CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” correspondent, author and podcast host Mo Rocca grew up with a unique fascination: obituaries.
Thanks to his father, who helped plant this interest, Rocca came to see the beauty of these short biographies not just as a notice of one’s death, but as a celebration of their life.
In these obituaries’ abilities to hold both death and life, Rocca has found a treasure trove of stories and inspiration. In 2019, he and English professor and screenwriter Jonathan Greenberg co-authored “Mobituaries,” which explores the lives of deceased figures who have captured Rocca’s intrigue, and host a podcast of the same name.
This summer, Rocca and Greenberg returned to explore the vibrancy of life through the lens of mortality from a different angle with their new book, “Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs.”
A history buff, Rocca said he’s visited Ohio for historical sites, such as the Harding Tomb in Marion, and for his work as a correspondent. But on Tuesday, he’ll be back in central Ohio for a conversation about his book, hosted by the Thurber House.
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The book’s series of profiles highlights individuals who have achieved and excelled, despite expectations and norms of old age, and comes at a timely moment with emerging concerns of a gerontocracy in Congress and the White House.
And though he’s an advocate for more transparency and accountability about the effects of age among the country’s leaders, Rocca said he noticed how the prevalence of these issues have contributed to an ageist narrative.
“We’re hearing so much of the downside of old age in the media now that it’s eclipsing, swamping all the upside, which is that, now and in the past, people of advanced age have accomplished a lot and for good reason,” Rocca said.
Through stories like Colonel Sanders’ start in building his fast-food empire at 66, Frank Lloyd Wright’s submission for the design of the Guggenheim at 84 and even Mr. Pickles’, the Houston Zoo tortoise, first-time fatherhood at 90, Rocca said he hoped to show readers the value of a strong sense of self and clarity that comes with age.
“In general, as you get older, you care less about what other people think of you. When you’re younger, you often fall into the trap of crowdsourcing your choices or even crowdsourcing who you are,” Rocca said. “But what is so inspiring about the people in the book is that they’re unfettered.”
Reflecting on his own career, Rocca said working on the book has pushed him to embrace this self-assurance and abandon urgency. He said he’s using this mindset to share his love for stories and the craft of storytelling.
“I believe that enthusiasm is infectious,” Rocca said. “So I’d like to, based on that principle, do the best work that I can to tell stories in the most energetic, enticing way that I can so that other people become interested as well.”
Preview:TV host, humorist, bestselling author Mo Rocca to come to CCAD on June 25
Nestled at the end of the book, it was his mother’s own journey and her openness to sharing it with him that revealed another valuable lesson: the importance of believing in the importance of one’s own story.
After all, storytelling, he said, is “a human need.”
At a glance
Mo Rocca is to appear at the Joseph V. Canzani Auditorium at the Columbus College of Art & Design, 60 Cleveland Ave., at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25.
Tickets to the event are $35, or $49 for a bundle including a copy of “Roctogenerians.” All purchases come with an additional $3 processing fee.
Tickets are available at fs10.formsite.com. Books purchased with the bundle ticket will be available for pickup at the event and additional copies may be purchased there.
After the event, attendees can have the opportunity to ask questions, meet and take photos with Rocca or get their copies signed.
For more information about the event, visit thurberhouse.org/morocca.
