The Manic Episodes

Mary and Wyatt settle in at the kitchen table for a long and winding discussion of alcohol, addiction, and mental health. They talk about the difference between physical and mental addiction, how “what kind of drunk you are” affects your perceptioån of your behavior, and coping with boredom without substances. They also talk about the recent spate of discriminatory anti-trans legislation in Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee, and talk about how allies can support trans people and trans youth. Also on the agenda: Mary and Wyatt’s top ten favorite albums, big plans for the Mary/Wyatt homestead, and poems by Danez Smith and Marty McConnell. 

Mary and Wyatt sit on the living room floor (long story) and talk about mental and physical pain. Wyatt talks about their recent experience with debilitating neck pain and shares fascinating research about pain management and pain translation. Mary talks about how and where the body holds trauma. Also on the agenda: Mary had a dream that will give you goosebumps, Wyatt swallowed something weird, and poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts and Carl Phillips. 

Ready for some piping-hot tea?! Or how about a completely level-headed and reasonable discussion of what it’s like to heal from a breakup? Mary and Wyatt settle in at the kitchen table and talk about a monumentally important conversation they had this week about their exes and past heartbreak. They then talk about their experiences with healing and how they found support in difficult times. Also on the agenda: Real Housewives talk, Mary shares the grossest story about foot massages in the history of the world, and poems by Chris Abani and Nikky Finney. 

Mary and Wyatt settle in for a discussion of beauty standards. How do we decide what’s beautiful? What’s the difference between beauty and desirability? How are our selves shaped by the expectations of others, starting with our parents or caregivers when we’re babies? They also have a spicy conversation about plastic surgery and definitely don’t come to a satisfying conclusion. Also on the agenda: A prequel to the Dillo Dairy saga, a weirdly long talk about superhero movies, and poems by Tracy K. Smith and Yi Lei. 

We’re FIFTY! Mary & Wyatt curl up on the sofa and discuss the power of memory—culturally, historically, and personally—and the danger of forgetting. They discuss James Loewen’s incredible book Sundown Towns, which chronicles the history of all-white towns and suburbs in the U.S.—many of which deny the fact that they excluded or forced out their Black populations. In this time of unprecedented polarization, gaslighting, and “post-truth” politics, how can we be honest in our remembering? Also on the agenda: a weirdly long Jojo Siwa discussion, Mary and Wyatt talk about their favorite words, and poems by Eve L. Ewing and John Murillo. 

[CW: Sexual assault, alcoholism and drug use]

Mary & Wyatt grab some coffee and sit at the kitchen table for a chat about sex, intimacy, and relationships. They discuss the role of bipolar mood swings in sexual behavior and desires, and the flexibility of gender roles in queer relationships.  Also on the agenda: some humiliating confessions for Absolution Hour, the life-changing power of bathtub shelves, and poems by Sonia Sanchez and Erica Hunt. 

(Note: We talk about some of the most common phobias, so skip this episode if you’re feeling anxious.) Mary and Wyatt celebrate a year of making the pod in the most festive way imaginable: talking about their deepest, darkest fears! They talk about their own experiences with how to handle fear, how fear can be a gift, and how to tell when a healthy fear has become something bigger. Also on the agenda: the year in review, Elf on the Shelf is in witness protection, and poems by Tommy Pico and Afaa Michael Weaver. 

Mary and Wyatt embrace the true holiday spirit– depression! They get real about what triggers a depressive episode and what they do when motivation feels out of reach. Also on the agenda, Mary is depressed IRL, Wyatt still hates James Cordon, a crop top coincidence, and potato salad makes a comeback. They read poems by Zach Savich and Dujie Tahat.

It’s a MASHUP!! Mary & Wyatt settle in for a chat about reproductive health & justice, life in the post-truth era, and how to feel grounded in a world where reality is under constant attack. In a sometimes stream-of-consciousness (but always rollicking fun) discussion, they also talk about why access to reproductive healthcare is a fundamental human right. Also on the agenda: scam-baiting, “The Amazing Race,” and poems by Edmund White and Tearisa Siagatonu.