Danny Lavery welcomes Dr. Paula Stone Williams, an internationally known speaker on gender equity, LGBTQ advocacy, and religious tolerance.

Lavery and Williams dig into two letters: First, from a letter writer who is wondering how to crank up the family support for a non-binary niece. Another letter writer is wondering how to know if their decision to undergo top surgery is the right one. Plus, a deep dive into Williams new book, As A Woman: What I Learned about Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy after I Transitioned.

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Production by Phil Surkis

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Danny Lavery welcomes Kat Chow, a reporter and author of the forthcoming memoir, Seeing Ghosts.

Lavery and Chow tackle two letters: First, from a letter writer who is wondering how to trust a partner with a history of cheating. Another letter writer is wondering if her emotional affair with her best friend should be taken more seriously. Also, Chow takes a deep dive into Seeing Ghosts.

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Production by Phil Surkis

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Danny Lavery welcomes author Rebecca Carroll, who recently published her critically acclaimed memoir, Surviving the White Gaze.

Lavery and Carroll give advice to a letter writer who is wondering how to distance herself from her abusive mom. Also, Carroll goes in depth about the experiences that inspired her memoir, and a lighting round question about a conservative co-worker. 

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Production by Phil Surkis

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Danny Lavery welcomes Julian K. Jarboe, author of the LAMBDA Award-winning short story collection, Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel. 

Lavery and Jarboe give advice to a letter writer who is wondering if her friend group will recover after discovering a secret relationship among two members. Also in this episode, Jarboe reads an excerpt from their piece, Trauma As Morality.

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Production by Phil Surkis

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Danny Lavery welcomes songwriter, novelist, and leader of the American band the Mountain Goats, John Darnielle.  

Lavery and Darnielle give advice to a letter writer who is wondering if she should align with her partner's religion. Also in this episode, Darnielle discusses The Mountain Goats just-released collection of songs, Dark In Here.

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Danny Lavery welcomes Hallie Bateman, an illustwriter based in Los Angeles. She is the author of three books, including What To Do When I’m Gone, and Directions.

Lavery and Bateman give advice to a letter writer questioning her own ethics about her decision to stop foster parenting. Also in this episode, the characteristics of mommy's girls, foursome etiquette, and a deep dive about Bateman’s new book, Directions.

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Danny Lavery welcomes writer and actor Mara Wilson.

Lavery and Wilson give advice to a letter writer who is wondering if she should disclose her depression to her boss and risk jeopardizing her job. Also, stories about mean grandmothers, and flailing hotel clerks. 

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Danny Lavery welcomes Sophie Lewis, the author of essays about octopus sex, theoretical screeds about capitalism, and numerous texts about family abolition, including the 2019 book Full Surrogacy Now: Feminism Against Family. 

Lavery and Lewis give advice to a letter writer who is wondering how to set boundaries with a family that is siding with her abusive father. They also discuss a “soft version” of family abolition, and take a deep dive into the novel, Detransition, Baby.

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Danny Lavery welcomes Inkoo Kang, a TV critic for The Washington Post, and host of the podcast, All About Almodóvar. 

Lavery and Kang give advice to a letter writer experiencing job burnout and wondering if she’ll feel hopeless forever. They also take a deep dive with their own experience with job burnout, which somehow leads to a discussion on who was actually wearing wigs on the TV show Mare of Easttown.

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Production by Phil Surkis

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Danny Lavery welcomes actress Gates McFadden. McFadden is the host of the new podcast, Gates McFadden Investigates: Who Do You Think You Are? 

Lavery and McFadden give advice to a letter writer who’s not thrilled about his wife’s botox injections. Also, McFadden talks about her transformative experience at the Jacques Lecoq school in Paris, and connecting with her former Star Trek co-stars on her new podcast.

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Production by Phil Surkis

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