Hey, I’m still on the right side of 60!
Nevertheless, I’ve been asked (partly on the strength of my Elderfield Too Elderly? post) to take the old folks’ side in a debate tomorrow on WNYC, New York Public Radio, on the relative merits of youth vs. age in cultural organizations. I warned Soundcheck associate producer Brian Wise that although I oppose age-ism, I have a nuanced view on this subject: Over-65s who are still at the top of their game should not be put out to pasture, but new blood has some good points too!
That waffling apparently did not disqualify me. So (if all goes according to plan) you can hear me tomorrow live at 2 p.m. on Soundcheck. The youth-will-be-served side of this question will be taken by Barry Hessenius, a nonprofits consultant and speaker, who authored a 2007 book, Hardball Lobbying for Nonprofits. Does he play hardball in debates too? Calling Chris Matthews (whose election-related topic on Friday happened to be “Age and race—new focus of 2008?).
Wait! Stop the broadcast! Hessenius’ bio informs us that he “represented clients in the music and television industries from 1971 to 1983,” after receiving his law degree. That would definitely make him (gasp) even more superannuated than CultureGrrl!
Listen tomorrow at 2 p.m. on 93.9 fm, or hear the live webcast here. I’m not sure yet if I will be able to embed the audio on my blog. If I can, you KNOW I will!