Living to 100? "Old age is hot right now...they don't know what to do with us!!" says Isabel Ferguson, one of the women featured in Amy Gorman's "Aging Artfully, 12 Profiles of Visual & Performing Women Artists Aged 85-105." Based on interviews of inspirational artists, musicians and dancers 85-105 living with zest in the San Francisco Bay Area, Aging Artfully captures historical memories of the last century as the lives and creative processes of each artist unfold. Meet Dorothy Takahashi Toy, 89, an Asian-American, who tap danced her way into the white world and broke racial barriers, to Lily Hearst, a Viennese pianist who played scales and pieces daily until she died at 107. The 12 positive multi-ethnic role models portrayed in Aging Artfully have no time for complaining. The book -- with 100+ photos -- celebrates lives of the elders, it honors aging, challenges popular perceptions of being old and is certain to spark dialogue. One of the keys to successful aging is to "never give up." The vibrant women featured lead us to the realization that we all can uncover and act upon our own inner passions and follow them with open hearts. Well into our old age we can wake up each morning and live fully in the here and now. Bronze winner: 2007 Independent Publishing Book Awards (IPPYs), category of Women's Issues; 5 stars on Amazon.
