How To Be Old? I don’t know but I did write the book

Don’t expect any tips in HOW TO BE OLD—new book of poems by Rachel McAlpine at 80.

Twenty copies of HOW TO BE OLD, my new book of poems, have been hand-delivered by the publisher herself, Mary McCallum. She strode up the hill weighed down by a handwoven backpack bearing the precious literary goods, pausing only to attend to the occasional text or email. She took a brutal video of me opening the box and we celebrated with coffee.

I am tickled pink by the cover, design, size and weight of this book.

How about the poems? That’s for you to judge. You may have read a few of them on this blog. Some of you have listened to my podcast. Now some of you listen to my poetry readings on video.

But if you like books, books printed on paper, you can buy this one from any bookshop in New Zealand. If they don’t have it in stock, ask them to order it. It’s a book that will make a wonderful gift for someone special, too.

Many New Zealand bookstores have an online service. (I’ll add other links below when I find out which other New Zealand bookstores willingly ship offshore.)

• Order HOW TO BE OLD from Unity Books

I wish I could tell you how to be old but I only know one way, the way that works for me. (It starts with not being dead.) Nevertheless, I think you will find some poems here with echoes from your own life, if you’re over 30.

Happy reading! And if you’re in New Zealand, remember that I love doing live readings for real people. Just ask.