They are not going to take it sitting down. Well, some of
them are. Though they’re being robbed of their girlish looks, ability to bend
without creaking, and stylish footwear, you can’t take away their spirit. Rhyme
or shine, they’re eight Old Broads on a mission to bare their souls by writing
from their pacemakers. Some of them are dusting off feelings that haven’t been
touched for decades, while others are shooting straight from their bionic hips.
They also touch on serious subjects we all can relate to on
some level, but just when you think nothing could be sadder, they promise to
lift you up again. What makes Old Broads extra special is all proceeds will go directly
to CARE International.
As you turn the pages, even the poems without surprise
endings will surprise you, because odds are, you won’t remember reading them,
and most of the broads won’t remember writing them.
http://www.amazon.com/Broads-Waxing-Poetic-Julie-Kemp/dp/1500642800/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409783608&sr=8-1&keywords=Old+Broads+Waxing+Poetic
My favorite old broad was my Nana Crowther. She wore sturdy shoes, always had on an apron, loved listening to Phillies baseball on the radio, and handed me fifty cents for good report cards. A faithful letter writer, she kept my mailbox from echoing when I was off to college, or moved to Texas. After she passed, I learned she was a bit of a suffragette back in the day to get women the right to vote. Julia Crowther was salt of the earth from Indiana and Pennsylvania.
Thanks for joining me in this book launch for Old Broads Waxing Poetic compiled by Julie Kemp Pick and Susan Flett Swiderski. Including poets - Connie Biltz, Julie Kemp Pick, Susan Flett Swiderski, Fran Fischer, Robyn Engel, Delores Lowndes, Liza Carens Salerno, and me.
Congratulations on the release!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite old broad was my grandmother, Zofia, who left her Ukrainian home at the age of 21, during WWII, hid in Germany (pretending to be German!), swore at a Gestapo officer and travelled to England to settle down and have kids.
wow - now, that's a story. We can't make up stuff like that...thanks. Have a great weekend
DeleteYay! You had a Nana, too! Mine was an Orioles fan... and a soap opera fan. But in both cases, she'd get so mad while watching them, she'd get out of her rocking chair and stomp into the other room to cool off. (But no one DARED to change the channel!)
ReplyDeleteGreat tribute. It's been a fun adventure. Thank you so much for being such an important part of it.
It was so special to have my Grandma as a penpal. I'm sure those letters were precious to you too.
ReplyDeleteHere's to us old broads! Enjoy the weekend, Joanne.
Your Nana sounds so loving! We are lucky to have had these women to mentor us over the years. I'm delighted to be a part of this project and to "meet" you through it. Hooray for all of us!
ReplyDeleteThis was a cute idea. I've enjoyed reading about everyone's favorite old broads!
ReplyDeleteThanks as always for your support.
DeleteI loved reading about your Nana. I remember getting letters in college. They really helped get through some lonely times. Thank you for all that you did to make Old Broads happen. I'm so excited to be a part of it!
ReplyDeleteYour Nana sounds wonderful! She really knew how to live, and enjoyed spending time with you. Thanks again for being such an integral force in Old Broads! You were a tremendous help with all of the formatting, and all of your poems are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Congratulations to all of the writers on the publication of Old Broads. What a wonderful collection of stories and poems it must be. I can't wait to read it. A hearty 'WayToGo' to you Joanne...thanks for so many special reads and now this heartfelt memory you have shared about your grandmother.
ReplyDeleteEven though I only met her as a young child and have no real memory of knowing her, my great grandmother Martha Jane Marley Carroll is my favorite Old Broad. I know her better than any of my female ancestors through intensive genealogy research and her photo album from the late 1890's through 1915 which I inherited. She was a Texas Pioneer, traveling through a blinding snowstorm in a covered wagon with her four children to settle in West Texas where now the seventh generation of her descendants live. Widowed with no money, she homesteaded, farmed and raised her children alone. I became a photo and genealogy records detective to uncover and reveal her story, the ending which took over 5 years to discover. She died alone, institutionalized, and buried in an unmarked grave. It broke my heart, and gave me the courage and determination to tell her story on Tracks of Texas Ancestors....my Family History blog. Thank-you for the opportunity to talk about her here.
Sue at CollectInTexas Gal
and thanks for your support. Quite a pioneer tale - glad you can keep her spirit alive
DeleteHi Joanne - this is a great project .. congratulations to you all.
ReplyDeleteMy mother's character came out fully in her last years .. but my great uncle (her uncle) was an amazing chap - might difficult I gather to his two girls .. but to us visiting he was a live wire ... full of the joys of spring ...
Loved Sue's pioneer story above .. and your book will be amazing .. cheers Hilary
Hi, Joanne,
ReplyDeleteCongrats! You ladies did a great job! I wrote about a Nana too, although she wasn't my real grandmother, she was quite the old broad!
ALL the best ladies!
thanks. I'm going to feature everybody this week. You just got posted for Sunday. Thanks for your work and for being an honorary old broad.
DeleteJoanne, I wanted to add gratitude for the tedious, detailed work you did to format our broad baby. Formatting is the thorn in many authors' sides. Not many are skilled with it, as you are. We're lucky you so generously volunteered for it. I'm anxiously awaiting my copies in the mail. Cheers and broad smiles!
ReplyDeletethanks Robyn. It was great working with everybody. I can be a computer idiot, but this flowed fairly well.
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