The Manic Episodes

Mary and Wyatt put on some power suits and talk about the music industry. Mary talks about her experiences in the business, from performing at coffee shops as a 13-year-old to being signed to a a major label. Also on the agenda: phone phreaking, MySpace songs and AOL Instant Messenger screen names, a new segment in which Mary and Wyatt confess their sins, and poems by Anis Mojgani and Zoë Hitzig. 

[CW for this episode: Suicide, guns] 

Mary and Wyatt give the dogs a couple of calming hemp chews and settle in for a discussion of grief and how you go on living after loss. They tell their own stories of loss and what strategies they discovered for processing the dark, mysterious feeling of grief--and what it means to "process." They also talk about different forms of loss--the death of loved ones, breakups, and trauma. Also on the agenda: a ridiculous new segment called Fantasy Trip Advisor, children who hate their parents so much they chant at them, an excerpt from a novel by Richard Powers, and a poem by Chen Chen. 

Mary and Wyatt snuggle up for an IG Live edition of the pod to talk about Wyatt’s ongoing journey with sobriety and how they reframed their relationship with alcohol. They also discuss mental health, the tricky nature of addiction, and what it means to be sober and still live a robust and exciting life – without feeling like a wet blanket at the party. Also on the agenda: Wyatt’s boundless sports trivia continues to confound Mary, Gay or Straight!, Wyatt’s uncanny resemblance to one of the Hanson brothers, and poems by Linda Gregerson and Sonya Renee Taylor.

Mary (sun in Taurus, moon in Aries, Leo rising) and Wyatt (sun in Gemini, moon in Aquarius, Cancer rising) sit down to talk about astrology and how astoundingly complicated it is. They also talk about astrology’s particular appeal to queer people and why it’s enjoyed a resurgence in the past few years. Also on the agenda: meatballs, tinnitus, mermaids, and poems by Olivia Gatwood, Megan Falley, and Dilruba Ahmed.

[Content Warning: Sexual assault, rape]

Mary & Wyatt settle in for a heavy discussion of rape, sexual assault, and survival. They dig into the toxic systems that allow sexual assault to run rampant and try to figure out how best to have conversations about consent and healthy sexual expression. Also on the agenda: Mary’s birthday adventure surprise, Wyatt’s homemade haircut, and poems by Leila Chatti and Patricia Lockwood.

After an absolute meltdown about some hot bits of celebrity news, Mary and Wyatt continue to embrace their shared manic state by drinking strong coffee late at night and chat about the people that inspire them, influence them, and regularly give them goosebumps. Also on the agenda: Mary is organizing the refrigerator magnets again, a raging debate about macadamia nut cookies, the Manic Fam Singles Club, and poems by Shira Erlichman and Camille T. Dungy. 

Mary & Wyatt grab some heating pads and settle in for a special “synced cycles” edition of the pod. They talk about how to maintain healthy boundaries in relationships and how your humble hosts have both traditionally done a terrible job of that. Also on the agenda: Game Show!, a bathtub big enough for a bear, and poems by Alice Notley and Safia Elhillo. 

Mary & Wyatt revisit one of their favorite episodes to discuss the scientific side of body positivity. Mary shares the concept of Health at Every Size and talks about how to get out of a toxic relationship with yourself. Also on the agenda: An exciting new medical breakthrough, Name that Cat!, the podcast debut of one of Mary’s long-hidden but breathtaking talents, and poems by Rachel Wiley and Ada Limón.

Mary and Wyatt curl up next to the fireplace with mugs of coffee at 2 am, because time doesn’t mean anything anymore. After discussing what it means for a dynamic to be toxic and trying to unpacking that buzzword, they chat about what leads to unhealthy relationships and how two healthy people can create one. Later, they put on waders and enter the toxic sludge dump that is Yahoo! Answers. Also on the docket: geocaching, Mary and Wyatt’s intergalactic travel plans, and poems by Danusha Laméris and Jorie Graham.

Mary and Wyatt grab a couple of cinnamon rolls and talk about gender until the cows come home: how we become gendered bodies, the plight of queer femmes (and their admirers), dismantling heteronormative and misogynistic structures,  the ever-expanding galaxy of gender, and how good it feels to hear one’s correct pronouns. Also on the docket: a story about paprika, way too many commercial jingles, and how good it feels to be understood.