Poet and best-selling author Maggie Smith shares how her divorce made her spend more time with someone she didn’t expect: herself. She explains how she learned to leave room for that self even as she shares part of it in her work. 

If you like what you hear, preorder This American Ex-Wife. It’s the best way to support this work.

I am currently running a giveaway! If you preorder the book, I’ll mail you a “Burn it down” sticker and a signed bookplate!

Show notes:

* Buy Maggie’s book You Could Make This Place Beautiful.

* You can also read Maggie’s newsletter For Dear Life with Maggie Smith

* The quote I think about the most from Maggie’s book is this one: “The best things to happen to me individually were the worst things to happen to my marriage. And then, this: But the best things remain.”

* This American Ex-Wife is hosted by Lyz Lenz and produced by Zachary Oren Smith . Illustration by Alessandro Gottardo. Show art by Suzanne Glémot.

“Catharsis” with Candice Luter

Many suspect that their partner is cheating on them. Few of us show up outside the motel room to catch them in the act. Candice Luter gets honest about insecurity, breaking and recovering after her ex showed who he really was. 

If you like what you hear, preorder This American Ex-Wife and subscribe to this newsletter.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking the link above. Or you can find this podcast on all your favorite podcast apps. If you need help finding it, here is a link!

This American Ex-Wife is hosted by Lyz Lenz and produced by Zachary Oren Smith. The illustration for the show was drawn by Alessandro Gottardo. Art was made by Suzanne Glémot.

Show notes:

* You can find Candice’s amazing designs on her Etsy store. And on her website. You can also find Candice on Instagram.

* In the podcast, Candice talks about her asemic journaling. She is also offering her asemic journaling as a digital download for free!

Lyz’s own divorce lawyer Allison Werner Smith stops by to walk through the long road of a divorce. She explains how “the breakdown of the marriage relationship” can become a firmer foundation for a life.

If you like what you hear, preorder This American Ex-Wife. It’s the best way to support this work: https://linktr.ee/lyzlenzShow notes:

* In the show, I incorrectly cite this statistic about men and marriage and labor. In the podcast, I say men add eight hours of labor a week to their wives’ lives. It’s seven. My apologies to men.

* I also cite the statistic: 70 percent of breakups and divorces are initiated by women.

* Transcripts for the show are automatically generated by AI and linked in the drop-down box above.