Centenarian Poet Was A Fearless Guide To 'The Country Of Old Age'
Old age is in the news today — very old age. According to media reports, a 117-year-old Japanese woman has died; she was said to be the world's oldest person.
So we're going to take a moment to remember poet and author Margaret Howe Freydberg, who died last week at the age of 107. She was was young at heart — but also very honest about her thoughts on aging. "I think growing old, I think old age is disgusting," she told a historian in 2009.
"The lack of coordination, the imbalance, the fear — always about to fall down --the physical part of it," she said. "But you stop complaining about it because of course it's inevitable. What joy is there? Just loving, that's the joy."
Freydberg — known to friends as Peggy — was a longtime resident of Martha's Vineyard. Earlier in her life, she wrote articles and short stories before moving on to novels, and then, in her 90s, to poetry and a book called Growing Up in Old Age.
Vineyard resident Nancy Slonim Aronie knew Freydberg well and hopes many more people will learn from her writing — and her life. "In my mid-70s, I have more wrinkles than she did and many more questions," Aronie says.
"She had written, 'And so I stand in this open countryside, where there are no familiar landmarks. Ad it comes to me suddenly that yes, this is the country of old age. I am old. What's more, I accept the reality.'"
Aronie remembers her friend's "gift of language, her genuine humility and her deep, deep wisdom. Knowing Peggy," she says, "has been one of the biggest blessings of my life."
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Transcript
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
We're going to take a moment to remember a woman who was young at heart into her 100s, but also very honest about her thoughts on aging.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MARGARET HOWE FREYDBERG: I think growing old - I think old age is disgusting.
SIEGEL: That's writer and poet Margaret Howe Freydberg in a recording from 2009. She was speaking there to the oral history curator of the Martha's Vineyard Museum. Freydberg, known to her friends as Peggy, was a longtime resident of Martha's Vineyard. She died last week at the age of 107. She wrote articles and short stories earlier in her life before moving on to novels, and then in her 90s, poetry and a book about getting old. Nancy Slonim Aronie knew Freydberg well and hopes many more people will learn from her writing.
NANCY SLONIM ARONIE: One day last year, after visiting my friend Peggy, I was gushing over her work and asked why she wasn't famous. She was quiet for a while, and then said I don't know. I would've liked that. That's it, I thought, she's going to get her wish.
I invited a bunch of friends to come to my studio and hear her gorgeous poetry. I rented 40 chairs and made 80 brownies. One by one, folks got up and read. If you had been in that room, you would've seen tears rolling down cheeks. You would have heard laughter.
Peggy got a standing ovation. After most of the guests had left, she said to me I've wondered why I've lived this long, and after today, I know.
Margaret Howe Freydberg wrote her memoir, "Growing Up In Old Age," at 90 - 17 years ago. She said she wrote it to tackle the subject of fear. We talked a lot about aging.
In my mid-70s, I have more wrinkles than she did and many more questions. She had written (reading), "and so I stand in this open countryside, where there are no familiar landmarks. And it comes to me suddenly that yes, this is the country of old age. I am old. What's more, I accept the reality."
Peggy was joyous. She was madly in love with her late husband Nick and loved men - period. The woman, I swear, was still sexy. She was physically beautiful in all stages of her life. So when she wrote this (reading), "I tell myself that I must see something in the mirror besides my wrinkled veneer if I am to have any calm, but I will have to make peace with the loss of smooth skin and find satisfaction in the gaining of something to take its place - something that has always been in me but has never seen the light of day."
Anyone who knew her and everyone who will read her book will know that something was her gift of language, her genuine humility and her deep, deep wisdom. Knowing Peggy has been one of the biggest blessings of my life.
SIEGEL: Nancy Slonim Aronie speaking about Margaret Howe Freydberg. And we'll end with a little more of Mrs. Freydberg's wisdom, as told to Lindsey Lee, oral history curator of the Martha's Vineyard Museum. Here's more on how to embrace old age and why it stinks.
LINDSEY LEE: The lack of coordination, the imbalance, the fear, always about to fall down, the physical part of it - but you stop complaining about it because, of course, it's inevitable. What joy is there? Just loving, that's the joy.
SIEGEL: Writer Margaret Howe Freydberg - Peggy to her friends - died last Friday, three weeks after her 107th birthday. A collection of her work is due out at the end of May. It's called "Poems From The Pond." Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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