Madness Cafe

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We're talking about anger in this week's episode. Given the state of the world it's no wonder that anger is a repeat topic of conversation. Listen in as we speak with guest Bronwyn Schweigerdt about anger and what it might be trying to tell us.

Browyn Schweigerdt may be the most evocative psychotherapist you’ve ever heard. Instead of fixing peoples’ messes, her goal is to elicit feelings you’re most ashamed to have, such as hatred and betrayal. She knows that even though feelings are invisible, they don’t evaporate, but store away in our bodies when they’re disowned.

Where to find Bronwyn:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwyn-schweigerdt-3124857/
Podcast: https://angryattherightthings.podbean.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555715646671, https://www.facebook.com/bronwyn.schweigerdt

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Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

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In this week's episode, Raquel and Jennifer speak with guest Cait West about her new book, Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy, which chronicles her upbringing in the world of ultra-conservative, high control, patriarchal religion. The discussion touches on how things started to shift for Cait, how she left, what her life is like now, and how she's helping others looking to break away.

Cait West is a writer and editor based in Grand Rapids, MI. Her work has been published in The Revealer, Religion Dispatches, Fourth Genre, and Hawai’i Pacific Review, among others. As a survivor of Christian patriarchy movement, she serves on the editorial board for Tears of Eden, a nonprofit providing resources for survivors of spiritual abuse. Cait also cohosts the podcast Survivors Discuss.

Where to find Cait West:
Website: https://www.caitwest.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitwestwrites/
Substack: https://caitwest.substack.com/
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitwestwrites

Support the show

Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!

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What is natural hair? Why are we talking about it? Find out in this week's episode where Raquel and Jennifer dive into it with guest Lyzette Wanzer.

Lyzette Wanzer’s work appears in over thirty literary journals and books. Her book, TRAUMA, TRESSES & TRUTH: Untangling Our Hair Through Personal Narratives (Chicago Review Press) appears on Library Journal’s 2022 Top 10 Best Social Sciences Books list and was a 2023 Black Women’s Studies Association Selection. Lyzette is a contributor to Lyric Essay as Resistance: Truth from the Margins (Wayne State University Press 2023), Civil Liberties United: Diverse Voices from the San Francisco Bay Area (Pease Press 2019), and the multi-award-winning The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays (Wyatt-MacKenzie 2012).
 
A National Writers’ Union and Authors Guild member, Lyzette’s work has been supported with funding from Center for Cultural Innovation, San Francisco Arts Commission, California Arts Council, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Black Artist Foundry, The Awesome Foundation, and California Humanities, a National Endowment for the Humanities partner.

Where to find Lyzette Wanzer:
Website: www.lyzettewanzermfa.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lyzettewanzer/

Mentioned in this episode:

• 2024 TRAUMA, TRESSES & TRUTH: A Virtual Conference Interrogating Black Women's Natural Hair - https://shuffle.do/projects/trauma-tresses-truth-a-natural-hair-conference
• Muses & Melanin Fellowship for BIPOC Creative Writers - https://forms.gle/eP5KHEVD3S4AQY7h9
• The CROWN Act - The Official CROWN Act (thecrownact.com)
• Dove's CROWN Act campaign - www.dove.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/the-crown-act.htmlEpisode Photo by Jessica Felicio on Unsplash

Episode Photo by Jessica Felicio on Unsplash

Support the show

Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

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Many heartfelt thanks to everyone who supports the show!

In this week's episode, Raquel and Jennifer celebrate their 3rd anniversary! Join in as they revisit the very first episode of the podcast, reminisce about their initial visions for the show, and share new dreams for Madness Cafe.

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Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

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Women are woefully underrepresented in politics in the United States. (https://www.statista.com/topics/10417/women-in-politics-in-the-us/#topicOverview) But there's one organization dedicated to changing that - EMILYs List, the nation's largest resource for women in politics.

EMILYs List works to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and communities by recruiting and training candidates, building strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, and run one of the largest independent expenditure operations for Democrats.

In this week's episode, Raquel and Jennifer speak with Christina Reynolds, Senior Vice President of Communications and Content, of EMILYs List. Christina joined EMILYs List after nearly two decades of experience as a communications and research strategist. A lifelong fighter for progressive causes, she has managed large-scale press operations from the campaign trail to the White House.

Christina spent most of her career in campaigns and politics, serving as Deputy Communications Director at Hillary for America, White House Director of Media Affairs and Special Assistant to President Obama, Director of Rapid Response at Obama for America, Research & Policy Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) during the 2006 midterms, senior roles in several presidential and Senate campaigns, and Deputy Research Director at the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She also worked in strategic communications and public affairs at the Global Strategy Group and the Glover Park Group.

A proud Tar Heel and Marine brat, Christina studied journalism and political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also the co-author, with EMILYs List former President Stephanie Schriock, of Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World.

Where to find EMILYs List:
Website: EMILYs List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilys_list/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyslist
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilyslist
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/emilyslist
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emily's-list

Support the show

Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!

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This week Raquel and Jennifer speak with guest Afarin Ordubadi Bellisario about her novel Silenced Whispers which tells the story of a young Iranian woman's fight for freedom and love amid the struggle between tradition and modernity at the beginning of the 20th century. Historical fiction that holds lessons for today's society.

Where to find Afarin Ordubadi Bellisario:
Afarin's Website: www.afarin.net
Book website: www.silencedwhispers.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/afarin-bellisario-091115
Facebook: www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2491778997662828&set=a.113842555456496
Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/C3nj3TrO4IY/
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/afarin_afarina/status/1760358357683077338

Support the show

Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!

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This week, Raquel and Jennifer speak with Julie Bee - an award-winning entrepreneur who’s been dubbed the “small business fixer” by her clients and peers. With over 15 years in the entrepreneurial field, Julie has solidified her reputation as a dynamic consultant, a riveting speaker, and a leader who sheds light on the darker side of business ownership. Having been celebrated by Fast Company and Forbes, Julie’s insights are in high demand across the industry. And, as of June 18, everyone can have greater access to Julie’s insights via her upcoming book Burned: How Business Owners Can Overcome Burnout and Fuel Success.

Where to find Julie Bee:
Website: https://www.thejuliebee.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejuliebee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejuliebee_/
X (formerly known as Twitter): https://twitter.com/thejuliebee
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejuliebee

Photo Credit: Jeff Cravotta

Support the show

Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!

Thanks!

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In this week's episode, Raquel and Jennifer speak with Patrice Scott, Jr., recent graduate in Film and Video Production at Grand Valley State University, about the collaborative journey of creating his short film Songs from the Sky, his college journey, and how art can bring people together.

Ways to connect with Patrice:
Website: Patrice Scott
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @patricesroom

Support the show

Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!

Thanks!

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What comes to mind when you hear the word "erotica"? This week's conversation with guest erotica author Rachel Kramer Bussel may change your mind. Or maybe it won't, but why not listen to the episode and see what comes up. Raquel and Jennifer talk to Rachel about her new book, Lap Dance Lust: A Collection of Erotic Stories, as well as the joys and benefits of erotica.

Where to find Rachel Kramer Bussel:
Newsletter: https://rachelkramerbussel.substack.com/
Website: https://rachelkramerbussel.com/
Erotica 101 consulting: https://www.eroticawriting101.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/rachelkramerbusselauthor
IG: @rachelkramerbussel
X: @raquelita

Support the show

Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!

Thanks!

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode!

In this episode, Raquel and Jennifer talk to Dr. Amani Ballour about her experience of survival during Syria's civil war.

Dr. Ballour is a distinguished Syrian pediatrician, activist and author. Her memoir, The Cave: A Secret Underground Hospital and One Woman’s Story of Survival in Syria depicts her experience running an underground hospital during the Syrian conflict, facing chemical attacks and her eventual displacement, and the critical issues faced by civilians in war zones, particularly women and children. The documentary about her experiences running the underground hospital was nominated for an Oscar in 2019. Dr. Ballour is recognized internationally for her advocacy for women's and children's rights, especially under the harrowing conditions of the Syrian civil war.

Where to find Dr. Ballour:
Instagram: @amani_ballour
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008268907883&mibextid=ZbWKwL
X:  @AmaniBallour)

Mentioned in this episode:
The Cave: https://films.nationalgeographic.com/the-cave
Doctors Without Borders: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Human Rights Watch: https://www.hrw.org/
International Committee of The Red Cross: https://www.icrc.org/en
International Organization for Migration: https://www.iom.int/
Syrian American Medical Society: https://www.sams-usa.net/
The UN Refugee Agency: https://www.unhcr.org/us/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwl4yyBhAgEiwADSEjeDfBSvRRMioUxzMJ8leRvblv7U93G5vfbJ0yjpqEnqpuw09r9J-cwRoCq8wQAvD_BwE

Support the show

Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at [email protected].

Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!

Thanks!