Spain's 16th fleet) moored in Kingston, New York last summer. Barely a month later, she joined 23 strangers as part of the crew on the Galeón's three-week voyage (during hurricane season!) from Atlantic City to Spain. The trip offered a silence and a beauty that she could never have imagined ...and changed her forever.

Citing her age at somewhere between 5 and 100 years old (decide for yourself, she suggests), Luxor Tavella revels in beauty, art and mystery. Forty three years ago -- after leaving her native Milan and studying textiles in London -- she opened her Soho fashion boutique, Paracelso. It is her gallery, a living work of art. Visited by famous artists and designers – including Alexander McQueen – and customers who have been buying from Luxor's collections for decades, this 'icon of West Broadway' has a style uniquely her own. From riding camels in the Sahara (and changing her name from Bianca to Luxor) to studying with zen masters, Luxor's life and survival through the gentrification of Soho is testimony to following one's heart and love of beauty. Visit Paracelso at 510 Broome Street for an extraordinary few hours with this graceful and wise maven of creativity and beauty. And for a video of Luxor, check out http://www.stylelikeu.com/profiles-2/closets/luxor-tavella/

Janice Zarro Brodman is a writer and political activist who busts norms and defies categories. That's why she wrote her recently released book, "Sex Rules!: Astonishing Sexual Practices and Gender Roles Around the World". Like Janice, the book entertains, challenges and delights with little known "astonishing" sexual, romantic and relationship mores from around the world. With humor and affection, the book might change your entire perspective on that most basic drive, sexuality. A perfect Two Old Bitches guest: she recently left a 25-year career working in international development and is now infusing her vast experience of travel around the world and political activism in the U.S. into her writing life. Janice will only give clues to her age (best we can tell, she's somewhere between 60 and 70), but who cares? Her passion, her inquisitiveness, and her pursuit of justice are relevant at every age. So order her book, listen to her reading excerpts from it on this interview, and stay tuned for more about astonishing sex and gender roles from Janice in the decades to come. Order Janice's book at: https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Rules-Astonishing-Sexual-Practices-ebook/dp/B06WW2QX97

"If you're in love with what you're doing., what are you going to retire for? ...What are you going to do for the next 25 years?"

For 63-year old Martha Cortes, it's all about oxygen. An internationally recognized leader in restorative aesthetic dentistry, Martha says that oxygen is the best supplement there is. She uses holistic and innovative practices to expand people's airways so they get the maximum amount for overall health and well-being. She's not like any other dentist we (or you) have ever met. A creative scientist and researcher, Martha was born in Colombia and raised in the States. She was President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (twice) and was the first woman and Latinx to hold that position. With wide-ranging curiosity, confidence and endless energy, retirement is not an option for Martha, now or in the coming years. Martha is as intriguing as she is intrigued by life, from health and science to art and dancing. As a child, she danced flamenco, but these days it's dancing tango with "taxis" that gets her out of the office. Taxis? Listen and learn.