Ep. 242: The Trouble with Shiny Things
EQ: How has the pendulum swung on the implementation and embracement of educational technology and how should schools balance the needs, desires, and values of various stakeholders in the context of modern tech?
Guest: Leisa Grace Wilson, co-founder and Editorial Director of Teach Middle East
In this episode, Annie and Hope sit down with Leisa Grace Wilson the director of Teach Middle East Magazine to talk about education, technology, and the ongoing pendulum swing between embracing ed tech and wondering if maybe we’ve gone a little too far. From favorite everyday tech to the dumbest ed-tech trends that deserve to be binned, we dig into what schools are getting right, what they might be overcomplicating, and which underused innovations deserve more attention (including, perhaps, the humble keyboarding class). We unpack the rise of AI, and the cautionary tales schools should keep in mind while figuring out how to balance the needs, desires, and values of students, teachers, parents, and administrators. And because technology never rolls out in a cultural vacuum, we explore how geography, local values, and regional context shape the ways schools embrace, adapt to, or push back against new technologies. In other words: where exactly should the ed-tech pendulum land, and who gets to decide?
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: If you’re an educator in the Gulf, please subscribe to Teach Middle East–you’ll get a wealth of knowledge, resources, and opportunities for professional learning.
Annie: If you’re not an educator or a student, you may not often consider how ed tech affects you but trends in the field have a far-reaching impact, including into all of our workplaces, especially those cross-generational workforces. Commit to some personal reflection about how you can better understand your coworkers and professional acquaintances in the context of us all having dissimilar educational technology backgrounds. Will you be able to teach your boss how to convert a PDF or your Gen Z coworker how to answer the phone? Maybe not, but do it for the empathy sub-plot and grow as a person.
Leisa: Don’t get your info from only social media—read some journals. Actually read and not just glance over things & write your thoughts.
Ep. 241: Combating Climate Anxiety Through Spiritual Resilience w/ Suzanne Crawford O’Brien
EQ: What does it mean to adopt an intersectional approach to environmental issues and how can that framework be utilized to combat climate anxiety and build spiritual resilience?
Joining the podcast is a returning guest Suzanne Crawford O'Brien, Professor of Religion and Culture at Pacific Lutheran University. If you missed the first episode 197 Climate Anxiety & Sacred Resilience go check it out. Suzanne is back with a new book “Climate Anxiety and Spiritual Resilience: A Guide to Kinship, Justice, and Hope” exploring the intersections of spirituality, climate change, justice, and hope. We revisit how their understanding of climate anxiety has evolved through their research, teaching, and writing, and dig into what it means to turn toward spiritual traditions that survived colonial exploitation and extractive systems. We talk about “everyday contemplation,” rituals and practices that help us stay grounded when the world feels like it’s ending. We also get into the uncomfortable disconnect between Christian rhetoric and environmental policy in the current Trump administration, and ask how we can resist talking about the natural world in the same transactional, extractive language that has contributed to the climate crisis in the first place. Most importantly, we talk about what it looks like to build personal and collective resilience, reclaim spiritual practices from a decolonized perspective, and imagine a climate future rooted not just in survival, but in what gives us life.
You can find her on Substack at and Bluesky at @scrawfordobrien.bsky.social.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Check out Suzanne’s website for upcoming events! You have the opportunity to see her/connect with other like minded individuals all up and down I-5 corridor over the next two months.
Annie: I know we’re all very weary of bad news and overwhelmed by the volume of BS, but please consider a singular environmental issue that’s important to you and research a new way to be its proponent. This doesn’t have to be financial–you can do something as simple as finding a group of like-minded folks online to engage in conversation and advocacy.
Suzanne: Go to the Project Drawdown website.
Ep. 240: Snuggle Up With A New Stack w/sweetpea flaherty
EQ: If you could build the perfect fall reading stack, which new releases would have to be in it, and what do they say about this year's reading season?
Guest: sweetpea flaherty–whom you may know from our previous book episodes such as on Ep. 238: Insecurity Maxxing, Ep 214: Shelf Awareness, Ep 196: New Year Fresh Reads,Ep 186: Pumpkin Spice & Bookish Advice and Ep 184: Hot & Steamy Summer Reads.
Apertiff/Digestif
Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, Jill Lepore
Birthing Tree, Amanda Peters
Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea:Journeys Through Ancient Literature, Emily Wilson
The Disappearers, Marlon James
Taipei Story, R.F. Kuang
Rouse, China Miéville
Dead Beat, Leigh Bardugo
End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World, Astra Taylor and Naomi Klein
Mestra, Madeline Miller
No Land to Stand on: Notes from Detention, Mahmoud Khalil
American Hagwon, Min Jin Lee
Partita, Barbara Kingsolver
Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up, David Byrne
Every Story Is a Love Story, Imbolo Mbue
Other Worlds Than These, Stephen King & Peter Straub
As You Wake, Break the Shell, Becky Chambers
Cider
Cemetery Boys: Espíritu, Aiden Thomas
Mazywood, Tananarive Due
Huey P. Newton: I am We, Delio Vasquez
Fictional Selves, Kyle MacLachlan
We, Layli Long Soldier
Off the Reservation, Stephen Graham Jones
Realmsweep, H.E. Edgmon
Hot Toddy
Sex and Dissent: Stories of Feminist Resistance in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Spain, Meaghan Beatley
Triage, Claudia Rankine
Nest of Tongues, Randy Ribay
53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy, Timothy W. Ryback
Songs My Mother Taught Me: Why the Artist Must Take Sides, Saul Williams
Our Cut of Salt, Deena Helm
We Radiant Things: Notes on Being Alien and Becoming Cyborg, Franny Choi
Egg Nog
Record Journey Vol.2, Ryoichiro Kezuka
The Strangers, Naomi Alderman
Quaint Folk, Bitter Karella
Showbiz!: My Life as a Middle-Aged Man, Murray Hill
Public Access Afterworld, Jane Schoenbrun
Waiter: An Interactive Story, Kwan Ann Tan
We Were Here: A History of Black People and Alternative Music, Stephanie Phillips
Do Your Fudging Homework
Annie: I’m going to encourage everyone to start their own little private book review.
Hope: Join Storygraph and add me @espionfire
sweepea: track down a local artist and support them directly
Ep. 239: Babe, Just Go
EQ: What have you learned in your 40 (cough cough) years on God’s green earth about traveling?
In this episode, Annie, Hope (and Doug) give their own hot takes about travel including the small weird moments, once-in-a-lifetime performances and happy accidents that make travel worth it. Annie shares how a sudden reminder of how fleeting life can be turned her into a “yes-and” traveler, planning trips regularly and making space for unexpected friendships. The IWLs also talk about the joy of collaborative travel, planning around the things we love, and how having a little more money can turn travel from a bucket list into a meander list. We swap favorite domestic and international trips and get real about the realities of traveling in 2026, including safety and being visibly queer in places that may not always feel welcoming. Plus, we wrap things up with our favorite travel hacks from Channel 253 listeners, from the perfect carry-on to packing lists, extra underwear, skincare shortcuts, and why you should absolutely go see the overpriced tourist attraction if you want to.
Listener Advice:
Sara: stay in one place & do it deeply rather than trying to get multiple places in a country or continent in one week (esp if it’s less than 2 weeks).
Dave: Bring at least two pairs of comfortable shoes and rotate them any day you're walking.
Bring a pocket size dice or card game to play while hanging out with strangers at the bar, pool, etc
Have a safety app on your phone, because you're not going to know all the local warnings and registrations required.
Tip day one not just when you're leaving.
Another jet lag avoidance - shower as soon as you can.
Courtney: TSA precheck w/ touchless ID, Global Entry (PS this is reimbursable w/ Amex Platinum, Chase Preferred/Reserve, & Capital One Venture X); Liquid IV & Vitamin C; Amex also typically covers rental insurance
Christina: Hydration facemasks (like the kind you wear at night), ziploc of clorox wipes, wet tissues for all the regions; Colgate 2 in 1 picks & brushes
Abby: Portugal luggage scale & snacks
Anonymous: panty liners
Chandra: Bamboo compression socks
Peter: Always carry a pair of flip flops
Kia: wear my bonnet on a plane to people’s coughs & sneezes don’t’ get in my hair; wipes & gloves to wipe seats, tables, etc.; AMEX lounges save money on food
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Check out our other episodes on the topic of travel Ep. 236: Beyond the Vacation Checklist w/ Travel Amen Ra and Ep 232: Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Taking That Trip w/ Flora advisor Lauren Broeseker
Annie: Don’t shy away from local travel. Be a tourist in your city.
Ep. 238: Insecurity Maxxing
EQ: How are current trends around extreme self-improvement influencing and challenging long-held beliefs about beauty, specifically defining masculinity and femininity?
Guest: sweetpea flaherty–whom you may know from our previous book episodes such as on Ep 214: Shelf Awareness, Ep 196: New Year Fresh Reads,Ep 186: Pumpkin Spice & Bookish Advice and Ep 184: Hot & Steamy Summer Reads. Today, sweepea is here not as a book seller but a regular person.
This week, sweetpea joins Hope and Annie, not as a book seller but in fact a regular person. We’re attempting to talk about some masculinity trends like looksmaxxing and if there really is a “male loneliness epidemic”. An underlying idea is that consumer culture is driving our increasinly complicated relationship with our bodies. And Pete Hegseth’s fixation with massculinity is making things worse. What happens when the quest to optimize the male body moves from the internet into actual policy? And, naturally, we find a way to talk about books along the way.
Related Resources:
BBC: Inside Looksmaxxing
Jia Tolentino’s New Yorker article “Our Plastic Surgery Nightmare” and Interview on Fresh Air
“Hesgeth Plan to Screen all Troops for low testosterone"
The Atlantic: “Hegeseth Wants YOU To Test Your Testosterone"
The Guardian: “Judge Orders Hegseth to to Explain US military new testosterone policy”
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: check out Jia Tolentino’s writing relevant for all of us as we think about aging, beauty standards, and our relationship with our bodies.
Annie: self protective attitude–watch your feeds and the narratives.
Sweetpea: read more trans authors–trans masc and trans fem; Thomas Page Mcbee Amateur.
Ep. 237: Dog Days of Scotus Summer
EQ:What do this year’s SCOTUS cases and corresponding rulings reveal about the current state of the U.S. Constitution and what might they signal for the midterms in the fall?
Guest: Trayton Otto, the one and the only. Trayton was a guest on Nerd Farmer podcast Ep. 247: How To Stand Up To a Dictator, Book discussion.
If you've ever wished you had a legally savvy friend to help translate what the Supreme Court is actually doing (and why it matters), this episode is for you. We're joined by longtime Channel 253 listener and friend of the show, Trayton Otto, to discuss the Supreme Court ruling issued this spring and what they could mean for the midterms. We also zoom out to look at the bigger story these cases are telling about the direction of the Court and the future of American democracy. It's thoughtful, a little nerdy, occasionally alarming, and exactly the kind of conversation we love having. We're also especially excited to finally get Trayton behind the mic after years of his thoughtful engagement with the Channel 253 community. We think you'll love this conversation as much as we did.
Related Resources:
Supreme Court Allows Texas to Use a Congressional Map Favorable to Republicans in 2026
NYT How Scotus Ruling on Voting Rights Act Could Impact Midterms
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: One Word–Jimithy
Annie: When this episode is released, you may still have time to vote in the August 4th Primary Election. I know you, listener - I know you sometimes neglect the off-year ballots. Think of how disappointed I’ll personally be if you don’t vote. You’ll have to live with that.
Trayton: Pick any case that matters to you and read the first section of the majority opinion and the dissents (and if it’s a KBJ dissent, read the whole thing).
Ep. 236: Beyond The Vacation Checklist With Travel Amen Ra
EQ: How does leaving and returning home again strengthen our understanding of ourselves, reinforce the value of travel, and create unforeseen opportunities for community, connection, and personal growth?
Guest: DJ Amen Ra, International DJ cultural attaché and travel expert.
In this episode, we sit down with travel expert and global citizen, DJ Ramy to explore how a life spent between cultures shaped his identity, career, and approach to travel. We discuss what inspired him to return to Egypt to build a business centered on authentic, locally rooted experiences. We reflect on the difference between simply visiting a destination and truly engaging with it, asking what it means to "travel like a local" in an era of social media, AI-generated itineraries, and overtourism. We also discuss the ways race, class, and privilege influence how we engage in travel experiences, how news and world events perpetuate stereotypes and misconceptions about Egypt and the broader Middle East. We settle on the fact that “traveling like a local”, seeing a country through someone else’s eyes can challenge these narratives and build deeper human connections that last long after the "vacation". Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation to see travel not as a checklist of destinations, but as an opportunity for self-discovery, cultural exchange that transforms the way we understand both the world and ourselves.
Check out the Bowlings Abroad Egypt Travelogue “What You Remember About Ancient Egypt is 80% Incorrect”
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Harry Styles is on a residency tour right now, which is one of the highlights of my days, especially interacting with other fans online who live all over the world. At a recent show in Amsterdam, he said, “I think we live at a time where it doesn’t seem very cool sometimes to try, and I think trying is the coolest thing you can do.” Be brave and seek out adventure.
Hope: Book a trip to Egypt (note I didn’t say a tour, b/c this is more than a tour) w/ Ramy Travel with Amen Ra
Ramy: Hit me up for all the places you’re scared to go to (website or Instagram)!
Ep. 235: Conspiracy Theories & The Women Who Love Them w/ Author Noelle Cook
EQ: To what extent can the lure of belonging created by conspiracies and extremism, especially for women, be counteracted and what tools, resources, and community support are needed to make it possible?
Today we are joined by ethnographer and author of The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism, and the Lure of Belonging Noelle Cook. She is also the researcher for and associate producer of The Conspiracists, a documentary film by Page 75 Production. In this slightly over an hour long conversation, we explore the social and emotional forces that can pull people toward increasingly extreme beliefs, with a particular focus on the experiences of women over fifty and the J-six women at the center of Cook’s research. Our conversation examines the relationship between identity, community, spirituality, media literacy, and misinformation, as well as the challenges families face when loved ones become immersed in conspiratorial thinking. Cook distinguishes having empathy with a person or group from being sympathetic towards problematic ideologies. We discuss why belonging can sometimes matter more than facts, how seemingly harmless wellness or spiritual interests can intersect with more radical worldviews, how one click on a supplements website can lead you to starseeds, and what it might take to bridge divides in an era where trust, truth, and community are all being renegotiated.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Please pick up a copy of The Conspiracists by Noelle Cook and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s “not that deep.” It is that deep. It’s deeper, actually. Violent and dangerous beliefs can and do cause real harm.
Hope: QAA podcast conversation w/ Noelle and Andrew Callahan’s “Dear Kelly”, middle-age man’s radicalization (white lives matter) and his family trying to pull him out of it. And of course check out Page 75 Production’s Site.
Noelle: Use your critical thinking skills before you share anything online
Ep. 234: Community Building As Protest: Porchfest Edition
EQ: How does Tacoma Porchfest exemplify the spirit of Tacoma’s music scene?
Front porches, live music, neighborhood connections, and a whole lot of spirit, Tacomaa Porchfest has become much more than a music festival. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with one of the organizers, Irina Rasputnis to hear how a small community event grew into a citywide celebration of local music, art, and creativity. We talk about the volunteers, performers, and neighbors who make it all happen, the challenge of keeping Porchfest grassroots while it continues to grow, and the impact it has had on the South Sound arts scene. Plus, we get a sneak peek at this year’s biggest Porchfest yet, upcoming fundraising events, and what’s next for this beloved community tradition.
Related Links:
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Go read “The Hidden History of the Front Porch” by Robell Awake from Fast Company Magazine.
Hope: Punktuals–I heard them at last year’s Porchfest and I love them!
Irina: Get out and meet a new neighbor!
Ep. 233: Sex, Identity, and The Stories We Inherit w/ Sex Therapist Laura Rademacher
EQ: How much of our sexuality, relationships, and sense of self are truly our own and how much are shaped by the families, histories, and identities we inherit?
Guest: Laura Rademacher, Director of the Human Sexuality Certificate Program at Southwestern College/New Earth Institute; author of The Principles of Pleasure; Online classes, social media, and more
In this episode, we’re joined by Laura Rademacher, author of The Principles of Pleasure, for a wide-ranging conversation about sexuality, relationships, identity, and what it actually means to know yourself. Laura shares how she found her way into sex therapy and coaching work, the biggest misconceptions people have about the field, and what clients are often really searching for underneath their relationship or sexuality goals. We talk about intimacy beyond sex, how attraction and communication are shaped by both experience and identity, and why an intersectional lens matters so much in conversations around pleasure, connection, and healing. Laura also discusses her work with neurodivergent clients and LGBTQ families, offering insight into mixed-neurotype relationships, parenting under social stigma, and the ways culture, race, and family history can influence how we understand sexuality. The episode also explores ancestral trauma, epigenetics, and the stories we inherit from past generations, whether spoken aloud or quietly carried through family dynamics. Honest, thoughtful, and deeply human, this conversation challenges listeners to think more openly about intimacy, pleasure, and the ways we relate to ourselves and each other.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Please check out Laura’s work and find your own way in to examine your sexuality and sexual experience with renewed self-compassion and openness.
Hope: what Annie said & maybe find a friend/confident you can start to have these conversations with in a safe space.
Laura: notice a time when you were feeling pleasure (how/why/where); find out your family history.
Ep. 232: Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Taking That Trip
EQ: In what ways is travel a means to build empathy and global awareness, how does it serve as an escape from everyday life, and when does it constitute just another form of consumption?
Guest: Lauren Broeseker, Fora Travel Advisor.
Today we’re embarking on a conversation with Fora travel advisor Lauren Broeseker about her transition from the classroom to the travel industry, the difference between being a tourist and being a traveler, and what it means to travel thoughtfully in 2026. Drawing on everything from budget hostels in New York to the ethics of luxury travel, we wrestle with big questions about privilege, empathy, authenticity, and what travel demands of us as guests in other people’s spaces. Inspired in part by Agnes Callard and the 2023 The New Yorker essay “The Case Against Travel,” we examine whether travel broadens perspective or simply reinforces spectatorship. We ask listeners to consider whether the way we move through the world matters just as much as where we go. We also discuss how travel feels different as women, how the global travel landscape has shifted in an increasingly unstable world, why travel advisors still matter in the age of AI and influencers, and what destinations are currently sitting at the top of the bucket list.
Follow along and connect with the guest on Instagram at @blonde_vagabonds and through her newsletter for more travel inspiration and insight.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: shout out Rick Steves! You may not be able to afford Paris in the spring time, especially with the rising cost of jet fuel, but local travel is also helpful for developing the presence of mind, awareness, and self-trust needed for future adventures.
Hope: James Baldwin’s essay “Equal in Paris” (from his collection Notes of a Native Son); Ta’Nehisi Coates book “The Message” therein he talks alot about his experience traveling to Palestine & Israel; Travel in Black and White Oana Cogeanu
Lauren: Rick Steve’s guidebook Travel As a Political Act and Born A Crime (especially the audiobook).
Ep. 231: Creeping In The Shadows with Supreme Court Justices
EQ: What does the recent NYT investigation in the shadow docket and this year’s Supreme Court cases reveal about the current state of the U.S. Constitution and what might they signal for the future of our democracy?
Using a major New York Times investigation into the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket,” in this episode we unpack how a process originally meant for urgent, temporary decisions has increasingly become a powerful, opaque tool shaping national policy without full arguments or clear reasoning. Alongside that, we preview a slate of high-stakes 2026 cases from birthright citizenship and federal regulatory power to gun laws, voting rights, and deportation protections. This episode explores what these developments reveal about the current state of the Constitution, the growing influence of expedited and unreasoned rulings, and what all of it might signal for the future of democratic norms, public trust, and the balance of power in the United States.
Related Resources:
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Read the NYT piece “Inside the 5 Days that Made the Supreme Court” and the Brian Lamar Stoke’s song “Don’t Crash Out”
Annie: Go read about Neil Gorusch and his weird obsession.
Ep. 230: The Glass Cliff Over a Garbage Dump
EQ: What’s happening to the women of the Trump administration and what does their occupational fate say about the state of American culture and politics?
In this episode of IWL, we get into the recent wave of firings and fallout among the women in Donald Trump’s orbit. From Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem getting fired to the heat on Karoline Leavitt and Tulsi Gabbard, we talk through what feels like a pattern and ask who really gets blamed when things go sideways. Pulling from coverage in Slate and analysis from Jill Filipovic, they question whether these women were ever actually protected by the system they supported and why men like RFK Jr. seem to skate by. The conversation also branches into the broader culture, including tradwife messaging at CPAC and viral moments from The View, as we try to make sense of what all of this says about power, gender, and who is really valued.
Related Articles:
There’s a Clear Pattern to Who Trump Throws Under the Bus by Jill Filipovic
The Atlantic Does Heritage Support Discrimination Against Women?
Jessica Valenti (Kate Schatz recommended her blog Abortion Everyday) Selling Oppression
The Cut Trump’s Disposable Women
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Just started the book The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism, and the Lure of Belonging by Noelle Cook who I heard interview on QAA (women + conspiracies + conspirituality)
Annie: Go read the Filipovic article we referenced for most of this episode There’s a Clear Pattern to Who Trump Throws Under the Bus
Ep. 229: They’re Not Real, So Why Am I Crying w/ Author Kate Schatz
EQ: How does writing function as a form of activism, and what does it mean to tell stories that challenge the systems that shaped women’s lives?
We welcome Kate Schatz, feminist author, educator, and public speaker, to our podcast this week to discuss her brand new novel Where the Girls Were, released March 3, 2026. Many listeners may already know her from the bestselling Rad Women Worldwide series or from Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book, which she co-wrote with W. Kamau Bell. In our conversation we discussed the impetus for her activism how it shapes both her fiction and nonfiction writing. From setting to character development, Kate gives insight into the choices for her novel and how she hopes it impacts readers. We could not avoid examining how the text juxtaposes agency and shame in a pre-Roe era and how it’s currently published in a time Roe v. Wade has been overturned.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Rad Women series–great series perfect for a gift for a young woman!
Annie: Pick up Where the Girls Were, available now, from your favorite local indie bookstore
Kate: Support public libraries and check out Jessica Valenti Abortion Everyday
Ep. 228 Sisters, Sinners & Sleuths w/ Author Margot Douaihy
EQ: How is art (and literature) giving us hope in these crazy times?
In this episode we welcome back Margot Douaihy to talk about her newest novel, Divine Ruin, the third installment in the delightfully gritty Sister Holiday mystery series, released January 13, 2026. Our conversation about her new novel launches us into a more philosophical conversation about the relationship between the sacred and the secular, and the materiality of life. From fighting for our art, making a case for broader literacy, to considering how faith, guilt and forgiveness are all intertwined, Margot pushes our thinking about literature and our relationship with words. If that wasn’t enough, we also contemplate whether or not addiction is a moral failing (original sin?!) or something else. We also hear her professional hot-take on the impact of AI on creative writing and poetry.
Related Links:
How to Read Texts, Neal MacCaw
Black Wings Has My Has My Angel, Elliott Chaze
Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, Jose Esteban MuNoz
Do Your Fudging Homework
Annie: Walk, do not run, to read Margot’s work and pick up your own copy of Divine Ruin. You’ll be very glad you did. Support your local bookstore in the process and it’ll be a big win for everyone.
Margot: Danez Smith “For Renee Good”; write a poem of your own!
Ep. 227: Hold On To Your Tinfoil Hats
EQ: How can we hold onto necessary joy in the midst of fascistic dread and existential horrors and alleviate the guilt associated with maintaining healthy boundaries with the daily news?
In this episode, we try to make sense of a truly unhinged February 2026 news cycle, from the slow drip of the Epstein files to the ongoing denials and distractions from Donald Trump, and the growing fear around a militarized federal police force after ICE killings in Minneapolis. We talk through what it feels like to watch the U.S. unravel in real time, including the inside outside perspective of being American abroad, how people in our lives are actually talking about the news, and where current events are quietly (or loudly) breaking relationships. Even cultural touchstones like the Super Bowl feel heavy right now, and we sit with how exhausting it is to live through overlapping crises and nonstop distraction. We also wrestle with all the unverified claims circulating online and how hard it is to filter what we are seeing, while still making the case for rest, small joys, dark humor, and showing up where we can as a way to stay human in a moment that feels overwhelming and absurd.
Do Your Fudging Homework
Annie: Find your glimmers of joy and hope right now. They don’t have to be big, but they have to be yours. Chase after them.
Hope: Book from a long time ago “Hope in the Dark”, Rebecca Solnit, Rebecca Solnit makes a radical case for hope as a commitment to act in a world whose future remains uncertain and unknowable. Oscar nominations (Sinners, Train Dreams, Bugonia is weird an interesting); Moroccan baths folks. Go get scrubbed.
Ep. 226: What’s For Dinner w/ sweetpea flaherty
EQ: What books or trends do you think will define the reading experience for 2026, both for individual readers and the community your bookstore serves?
Guest: We are back with the one and only sweetpea flaherty of King’s Books in Tacoma. sweetpea joined us recently on Ep 214: Shelf Awareness, Ep 196: New Year Fresh Reads, Ep 186: Pumpkin Spice & Bookish Advice and Ep 184: Hot & Steamy Summer Reads
In this episode, we decide to treat book recommendations like meal prep. We refuse to limit the number of apps, mains, or desserts we consume. So, what’s for dinner?
Hors d’oeuvres/Antipasto
The Luminous Fairies and Mothra, Shin'ichiro Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, Yoshie Hotta
Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry by Ada Limón
Madaq: Simple and Delicious Everyday Recipes with the Flavors of Morocco by Nargisse Benkabbou
Main Dishes
Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love by Reverend James Lawson Jr., Emily Yellin
Now I Surrender by Álvaro Enrigue
The Way Disabled People Love Each Other by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
On the Calculation of Volume (Book IV) by Solvej Balle
Intifadas by Edward Salem
A Place for What We Lose: A Daughter's Return to Tule Lake by Tamiko Nimura
Banchan/Side Dishes
Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age by Eleanor Barraclough
When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery
Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane by Lindy West
Wife Shaped Bodies by Laura Cranehill
The Language of Liars by S.L. Huang
Desserts/Aperitifs
Beastly: An Anthology of Shapeshifting Fairy Tales by Jennifer Pullen
Crown City by Naomi Hirahara
Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! By Liza Minelli
City of Rats by Copi
At the Gate: Uncollected Poems 1987–2010 by Lucille Clifton
Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet by Scott Weidensaul
As always, we want to thank our team…
Executive Producer: Doug Mackey
Assistant Producer: Doug Mackey
Sound Producer: Doug Mackey
Audio Engineer: Doug Mackey
Theme Music by: Doug Mackey
Resident Gentleman and Scholar: Doug Mackey
Ep. 225: What Pop Culture Icons Can Teach Us About Economics w/ Swiftynomics Author Misty Heggeness
EQ: How do women’s visible and invisible economic contributions reshape our understanding of the modern economy, and what reforms are needed to recognize and support their full economic power?
In this episode, Annie and Hope sit down with economist and author Misty about her book Swiftynomics: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy, considering how pop culture can help reshape the way we understand economics. Misty explains the origins of the book, the audience she envisioned, and why it was necessary in this moment. Our conversation moves through key themes including reinvention, survival, misogyny, care work, motherhood, and self-investment, highlighting the visible and invisible ways women sustain the economy. Misty unpacks how women’s economic contributions have been historically overlooked and undervalued. We examine how figures like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé provide a lens for understanding women’s economic power within larger structural systems and how making women’s labor visible can support equity, agency, and long-term change across different stages of women’s lives.
Related Resources:
Do Your Fudging Homework
Annie: Swiftynomics will be available January 27th, so consider adding it to your nonfiction TBR.
Hope: If you’re feeling intimate by books about economics, try one! You might be surprised.
Misty: Learn more about Taylor Swift’s inspiration for a couple of her songs by reading Clara Bow or The Bolter
Ep. 224: Goodbye 2025, We Won’t Miss You
EQ: How did 2025 live up to or exceed our expectations?
In this episode of IWL, Hope and Annie look back with humor, honesty, and a healthy dose of side-eye, asking whether the year lived up to expectations at all. From Korean skincare and bold, joyful aesthetics to political wins and AI overload, nonstop global crises, and media consolidation fatigue.
We asked listeners to share their joys, self care secrets and wildest events of the year. Stories range from milestone celebrations and unexpected personal growth to collective rage, political whiplash, and finding comfort in small, grounding rituals. Together, the episode becomes a communal reckoning with a chaotic year, balancing exhaustion and hope while naming the moments that made survival, connection, and even delight possible. Shouts to Channel 253 Members and People’s Pilates
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Ep. 223: The Magic of Christmas Lights w/ Holiday Hero Katy Evans
EQ: From hyper-nostalgic decor to handmade gifts, what are the biggest Christmas trends for 2025 and what do they tell us about the current state of the economy and social cohesion (aka are these just recession indicators wrapped in holiday paper)?
Guest: Katy Evans, author of Confessions of a Christmas Loving American Atheist
Previous appearances on: Ep35: Brickettes, Bags, and Dump Trucks of Coal; Naughty or Nice Part 2: Christmas Cookie Distribution; NerdFarm Ep 49: It’s Cuffing Season
Today’s episode is all about what Christmas means to us! For new and long time listeners, who've never heard the Katy Evans Holiday Hero inception story, we deliver that as well. From stupid Southern Living Holiday trends to Ralph Lauren matching plaid, and what holiday foods make us the most happy, this episode will have you laughing and reminiscing.
Related Links:
Country Living Decoration tips
Jolakottur, the Icelandic Yule Cat
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Eat more simple carbs
Hope: Find some joy and peace with people you love this Christmas.
Katy: Jeannette Winterson “Christmas Days : 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days”; Martha Stewart real eggnog