'Forty-five black women writers—known and new—discuss midlife in the first anthology of its kind

Finally, a collection that celebrates, considers, contemplates, even criticizes "midlife" from a black woman's point of view. Age Ain't Nothing

but a Number ranges over every aspect of black women's lives: personal growth, family and friendship, love and sexuality, health, beauty, illness,

spirituality, creativity, financial independence, work, and scores of other topics.

Midlife today isn't your grandmother's "change of life." Today, black women call hot flashes "power surges," and menopause, the "pause that refreshes." These days, middle-aged women may be newlyweds or new mothers, as

well as grandmothers or widows. They may experience the empty-nest syndrome and then the "return-to-the-nest syndrome" as adult children move back home. They may navigate the field of Internet dating, travel the world,

teach homeless women, take up pottery, or study international business.

This anthology captures all of these aspects of midlife as experienced by some of the finest voices in African-American writing today. Featuring

the work of Maya Angelou, J. California Cooper, Pearl Cleage, Nikki Giovanni, Susan L. Taylor, Alice Walker, and dozens of others, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number will make readers think, laugh, and cry and will be the perfect gift

book for spring.

Carleen Brice is the author of Walk Tall: Affirmations for People of Color (Beacon / 2811-8 / $12.00 pb), which was a Blackboard Bestseller, and Lead Me Home: An African American Guide Through the Grief Journey, and

was a contributing editor for R.I.P.: The Complete Book of Death and Dying. She has written for various publications, including Mademoiselle,

the Chicago Tribune, and BET.com, and lives in Denver, Colorado.

\"Reading this medley of wisdom, laughter, reflection and love is wonderfully satisfying.\"

--Venise Berry, author of Colored Sugar Water

\"Provocative, poignant and passionate --captures black women in our glorious mid-years. As rich and satisfying as a warm dish of peach cobbler.\"

-- Evelyn C. White, editor, The Black Women\'s Health Book

\"When I grow up I want to keep on growing! AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER is my roadmap. Thank you my ageless sisters.\"

--- Iyanla Vanzant, author of Every Day I Pray: Prayers for Awakening to the Grace of Inner Communion

"Over the years, these women — our writers — have named our truths. With this important anthology, they rise once again and escort us into the next phase with beauty, wisdom, humor, love and, as always, style. What a gift!"

--- Farah Jasmine Griffin, author of If You Can't Be Free, Be a Mystery: In Search of Billie Holiday

Rather than support the unhealthy and negative attitudes toward age which are so common, Carleen Brice points us toward embracing the richness of who we are, and who we are becoming.

This is a much needed collection, providing affirmation of womanhood and teaching us that contrary to the negative programming of our culture of youth, there is life after thirty that is valuable, meaningful, and even fun."

-Johnetta B. Cole, President emerita at Spelman College, Professor emerita at Emory University, and current President of Bennett College'

Forty-five black women writers--known and new--discuss midlife in the first anthology of its kind. "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" celebrates, considers, contemplates, even criticizes "midlife" from a black woman's point of view.

'Carleen Brice is a journalist and writer living in Denver, Colorado.'

Who says an older woman shouldn't dance? / Gloria Wade-Gayles — Age / Nikki Giovanni — The affirmation / Patricia Raybon — Journal (February 12, 1987) / Alice Walker — Unlocking midlife / Jackie Warren-Moore — Games / Jackie Warren-Moore — What I learned on the way to getting old : don't tell your age and other lessons / Elyse Singleton — Midlife blues / Carmen Turner — How to fly into fifty (without a fear of flying) / S. Pearl Sharp — The ball of a lifetime / Trudier Harris-Lopez — In search of meaningful work / Jan Thomas — Dreaming of crones / Carleen Brice — New bones / Lucille Clifton — Choosing longevity / Susan L. Taylor — Maneuvering through menopause : a rite of passage / Marilyn Hughes Gaston and Gayle K. Porter. — To my last period / Lucille Clifton — Hair matters at midlife / Brenda J. Allen — Am I ugly? / Terri Sutton — Banyan trunk / Ada Nelribi — From I left my back door open / April Sinclair — Used / Rita Dove — My cups used to runneth over / Diane Donaldson — Middle-age UFO / Colleen McElroy — From a day late and a dollar short / Terry McMillan — Homegirl reunion / Joan Hopewell-Hartgens — Letting go with love / Miriam Decosta-Willis — From the women of Brewster Place / Gloria Naylor — Babies??!! / Tina McElroy Ansa — Adoption : a midlife love story / Sheila Stainback — The pathway home / Stephanie Rose Bird — The dance of life / Wuanda M. T. Walls — Full circling / Elaine Lee — In the heat of shadow / Jewelle Gomez — Parents, wives, and womanhood : the lessons we never learned / Ta'shia Asanti Karade — Age and sexuality / Maya Angelou — Trust me / Pearl Cleage — Gray pussy hair / Opal Palmer Adisa — Safer sex (before and) after fifty / Gale Madyun — Plum jelly in hot shiny jars / Akasha Gloria Hull — It might as well be spring / Carleen Brice — The company she keeps / Colleen McElroy — From do-it-yourself rainbows / J. California Cooper — Love and other geometric shapes / Essa âElan.