Madness Cafe
A feminist current events/social commentary podcast where we discuss politics, health and wellness and women's rights issues.
241. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
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The next book in our Banned Books Series is Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Published in 1993, this near dystopian, post-apocalyptic allegory explores themes of adaptation and change, environmental and social breakdown, survival and resilience, and hyperempathy and interconnectedness. Tune in to hear our discussion about the book, its relevance, and why society needs to hear the message contained in its pages.
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240. Mission: Motherhood with guest Cheri Bergeron
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Cheri Bergeron always knew that motherhood was in her future. Indeed, she made it her mission to become a mother. Cheri chronicles all that she went through on the way to motherhood in her memoir Mission Motherhood: Writing A New Fairy Tale of Love and Family. Tune in to this candid discussion to learn about all that our guest goes through to build her family. "If the glass slipper doesn't fit, screw the fairy tale! Become a mother on your own terms."
<...
239. Parasocial Relationships
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According to Psychology Today, parasocial relationships are "one-sided relationships in which a person develops a strong sense of connection, intimacy, or familiarity with someone they don’t know, most often celebrities or media personalities. These relationships exist only in the mind of the individual, who experiences a bond despite the lack of reciprocity. The term was coined by psychologists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl in 1956 when televisions became widely available, they noted that TV viewers began to develop the 'illusion of intimacy' with th...
238. The Sober Shift by Suzanne Warye
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"Dry January", "Sober Curious", "taking a break" - does any of this sound familiar? Many of us have questioned our relationship to alcohol, whether because of a rough morning after a night of debauchery, just because, or for any number of reasons. Our guest, Suzanne Warye, had her own reasons for stopping drinking. She writes about her experience in her new book The Sober Shift: A Moder-Day Guide to Living an Abundant Sober Life. In sharing her sober journey, Suzanne also provides helpful information...
237. Just STOP: Unsolicited Advice
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We've talked about consent and autonomy in relation to a number of topics on the show, but this is a bit different - unsolicited advice. We don't usually think about consent and autonomy in this regard but maybe we should. We dive right into how to handle receiving unsolicited advice and what to consider when tempted to give it.
After listening to the episode, let us know about your experience with unsolicited advice - either receiving it or giving it. Join the c...
236. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
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The 1st book in our 2026 Banned Books Series is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Whether you've read the book or not, many of us know the story of Little Women. In this episode we go beyond the story told in the pages of Little Women to discuss Louisa May Alcott, how Little Women was influenced by her own life, the effect the book has had on so many, the movie adaptations, etc. We also dive into why it was important to us to...
235. Is Your Retirement Story Based Upon Fear?
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In this week's episode friend of the pod Tiffany Mazurek is back! This time she joins us to talk about retirement - current reality, dreams, possibilities, and underlying money stories. True to form, we're candid and vulnerable about our reality and fears around money and retirement. After tuning in, join the discussion and let us know your thoughts about your own retirement and how you're thinking about it.
Photo by - Landsmann - on Unsplash
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234. Miscellaneous Musings
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This week's episode is chock full of our musings about life and the things on our minds. Tune in to hear what we're thinking about these days - from last minute pivots to what to do for the next 50 years.
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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...
233. Witchy Women with N.G. Avant
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Our guest this week, N.G. Avant, is an award-winning indie author who made the leap into fiction after working in municipal politics. Her first series, Capital City, grew out of her experience in politics. She joins us to discuss her new book Nexus, which is the first book in her new series, Witchy Women. This series continues N.G,'s focus on strong female leads, resilience, and empowerment while weaving in themes of politics, justice, and magic. Women, their journeys, their friendships, and...
232. 7 Types of Rest: Sleep Alone Is Not Enough
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Ah, rest - arguably most of us don't get enough of it. Did you know that sleep is only one way to rest? In fact, there are 7! Tune in to find out what the 7 types are and why they're important.
Photo by Baptista Ime James on Unsplash
Articles referenced for this episode:
https://www.apa.org/topics/mental-health/seven-rest-types
https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/
https://www.verywellmind.com/types-of-rest-11794029
...
231. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: Dear Martin by Nic Stone
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Dear Martin by Nic Stone stands as the final book in our 2025 Banned Books Series. Dear Martin tells the story of a Black teenager trying to work through the effects of being racially profiled by the police. But that's only one part of the story; there's quite a bit packed into this concise, tightly written book. Tune in to hear our reactions to Nic Stone's brilliant and thought-provoking debut. We also share our reflections on how we have been affected by reading and discussing...
230. Come On Now?!! Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?
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By now, just about everyone has commented on the New York Times OpEd piece "Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?". Well, now it's our turn. Tune in to hear our thoughts about the saga.
Mentioned in this episode:
- "Did Liberal Feminism Ruin the Workplace?" https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/opinion/women-workplace-feminism-conservative.html
- "Women Didn't Ruin the Workplace. Capitalism Did." https://www.salon.com/2025/11/10/women-didnt-ruin-the-workplace-capitalism-did/
- "When the Headline Gets It Wrong" https://msmagazine...
229. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
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It's time for another installment of our Banned Books Series! This month we're discussing Almost Perfect, winner of the first Stonewall Award for Children's & Young Adult Literature, written by Brian Katcher. This book follows Logan, a high school senior, as he works through his feelings about his friendship and budding romance with an 18-year-old trans woman. This is a well-written book worth reading and discussing. Tune in to hear our conversation.
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228. "God wants us to be free and have the dignity of choice" with guest Rev. Erika Ferguson
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In this post-Roe world of fewer states with legalized access to abortion care women are forced to travel to get the healthcare that they need and want. Our guest this week, Rev. Erika Ferguson, founded an organization that helps women make that journey - Tubman Travel Project, a first-of-its-kind travel model for reproductive freedom travel. Tune in to this inspiring conversation to hear how Rev. Erika was fueled by her own experience as a teenager to pay it forward to help as many women...
227. Vibrancy in Midlife with guest Carla Wainwright
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So much of the popular lore around midlife leads us to believe that it's just a slog to endure. And, honestly, so many women in midlife feel like that's true. But it doesn't have to be this way. Our midlife years can be full of vibrancy, joy, passion and reinvention. How do we make that happen? Our guest Carla Wainwright knows how. Tune in to find out what she has to say about adding some joy and vibrancy to midlife.
Carla Wainwright...
226. Why We Need Restorative Justice with guest Leah Brown
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When someone is harmed, whether by an individual or a system, the harm is often holistic - meaning the effect of the harm is not contained to one area of that person's life. That said, it makes perfect sense that the justice and healing be holistic as well. But what does that look like? How is that put into practice? It starts with a new understanding of justice and a new type of justice system - one that is empathetic rather than punitive. That's...
225. Voices Unveiled with guest Cara Cruikshank
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Women's rights are being dismantled in so many ways around the world. One place where this dismantling has happened in the extreme is Afghanistan. In this week's episode we talk Cara Cruikshank about how some of the women in Afghanistan are surviving, maintaining their humanity, and maintaining connection.
As a writer, director, producer, advocate and educator Cara brings an artist's vision to humanitarian work, and something rarely seen in crisis response: the understanding that people experiencing trauma need more than survival skills—the...
224. Book Chat: Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism by Eve L. Ewing
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What is the purpose of education, of schooling, of the school system? How was the American education system developed? What were the reasons behind how and why certain practices and programs were put into place? How were Black and Native children considered in the system? In Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, Eve L. Ewing goes into great detail to chronicle how the American system of education was created and how it was specifically...
223. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
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Jesse Andrews' Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the next installment of our Banned Books Series. It has been banned and removed from library shelves for sexual explicitness, profanity, and degrading content. Tune in to hear our review of the book.
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222. "Through the Resistance I Can Be Their Voice" with guest Zolal Habibi
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Resistance movements are happening all over the world. Some are in their infancy, and some have been in existence for decades. Case in point, Iran. Our guest this week, Zolal Habibi, joins us to talk about Iran's women's rights and human rights resistance movements. Her connection to the movement and her work to support it are incredibly interesting and powerful. We can learn so much from her story and the resistance at large.
As a human rights and women's rights advocate and m...
221. Breathing in This New Era of the Goddess with guest Mari Castle, Ph.D.
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What can we learn from myths, archetypes, and goddesses? Specifically, what can we learn from the goddess Inanna? And what does Carl Jung have to do with any of this? This week's guest, Mari Castle, joins us to discuss it all, and then some.
Where to find Mari Castle:
Website: www.breathwork9.com
Email: Mari.breathwork9@gmail.com
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220. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
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In this month's installment of our Banned Books Series, we discuss Shaun David Hutchinson's YA novel We Are the Ants. Tune in to hear our thoughts on the book. Have you read this book or any of Hutchinson's other books? What did you think? Let us know - join the discussion!
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219. Absent Fathers with guest Dr. Susan Schwartz
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What effect does an absent father (whether physically or emotionally) have on children, specifically daughters? We explore this topic with this week's guest Dr. Susan Schwartz. Susan E. Schwartz, Ph.D. trained in Zurich, Switzerland as a Jungian analyst and appears on podcasts and presentations at Jungian conferences and teaching programs in the USA and worldwide. Her books are: The Absent Father Effect on Daughters, Father Desire, Father Wounds; Imposter Syndrome and the ‘As-If’ Personality: The Fragility of Self (September, 2023); A Jungian Exploration of the...
218. The Phenomenon That Is The We Do Not Care Movement
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In this episode, we talk about the club that has become an entire movement - the We Do Not Care Club - started by the amazing, down to earth, and comedically gifted Melani Sanders known on Instagram as @justbeingmelani. Melani gives voice to the reality of women in midlife trying to make sense of menopause and talking about the things we no longer care about. In this episode we even share some of the things that we no longer care about. We want to...
217. America in Therapy with guest Phyllis E. Leavitt
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Imagine if America went into therapy. What would that look like? This week's guest Phyllis E. Leavitt went down that rabbit hole and wrote the book America in Therapy: Hope and Healing for a Nation in Crisis. In this episode, we discuss the book as well as the premise of how therapy could help our country during this time of political upheaval and distress.
Phyllis Leavitt is an author and a psychotherapist of over 30 years. Her newest book, "America in Therapy: A N...
216. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
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As we say in this episode, once you read Tiffany D. Jackson's Monday's Not Coming it stays with you. And maybe it should. After all, isn't that what art is supposed to do - change you, provoke you, make you think? And isn't that one of the reasons why certain books are banned? Fight against the bans. Read the books that are banned. Discuss them. Think about them. Let them change you. Let them effect you. Your growth depends on it. Some might argue...
215. Sexual Awakening and Transformation with guest Xanet Pailet
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So many people are living lives lacking in true intimacy or are in relationships that are not sexually satisfying. This week's guest Xanet Pailet has firsthand experience with this and knows how to help. Xanet is the bestselling author of Living an Orgasmic Life: Heal Yourself and Awaken Your Pleasure and the founder of Passionate Intimacy Retreats. Xanet is a former health care lawyer who lived in a sexless marriage for over two decades. At age 50, after experiencing her own sexual healing and awakening in...
214. Stop Centering Romance with guest Fanny Tristan
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According to society, fairy tales, and rom coms being single is a problem in search of a solution. Our guest Fanny Tristan, a trauma therapist and clinical social worker with over 15 years of experience, had many clients who felt like they were failing because they were single. Unwilling to pathologize singledom, Fanny developed Her Soul Supply - a wellness collective and coaching program for single women of color combating loneliness and toxic relationship cycles. Tune in to hear how Fanny and Her Soul Supply...
213. Marriage Is a Trap
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Society and fairy tales try to convince us that marriage is the penultimate marker of success as an adult. But studies and reality have shown that that may not be the case. Indeed, equality and equity are not guaranteed under the marriage contract. We have some strong opinions about marriage, and we aren't afraid to share them.
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212. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, written by Sherman Alexie, tells the story of 14-year-old Native American Arnold Spirit, Jr. on the Spokane Indian Reservation and his decision to go to the nearly white high school in a nearby town. The book has been consistently challenged since its publication due to descriptions of alcoholism, poverty, violence and flatulent Jesus. Recent controversy surrounds the author Sherman Alexie and allegations of sexual harassment.
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211. Burnout, Restructuring, Man-Hating, Codependency, Bigger Feminism & Plan B: 4 Years of Madness with Raquel & Jennifer
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Join us as we celebrate our 4th anniversary! A look ahead, a look back and a little self analysis.
To find out the real date when women could have their own credit card, click the link below:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/10/28/fact-check-9-things-women-couldnt-do-1971-mostly-right/3677101001/
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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 Ra...
210. CoHome: What You Need to Know to Buy a Home with Your Friends with guests Amy McKenna & Ruby Grynberg
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How many times have you joked with your friends about buying that big vacation house on the beach or about living together in your retirement a la The Golden Girls? It doesn't have to be a joke. For many people, it's a realistic solution to housing affordability and loneliness crises. This week's guests Amy McKenna, a managing broker of Windermere Real Estate Company, and Ruby Grynberg, Branch Manager at Salmon Bay Community Lending, talk to us about how cohousing can (with a bit of...
209. Pelvic Health with guest Dr. Judy Rossi
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In this week's episode we're diving into a topic that most of us probably rarely think about - pelvic health. To talk about why pelvic health is important, we're joined by Dr. Judy Rossi, PT, DPT, PHC - a certified pelvic health specialist.
Dr. Rossi graduated from physical therapy school at California State University at Long Beach. She later received her doctorate in physical therapy and her pelvic health certification through Evidence in Motion. Judy began her journey in pelvic health after s...
208. Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine with guest Dr. Uche Blackstock
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We're joined this week by Dr. Uche Blackstock to discuss her memoir Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine. Legacy is more than an account of Dr. Blackstock's journey to and in healthcare, it is also a love letter to her mother (the "original" Dr. Blackstock) and her community. As you can hear in our conversation, Legacy is also a wakeup call to all who read it, especially those in healthcare, that racism is more than unjust - it can be deadly.
207. By the Way, I Love You by Susan Beth Miller
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What happens when a clinical psychologist writes a novel about a girl on the verge of adulthood trying to find her way in the world without her mother? You get By the Way, I Love You written by this week's guest Susan Beth Miller. In this book, Susan explores the main character's journey to understand her deceased mother and who she is in relation to her mother all while trying to navigate college life. There are so many interesting themes running through the book...
206. Banned Books Series: Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
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Originally published in 2018, Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison is a novel that focuses on the life and self-discovery of Mike Munoz, a young working class Mexican American man. In 2022, the American Library Association reported that Lawn Boy was the 7th-most-banned book in the country that year due to LGBTQ+ content and sexually explicit content. Evison touched on several themes in this book. Tune in to hear our thoughts about the book.
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205. Maximize Choice. Minimize Harm. with guest Anne Riley
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Understanding the connection between humans and nature is of utmost importance now. In fact, developing that understanding may lead to solutions to existential threats like climate change and social inequality. Our guest Anne Riley has spent a lifetime thinking about and trying to understand this connection. She even wrote a book about it - The Human Idea: Earth's Newest Ecosystem.
For many years, Anne balanced family life with a career in various industries, including technology, teaching, and finance, before retiring in 2011. Influenced...
204. Transgender Scientist & Content Creator: Both are Important with guest Amethysta Herrick
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Why is it important to acknowledge that this week's guest is a transgender scientist and a content creator? Tune in to find out!
Amethysta Herrick, Ph.D., is a transgender scientist and content creator who has always been driven by an insatiable desire to understand why the universe works the way it does. Ami’s academic journey led her through molecular biology to a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry. In 2022, when she transitioned gender to align the person she always knew she wa...
203. The Power of Comedy and Pop Culture to Shift Perceptions and Promote Equality with Lynn Harris
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We all know that laughter can be healing. But, it can also be a helpful tool to get your message across regardless of whether you're sharing a good joke, making a toast, or trying to get someone to listen to your message. This week's guest, Lynn Harris, knows quite a bit about this. She is founder and CEO of GOLD Comedy—the comedy school, professional network, and content studio where women and non-binary folks grow their comedy careers, build powerful communities, and make funny st...
202. BANNED BOOKS SERIES: Maus by Art Spiegelman
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The next installment of our Banned Books Series is Maus by Art Spiegelman, a graphic novel in two volumes depicting Art Spiegelman talking to his father, Vladek, about his experience as a Polish Jew before, during and after the Holocaust. Maus originally began as a strip in 1972 and was serialized from 1980 to 1991. Some have criticized the book for a number of reasons, including topic, style, and themes, but in 2022, a school board in McMinn County Schools in East Tennessee removed the book from school...
