Forever Fifty and Other Negotiations

The Decades of a Woman's Life #4

by Judith Viorst

Her bestselling verse has unerringly captured our follies and our foibles over the decades. Now Judith Viorst, in a witty and beautifuUy illustrated book of poems, looks at what it's like to be (gulp) fifty.

Judith Viorst's poetry collections, which include When Did I Stop Being Twenty..., It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty..., and How Did I Get to Be Forty..., have articulated our growing pains from single life to midlife, and have continued to delight millions of readers worldwide. Writing with the warmth and authenticity that have become her trademarks, Viorst once again demonstrates her uncanny ability to transform our daily realities into poems that make us laugh with recognition. Whether her subject is the decline of the body ("It's hard to be devil-may-care/When there are pleats in your derrière") or future aspirations ("Before I go, I'd like to have high cheekbones./I'd like to talk less like New Jersey, and more like Claire Bloom"), she always speaks directly to our condition. Her funny, compassionate poems shed a reassuring light on the fine art of aging, and will delight anyone who is now (or forever) fifty.

Genres: Poetry, Humor, Nonfiction, Womens, Relationships, Parenting

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Judith Viorst is an American writer, newspaper journalist, and psychoanalysis researcher. She is known for her humorous observational poetry and for her children's literature. This includes The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (about the death of a pet) and the Alexander series of short picture books, which includes Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1972), which has sold over two million copies.
Viorst is a 1952 graduate of the Newark College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. In 1968, she signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War. In the latter part of the 1970s, after two decades of writing for children and adults, Viorst turned to the study of Freudian psychology. In 1981, she became a research graduate at Washington Psychoanalytic Institute after six years of study.

Reviews

[Ellen Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judith Viorst is an amazingly talented and perceptive woman. She has been a hero of mine for many years. I enjoyed this collection of witty poems, but Viorst is a woman of my mother's generation (her latest collection of poems is "Unexpectedly Eighty") and only a few really rang true for my own life at 50.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! Yes, there is some dated material in it but it was written in 1989. It is still relevant. I love the poem " The Pleasures of an Ordinary Life". Judith Viorst has wonderful wit and great writing craft.

[Sara Zimmers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quirky little book of poetry that my mother gave to me for my birthday this year. I couldn’t relate to most of the poems, but I did like one called “A Sexy Old Lady”. The last verse was,
“I’m intending to go to my grave as a sexy old lady.
There’ll be plenty of time for propriety after I’m dead.
So if heaven has answered my prayers,
I expect to be found, around eighty, upstairs
With my sexy old husband nestled beside me in bed”. 😝

[Tara Cignarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

great for a gift

[Lynnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Saw this just before my 50th & had to read. While reading I questioned the publication date and explained the outdated ideas. Maybe I should write my own!

[Alicia Zuto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith Viorst is so cute how she honored each decade and I believe it started with this, “Forever Fifty.” One can’t plan that. Inside these 61 pages are witty rhyming or near rhyming poems on turning fifty from a woman’s perspective. I wanted to give it as a gift to an older sister, so I wrote little poems to coincide with the one above it on each page. There’s plenty of white space for easy reading and to fill in your own poems. I forgot to give the book though ha ha ha imagine what’s gonna happen with my memory when I actually turn 50. ;)

Random lines:
Reconsidered. Happiness is
A clean bill of health from the doctor.
Falling asleep without Valium. …..

I can’t figure out, if wanting all the hangers in my closet to face the same way means I’m obsessive compulsive, or merely meticulous

I can’t figure out if helping yourself to a shrimp from your spouses plate should be viewed as intimacy or intrusion. I can’t figure out if I’ve lost my sense of humor or if after 50 it just gets harder to laugh.

[Diane Zwang · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered Judith Viorst when my son read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Looking through her list of books I found The Decades of a Woman's Life series. I was around forty when I read How Did I Get to Be Forty and other Atrocities and I thought it was funny. I have since vowed to read the rest of her decades series which continues until eighty so far (she is still living). Forever Fifty is a book of poems, my favorite was You Say You Want To Know How Old I Am? What I like most about this book is how a woman re-evaluates her life every decade and puts pen to paper. Some of the poems were dated for me and our life situations are different but I still enjoyed reading it.

[Terry Graybill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forever Fifty and Other Negotiations is a delight. For the 50 somethings enjoying Judith Viorst's age-themed poetry, this book feels right on target, as so much of her writing does. She has such a knack for touching on mundane realities and bringing to them her humor, perception and even compassion. That balance is a rare treat as are these books. This is a quick read but perhaps you'll feel as I do, that the best treat is to read them slowly and savor each poem. (John Alcorn's art is fun, as well.)

[Carole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book for my 50th birthday and the antidotes in here are sometimes quite old and some of them don’t even apply yet I’m sure there are newer ones out there if you were looking to give this to someone as a gift.

[Mary Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poetic musings on middle age - relatable, but mostly forgettable.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny at times. as but dated, but then...

[Ollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, entertaining read.

[Rosanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, enjoyable, witty read about getting older. Worth a peruse at a bookshop.

[Lisa Daleiden-Brugman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically okay-boomer poetry.

[Jennifer Sakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gift from a family friend for my birthday, some funny stuff.

[Burnettkw · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little dated.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny!quick read

[Karla Kitalong]

I found this in my bookcase; I see that it's part of Viorst's Decades of a Woman's Life series. It's funny and a fast read. I will have to keep an eye out for the other books in the series.

[Nguyen Thu Trang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful and hilarious!

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting from a generational perspective

[Beth Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a light- hearted look at turning fifty. Viorst has a cagey sense of humor that lightens even the serious issues with her ‘tongue in cheek’ comments Very quick read - only 60 pages!

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really connect with this book. I think some of it is because it was written in such a different time. Also there are a lot of references to adult children.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read when I was 50, then several times since, typically a page or two. Just finished complete read.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this series of poetry books by Judith Viorst by first reading I'm Too Young To Be Seventy: And Other Delusions. It was on a display of poetry books for National Poetry Month and I thought I'd check it out. I really liked it and discovered that there's a book for every generation of adult woman. Now that I've read her books about being a woman in her 80s, 70s, 60s, and 50s I will certainly look for the next book, How Did I Get to Be 40 & Other Atrocities.

Wry and witty, this is a fascinating book of poems that explores the life of a woman in her fifties, the perspective of a mature woman whose parents are still around and whose children are in the midst of their own adult lives. It's a quick read and offers a refreshing perspective. As I get closer and closer to my own age, the books get more and more dated. With references to Keoghs and VHS tapes, I can tell that this book is over twenty years old. I hope that the next three books aren't overwhelmingly out of date; in any case, I'm sure they will be entertaining.

new word: abjured

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poetry that ages along with the reader who started out with Judith at 20. She makes life's realities less heart wrenching with a twist of humour and bite of truth.

Her bestselling verse has unerringly captured our follies and our foibles over the decades. Now Judith Viorst, in a witty and beautifuUy illustrated book of poems, looks at what it's like to be (gulp) fifty.
Judith Viorst's poetry collections, which include When Did I Stop Being Twenty..., It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty..., and How Did I Get to Be Forty..., have articulated our growing pains from single life to midlife, and have continued to delight millions of readers worldwide. Writing with the warmth and authenticity that have become her trademarks, Viorst once again demonstrates her uncanny ability to transform our daily realities into poems that make us laugh with recognition. Whether her subject is the decline of the body ("It's hard to be devil-may-care/When there are pleats in your derrière") or future aspirations ("Before I go, I'd like to have high cheekbones./I'd like to talk less like New Jersey, and more like Claire Bloom"), she always speaks directly to our condition. Her funny, compassionate poems shed a reassuring light on the fine art of aging, and will delight anyone who is now (or forever) fifty.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I laughed out loud and it also brought tears to my eyes because most of these poems are so true to life. Yes, it is about getting older but it's about celebrating that fact rather than lamenting it. My favorite is "Before I Go" and I hope that we all can feel as she does in the last section:

Before I go, I'd like to make things better.

I'd like to be told I've been more of a joy than a pain.

And I'd like those I love to know that they are the ones, if I could do it again, I'd do it with.

I'd like to do it again before I go.

[Loretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because I was just past that big five-o milestone of life and thought this would be fun to read. But, I was disappointed as I just did not connect or identify with many of her poems.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a chuckle out of a few of these.

[Camelia]

Can't believe that I have to give this to my 2 little sisters who are turning 50 this year - exactly 11 months apart to the day!!!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

She captures every decade in her poems; she's terrific.