This isn’t a bleak episode about period pain. Yes, we talk a LOT about death cramps — and all sorts of other symptoms that accompany menstruation. But we also talk a lot about how ridiculous it is that we don’t talk about these things — at least not publicly, and often not even with our close friends and family members. Kate Helen Downey, host of the incredible new podcast Cramped, joins me to talk very openly about all the things we usually don’t talk about and why. I learned so much in this episode. But I also laughed a lot, too. Pain isn’t funny, but hanging out with others who get it — it’s like a giant, glorious sigh of relief.

• Get $75 off the Mill food recycler at Mill.com/CULTURE.

• Ancient Nutrition is offering 25% off your first order when you go to AncientNutrition.com/CULTURE.

• Head to Graza.co and use promo code CULTURE to get 10% off of TRIO which includes Sizzle, Frizzle, and Drizzle, and get to cookin’ your next chef-quality meal!

• Listen to Cramped (if you go to the website, there are also full transcripts and citations!)

• Learn more about Kate’s work here, and follow her on Instagram and TikTok

• The collection of readers’ fibroid experiences I published on Culture Study

• The INCREDIBLE theme song from Cramped (by Farideh)

• The Culture Study thread I mention re: menopause

• The New Yorker olive oil profile I mentioned in the Graza ad

• Steve Sando’s The Bean Book (where Bobby got the BIG WHITE BEAN recipe)

• TEXAS Culture, MONTANA Culture, and MONTREAL/Québécois Culture for our ongoing culture-of-place series (different eps don’t worry)

• Evangelical Summer Camp, past and present

• How/Why Private Equity is Fucking Everything Up

• The intersection of technology and parenting

• Can we have a smart conversation about Katy Perry??

• Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment!

• As always, you can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here