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Ken's Corner: What’s in a Name When They’re All the Same?Local author, Judith Horstman, combines her interest in science and medicine with her passion for writing in her latest book about the role the brain plays in forming relationships. —Photo by William Walker
Mind
and Desire: Local Author Unravels Affairs of the Brain
By
Kimberly A. Edwards
What
can a grandmother tell you about sex and love? Plenty, especially
if she’s Sacramentan Judith Horstman, author of a new book
about the brain in love.
“We humans are hard-wired to love,” she says. “We crave companionship,
which is essential for our well-being.”
Horstman, grandmother of four, specializes in writing on health and medicine.
Known for her ability to knead complex concepts into edible accounts, she spends
her days researching studies of the brain’s daily deeds; What was it doing
when you woke up, went to work, kissed your loved one, fell asleep? And now,
Who do you love and why? Her new book “The Scientific American Book of
Love, Sex and the Brain, The Neuroscience of How, When, Why and Who We Love,” shows
once again how she combs neuroscientific studies to assemble a picture that any
of us can comprehend.
“I try to write so my 13-year-old grandson can understand and a neuroscientist
will enjoy reading it,” says Horstman.
With engaging blue eyes, Horstman projects her keen interest and excitement she
feels for the subject. “There are so many kinds of love — from the
bonding of parent and child to the passion of erotic love, the affection of companionship,
the role of pets in our lives, teachers and mentors, and the love of God,” she
says. “The brain controls our loving relationships, most intimate moments,
and our deep and basic need for connection.”
Horstman’s book is third in a series of four, produced in as many years.
Other titles include, “The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your
Brain” and “The Scientific American Brave New Brain” The fourth, “The
Scientific American Healthy, Aging Brain,” is scheduled for a May release.
The latest book rouses reader interest with playful section names such as “Granny’s
got to have it” and “Will you still need me when I’m 64?”
“Not only does the will to love never die,” says Horstman, “but
erotic love doesn’t either. It all happens in the brain from that first
flicker of interest. And yes, apparently you will still need me at 74, 84, 94
and beyond, health willing. Age doesn’t kill desire, it seems. Oh, it may
tamp it down a bit, but studies show grandparents –– and maybe great-grandparents –– still
enjoy getting it on.”
Getting it on may be an understatement. Horstman found that both men and women
admit they’re inspired by erotic love — and engaging in it — into
their 80s and 90s. In one study, 67 percent of men and 40 percent of women ages
65-74 said they had been sexually active in the past year; among 75-85 years
olds, 38.9 percent of men and 16.8 percent of women. “It’s self-reported,
so may not be completely accurate — but it shows that seniors are thinking
about it,” Horstman noted.
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The beginning of a writing brain
Science writing grew out of Horstman’s interest in medicine and her job
as a Washington correspondent and feature writer for Gannett News Service and
USA Today. “Years ago,” she says, “when I was covering
health policy issues and ethics, I became fascinated by these subjects. For
awhile
I had every condition I wrote about!”
A Knight Science Journalism Fellowship recipient at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Horstman taught journalism at numerous universities in the
U.S. and in Europe, where she received Fulbright professor awards. She’s the
author of seven books and has written and edited for many publications, including
TIME Inc. Health, such as Dr Koop’s Self-Care Advisor and the Harvard
Health Letter and for websites on ALS, lupus, and arthritis.
Horstman values the challenge of speaking to audiences. She patiently listens
to questions and tenders facts the listeners can relate to. “I like
the retirees who turn out for the Renaissance forums at Sac State. They are
whip-smart
and not shy about engaging in discussion.”
A follower of yoga and meditation, Horstman balances a busy daily schedule. “[It’s]
not glamorous!” she says, “In fact, downright lonely sometimes, which
is why I appreciate the Sacramento writing community. As with anyone self-employed,
you’re your own worst boss. I try to use early morning energy for writing.
My recent books are heavily researched, so I am glued to the computer for 5 to
6 hours a day.” As often as she can, she travels — to India for
several years, when one of her daughters lived there, and to France and Scotland
this
past fall.
You’ve got a friend – or you should
What fascinates Horstman from her research is that the most profound relationships,
beyond those with parents, lie with friends. “Sex is biological, but it
doesn’t sustain us. Friendships can be with your lover, your mother,
your spouse, your ex-spouse, your kids, your social companions, your work
companions, your school or childhood pals.”
“Friendship offers itself in many guises. It doesn’t deny other relationships
or demand exclusiveness, it forgives many trespasses and it often deepens with
age.” She says some of her dearest friends hail from more than 52 years
ago.
“Companionship, love and acceptance help us feel healthy. Touch produces
positive feelings. Kindness, accommodation and forgiveness boost bonding. “Lowering
inhibitions helps people bond,” she writes. “We bond when we
share secrets.”
Commitment is essential to building love. Women seek partners who make them
chuckle. In long-term happy relationships, partners make each other laugh.
Older couples
were found to be calmer and less emotionally reactive in conflicts.
When feeling isolated, people are more likely to watch TV at the expense
of relationships. “Loneliness
leads people to feel that characters are friends,” says Horstman. “These
para-social relationships are one-sided surrogates which are considered safe
and provide connection without pain, time, or sacrifice.”
When you’re lonely the brain is in heightened state of alertness for social
threats, snubs, alienation — elevated levels of stress hormone, which
are bad for the brain.”
The current economic state triggers anxiety, a condition known to interfere
with sexual satisfaction –– an example of the brain’s intricate
involvement with sex. Yet research suggests that more people over 60 are
cheating today than in 1991, possibly related to the popularity of Viagra.
“These findings suggest that when saving for our later years, to put a
bit more in the pot to secure a private room at any nursing home of the future,” jokes
Horstman.
For her next book on the aging brain, she found even more evidence that we
need one another. “No use in sitting alone, as they sing in Cabaret.
Seclusion is bad for the brain. Get out. Accept all invites. Volunteer. Join
an exercise
group. Take or teach a class.”
As they say, Grandma knows best.
For more on Judith Horstman visit: www.JudithHorstman.com.
Horstman will be speaking and signing books at the folllowing locations:
Jan. 26, 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble
Arden Fair, Sacramento; Feb. 12, 2 p.m. at The Avid Reader, Sacramento; Feb.
12, 4 p.m. at The Avid Reader in Davis.
Kimberly A. Edwards,
is a Sacramento writer.
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