Call Your Girlfriend

We discuss what's on our bookshelf and talk to authors of some of our favorite recent titles. Nikki Darling and her protagonist (also named Nikki Darling) explore teen girlhood and '90s Los Angeles in her novel Fade Into You. Esmé Weijun Wang investigates mental illness, stigma and her own diagnosis in The Collected Schizophrenias.

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We watched both Fyre Festival documentaries. Beyond the quirks of those films we're left with qualms about the social media platforms that ensconce our lives, Instagram in particular. Tech companies evolve, their products change, but we don't have laws or norms that govern the many different digital lives we lead. We get into it about FOMO, the history of personal photography, features that tag your 'close friends' and old pictures, and their ties to capitalism. Plus, how we think about what we post, and the accounts we love to follow.

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What if you knew you were dying? How would you prepare your family, and yourself? In a special episode sponsored by Pineapple Street Media, we talk with Eleanor Kagan, producer and host of a new podcast, Julie, that explores the extraordinary life and death of Julie Yip-Williams.

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Poetry is the kind of art that makes you slow down and pay attention. And we can’t imagine a better guide than Tracy K. Smith. Tracy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and the current U.S. Poet Laureate. She is the author of Wade in the Water, her most recent book of poems. She hosts The Slowdown podcast, which is all about seeing the world through poetry. And she is the editor of American Journal: 50 Poems for Our Time. We listen to Lia Purpura read her poem "Proximities." Plus, Aminatou and Ann share the poets and collections they're (re)discovering this year.

Reading list:

Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith

The Slowdown podcast

American Journal: 50 Poems for Our Time

"Proximities" by Lia Purpura

Pome, a poem-a-day email

Nikki Giovanni

June Jordan

Audre Lorde

Morgan Parker

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Lingerie is more than silks and lace worn only to sexually entice someone else. We go deep on foundation garments: who makes them, who wears them, when, and why. From our own associations around comfort and desire, to the labor, design and skill involved in making intimate garments, to brands that are expanding sizes and shades to fit all bodies. Cora Harrington of The Lingerie Addict joins us with the case for why we all deserve to wear beautiful, comfortable things that fit us, so close to our skin.

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We discuss the very real concerns about antisemitism within the leadership of the Women's March. In a Kardashian-level internet investigation, we provide the backdrop of the past two years: from its initial organizing, centering of white women, framing principles, fallout from Charlottesville, and the recurring role of Louis Farrakhan. So while the New York Times is not incorrect to note the divisions "roiling" the Women's March, fighting for freedom and justice isn't a pretty and pleasant task undertaken by nice ladies. Anger, hurt, and fear are all valid emotions when building a movement.

READING LIST

• 2018: “Women’s March Roiled by Accusations of Anti-Semitism”
• 2016: “Amid Division, a March in Washington Seeks to Bring Women Together”
• 2017: Day Without a Woman strike platform
• Op-ed, “Does feminism have room for zionists?”
• Linda Sarsour response in the Nation
• Adam Serwer, “Why Tamika Mallory Won’t Condemn Farrakhan”
• Collier Meyerson’s Twitter thread on anti-Semitism and racism

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Our yearly kickoff episode in which women we love give you permission to…

• Liberate your attention (adrienne maree brown | How to Survive the End of the World)
• Make just a small adjustment (Autumn Brown | How to Survive the End of the World)
• NOT reply to email (Otegha Uwagba | Women Who)
• Get to know your body better (Erica Chidi Cohen | Loom)
• Be tender with yourself (Samhita Mukhopadhyay)

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We look back at the podcast year that was, including interviews with many of our sheroes: Kamala Harris, Alicia Garza, Stacey Abrams, Cynthia Nixon, and Cecile Richards. We also tackled subjects like bisexuality, poop, and white fragility. We even had some men on the show this year! (Remember the dulcet tones of LeVar Burton?) Whether you're a weekly listener or you just heard about us, come bask in some of our favorite moments of the year.

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We asked for your meet-cute stories, the platonic version of a rom-com whirlwind friend romance. From love at first eyeroll to the bestie you initially hated, to staying friends through the rough patches, we listen to some voicemails and talk about the early days of friendship.

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We begin to close our books on 2018 as Nancy and Chuck get covered in Cheeto dust. Financial tips for the end of the year, including good money tracking, and organizations we're supporting. Plus, we're cheered by the gambling and vacationing exploits of a pair of scammer nuns.

Reading list:

Pelosi double-standard

Taxes for Artists

Shop CYG

Scammer nuns

Organizations we support:

Families Belong Together | Paola Mendoza on Twitter + Instagram

Brooklyn Defender Services has an Amazon wishlist of warm clothes for inmates on Rikers Island

Operation Santa delivers gifts to families through USPS

The Bail Project allows low-income people to avail themselves of their full rights

National Network of Abortion Funds

Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles

Library Foundation of Los Angeles

ACLU

Sylvia Rivera Law Project

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