Episodes
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We investigate some funny business in this month's episode as Kate tells Mollie all about Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture—and the Magic that Makes it Work by Jesse David Fox. What makes comedy so alluring to all of us? What is the place of comedy in politics and culture? Tune in to find out!
Pop Culture Pairings: Selective Outrage and Bring the Pain, Chris Rock; Bit from Nice Lady and It's Great to be Here, Michelle Wolf; Nanette, Hannah Gadsby; Inside, Bo Burnham; Dress to Kill, Eddie Izzard; Kate Berlant & John Early on The Tonight Show; Rothaniel, Jerrod Carmichael; Sleepwalk with Me, Mike Birbiglia; "Hello, I have cancer," Tig Notaro; Chase Through the Subway, John Mulaney
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Welcome back to the pod! This time we dive into a beautiful and poignant memoir about breaking away from Christian Patriarchy by Cait West.
Rift: a Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy
In this episode, we talk all about some of large themes found in the book like homeschooling, emotional abuse, and the relationships that change the course of our lives (for better or worse).
Learn more about Cait West and her writing here.
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Missing episodes?
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Let's get ready to RUMBBBLLLEEEEE! Hang on to your seats, friends, as we dive into Abraham Josephine Riesman's fantastic book, Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, all about the world of professional wrestling and the man who formed WWE into what it is today.
Pop culture pairings: The Wrestler (Amazon Prime), The Iron Claw (Hulu, Max)
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We are back! This time with another fabulous art read: Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles, by Beth Pickens.
In this episode, we talk all about the barriers that block artists' practices and the strategies they can rely on to return to their art over and over again.
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Buckle up, everyone, for a shocking tale about one of the worst families in American history! Kate tells Mollie about the book Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe, a riveting exploration of the Sackler family's ascent to power and their role in the opioid crisis. This impeccably researched book is an intersection of wealth, morality, and accountability. It leaves no doubt that the Sackler family was aware of and indifferent to the suffering their greed caused and were, in fact, huge sacks of shit.
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Wow, that woman's teeth are white.. what was I doing? Oh, right! Welcome to our first episode of 2024, where we tackle Sara Petersen's Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture. Join us for a discussion of parenthood in the age of Instagram, influencers, and cruel optimism.
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It was nice knowing ya, 2023! Pop some champagne and start 2024 off right with Mollie and Kate as they share recommendations for enchanting and compelling winter reads.
Recommendations in order:
Mollie: The Heatwave by Kate Riordan
Kate: Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller
Kate: The Adventures of Amina Al-Sarafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Mollie: Tamora Pierce's books
Mollie: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Kate: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
Mollie: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Kate: Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland
Kate: Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens
Mollie & Kate: The Secret History by Donna Tartt
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Halloween may be over but we're still in spooky season mode, which gives us free reign to talk about monsters (albeit the less fun kind, because these are real). This episode, Kate recounts Claire Dederer's Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma, which wrestles with the question: What do we do with the art of monstrous artists? You won't want to miss this conversation about fandom, celebrities, notes-app apologies, and more.
Pop Culture Pairings: Wannabe by Aisha Harris (Nonfiction), The Stacks (podcast)
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Autumn is here, and what better way to celebrate than by curling up with a good book about how to write a good book? Join us this week as Mollie tells Kate all about Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. They talk about the creative process, how hard it is to start from a blank page, and how to cope with jealousy in creative fields.
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It only seems right to end the summer with a blockbuster—and what's a more perfect blockbuster than a memoir by one of the most famous people on Earth? Join us this month as Kate tells Mollie about former First Lady Michelle Obama's bestselling book Becoming.
Pop Culture Pairing: The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
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A penny for our thoughts? We'll give them to you for free! (We're just that generous.) And this month we're thinking about Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy's Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love. Listen in as Mollie tells us all about personal finances, from emergency funds to investing to 401ks and salary negotiations. This episode will make you feel like a million bucks!
Pop culture pairing: Barbie (movie playing in theaters near you!)
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What do women WANT? Wait, don't leave! This isn't a set up for a 1990's male stand-up comedy routine—the answer is NOT shopping. Well, sometimes it's shopping. But no, it's the prompt for Margot Kahn and Kelly McMasters' anthology Wanting: Women Writing About Desire. Join us as Kate tells Mollie all about the WANTING and DESIRE that came up in this book.
Pop culture pairings: Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky (Fiction, Thriller-ish?); You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi (Fiction, Romance); Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder (Fiction, Satire); and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield (Fiction, Romance / SciFi)
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April showers bring May (dating) story hours! This month, Mollie shares an essay from Samantha Irby's essay collection We Are Never Meeting In Real Life. We get into the hardest ages for dating (all of them?), romantic connections, and how to collect signs about someone you're dating to determine if they're cool or seriously not.
Pop culture pairings: Why Won't You Date Me (podcast), Twitter thread
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We did it. We read Prince Harry's memoir Spare so you don't have to! You're welcome! Join us this month as Kate tells all about Prince Harry's tell-all.
Pop culture pairings: Inventing Latinos by Laura E. Gómez (nonfiction book); The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (fiction book); and The Banshees of Inisherin (HBO Max, Hulu)
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We're back in February to talk about our favorite subject of all time—food! Listen in as Mollie recounts Anthony Bourdain's famous debut book, Kitchen Confidential.
Pop Culture Pairings: Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz (cookbook) and The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
Evidence of Alec Baldwin's astounding vocab
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Was your New Year Resolution to drink more caffeine? We knew it! Join us this January as Kate tells Mollie all about plant drugs like caffeine and how our bodies just can't get enough of them.
Pop Culture Pairing: The Bear (Hulu)
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Happy holidays from Mollie and Kate! Join us for this sweet and spicy December discussion of "I'd Read Her Grocery Lists" On Cooking With Sylvia Plath, where we talk about our favorite baked goods to make for others (and ourselves) and Sylvia Plath's fraught relationship with baking and domesticity.
Pop Culture Pairings: Wicked Cake (magazine). Don't forget to check out our Instagram for our favorite holiday recipes!
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It's September! That means summer is coming to a close (sadly), so today we're sharing some of our summer reading recommendations to make it last juuuuuust a little bit longer. Join us in denial!
The Guest List, Lucy Foley
This Thing Between Us, Gus Moreno
Mouth to Mouth, Antoine Wilson
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Join us for August's episode as Kate recounts Glitter Up the Dark: How Pop Music Broke the Binary by Sasha Geffen. They dive into Kurt Cobain's fashion, Prince's vocal performance, and the way Cher uses technology to complete the legacy of cyborg princesses. Plus, an important commentary on low-rise jeans. (We hate them. Please stop the comeback.)
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Strap in for another tale of deceit as Mollie reviews Gabrielle Bluestone's book Hype!: How Scammers, Grifters, and Con Artists Are Taking Over the Internet And Why We're Following. Tune in to this meandering conversation that goes from Fyre Fest to.. Applebee's? You won't want to miss it!
Summary (1:26)
A Fyre Festival Timeline (10:21)
Other Key Highlights (30:05)
Pop Culture Pairings: Normal Gossip (Podcast), Diet Prada (Instagram account)
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