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By 2050, nearly a quarter of the U.S. population will be over 65. But while older people have diverse life experiences and backgrounds, TV shows, films and the press often depict them as lonely, frail and out of touch. A host of innovators are pushing back against these tired tropes and hidden ageism, pioneering more vital narratives and creating new ways to represent what it means to grow old.
Join us for a conversation about changing the lens on older people.
Location: 219 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018, 3rd floor
Day and time: Monday May 4, 2026, 4-5:30 p.m.
Panelists:
Sari Botton publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Land, and Adventures in Journalism. Her memoir And You May Find Yourself … Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen-X Weirdo, about “finding” herself later in life, was chosen by Poets & Writers magazine for the 2022 edition of its annual “5 Over 50” feature. Previously, she was the essays editor at Longreads. She edited the bestselling anthologies Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York.
Meg LaPorte is a co-founder of Art Against Ageism, a nonprofit that leverages art and creativity to advance positive age beliefs. A journalist and storyteller, Meg has spent most of her career elevating the voices and experiences of older adults and direct care professionals through advocacy, social media, and writing. She is executive director of the Maryland Regional Direct Services Collaborative, where she leads initiatives to improve job quality and strengthen the direct care workforce. She holds a master’s degree in aging services management from the Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Sarah Vitti is a consultant who collaborates with storytellers, artists, and movement leaders to shape narratives that shift culture. Until recently she was associate director of culture change at Caring Across Generations, where she helped transform how we understand care, disability, and aging. As a writer and multimedia artist herself, Sarah sees storytelling as both a practice and a pathway toward healing and liberation.
Moderator: Emily Laber-Warren heads the health and science reporting program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. A longtime science journalist and educator, she writes on ageism, circadian rhythms and other topics for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek and other publications.