At 71, Sydney psychologist Gail Rice is stepping into a new chapter—as an emerging writer exploring aging, desire, and the power of storytelling. In 2024, she traveled to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, to attend the SPARKS FLY memoir writing workshop with Allegra Huston, a retreat that helped shape her writing journey.
Her short story, For My 70th Birthday I Hired an Escort, debuted in Oldster Magazine and was later picked up by The New York Times’ “Modern Love” column—introducing her voice to an international audience.
SPARKS FLY: How did you move from “maybe I’ll write a memoir” to feeling sure it was time to begin?
GAIL RICE: I’m not sure there was one clear moment. It was more like a gentle nudging that, over time, became a steady insistence. And now, at 71, I can feel it plainly: it’s time.
SPARKS FLY: You’ve taken several memoir workshops over the years. What keeps drawing you back to that space?
GAIL RICE: Again and again, I’m reminded that our stories matter. Yes, memoir asks for skill, discipline, and persistence—but most of all it asks for trust: trust in your voice, and trust that your story is worth telling.
SPARKS FLY: At the SPARKS FLY workshop with Allegra Huston, what did you take away that felt especially meaningful?
GAIL RICE: The writing sprints brought me back to something simple and powerful: when we write freely, we loosen our grip on judgment. The critical voices quieten, and instead of repeating an old story, we meet it again—new, surprising, and alive. That feels both exciting and deeply sustaining.
SPARKS FLY: Last year your essay “For My 70th Birthday I Hired an Escort” struck a chord with readers around the world. How did that moment change things for you?
GAIL RICE: When I hired the escort, I was looking for a kind of battery jump—I was afraid of disappearing into old age. What I didn’t expect was how seen I would feel, and how that visibility would ripple outward. I’ve found my voice. And now I’m not only committed to writing my memoir, but to speaking more openly about women and ageing.
SPARKS FLY: You’ve clearly found momentum through workshops and community. Why do you think returning to that environment continues to matter?
GAIL RICE: Each workshop offers something different—another doorway, another way in. But what they all give me is a kind of quiet renewal: a lift in energy, a steadier courage, a reminder that I’m not alone in this solitary work, and that all our stories carry meaning.
SPARKS FLY: Which memoirs have shown you what’s possible in the form?
GAIL RICE: I love Maggie O’Farrell’s I Am, I Am, I Am and Maggie Smith’s You Could Make This Place Beautiful. Their writing is beautifully spare, and still it holds so much. Reading them feels like being welcomed—not only into a story, but into the tender interior of a life.
SPARKS FLY: Many people hesitate to start because they’re afraid or self-conscious about writing. What would you tell them?
GAIL RICE: Fear is often a sign you’re standing near something that matters. You don’t have to be fearless—you just have to begin. Trust your story. The words come the way breaths come: one after another. The way steps come: one at a time.
SPARKS FLY: Through the process of writing your memoir—“Mem,” as you call it—what’s been the biggest surprise?
GAIL RICE: I’m discovering that writing a memoir can feel like being in a relationship. It asks for patience, compassion, and respect—especially on the days when it feels difficult. “Mem” is my partner and like any partnership, it involves commitment, communication, and the ongoing art of returning. I am constantly fighting the urge to run and Mem brings me back.
SPARKS FLY: How do you make space for that practice in daily life?
GAIL RICE: Living on my own, I’ve always loved going to cafés—it keeps me connected to the world. Now I bring Mem with me. I’ve paired something I already love with writing, and in that small, faithful repetition, it’s started to feel natural—like part of how I live.
“You don’t have to be fearless—you just have to begin.”
— Gail Rice
The next SPARKS FLY memoir-writing workshop with Allegra Huston will take place from September 29 to October 5, 2026.
Diana Leszczynski
Diana Leszczynski is the founder of SPARKS FLY retreats. She worked in film and television development for over twenty years before finally turning to her first love: writing. She is the author of middle-grade novels Fern Verdant, Wretched, and Hawke Farm, and is currently working on her first adult novel.