tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361284692011-11-18T11:17:00.088-05:00Think it's too late to make a change? Think again!Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.comBlogger3141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-86944991877160236552011-11-18T10:31:00.001-05:002011-11-18T11:17:00.104-05:00

Good news!  I've switched from Blogger to WordPress.  Now my blog and website are at the same easy address:  prillboyle.com.  If you want to continue receiving my weekly postings via email or RSS feed, click here to quickly re-subscribe.  I know it's a hassle, but look on the bright side.  It's free!

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-23156680048440714822011-10-26T21:15:00.000-04:002011-10-27T00:37:31.914-04:00

Journalist Larry Portzline, my co-author for DEFYING GRAVITY, TOO, is my guest blogger this week.  Note that Mark Peffers is one of the men we interviewed for the book.   Imagine having the opportunity to "test-drive" your dream job for a couple of days. Maybe you want to become a brewmaster like Mark Peffers, or learn how to run a B&B, or find out what it's like to be a

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-49426743153398661352011-10-19T21:00:00.004-04:002011-10-20T12:06:08.554-04:00

Barbara Traynor, author of Second Career Volunteer:  A Passionate & Pennywise Approach to Retirement, spends six months of every year volunteering at an organization of her choice in exchange for room and board.   One year she worked at a small college in Alaska.  (See photo, above, of Barbara kayaking with some new friends in her free time.)  Another year she worked at a wildlife refuge

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-71709955402235582342011-10-05T20:30:00.000-04:002011-10-05T23:33:41.267-04:00

Reading about Steve Jobs’ death tonight at the age of 56, I feel a renewed sense of urgency to seize the moment.  I’ve already lived a year more than he did.  With that in mind, today I’ve chosen to re-run a post I published on February 10, 2008.  When I wrote this, my friend Laurie’s husband Jim had just died of a brain tumor. A memorial celebration was held yesterday for Jim McKennan, the

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-18632194927403350142011-09-28T08:00:00.000-04:002011-10-05T23:34:01.020-04:00

This blog entry was originally posted on March 19, 2007.  I had just returned from Botswana when I wrote it.  I recently chatted with Bonnie Orton, the then 70-year old Peace Corps volunteer who hosted me while I was there.  She called me from JFK on her way home to Chicago from another trip to Africa.  One of these days we plan to go back together.  We are born to dream. Think about it. Where

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-1161446925199924642011-09-21T19:45:00.000-04:002011-10-05T23:34:08.388-04:00

I'm in the middle of a whirlwind of guests, speeches and travel, and too busy to keep up with my regular, weekly blogging.  Until my life calms down again, I'm going to be reprising some of my favorite posts from the past.  This one is from October 21, 2006.  In hindsight, I'm happy to report that I wasn't crazy to try my hand at fiction.  Even if my novel still isn't ready for prime time, I

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-10111312258706217682011-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:002011-09-22T21:09:40.144-04:00

Today's guest post is by Tamara Elizabeth, author of the self-help book Fabulously Fifty: Moving Forward Through a Midlife Transition  In the first 50 years of my fabulous life, I wore many hats in different styles, sizes and colors.  All were neatly stored in the hatbox called motherhood.  I have raised a total of seven children and have loved every moment.  I wouldn’t trade any of them

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-44418348945779470892011-09-11T16:46:00.000-04:002011-09-22T21:08:28.331-04:00

Here's a post I wrote on 9/11/08. I can't believe ten years have passed: On a crystal clear morning eight years ago today, my husband and I were sitting in our car at a beach in Greens Farms, Connecticut, watching the Twin Towers burn. We couldn’t see the flames, but from across Long Island Sound we could see plumes of smoke blackening the sky. Minutes earlier on television we'd watched in

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-79489557089758734832011-09-07T22:08:00.000-04:002011-09-22T21:06:16.009-04:00

It's pretty hard to defy gravity if your body and mind are going down hill, so here's a quick overview of what I've learned over the past decade about successful aging: In 10 years, 1 out of 5 people will be over 65.  The stereotype of old people as hard of hearing and stooped over with a cane is just that—a stereotype. Being old is not the same as being sick.   What

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-75961026959317972252011-08-31T04:00:00.000-04:002011-09-07T22:36:57.670-04:00

Today’s post was written and sent to me by Allison Gamble: Keeping Alzheimer’s at Bay As we get older, many of us ask ourselves:  Will my hearing diminish?  Will I need bifocals?  Will my hips and knees hold out?  And scariest of all:  Will my mind stay sharp? Interestingly, the authors of a recent study published by the American Academy of Neurology discovered that symptoms of

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-10897226583059600852011-08-24T09:00:00.000-04:002011-09-07T22:37:43.543-04:00

Today's post is by Betty Ruth, President of the National Association of Retired Senior Volunteer Program Directors (NARSVPD): In the two weeks after floods ravaged the Midwest this past June, Larry Lyngstad (above photo, left) of Pierre, South Dakota, and his fellow volunteers with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) donated 1600 hours sand bagging and providing other emergency

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-31115230768154236092011-08-17T12:35:00.000-04:002011-09-07T22:38:01.909-04:00

Sixteen years ago, at the age of 40, Mary Brewster took up ballet.  She’d taken lessons as a child, but it had been 28 years since she’d regularly done any rond de jambes or pliés.  Soon, in addition to keeping up with her own lessons, she began teaching ballet and pointe to other adults at Pirouette, Pilates and More in Wilton, CT.  All the while, she kept wishing she could find leotards

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-42464195264107293752011-08-10T17:40:00.007-04:002011-09-07T22:38:16.126-04:00

Yesterday, in a stretch of sea half-way between Cuba and Key West, 61-year old marathon swimmer Diana Nyad abandoned a dream.   Ms. Nyad's quest was to complete the 60-hour, 103-mile journey without a shark cage.  For two years she had been in training, swimming 12 hours every other day and lifting weights in between.  Years before, at the age of 29, she had set a record for the longest

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-89078821021212760582011-08-03T09:23:00.016-04:002011-08-04T11:47:58.913-04:00

Where is your work coming from?  Why are you doing it?  What is it you see?  These are questions pioneering photographer Jerome Leibling, who died last week at the age of 87, continually asked his students, one of whom was documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.  In a 2006 NYT interview, Burns said about Leibling:  “You wanted to be like him. You wanted to tell the truth. You’d go out to take

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-69286795169053001282011-07-27T08:43:00.012-04:002011-08-10T17:47:15.562-04:00

Show me a group of healthy and vibrant “super seniors,” and I’ll show you a group of people who regularly  exercise.  Like Art White, the ninety-nine year old I recently interviewed for my TV show, these individuals might not use the “e” word to describe what they do to keep moving, but move they do.  Yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch (see below) is a perfect example of this and an inspiration to

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-50981149507109361142011-07-20T15:05:00.109-04:002011-07-28T11:51:52.434-04:00

Even though personality stabilizes by 20 and is virtually solidified by 50, this doesn't mean that all opportunity for growth stops in midlife. No matter what your age, it's still possible to change some of those habits that are holding you back from fulfilling your dreams. In a new book titled Making Sense of People:  Decoding the Mysteries of Personality, leading neuroscientist Samuel Barondes

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-11033525471317091022011-07-13T08:41:00.002-04:002011-07-13T09:26:23.581-04:00

Wini Yunker, who joined the Peace Corps at 65 and inspired me to write Defying Gravity, once told me that she couldn’t have done what she did on her own.  When I was making plans to fly to Kentucky to interview her, she even insisted that I stay an extra day to meet some of the wonderful people who had helped her on her journey. More people have helped me than I can count.  Every person who

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-50751123204223084052011-07-06T23:59:00.026-04:002011-07-07T09:01:33.519-04:00

I've been busy this week creating a new website for the TV show I do (www.ageless-tv.com) and uploading clips to it.  Here's one of me interviewing Art White, the 99-year old I've been blogging about the past two weeks.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is priceless.  Today I'm meeting with an equally active 99-year old woman.  Stay tuned!

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-60387678722626427522011-06-29T15:20:00.012-04:002011-07-07T09:03:19.604-04:00

Art White changed my life last week.  How?  By replacing my mom as my primary role model for aging. As loyal readers of this blog know, my mom is now 88.  She still lives alone, still walks every day, still reads voraciously (she just finished Ann Patchett’s newest book State of Wonder), still laughs at the slightest provocation and still has a killer wink that melts me every time I see it.  She

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-23406731732222284252011-06-22T10:04:00.004-04:002011-07-05T09:30:08.705-04:00

This past Monday I had a remarkable guest on my TV show.  His name is Art White, and he's turning 99 this coming Friday.  Somehow Art has managed to outlive the vast majority of his peers and stay astonishingly active.  Since retiring at age 95 from his third career, he still bowls twice a week, does Tai Chi once a week, plays bridge four times a week, eats anything he wants and takes no pills--

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-54829319630357112842011-06-15T08:00:00.031-04:002011-07-05T09:30:51.711-04:00

Having put enough distance between myself and the feedback I received on the latest draft of my novel to pick up my pen again, I'm once more sitting at my favorite desk in the Thousand Islands, writing away. Even if the book never makes it to the marketplace, I'm thankful that persistence comes so naturally to me. Whether I learned it from my parents or it's simply a manifestation of my innate

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-2800125318409691892011-06-08T00:16:00.002-04:002011-07-05T09:31:33.852-04:00

I'm worried about aging.  There, I said it.  I might be the Defying-Gravity gal, but I'm as afraid as the next person of outliving my money, my loved ones and perhaps even my usefulness. Keep in mind that I'm luckier than most--a member of an all-too-exclusive group of people who have investments, health insurance and an extensive, multigenerational support network.  An alarming percentage of

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-57746647912536553102011-06-01T17:41:00.012-04:002011-06-22T10:26:18.221-04:00

Follow your dreams or be practical?—that’s the question WNYC host Brian Lehrer (photo below) posed on-air yesterday to the Class of 2011. This either/or approach works great for talk radio, but not so well for everyday life.  Who says you can't have a paying job and pursue a passion on the side, that being practical means your dreams must be deferred? Perhaps a better question would have been: "

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-67879276262016965272011-05-25T08:00:00.052-04:002011-06-02T13:23:15.288-04:00

1)  Martin Seligman's new book Flourish. Ever since the Framers of the Constitution claimed that the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right, Americans have been obsessed with feeling good.  At some universities, the study of happiness has even become an academic discipline. Seligman, the father of positive psychology, was at the helm of this movement. Now he's done an about-face.  He

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-38256935088733339362011-05-18T08:00:00.261-04:002011-07-05T09:32:23.615-04:00

Today I turn fifty-seven.  A lot of people my age aren’t that keen on getting older, but I’m jazzed about my birthday coming around again.  I'm still breathing!  Other than experiencing some annoying hot flashes and an increasing number of arthritic joints, I’m happier now than I can remember ever having been.  Of course, my mind these days is like a sieve, and the fact that I can’t recall ever

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-75833233674704396772011-05-11T08:00:00.319-04:002011-07-05T09:32:57.755-04:00

Madison Avenue types know that an elevator speech—a snappy description of a product or service presented in the time span of an elevator ride— can help seal the deal if you’re pitching something.  But did you know that crafting an elevator speech can also help you clarify your goals? Being able to quickly and succinctly sum up what you’re doing in a way that excites others can be a fundamental

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-50171772780553633832011-05-04T14:58:00.006-04:002011-07-05T09:33:50.372-04:00

I guilt easily.  Or at least I used to.  Like many women, I reproached myself for not being the mother, daughter, friend, teacher, writer, and coworker I thought I should be.  I’d beat myself up for exercising too little and snacking too much, for being too organized—yup, I’m serious—and not productive enough.  Oh and I even felt guilty about genocide and world hunger, things over which I

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-76808667432185885002011-04-27T07:37:00.004-04:002011-05-04T15:14:17.025-04:00

This probably won’t come as a shock to you, dear reader, but I'm quite opinionated--at least on paper.  When it comes to voicing my ideas to an actual flesh-and-blood person, however, my inner wimp occasionally emerges. Earlier this week, for example, I said to the producer of the TV show I host, “I think we should do more close-ups of our guests.”  Her response was, shall I say, tepid. I

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-71770826603772370372011-04-20T07:21:00.002-04:002011-05-04T15:13:29.517-04:00

These days who doesn’t have a zillion things to do? The way I cope is by making lists.  Each morning I think about the day ahead, decide what I want to accomplish, and jot down on a piece of paper my game plan.  The upside is that I get things done.  I send in my taxes early.  I always usually return from the grocery store with all the supplies I need.  I eventually even finish writing books.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-12966423728525698272011-04-13T08:00:00.218-04:002011-04-13T16:19:39.550-04:00

A single bad review.  That’s all the negative feedback I received when Defying Gravity was first published.  Tons of praise and just one pan.  The reviewer said my writing was “cliché-ridden, saccharine, and uninspired….  Nothing in it cuts to the bone.”  Ouch! Among the myriad of glowing reviews, that one scathing judgment validated every insecurity I'd ever had about my writing and made me

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-9586053507491792452011-04-06T08:00:00.079-04:002011-04-26T00:07:21.197-04:00

My friend Bonnie Orton, the Peace Corps volunteer who hosted me on my 2007 Africa trip, is nothing short of amazing.  At one point, we even hitchhiked across Botswana together.  We didn’t plan to.  We'd hoped to take a bus.  But when the bus didn't arrive, we were up for the adventure.  At the time, Bonnie was 69 years old. Today she's almost 75.  I recently received a letter from her that shows

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-57557740160659257942011-03-30T08:34:00.002-04:002011-04-05T14:14:56.040-04:00

If you’re a boomer contemplating a life change, Marc Freedman’s newest book The Big Shift:  Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife is a must-read.  Not only is the writing unusually clear and compelling for this genre but Freedman presents a provocative idea.  As the press release I received with my review copy states:Freedman's book is an impassioned call for breaking free from old habits like

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-45841685826314138632011-03-23T08:00:00.009-04:002011-04-13T15:54:39.903-04:00

In light of recent events in the Persian Gulf and Japan, I want to mention once again how important it is to make a habit of being courageous.  (I’m saying this as much for myself as I am for anyone else.) Who, in other words, doesn’t long to speak out against injustice? And if, heaven forbid, a flood rises around our house or a building crashes at our feet, who wouldn’t prefer to be the

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-59224339477492067802011-03-16T08:00:00.011-04:002011-04-13T16:18:31.536-04:00

Today's post was contributed by Mary Albert, a blogger for happyhealth.net, which is an innovative senior lifestyle/health portal targeting baby boomers and their parents.  The site contains four pillars to lifestyle happiness as well as a section reviewing and rating medical alert systems.  But before reading Mary's post, here's a 1 min. 37 sec. video I shot in my office yesterday on the subject

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-1831123569678237612011-03-09T08:00:00.114-05:002011-03-09T08:00:19.564-05:00

Taking it easy can subtract years from your life. That’s just one of the surprising conclusions reached by health scientists Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin, authors of The Longevity Project.  What’s even more surprising is that having a sustained work life correlates with living longer, even if the work you do is stressful. Here's a short video of the authors explaining the scope of the

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-35717657873402808682011-03-02T08:00:00.007-05:002011-03-02T13:22:34.548-05:00

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”  Turns out he’s right--at least up to a point. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have concluded that the frequency of blows one experiences in life is at least as important as personality and genes when it comes to predicting mental toughness. Negative events force “people to

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-88943036972700482922011-02-23T08:00:00.161-05:002011-03-02T13:23:29.330-05:00

Several years ago film critic Gene Siskel asked Oprah a simple question: "What do you know for sure?"  Caught off guard, the talk-show queen said she needed to go home and think about it--or so she claims in an O magazine subscription offer I recently received. At first I was going to toss the flier in the trash.  I don’t need any more magazine subscriptions, thank you.  But the question grabbed

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-48877079245586524042011-02-16T08:00:00.149-05:002011-02-20T11:21:01.391-05:00

How many people do you know who are opting for traditional retirement, the kind where one plays golf, enjoys the grandchildren and travels?   Fewer and fewer, right? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the sociological factors at work.  First, we’re living longer than previous generations, looking at 20 or 30 years post-retirement where our grandparents typically had less than ten.  That

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-92092772334562572762011-02-09T08:00:00.268-05:002011-03-02T13:24:11.394-05:00

Stanley Kunitz won the Pulitzer Prize at the age of 63, became the United States Poet Laureate at 95 and published his last book in 2005 when he was 99 years old.  He died the following year at age 100.  His passion for language and his powers of observation were every bit as acute at the twilight of his career as they were at the dawn. Kunitz was fortunate that his faculties never failed him.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-11614906973032455062011-02-02T08:00:00.100-05:002011-03-02T13:24:43.228-05:00

Some people are born daredevils, risking life and limb without breaking into a sweat.  Others are born chickens, plagued by so much self-doubt that even when they desperately long to to take a leap in their lives, they can't. And then there are those who are just as afraid as the non-leapers, yet jump anyway.  George VI of Britain, nicknamed “Bertie” by his family and played to perfection by

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-14655908624513746882011-01-26T08:00:00.002-05:002011-03-02T13:25:44.698-05:00

Civic Ventures, the non-profit think tank on boomers, work & social purpose that coined the term “encore careers” and sponsors the Purpose Prize, has started another contest called Launch Pad aimed at “helping people over age 45 turn creative ideas for solving problems in their communities into working solutions.”  Online voting for the twenty-five finalists began yesterday.  The contest ends

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-38792114771910946092011-01-19T08:00:00.005-05:002011-01-25T17:14:13.833-05:00

At the age of 86, in 2004 Gladys Burrill (see above) ran her first marathon, fast-walking her way to the finish line.  This past December she ran the Honolulu Marathon in 9 hours, 53 minutes and 16 seconds, setting a new world record in the process.  Nicknamed "The Glady-ator," Burill is now officially the oldest person ever to complete such a race. I can't imagine walking almost ten hours

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-67200522605411220362011-01-12T08:00:00.018-05:002011-01-12T10:32:35.323-05:00

(Photo Credit: Bob Eckman for WestportNow.com) I was scheduled  to fly back to NYC from Los Angeles yesterday.  My bags were packed.  My boarding pass was printed.   I was already thinking about what I was going to wear to a meeting I was supposed to attend in Connecticut today.   Then my flight was cancelled.   At first I was upset that my plans had been disrupted.   My pulse started racing.  

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-71988884499134843282011-01-05T12:15:00.000-05:002011-01-05T12:15:00.235-05:00

Well, really, I've been here all along, sitting in front of my computer writing up a storm. I just haven't been posting. By eliminating blogging from my daily to-do list, I was able to finish my novel and revise it twice. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that the story, despite my best efforts, is not ready to be published. Turns out I still have a lot to learn about writing

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-75169245106204232722010-02-24T15:04:00.015-05:002010-08-18T14:14:33.653-04:00

I finally wrote my way to the end of my novel--the one I've been working on and occasionally blogging about for the past five years. To all of you who encouraged me, I can't thank you enough. Now I'm immersed in the editing process. I'm also working with Larry Portzline to finish Defying Gravity, Too:  Ten Extraordinary Men & Their Encore Careers.  Both books should be ready to sell later

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-61517302232902699892010-02-20T07:48:00.000-05:002010-06-08T22:52:43.021-04:00

Don't give up hope.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-43624956259957994542010-02-17T08:00:00.009-05:002011-01-12T11:26:00.215-05:00

Last week, I reviewed Kay Marshall Strom's newest book The Second-Half Adventure: Don’t Just Retire--Use Your Time, Skills & Resources to Change the World.  This week, she's my guest-blogger.  To find out more about Kay--for starters, she's the author of 36 published books and an in-demand speaker--check out her website (kaystrom.com) and/or her blog (kaystrom.wordpress.com).  Baby Boomers

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-61956286344041517162010-02-11T08:22:00.002-05:002010-03-29T23:24:32.482-04:00

Publishers, publicists and even authors occasionally send me books to review.  Many of them have little or nothing to do with defying gravity, so I simply pass them along.  But I recently received a slim, beautiful volume by Kay Marshall Strom titled The Second-Half Adventure:  Don't Just Retire--Use Your Time, Skills & Resources to Change the World, which fits right in with the topic of this

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-24191220128848944122010-02-08T17:12:00.006-05:002011-02-07T09:40:00.194-05:00

Watching my seven-month old granddaughter yesterday, I was struck by how similar our temperaments are.  Both of us light up around people, but grow tired with too much stimulation.  Solitude recharges our batteries.  Naps for Lydia Rose.  Walks for me. Not so my husband.  He’s the kind of man who could socialize every night of the week.  My daughter-in-law says her mother is the same way. 

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-5825458225305478732010-02-01T13:07:00.006-05:002010-04-02T07:38:17.972-04:00

Almost everywhere I look these days, I see articles about people over 50 who are tossing aside their preconceptions about aging and shaking off the weight of their ideas of who they are and what they can still accomplish.  (Talk about defying gravity!)  What started out as a trickle back in 2000 has become a flood.  Right now, sitting on my desk are sixteen stories from the past week that either

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-32486520758337012022010-01-25T15:05:00.011-05:002010-04-02T07:39:23.772-04:00

It's all about connections.  Vibrant Nation, a site where smart, successful women over 50 connect with one another, recently picked up my blog entry on Elin Danien, going so far as to name her their "Vibrant Giver for January." Elin in turn began writing for the site.  Here's a link to her newest post and the 6 tips (click on the site to read Elin's explanation for each): Back to school after

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-54849032261081813642010-01-18T19:16:00.003-05:002010-03-29T23:57:08.886-04:00

                           Look Magazine Last week my Defying Gravity, Too co-author Larry Portzline and I spent several days editing 15 inspiring stories of men who are pursuing encore careers.  (I can't wait to get this book in the marketplace so people can read them.) One midlife-change artist whose whose story won't appear in the book, but whose influence is felt throughout, is George

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-27054687893848981582010-01-11T07:55:00.002-05:002010-03-29T23:57:34.638-04:00

My friend and fellow gravity-defier Elin Danien (photo above), the founder of Bread Upon the Waters, a UPenn scholarship fund for non-traditional-age women, just sent me an update. She writes:  “To date, 73 women have earned bachelor’s degrees through Bread, many of them graduating with honors and going on to graduate studies while juggling careers and family obligations.” This year's crop of

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-28555298308566847722010-01-04T13:09:00.001-05:002010-01-05T18:46:21.860-05:00

I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, but here's some lovely advice from a  90+ year old woman named Alice, a friend of a friend: Thou shall be joyful. Thou, please love thyself first. Now, love others. Love thy children as thyself. Don't stay in relationships without joy. Witness the seasons and love the hot and the cold. Make a temple of your body and psyche so you can dwell there and

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-941378861274870682009-12-28T15:22:00.002-05:002010-03-29T23:58:17.753-04:00

I first read Joshua Wolf Shenk's riveting Atlantic magazine article "What Makes Us Happy?" last June and re-read it yesterday upon finding it on a Top Ten Best Articles of 2009 list.   The following video clip is of George Vaillant, longtime director of the longitudinal, comprehensive Harvard study of mental and physical well-being upon which the article is based, speaking about the insights he

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-42055998575181883622009-12-21T10:24:00.005-05:002010-03-29T23:59:01.430-04:00

Todd Heisler/The New York Times We earthlings have five basic ways we learn: Observation Imitation Experimentation Reading Being taught And since keeping our minds active increases not only our enjoyment of life but our mental health as we age, it makes sense to do everything we can to (1) heighten our powers of observation (bird watching, anyone?); (2) seek out role models to imitate; (3)

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-83453348514545255692009-12-14T07:25:00.003-05:002010-03-29T23:25:27.684-04:00

What’s next? That’s the question I posed at a speech I gave last week to some spouses of top executives at a Fortune 500 corporation.  “What else do you want to experience with whatever time you have left?” I said to the group.  “What more do you have inside to give?” Reasonable questions for baby boomers to ask themselves, right?  Especially since we’re living longer and longer. But what if

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-82773244080812217312009-12-07T09:46:00.010-05:002010-03-29T23:26:20.468-04:00

Pain, whether physical or emotional, is one of those things that either brings out the best in us or beats us to pulp.  Some people turn to religion. Others immerse themselves in activity. Still others retreat inside. What most Americans would not do, I venture to say, is consult a South African medicine woman--which is exactly what 36-year old Cami Walker did. Diagnosed four years ago with

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-63275597762154363192009-11-30T08:04:00.002-05:002010-03-29T23:27:14.214-04:00

Looking to find a purpose? Want more passion in your work life? Here’s one of the best blogs I’ve came across so far on this topic: The M.A.P. Maker: Meaning, Abundance & Passion in Your Career and in Your Life. The brainchild behind this site is self-described "Passion Catalyst” Curt Rosengren, author of The Occupational Adventure Guide: A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams and 101

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-19402228342199956852009-11-23T08:00:00.005-05:002010-03-29T23:28:14.615-04:00

Every product has a story behind it, a person who dreamed up the idea and made it a reality. When I spotted this charming, pen-and-ink bookmark/greeting card for sale in the Westport Public Library, I already knew a snippet of its history, recognizing the card as the creation of one of my Facebook friends, a woman named Robin K. Blum (above) from Brooklyn, NY.  Curious to learn more, I emailed

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-26606578233802433382009-11-16T14:52:00.010-05:002010-02-02T08:12:44.461-05:00

Even the biggest names in literature struggle to put words on the page—that’s the moral of a recent Wall Street Journal story entitled "How to Write a Great Novel." Not surprisingly, the headline is a tease.  None of the 11 top authors interviewed for the article, including Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel (pictured above, courtesy Writers Pictures), actually tells how to write a good book, let

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-1978049367736915512009-11-09T15:20:00.006-05:002010-02-02T08:19:37.384-05:00

I'm out of the country this week and too busy to blog at length, but I wanted to share a snippet from a letter I recently received from my husband's cousin Mary (pictured above in her hot tub last week) who, like me, is in her 50's.  Last spring she was diagnosed with uterine cancer, which has now spread to other organs.  Throughout the entire ordeal, she's somehow managed to remain upbeat, yet

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-92187038066766823662009-11-02T11:31:00.003-05:002009-12-08T09:12:58.578-05:00

Finding a passion in life is a critical part of staying young and healthy.  "It has about an 8-year effect,” say Michael Rozien and Mehmet Oz, America’s most trusted television doctor team.  Ten exceptional individuals who are pursuing their passions have just won the 2009 Purpose Prize.  Among them are 69-year old Ann Higdon (above) of Dayton, OH, who "grew up homeless, was inspired by a

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-77459261703604927532009-10-26T00:26:00.012-04:002010-03-29T23:29:13.062-04:00

TSo you think you can dance? “Of course you can!” says Elita Sohmer Clayman, a 75-year old ballroom dance enthusiast from Baltimore, Maryland. Thirty-two years ago, on November 2, 1977, this elegant elder and her husband Jerry took their first dance class together, hoping to be able to do a respectable waltz and rumba at an affair they were putting on for their son’s 13th birthday. Little did

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-60813000745451755452009-10-19T12:50:00.002-04:002009-11-16T23:08:32.840-05:00

Together, Herb & Dorothy Vogel have amassed one of the most impressive and extensive collections of contemporary and minimalist art in the world. They must be fabulously rich, right? Far from it. Before retiring, Herb was a postal clerk and Dorothy was a reference librarian. So how did they do it? They lived on her paycheck and used his to build their collection.  Ultimately they donated

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-22334008642303311582009-10-12T12:39:00.005-04:002009-12-08T09:16:25.569-05:00

74-year old Ken Mink first played college basketball when Eisenhower was President. Now he's playing for Roane State. A former newspaper editor who retired in 1999, Mink kept active doing a variety of sports—golfing, skiing, even hang gliding. The six-footer had been away from organized basketball for 53 years (he was kicked out of school in '56), but still had NCAA eligibility when he

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-42896428737836170042009-10-05T11:03:00.006-04:002010-03-30T00:00:03.605-04:00

The oldest woman I know turns 107 this week. Her name is Leannette, and she was a mere 106 when I met her two weeks ago at the Watermark, a Connecticut retirement community where I was giving a talk. (In the photo above, which was taken that day, Leanette is the one sitting in the foreground.) Although her teeth give her trouble and she’s hard of hearing, Leanette still knits, still gets

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-21752228710546508132009-09-29T13:24:00.004-04:002010-03-30T00:00:43.422-04:00

The interviews for the male sequel to Defying Gravity are done! Here are some of the men: A popular Denver anchorman who lost his job to downsizing in his 50s and then fulfilled his dream of becoming a veterinary technician. A New York City marketing exec who gave up retirement and started a non-profit to help young men plan for life after prison. A sharecropper from Alabama who became a

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-55602669610007480042009-09-20T14:10:00.006-04:002009-12-13T21:05:30.433-05:00

I was going to blog today. I promised to do so at least once a week. But I just wrote my way through the darkest part of my novel--a story that’s turned out to be deeper, more textured and, dare I say, more transcendent than I originally envisioned.   All I want to do is take a breather and enjoy the gorgeous weather.  Winter will be here in the blink of an elephant's eye, as one of my

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-89150534118531928842009-09-15T08:31:00.003-04:002009-09-15T08:43:54.433-04:00

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions.” Pulitzer Prize winning American Novelist Ellen Glasgow

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-46402716172434566142009-09-08T08:00:00.005-04:002010-03-29T23:31:27.452-04:00

Pamela Putney has dedicated her life to improving women’s health around the world, bringing her knowledge and passion to such far-off places as Zambia, Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Guatemala, Egypt, and Bolivia. I am honored to have met Pam at the beginning of her journey (see my post of 8/27/09) and grateful to have had her by my side in 1976 as I went through my first pregnancy. In her own words,

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-88217229833214924132009-09-01T09:57:00.006-04:002009-09-12T09:07:51.510-04:00

Looking for a great, start-of-the-school-year read? If you haven’t done so already, pick up a copy of Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success. Outliers addresses the question: How do people like Bill Gates become so extraordinarily successful? Do they have higher intelligence than the rest of us? More ambition?Not necessarily, Gladwell says. Have they put more hours of practice into

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-70048040635651331952009-08-27T10:16:00.025-04:002010-03-29T23:32:02.660-04:00

An amazing story: While taking a leisurely walk on the beach in Martha’s Vineyard a few weeks ago, I was introduced by my son Gabe to his mother-in-law's longtime friend Pam, who in recent years has become Gabe's friend as well. The woman seemed nice enough but, frankly, I was so focused on enjoying my walk with my son that I didn’t pay much attention to her. On the way back to the car, Gabe

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-33904330178697221072009-08-24T09:54:00.012-04:002009-09-11T23:42:40.211-04:00

Four years. That’s how long I’ve been working on my novel about a late bloomer. And what a revelatory process it’s been. Whether my book ends up selling dozens of copies or millions, I’ve been enriched by the process.Is it done? No. I’d hoped it would be finished by the time I started blogging again, but at least I’m on the downward stretch and can see the proverbial light at the end of the

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-36454129606424746512009-04-12T19:54:00.040-04:002009-08-24T10:18:15.914-04:00

I'm on hiatus until August 25th, working on a novel.If you've come here looking for inspiration, no need to go away disappointed. Just scroll down the page and peruse the postings. (The volume of visible posts is what causes the sidebar to take so long to load.) Of course, you can also use the index to search through the entire two-and-a-half years' worth of entries or become a Defying

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-19009509222244689892009-04-01T09:48:00.009-04:002010-03-29T23:45:27.522-04:00

Research shows that 80 percent of people who resolve in January to change their behavior have lost heart by Valentine’s Day. By Easter--well, forget it. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Marion Jacobs, author of Take-Charge Living: How to Recast Your Role in Life...One Scene at a Time, part of the problem is that our brains don’t believe we’re serious about changing until they see some

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-36443212949855164972009-03-28T15:07:00.000-04:002009-03-28T15:07:39.269-04:00

I just came across a great new website: www.goldivas.com. Its tagline--"for women over 50 who are too young to be old"--says it all. The site is attractive, easy to navigate and features postings on such varied topics as careers, creative living, beauty, fashion, fiction/poetry, fitness/health, money, technology and travel.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-88526040698147666912009-03-26T12:55:00.006-04:002009-03-26T13:17:11.257-04:00

I saw a sweet, made-for-television movie last night that I rented on Netflix: The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn. With an inspiring message for late bloomers and a lovely, nuanced performance by Oscar winner Sidney Poitier, this feel-good fable is worth a watch.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-80065458599185622352009-03-25T17:42:00.004-04:002009-03-25T17:57:58.236-04:00

One can be too responsible—or so suggests a new study by two consumer psychologists interviewed by John Tierney in yesterday's Science Times. When asked by the two researchers how they felt about what they did on their winter breaks, college students initially regretted not doing enough studying or earning enough money. But when they looked back on their experiences a year later, they were more

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-52069193295263067722009-03-19T08:10:00.004-04:002010-03-29T23:42:20.266-04:00

Today I'd like to welcome fellow blogger L. Diane Wolfe, author of the Circle of Friends series of novels and the just-released Overcoming Obstacles with Spunk: The Keys to Leadership & Goal Setting. I love this woman! She doesn't believe in the word impossible and is willing to do whatever it takes to spread her message of hope. Her Circle of Friends series, described as “encouragement

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-59315536473379982342009-03-17T16:12:00.010-04:002009-12-08T09:26:40.603-05:00

A little less than a year ago, my husband’s mom moved into an graduated-care facility in Northern Virginia, leaving behind a two-bedroom home filled with thirty-five years of memories and a lifetime of possessions. Last week my sister-in-law Mary and I traveled to Camden, South Carolina to clean out the place.  Needless to say, it was a big job. To add to the enormity of the task, my

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-42541859631584216852009-03-09T15:54:00.002-04:002009-03-09T16:17:27.145-04:00

I'm flying to South Carolina tomorrow, where I'll be spending the rest of the week emptying out my 85-year old mother-in-law's house for future sale. My sister-in-law is meeting me down there, and we're determined to have fun--or at least as much as the circumstances permit. (Margaritas anyone?) In any event, I won't be posting again until next week.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-66198376877380504932009-03-04T13:35:00.010-05:002009-03-04T14:21:59.232-05:00

I have several stories piled up on my desk that I want want to tell you today. There's Dave Timmons, who left his high-paying corporate career to become a musician and national speaker; Chris Holliday, who became a working actress in her 40's; Chloe Jon Paul, who just published a book with the lovely title Entering the Age of Elegance: A Rite of Passage & Practical Guide for the Modern Maturing

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-12187105389823192132009-02-27T08:21:00.005-05:002009-03-18T23:18:22.584-04:00

A huge thank you to L. Diane Wolfe, who just posted an interview with me on her Spunk on a Stick blog. (LDW's tagline: "Promoting and Publishing Tips from a Spunky Author.") I loved her questions! Click here to read. Now a heads-up. I've said this before, but it bears repeating: Defying gravity requires prioritizing time. You've got to set limits...and be spunky. Right now, with two

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-61528410388034198942009-02-24T15:48:00.004-05:002009-02-24T15:57:33.228-05:00

Talk about defying gravity! Born without arms, Nicaraguan Tony Melendez learned how to play the guitar with his feet. Watch this 1 min. 49 sec. video of him performing “Let It Be":Make sure to watch--or scroll--all the way to end.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-4193807295028299592009-02-19T12:22:00.004-05:002010-03-29T23:50:06.766-04:00

Occasionally, my blog postings are republished on Vibrant Nation, a wonderful website where women 50+ exchange ideas and join in smart conversation. In one such exchange prompted by my Jan. 27th posting (which Vibrant Nation re-titled "What Quote or Poem Inspires You?"), a woman shared the following: CHOICES By Nikki Giovanni if i can't do what i want to do then my job is to not do what i

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-88341017935150293742009-02-14T09:48:00.012-05:002010-03-29T23:40:57.622-04:00

For the past two years, I've been watching my dear friend Penny Pearlman conceive, gestate and birth her first book: Pretty Smart: Lessons from Our Miss Americas. After traveling all across the country interviewing 22 former Miss Americas (including Phyllis George and Gretchen Carlson of Fox & Friends), Penny has much wisdom to share about going for a dream. In a future posting, I'll tell

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-71846501742991520752009-02-11T22:40:00.006-05:002010-03-29T23:40:14.010-04:00

I just came across an inspiring Forbes.com feature story titled "Second Acts" profiling seven men and women who managed to switch tracks in midlife and "find fulfillment along the way." Here's what one of the seven, Emmy-winning actress Kathryn Joosten, who plays the nosy neighbor on Desperate Housewives, has to say about herself: Some people in Hollywood think of me as a model for dramatic

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-42632890966043212182009-02-08T09:57:00.009-05:002010-03-29T23:36:05.963-04:00

The daughter of a friend of mine was rejected last week from both her first and second-choice law schools. She was wait-listed from the third and hasn’t heard yet from the fourth. Understandably, she was demoralized. She’d been dreaming of living in Chicago next year and eventually, law degree in hand, working for the FBI. Her dad asked me to give her a call, so I did. First, I commiserated.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-81357959963151282422009-02-06T14:12:00.005-05:002009-02-06T17:08:28.496-05:00

My friend Bonnie Adler, staff writer for the Westport Minuteman, told me this morning that her father always used to say: "I'm a lucky man. The harder I work, the luckier I get." I suspect most of the people profiled on this blog would agree (though, of course, a fair percentage would change the word "man" to "woman").

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-17117174134613755472009-02-04T09:39:00.005-05:002009-02-04T10:04:13.014-05:00

A quick reminder that March 5th is the deadline for submitting your nominations for The Purpose Prize——$100,000 awards for people over age 60 who are creating new ways to solve social issues. Change someone's life by going to www.encore.org/prize to begin the nomination process. From health care to education, global warming to poverty reduction, winners of The Purpose Prize are recognized for

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-7639743540001581092009-02-02T08:30:00.004-05:002010-03-29T23:37:30.258-04:00

Last week I heard from a representative of Lydia Raurell, author of A Year of Dancing Dangerously (Overlook 2008). I’m often asked by authors to consider blogging about their books. Sometimes I do; sometimes I don’t. It depends on how strong the connection is between the subject and my defying-gravity theme and whether or not I feel good about implicitly or explicitly endorsing the work.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-86582227588226199672009-01-29T09:45:00.002-05:002009-01-29T09:47:41.424-05:00

Here we are in the middle of a recession and I'm re-doing my bathrooms.Believe me, I'm not the kind of person who enjoys renovating houses. (I'm one of those rare women who hates to shop.) I've kept up with maintenance, but haven't had any major work done around here in 14 years. The last time I think the bathrooms were done was in '78. So why spend money now?Because I had a bit of cash on

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-83081474500777312172009-01-27T22:20:00.001-05:002009-01-27T22:26:17.538-05:00

From French poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918 ):"Come to the edge.""We can't. We're afraid.""Come to the edge.""We can't. We will fall!""Come to the edge."And they came.And he pushed them.And they flew.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-42142562793810584982009-01-26T16:11:00.010-05:002010-03-29T23:34:27.518-04:00

Whenever I do a “Breaking Into Publishing” event, aspiring authors invariably ask me whether they should worry about sharing their ideas with others before their books are in the marketplace. I understand the fear behind this question. We’ve been taught that there’s only so much space on bookstore shelves and, worse yet, that there are individuals out there trolling for good ideas, just

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-32512548587372723892009-01-24T10:48:00.007-05:002009-01-27T08:25:49.255-05:00

Whoops. I forgot to include a video of the segment that inspired the comment I mentioned in the previous post. Keep in mind that the subject of the piece dropped out of school after seventh grade.From the CBS Evening News With Katie Couric:"If you have any doubt you can achieve anything you set your mind to, ask 79-year-old Randy Wilt about his latest achievement. Wilt passed the GED after 6

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-10579160518222763612009-01-24T10:37:00.005-05:002009-01-27T08:26:38.507-05:00

Last night on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric I heard one of the correspondents comment that we can’t necessarily be anything we want, but we can be more than we are. That’s how I feel about my writing. I might not be capable of being as strong a storyteller as Ann Patchett, for instance, but if I consistently work at my craft and open my heart to telling as honest a story as I can at

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-34309850631396406252009-01-23T09:21:00.006-05:002009-01-24T10:36:58.408-05:00

On Tuesday night at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, Mariah Carey performed Hero. She wrote it, she told the audience, "for everybody out there with a dream."Yeah, I know it's a corny song...but hearing her sing it to our new President brought tears to my eyes. While the whole world seems to be pinning its hopes on this one man, Carey's lyrics champion personal responsibility.

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-4861108229674877212009-01-21T10:14:00.008-05:002010-03-29T23:38:44.547-04:00

The inauguration of America's first black President on the heels of Martin Luther King Day attests to the fact that no matter how far our economy sinks, how difficult our lives become, our noblest hopes and dreams will continue--as they always have--to try and steer humanity to a brighter future. Five years after publishing Defying Gravity, I still stand by these words from my introduction:

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36128469.post-49383060352356316742009-01-20T00:00:00.002-05:002009-01-20T00:02:29.746-05:00

Yes, I can.Yes, you can.Yes, WE can!

Prill Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00586202626442746356noreply@blogger.com4