Madness Cafe

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

It's time for the next installment of our Banned Books Series! This month's book is The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Published in 2018, The Poet X tells the story of a 15-year-old Dominican American girl finding her voice as she grows up and comes to terms with life, school, and family.

Although The Poet X is classified as a Young Adult book there's more than enough substance for "not so young" adults to hold on to. Join us in the discussion and let us know what you thought of the book if you've already read it or let us know what has tempted you to pick it up if you haven't yet. 

About Elizabeth Acevedo:

Elizabeth Acevedo was the 2022 Young People’s Poet Laureate and the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist.

She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo is also a National Poetry Slam Champion.

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!

So much has happened in our lives since our last life episode that we decided to give y'all an update. Tune in to hear what's going on with us!

Mentioned in this episode:

Money Mindset Financial Coaching: website, podcast, Instagram, YouTube

Munk's Motors: website

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!

This week's guest Saoirse Nash shares her personal story of living with a long-time chronic UTI and the struggle to get the necessary testing and treatment. Saoirse is a director, content contributor and patient liaison at Live UTI Free Ltd., a globally recognized women's health research and education organization. 

Saoirse's work is focused on supporting women in accessing appropriate treatment and testing, particularly for pelvic and bladder health. Through her past and present health struggles Saoirse has become incredibly passionate about helping people improve and maintain their health holistically.  Saoirse also works as a health coach, massage therapist, and yoga instructor.

Where to find Saoirse and Live UTI Free:

Live UTI Free: https://liveutifree.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@LiveUTIFree

Saoirse Nash: https://www.instagram.com/the.wholehealthcoach/

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!

Do you remember sex ed from your school days? Did you actually learn anything? Is sex ed even taught in schools anymore? If it is, its days are likely numbered in this political climate. It turns out lack of adequate, comprehensive sex education is universal. In this week's episode we talk to someone who is doing something about this in her community. Our guest, Amy Orr, is working to educate and empower young people to open up the conversation and break the stigma surrounding periods and to help alleviate period poverty in Ireland by supplying free reusable cloth pads to students through her Navigating Periods with Confidence program.

Mentioned in this episode: Eco Femme, https://ecofemme.org/

Where to find Amy Orr: 

Website: www.youme.ie

Instagram: @youme.ie

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!

This month's selection is The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid. Published in 2022, The Last White Man is the fifth novel by the British Pakistani novelist and consultant Mohsin Hamid. Written as an extended allegory, it tells the story of an unnamed town in an unnamed country whose white inhabitants have all begun to change skin color from pale to brown. The novel explores themes of race and whiteness as constructs, loss and mourning, and conspiracy theories. 

The Last White Man is a thought-provoking and, sometimes, uncomfortable read, but it's definitely worth your time. We couldn't find out exactly why this particular book was banned but there are several obvious reasons why book banners might be keen on banning it. Read the book before passing judgement. It's slightly more than 200 pages so it's a quick read, but it'll stay with you long after the final page. 

Mentioned in this episode:  Velshi Banned Book Club: 'The Last White Man' by Mohsin Hamid - YouTube

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!

Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, poverty continues to be a seemingly unsolvable issue in the United States. But is it really unsolvable? This week's guest, Devon Gray, argues that poverty is a problem that can be solved. In this episode, we speak with Devon about possible solutions that could put an end to poverty. 

Devon Gray is the president of EPIC (End Poverty in California) which aims to end poverty in California by elevating the voices of people experiencing it, creating and implementing bold policies rooted in their needs, and advancing a state agenda focused on equal opportunity for all. 

Prior to joining EPIC, Devon was a director with Evergreen Strategy Group, where he advised gun violence prevention organizations on policy and strategy. Devon previously served in the Newsom Administration as Special Advisor to the Governor’s Chief of Staff and is an alumnus of national and statewide political campaigns. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School and the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Devon lives in Orange County where he serves as a delegate to the California Democratic Party.

Mentioned in this episode:

A Blueprint for a Just and Inclusive Economy - policy-paper.pdf

Where to find Devon Gray and EPIC:

Instagram: @devonjgray @endpovertyca

Twitter/X: @devongrayca @endpovertyca

LinkedIn: @devonjgray @endpovertyca

Website: endpovertyinca.org

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 we speak with guest Anika Pavel about her memoir Encounter with the Future, chronicling her journey from childhood in communist Czechoslovakia to her experience as an immigrant to her life now as a writer. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Every life tells a story, and Anika's is no exception. Tune in to hear for yourself!

Where to find Anika Pavel's work:

Website: www.anikapavel.com

Instagram: @anika.pavel

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, we have the genuine pleasure of chatting with our Super Fan Susannah Cragwick! After all of the mutual admiration, we dove into Susannah's incredible story of redefining herself after growing up in a high control, conservative religious environment, adjusting to living in a foreign country where she doesn't yet speak the language, and discovering her true Goddess energy. Joy truly abounds in this discussion - you don't want to miss it!

Susannah Cragwick is a writer, poet, artist, and crochet pattern designer from Butte, Montana. Her work focuses on themes of feminism, healing from religious trauma, setting boundaries, and processing and healing from perfectionism-based anxiety. Susannah writes weekly on Substack and also creates "Poetry and Patterns" collections that combine her poetry with crochet patterns she designs. Susannah now resides with her husband in Southeast Finland. 

Where to find Susannah's work:

Instagram: @sjcragwickdesigns 

Substack: https://susannahcragwick.substack.com/

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!

Welcome to the 2nd installment of our Banned Books Series! This month's book is Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, a 2003 novel that Atwood described as speculative fiction rather than pure science fiction because it doesn't deal with things we can't yet do but goes beyond the amount of realism she associates with novels. 

Oryx and Crake is one of the most-banned books by school officials in the U.S. due to its adult themes and occasional pornographic material. Tune in to our discussion and read the book for yourself - Oryx and Crake, in our opinion, is a very well-crafted story that is incredibly thought provoking. 

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!

Given the amount of mis- and disinformation in the news it's increasingly important that we make smarter decisions about the news we consume and where we get it. But how do we do that? Our guest, journalist and anchor, Jasmine Styles talks to us about what we need to keep in mind when figuring out where to go for accurate information.

Jasmine Styles has been helping write the first draft of history as a news anchor and reporter for more than a decade. She has primarily worked in the South but had a short stint in the Midwest. Jasmine has been in the eye of a hurricane, just behind yellow crime scene tape, and in the front row during historical moments. 

Jasmine is on the board of the largest minority journalism organization, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and has served as president for 2 affiliate chapters.

Through networking, mentorship, friendship, and her own experiences Jasmine has been able to get multiple perspectives on how news works, what needs to be fixed and what the future holds for the media.

Jasmine is a Florida State University graduate and a Sunshine State native. She’s also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Reputable accurate news sources recommended by Jasmine:
NPR (National Public Radio)
AP (Associated Press)
BBC (British Broadcast Channel)
Your local news outlets

Where to find Jasmine:
Instagram: @_newsbae
TikTok: @_newsbae
YouTube: @jasminestylestv

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!