Suddenly Sixty: And Other Shocks of Later Life

The Decades of a Woman's Life #5

by Judith Viorst, Laurie Rosenwald (Illustrator)

From the bestselling author of Forever Fifty comes a new collection of poems that tickle, console, and offer the pleasure of instant recognition -- the perfect book for any woman anywhere in the vicinity of sixty.

Judith Viorst's "decade" books of verse -- including It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty, How Did I Get to Be Forty, and Forever Fifty -- have delighted millions of readers worldwide who relish her wit, warmth, and wisdom. Now here she is with Suddenly Sixty, a funny and touching book that speaks directly to the sixty-ish woman, inviting her to laugh about, sigh over, and come to hopeful terms with the complex issues of this decade of life.

Among the poems in this charmingly illustrated collection are those exploring the joys -- and strains -- of children and grandchildren, and the intimacy of old friends who've "known each other so long/We knew each other back when we were virgins." There are poems that tip their hat to mortality, wrestle with a husband's retirement -- "He's coming with me when I shop at the supermarket/So I won't have to shop alone. I like alone." -- and acknowledge the fact that at this stage of life we'd "give up a night of wild rapture with Denzel Washington for a nice report on my next bone density test." Offering plenty of laughs, a few tears, and cover-to-cover truths, these are poems for everyone who would "rather say never say die than enough is enough." Every woman who has reached this decade will -- rueful and smiling -- find herself in the pages of this book.

Genres: Poetry, Humor, Nonfiction, Womens, Biography, Self Help

80 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

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

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming light poetry from a favorite author.

[Mary Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really lovely book of humorous poems for someone like ME! I identified with the family vacation, weight loss and marriage pieces. Wish I had some grandchildren like Viorst, but maybe this decade of my life will bring me some.

"Did I Do Something Wrong?". That's the poem that got to me.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am 24 years old. I feel like this is important to note. I am obviously not within the age demographic this poetry volume was written for. Regardless, I read it, and now I am reviewing it.

More of this was relatable than I fully anticipated given that it is a poetry collection about aging. Many of the poems were witty and charming. A fair few made me smile, or made me sad (but mostly the smiling). A lot of it wasn't to my taste or was outside my range of life experience. Some of it felt a bit dated given that it is a nearly twenty year old collection.

Overall it is an okay collection of poetry. Recommended for anyone looking for poems about aging. I have only ever read children's books by Judith Viorst before this, but I would read more poetry by her.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suddenly Sixty by Judith Viorst is definitely relatable—should I admit that? (Let’s pretend I didn’t!) I didn’t always catch the rhythm of the rhyme on the first read—maybe hearing it aloud would help—but it was still a bright, nourishing collection. My favorite? The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days. I can picture someone reading that aloud as a wedding toast.

[Pam Papworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This quirky book was given to me on my 60th birthday. I'm not a lover of poetry, but I could relate to these little one- or two-page funny poems.

[Mollie Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely collection of poems by Judith Viorst with themes that would be expected for someone turning sixty. The most poignant ones are the poems of her love for her grandchildren and her observations of her grown son handling his young daughter. In "When I Watch," Judith writes:

...And when I watch him bathing her,
Or kissing a bump on her forehead to make it better,
Or tenderly tucking her into bed at night,
I know that, though I did a lot of things wrong,
I must have done a few things right.

I think there are eight volumes of poems now in this series, the most recent one addressing life from the perspective of being "nearly ninety." Anyone who can still write poems when they are nearly ninety gets a gold star in my book.

Judith Viorst' fans who have grandchildren or a grandmother would enjoy this book.

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading Judith Viorst's poems to children I teach, so it made perfect sense, that since I am turning sixty in April, I should read this book. I was surprised how similar my feelings were to some of Judith's poems! After a while, however, I wanted to read the benefits of turning sixty, rather than the ailments, fears, and some hostile feelings that do flit through my brain upon occasion. I loved the poem "The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days" and will save this poem for my adult children to read next Thanksgiving. The poem "Old Friend" rang true for my own life. I know this book is listed under "humor," but every comic, as we know, has an element of truth in his/her comedy. Maybe some of these poems hit too close to real life, and my laughter stopped.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great set of poems reflecting life in one's 60s. My favorite is "About His Retirement." I always said that the day my husband retires is the day I go back to work. Well, I didn't go back to work and the results of being in such frequent daily contact was aptly described in this poem by Judith Viorst.

He's starting conversations with me when I'm reading.
He's chiming in when I talk with my friends on the phone.
He's coming with me when I shop at the supermarket
So I won't have to shop alone. I like alone.

I also think that "The New Alphabet" is a perfectly humorous and true description of later life: "A's for arthritis." "S is for sleepless nights counting my fears." Fun to read with quite a few laugh-out-loud moments!

[Syd Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun series of books. I didn't quite like the poems in this as much as the seventy book but there were some rally good ones. Easy read, nice to share in print the feelings of getting older.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Viorst's honest takes on the various decades of life. She doesn't know it but she's helping prepare me for my future.

[Michelle Adamo #EmptyNestReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suddenly Sixty and Other Shocks of Later Life is a clever look at the decline, the woes and the aches - in short, the reality, of being sixty. Judith Viorst’s poetry explores this decade of life somewhat ruefully but always with humor and grace.

The New Alphabet:
A is for Arthritis.
B is for Bad Back.
C is for Chest Pain. Corned Beef? Cardiac?
D if for Dental Decay and Decline.
E is for Eyesight-can’t read that top line.

It’s Harder to be Frisky Over Sixty:
Despite the advent of Medicare,
I will still buy bikini underwear
And scorn the notion that seniorhood
Means it’s too late to be up to no good
I would if I could.

When Asked If I Thought That I’d Finally Got it Together
“I had it together on Sunday.
By Monday at noon it had cracked.
On Tuesday debris
Was descending on me.
And by Wednesday no part was intact.
On Thursday I picked up some pieces.
On Friday I picked up the rest.
By Saturday, late,
It was almost set straight.
And on Sunday the world was impressed
With how well I had got it together.”

Old Friends:
Old friends. We are very old friends, as in
We’ve known each other so long
We knew each other back when we were virgins…
Back when we talked, with the same degree of intensity,
About eyeliner and the meaning of the universe.

Though it’s been a few years since I turned 60, Viorst’s poems still bring a chuckle and I can find myself in many of it’s pages. A great birthday gift for that special someone. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this little book of poems about the various stages life, especially later life. I'm 67, and related to so many of them; definitely "A Whole Other Stage," and "In Response to a Request For An Apology."
I laughed at and adored "The Blissful Couple," and saw myself and friends who've dealt with adolescent kids in "Did I Do Something Wrong?"
"A Wedding Sonnet for the Next Generation" touched me deeply, because my daughter just got married.

I'd planned to mail this straight off to my "baby" sister (whose daughter also just got married) as a 60th birthday present, but decided to read it first. I'm so glad I did! She'll also love "The Wedding Sonnet....."

Thank you, Judith Viorst! I can't wait to see what you write for the Seventies!

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

You who aren’t won’t think it’s sudden but, of course, it is. I still haven’t quite realized it, though the “yes ma’ams” and glances at my white hair remind me all the time. It’s not fun to be old, I think. Judith Viorst knows this, and she uses her double-edged sword of poetry and humor to jab old age right in the face.

“I don’t intend to stop showing a little cleavage,
Nor do I intend to stop flashing a little thigh.
I’m still not too old to give it the old college try,
Though it’s harder to keep trying,
And it’s harder to keep trucking,
And it’s harder to be frisky over sixty.”

Take that, Old Age.

[Terry Graybill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in Judith Viorst decade-themed poetry collections. I enjoyed it but note that it has an element of triste, a feeling of age that is appropriate, if not as humorous as in earlier volumes. A number of standout individual poems - “Old Friends” (on the loss of a long-time friend), “To a Husband Who, After Forty-two Years, Dumped My Wonderful Friend for a Much Younger Woman,” “Mortal Questions” and “Just Lucky I Guess” among others.

As before, I strongly recommend reading these age-themed or decade-themed books in order. (But the twenties book is an overview of many decades so start with the thirties book.)

I now look forward to the next in sequence.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first encounter with Judith Viorst. Poetry for the people. Not particularly great, notable, or literary. Maybe I'm too young to appreciate most of these poems. I guess she has a book of poetry for every decade. I need to go back ten years. Funny, the next one I'm going to read is for those nearing 90. I'll probably be done with Judith Viorst after that one, though I am curious about the one for fifty-year-olds plus, so I might look for it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short book of poems and musings on life that age 60. I thought it might make a fun gift for friends entering their 6th decade but have decided it is too dated (originally published in 2000). Some of the musings were still relevant and fun, the one about the family vacation to name one, but 60 in 2023 is much “younger” than it was just 23 years ago.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Public Library Copy

While perhaps not as snappy as How Did I Get To Be 40 and Other Atrocities (and lacking the brilliant 1970s artwork), this is still a great collection with spot on observations. Worth looking at if only for the completely on point (and exquisitely written) "When Asked If I Thought I'd Finally Got It Together" and the heart wrenching "Where Did I Go Wrong".

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the two star review, I feel the humor in this is dated. It came out in 2000. The poetry is simple and easy to understand. Some are mildly amusing and other melancholy. Judith Viorst is an upper class Washington DC resident.

[Kathy Megaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suppose as we age, we all have the thoughts and feelings that Judith Viorst writes about in "Suddenly Sixty". But she has an exceptional ability to express these sentiments in a creative and entertaining way! The book is partly humorous, partly saddening, and completely touching & thought-provoking.

I would have enjoyed this book more if there were fewer segments pertaining to the progressive stages of marriage. Having been divorced, I'm not able to relate to Viorst's many references of various changes an aging couple has to work through. That being said, the book was a bit of a downer for me.

[Peggy Hess Greenawalt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a book of poetry that might hit home as you move through the 6th decade.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read many times. Male, 77 now and just reread. So true, but a good way to look and laugh at your past. Partner, Gracie, now rereading.

[Terri Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me smile. A nice light read.

[Cherop · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful, little book of poetry. Quite humorous too.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I especially liked: The New Alphabet, About His Retirement, and A Very Brief History of Marriage.

[Diane Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad to have found this short and humorous book by Judith Viorst about life after 60.

[Marylou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

This a wonderful collection of poems evoking all the sides of life that emerge after you reach sixty. People kept interrupting my reading to find out why I was laughing.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite authors beginning as a kid and continuing at 70!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I'm not quite sixty this was a clever little book of poetry. I need to check out the other decade poetry books she's written.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little read about getting older, such funny verses!