The Way We Live Now

Maureen, a teacher, Kiki, who works at a hospital, and Julia, an up-and-coming artist, share their stories. To be featured on an upcoming episode, leave us a voicemail at 909-713-8995.

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A bestselling author, now sober for more than three decades, resolves not to let her inner critic — a.k.a. “the cranky b*tch upstairs” — have the final word when old feelings of shame resurface during quarantine.

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A rabbi explains why learning to sit with life’s big questions and being comfortable not knowing are infinitely more important than the answers themselves.

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A therapist and grief counselor, sheltering in place with five kids, one baby, two dogs, two cats, and a husband, shares her thoughts on the “tsunami of grief” we are living through, from the quietest spot she can find — her parked car. (For more from Claire Bidwell Smith, check out her book Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief, available in paperback May 5

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A senator finds solace in the small acts of kindness he sees happening in his community — and hopes that we’ll all be better friends, neighbors, and citizens when this is over.

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A jazz singer in New Orleans misses having an audience — and worries about keeping a roof over her head now that her shows have moved online. (To listen to recent performances from Alicia Renee, a.k.a. Blue Eyes, visit her Facebook page

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A movie star (and self-described “hugger”) tries to embrace new ways of connecting.

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A primary-care physician nearing retirement deletes an email about volunteering in a COVID-19 clinic — then regret sets in. 

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A chef at a small-town restaurant talks about keeping his business afloat, coming to terms with a new kind of solitude, and how he uses cooking to stay connected to the outside world.

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We can’t gather. We can’t hold each other close. We can’t break bread. Whether we’re alone or with our families, our daily lives have been upended. On her new podcast The Way We Live Now, bestselling author and Family Secrets host Dani Shapiro has searching, intimate conversations with people from all walks of life about how they’re coping — and managing to stay connected. Mark your calendar: The Way We Live Now premieres April 14. 

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