We interviewed Connie about her children’s book in her apartment at The Bristal. Her apartment is more like a museum of art. Her living room is decorated with artwork she has created and collected over the years. Even some of her furniture was hand-crafted by her late husband. This is just a small peek into Connie’s life that has been full of creativity, art, and imagination.
Constance (Connie) Glickman is a woman of endless talents. But her greatest talent of all, is never giving up.
An advocate for the aging population, Connie wants to show people that growing old doesn’t have to stop someone from leading a productive life. At age 87, while struggling with a degenerative eye disease, Connie completed her children’s book Darby, The Polka Dot Dinosaur. With the help of her family, friends, and team members at The Bristal, she was able to get the book published.
Connie has lived a life full of learning, creating, and teaching. It all began with her love for art as a child, but Connie’s interests also include research, writing, and social justice. While teaching writing in college, Connie published New Writers which showcased works from college students across the country. She has also raised millions of dollars while working for major non-for-profit national institutions. Connie even worked on a photo essay with students from The School of Visual Arts to produce a photo essay exposing the exploitation in China Town, Manhattan. Her love for creativity and imagination has motivated her throughout her life to keep learning and pursuing new interests.
Later in life, Connie began to struggle with Macular Degeneration and started to lose her vision. She didn’t let this roadblock stop her from creating and sharing her passions. Connie received a special camera device that magnifies whatever she puts beneath it. This allows her to keep reading and writing.
“Every time I would hang out with her, I would learn about another incredible thing she accomplished in her life,” said Sofia Fernandez-Lowe. When Connie and Sofia met, Sofia was a Recreation Assistant at The Bristal at North Woodmere where Connie lives. The two grew very close over the years and Connie credits Sofia with helping her get her book published. Sofia is even mentioned in the dedication of the book. While Sofia was helping Connie, Connie was encouraging Sofia to grow in her career. “Connie really pushed me to do more. I was a young single mother when I met her, and she believed in me. That made me believe in myself.” Sofia is now the Director of Recreation for The Bristal at East Meadow.
Connie is an inspiration to everyone she meets. She has made it her mission to encourage other seniors to keep learning and creating as they age. She believes her imagination and curiosity has helped her stay so motivated and sharp over the years. Connie shares her skills by teaching art and writing classes to residents at The Bristal. Connie said, “I hope it encourages people to keep working in their lives. It’s not time to stop, it’s time to live.”
Darby, The Polka Dot Dinosaur by Constance Glickman is available now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
