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Stella Fosse was a teenager when she determined to publish her first book by the age of 25. That didn’t happen.

She published her first book at 68. And it was very different from her early aspirations.

Join host Jane Trombley in conversation with Stella, a former Biotech writer who pivoted to “elderotica” — in both nonfiction and as a thread throughout her novels.
During a 25-year career as a tech writer, Stella focused on writing, submitting applications, and gaining FDA approval for Biotech products.

Along the way, she joined a group of women authors reading their erotic essays featuring powerful female central characters. Stella began to dabble in the genre, participating in writing and reading her work, what she called “elderotica.”

It was time to pivot.

With little more than an idea for a guide for midlife women exploring erotica, Stella published her first book, Aphrodite's Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica After Midlife.

It would come as no surprise that the launch party for Aphrodite’s Pen was held at a sex toy shop in Berkeley, CA.

The rest, as they say, is publishing history.

Stella shows us the power of the pivot and a commitment to advocating for women’s creativity, often emerging in midlife and beyond. Come join the conversation.

Show Notes:

Website: www.stellafosse.com

Substack: stellafosse.substack.com

Grandmother Collective on Substack

Crone Hub

Stella’s Books

Rock On: Power, Sex and Money after 60

Write & Sell a Well-Seasoned Romance:

Launch Your Author Adventure in Late-Life Romance

Vampires of a Certain Age:

Five Hundred Years of Loving

Brilliant Charming Bastard:

Getting Rich is the Best Revenge

The Erotic Pandemic Ball:

Tales of Love in Lockdown

Aphrodite's Pen:

The Power of Writing Erotica After Midlife

Mentioned in the episode:

Joan Price

Ruth Saxton

Sibylline Press

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Meet Elaine Soloway, whose gift to herself on her 80th birthday was a tattoo! Soloway, the author of three books, The Division Street Princess, She’s Not The Type, and Green Nails and Other Acts of Rebellion: Life After Loss, and her Substack, Escapades, is also a bit of a rebel. “I live my life out loud,” Soloway says, having penned “10 Ways to Be A Rebel After 87” with advice such as “count your blessings,” “get comfortable with technology,” “be honest,” “be curious,” and “never say it’s too late for me.” The real-life inspiration for the award-winning Amazon show “Transparent,” Soloway will share stories from her life and how to start your own “rebellion” while living life to its fullest.

Link to Elaine Soloway on Substack

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Vacation season is in full swing! Enjoy the adventures of author/Crow’s Feet contributor Orrin Onken as he braves the Costa Rican rainforest to seek out waterfalls, lush flora, fabulous wildlife ... and a nice place to sit down.
For more of Orrin Onken’s writing on Medium, go here.

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We all have dreams in our lives. Some are realized quickly, and some (alas) don’t happen. Then there are ones that just take a bit longer — and a lot of work — to come to fruition. For Jan M. Flynn, her dream of publishing a novel with a major company (Disney-Hyperion) has at last come true. Griffin Speaker, the first book in a middle-grade fantasy series, was released in early May and is delighting readers with its story of a brave young heroine who develops a bond with a powerful griffin and seizes a chance to change her destiny in an unfair world. Join us as host Betsy Allen talks with Jan about building an entire fantasy world, how she approaches writing for young readers, and what happens in the real world after a book is published. As Jan’s experience proves, it’s never too late to set goals and make your dreams come true.

Links to Griffin Speaker and other work by Jan M. Flynn:

Amazon/Griffin Speaker

Bookshop/Griffin Speaker

Jan M. Flynn author site

Jan M. Flynn on Medium

Jan M. Flynn on Substack

Social media:

Instagram: @jan_m_flynn

TikTok: @janmflynn

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In this episode of Crow’s Feet, Melinda Blau sits down with Kathryn Grody—Obie-winning actor, writer, and creator of the hit solo show “The Unexpected Third”—for a funny, deeply human conversation about what it really means to grow older, not “old.” From being dismissed as “just staying home having fun” as a young mother to becoming an almost-80-year-old “overnight sensation,” Kathryn shares how she’s rewriting the story of aging onstage and off.

Melinda and Kathryn talk candidly about long-term love and surviving two separations from her husband, legendary actor Mandy Patinkin, the friendships that carried her through, and why she finally became serious about strength training in her 70s. Along the way, Kathryn reflects on cultural ageism, younger women’s fear of running out of time, and the surprising joy of reaching this “unexpected third act” with humor, gratitude, and curiosity.

Listen to “Having the Spiritual Grace to Accept the Unacceptable,” a 7-minute excerpt of this interview, in which Kathryn talks about the devastating loss of her brother Yukon, a Buddhist monk.

Kathryn is bringing “The Unexpected Third” to the George Street Playhouse in Brunswick, New Jersey, October 13-November 1.

Tune in to Kathryn’s award-winning podcast, “Don’t Listen to Us,” which also features Mandy, and their son Gideon.

Music in this episode includes Capernell by Blue Dot Sessions.

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Heartfelt expressions from two Crows Feet writers, both of them Dads, on the occasion of Fathers Day. Poignant reminders to relish the past, savor the present and prepare to pass the torch on to new generations.

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Daryl Roth isn’t just a Broadway Producer: She’s a force to be reckoned with. She produced her first play when she was in her 40s with no previous producing experience and has since produced over 120 Broadway and Off-Broadway plays and musicals, including August Osage County, Proof, Wit, The Normal Heart, Sunset Boulevard, A Raisin in the Sun, The Year of Magical Thinking, and Kinky Boots. Her productions have won 13 Tony Awards and eight Pulitzer Prizes.

Daryl's latest was a Tony for Liberation, awarded Best Play of 2026.

In this episode of the Crow’s Feet: Life As We Age podcast, Roth pulls back the curtain about her role as a Broadway Producer, how she selects the plays she wants to produce (Spoiler alert: it’s not all about commercial success!), risk taking, aging and why the word “regret” has no place in her vocabulary. Hosted by Nancy Franklin.

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This special Crow’s Feet Extra is an except from our interview with acclaimed writer and actor Kathryn Grody. Now 79, Kathryn is also a social media influencer, thanks to the wildly popular Instagram account she shares with her husband, Mandy Patinkin, and their son Gideon. Here, Kathryn offers an intimate reflection on the death of her younger brother, Yukon. With warmth, candor, and emotional honesty, she explores the complicated terrain of grief, memory, and sibling love.

This is part of a longer Crow’s Feet: Life As We Age conversation between Kathryn and Melinda Blau. The full episode premieres June 24.

Kathryn is currently performing her acclaimed one-woman show, The Unexpected Third, in New York City through June 14 at the New York Theatre Workshop.

To read more about Kathryn’s brother's life, here is the link to his obituary: Senior Monastic Yukon Grody 5/15/49 – 2/28/24 | Mountain Record

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