In this episode, host Devorah Medwin interviews a NYT reporter and author whose beat is New York City, and interests favors the lives of older adults. In 2015, Leland began following six New Yorkers over the age of 85 through the end of their lives. It was that series which provided the basis for his book, “Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons From a Year Among the Oldest Old.”
To quote the writer, Leland says: "I write substantial, often off-the-beaten-path articles about how life is lived in New York now. I look for stories that illustrate how larger cultural or demographic forces — aging, migration, climate change, economic upheaval, etc. — play out in the lives of ordinary New Yorkers. My work often involves people whose views or actions may be controversial or not easily understood by some of the public. I work to convey what their lives look like to them, without judgment or comment."