Joan Price Bio
3 August 2021
Sex changes as we age, but for every problem, there is a solution!
Joan Price calls herself an advocate for ageless sexuality. She has been called other things by the media: “senior sexpert,” “the woman leading a sex revolution for seniors,” and—her favorite— “wrinkly sex kitten.” An award-winning author and internationally popular public speaker and sex educator, Joan has been writing and speaking about senior sex since 2005. She is known globally as an expert in older-age sexuality.
Joan joins Hot Octopuss as our Resident Senior Sexpert. If you have a question about sex after 50, 60, 70 and beyond, or you want to learn ways to enrich your sex life, this is the place for you.
Award-Winning Senior Sex Author
Joan's books include:
- ''Sex after Grief: Navigating Your Sexuality After Losing Your Beloved'' - Her latest, on a topic that people don’t talk about, but should. Award winner Best Self-Help Book 2019 from the American Society of Journalists and Authors.
- ''The Ultimate Guide to Sex after Fifty: How to Maintain – or Regain! – a Spicy, Satisfying Sex Life'' - Her most comprehensive senior sex book, answering all your senior sex questions and some you didn’t know you had.
- ''Naked at Our Age: Talking Out Loud about Senior Sex'' - Winner Outstanding Self-Help Book 2012 from the American Society of Journalists and Authors and 2012 Book Award from American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists.
- ''Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk about Sex After Sixty" - Joan’s first senior sex book, a spicy memoir celebrating the joys of older-age sexuality.
- ''Ageless Erotica" - A steamy senior sex anthology which Joan conceived and edited, featuring sexy characters over 50 by erotica authors over 50.
Senior Sex Film
Joan is the co-creator of the film, “jessica drake's Guide to Wicked Sex: Senior Sex,” which won the Audiovisual Award 2020 from American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists and Best Niche Production from AVN Awards 2020.
Her blog has been offering senior sex news, views, and sex toy reviews from a senior perspective since 2005. At age 78, Joan Price continues to talk out loud about senior sex -- partnered or solo – in live and virtual presentations and webinars.
Journey from high school teacher to senior sexpert
How did Joan start writing and speaking about senior sex? That took a while, and the path was indirect and unexpected!
For 22 years, Joan was a high school English teacher. Days before her 35th birthday, she almost died in an automobile accident when an unlicensed driver hit her head-on. She suffered many injuries, including a smashed face, neck fracture, and shattered heel and ankle. Doctors told her they didn’t know how she survived. She was convinced that her fitness habit — aerobic dance classes every day after school and bicycling on weekends — had saved her life. Despite her injuries, some permanent, she resolved to become an aerobic dance teacher to share the joy of movement.
Joan’s second career grew out of this experience: she became a health and fitness writer, aerobics instructor, and personal trainer for people who thought they hated exercise. Her motto was “Exercise should be a treat, not a treatment!” She wrote hundreds of magazine and online articles and four books, one of which — The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book — is still in print and immensely relevant for people who think they don’t have time to exercise.
Joan’s next life change came about because of menopause. Suffering sleep deprivation, she no longer wanted to set a 6 a.m. alarm to teach early morning aerobics classes. She switched to teaching evening line dance classes. Although she couldn’t have predicted what came next, that decision changed her life, both personally and professionally.
Finally, a love story!
Joan was 57 when artist Robert Rice, 64, walked into her line dance class in December 2000. As she puts it, “When Robert started to move his hips, I tried to remember to breathe!” A trained dancer since the age of two, Robert danced into her heart. As they got to know each other and after decades of single life for both, Joan and Robert fell deeply in love. Their love affair was profound, joyful, and extremely spicy.
Their passion, in contrast to society’s view of older people as sexless, led Joan at age 61 to write Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk about Sex After Sixty to celebrate the delights of older-life sexuality.
Robert and Joan married after five years together and had two more years before Robert died of cancer in August 2008. His last request to Joan: “Promise me you’ll keep doing your work.”
She’s keeping that promise.