Wild Old Woman: A Meta-Memoir from Burning Man to Bhutan

by Joan Maloof

The second half of life can be just as wild as the first half.

This is a true story of love, loss, sex, earth, spirit, writing, and adventure after ‘the change.’ In this story people die, the author sleeps with three men, she ingests magic mushrooms, is threatened by a wild tiger, and dances naked with a famous artist.

Then there is the meta layer of what happens after the wild story is written down and shared.

There are plenty of adventure stories about women in their twenties and thirties, but where are the adventure stories about women of a ‘certain age’? Here we have it, a perfect book for book clubs, and also for those young women who want to get a sense of what is ahead.

Genres: Memoir

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2024

About the author

I have had six nonfiction books published by trade and university presses, and five are still in print. I have had numerous essays, chapters, journal articles, and poems published. I have received writing awards, including the Mary Byrd Davis Award, (a writer’s residency at Bordeneuve Retreat, France); the Eric Hoffer Book Award (finalist); and the International Silent Spring Essay Competition.

I have a PhD in Ecology and I am a Professor Emeritus at Salisbury University in Maryland. I am the Founder of the national Old-Growth Forest Network.

Reviews

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the memoir. The author is maybe a little older than I am and has a similar bold, just do it, nature. She lived an ideal life until her husband died young and then she went on a journey to figure out her life without him. Interesting adventures but nothing too radical or hard to swallow. Easy summer read.

[Maite Snijder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

This was a book.with a lot I could relate to. I'm going to.be 70 years this month. Am an old hippie. Once a hippie always a hippie. This book sure reaffirm that for me. I finished the Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela this year. 800km. I was not so lucky as Joan. I'm not as healthy as I was before I went. Many many lessons to learn here. Thank you for writing this book.

[CRISTIE Ammann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admire this author's honesty and openness. It takes guts to write so honestly especially being so well known in her community. I wish more people could be this way. She would be a great friend to have!!
Thank you Joan for an enjoyable read!!

[Laurie Wildman · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read!

Book was a Nice read, kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading! Loved reading about all the authors interesting adventures.