"I Did It Right the First Time" with Dr. Joycelyn Elders

"I Did It Right the First Time" with Dr. Joycelyn Elders

Author: Pineapple Street Studios and Audacy September 21, 2021 Duration: 40:19
Arlene Heyman reads an excerpt from her short story collection Scary Old Sex. Then Max talks with Dr. Joycelyn Elders about her time as Surgeon General under Bill Clinton, what happened after she was forced to resign, why she will forever be known as “the condom queen,” and why older and younger generations should know how to have good, safe sex.  —To read more about Arlene Heyman’s work, check out Scary Old Sex in the New Yorker and The New York Times and her debut novel, Artifact. Know someone who should be on 70 Over 70? We’re looking for all types of stories and people to feature at the top of the show. To nominate yourself or someone else, email 70over70@pineapple.fm or call 302-659-7070 and tell us your name, age, where you’re from and what you want to talk about.

There’s a common assumption that the most interesting parts of a life are in the rearview mirror, especially after a certain age. 70 Over 70, produced by Pineapple Street Studios and Audacy, gently dismantles that idea. Through a series of seventy intimate conversations, host Max Linsky sits down with people who have lived at least seven decades, shifting the focus deliberately from what was to what is. You’ll hear less about nostalgia and more about the immediate present-the current passions, unresolved questions, and daily realities of these remarkable individuals. These dialogues naturally touch on profound themes spanning society, culture, health, and even spirituality, precisely because a long life inevitably intersects with all of them. Each episode feels like a quiet, personal exploration of the universal puzzles we all face: how to find meaning, maintain vitality, and navigate the art of release. This podcast offers the rare gift of perspective, not as a historical lesson, but as a living, breathing guide to the time we all have right now.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 35

70 Over 70
Podcast Episodes
“Retirement is a Four Letter Word” with Madeleine Albright [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:36
Darryl Cox explains why he’s not ready to retire from his 43-year-long career as a London taxi driver. Then Max talks with Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State, about what she calls “the human part” of th…
“They Don't Call Those Years Formative for Nothing” with Raffi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:31
Deanna Gobio tells the story of getting her first tattoo when she was 79 years old. Then Max talks to Raffi about his musical roots, how he learned to embrace his career as a children’s musician, and how it feels to keep…
“I Cannot Go from Sixty to Zero” with Bob Iger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:56
Anna Lee Fisher reflects on her career as an astronaut and how traveling to space helped her define her priorities. Then Max talks with Bob Iger about the impact he has had on the world as the CEO of Disney, how he has b…
“Everybody’s Job Changes” with Nikki Giovanni [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:31
Howard Kakita explains how surviving the atomic bomb has impacted his perspective on aging. Then Max talks with Nikki Giovanni about why she thinks getting older is a good idea, how she decided to let the next generation…
“We Are the Last Generation to Die” with Michio Kaku [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:29
Travis Mayes shares how a mistake made him one of the best pit masters in Texas. Then Max talks with Dr. Michio Kaku, a physicist and co-founder of string field theory, about how physics can help predict multiple futures…
“We Need to Make Time” with Alice Waters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:42
Evelyn Griesse reveals why she believes in fate. Then Max talks with Alice Waters about what she has learned over 50 years of running Chez Panisse, her legendary restaurant, and why she’s not afraid to pass it on to the…
"I’m a Better Person Now Than I Was" with Dan Rather [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:07
Sjanna and Peter Leighton explain how their biggest regret came to be their greatest source of joy. Then Max talks to Dan Rather about his career as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, learning to live with his mistakes,…
“I Am Dionne from Beginning to End” with Dionne Warwick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:16
Gloria Allen thanks her role models for teaching her everything she needed to know about love. Then Max talks with Dionne Warwick about how she has held on to her sense of self and why everyone—Dionne included—needs a ba…
“The Foolishness of the Human Condition” with Norman Lear [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:07
Paula Weinstein reveals the secret to good parenting. Then Max talks with TV producer Norman Lear about how to sustain creativity, the perfect moments he's always searching for, and how to live between the words “over” a…