So Your Parents Are Old

Origin Stories is a new podcast from Campside Media. In this episode, host Matt Shaer interviews comedian and author Roy Wood Jr. about his memoir The Man of Many Fathers. It's about his father, who died when Roy was 16, what he learned from the many father figures he had since, and it's about his own journey as a father. And... it's funny! You can listen to more episodes of Origin Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Visit joincampside.com to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and author Alissa Quart joins Vanessa to talk about how to turn a parent’s art into a living legacy while navigating the impossible “third shift” of caregiving. They also zoom out to discuss the economics of aging in America and what it’s like to live in an “anti-compassion time.” Read Alissa’s books Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream and Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America. You can also check out her NY Times Op-Ed, My Mother, the Artist, Discovered at 90, her most recent Guardian article, or see some of her mother’s art @barbaraquartpainter or in this photo inventory. Learn more about the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, or send them a pitch.  To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joincampside.com⁠. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. If you have questions you want Vanessa to try to answer, or just want to tell us what you think of the show, email us at [email protected]. Can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Collin Moulton’s parents hadn’t spoken in decades—until their failing health forced a reunion no sitcom could script. The comedian joins Vanessa to talk about the chaotic final years of his parents’ lives and what it means to truly grow up when your parents are old. Follow Collin on Instagram to find Collin’s tour dates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and former CNN anchor Amara Walker opens up about her mother’s Alzheimer’s—how she found support in community, how she talks to her children about their grandmother’s illness, and how she arrived at the difficult decision to move her mother to a nursing home. Find out more about the Alzheimer’s Association on their website.  The book Vanessa read to her son is called Nana Nana by Nate Bertone and illustrated by James Claridades. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joincampside.com⁠. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. If you have questions you want Vanessa to try to answer, or just want to tell us what you think of the show, email us at [email protected]. Can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Kathleen Madigan has turned the trials of caring for her parents into some of her sharpest material. She joins Vanessa to commiserate about Medicare and creepy porcelain basement dolls—and to show how humor can help you through the hardest moments. Hear more from Kathleen on Madigan's Pubcast, and find tour dates on her website. Her new special, The Family Thread is available on November 21. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joincampside.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. If you have questions you want Vanessa to try to answer, or just want to tell us what you think of the show, email us at [email protected]. Can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices