Madness Cafe

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! The topic of this minisode is Pink Pill Ideology. Not quite sure what that is - here's the link to the Instagram post that inspired this conversation: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZaBSGMq29F/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Has your social media feed been infiltrated by Pink Pill Ideology? Or y...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “well read”? Books written by a bunch of dead white men probably comes to mind. Thankfully, Glory Edim’s anthology Well-Read Black Girl turns that on its head by focusing on literature written by Black women. Tune in to hear our thoughts. Support the show Be part of the conversati...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Big changes are coming to Madness Cafe! We go into detail about what, when, and why in this episode. Support the show 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...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Erica Baccus and her husband John were faced with the emotionally fraught decision of whether (and then how and when) to end John’s life when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Erica’s book A Promise Kept chronicles their love story and Erica’s promise to honor John’s wish to die with dignity. Death is a topic that our soci...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! The next book in our Banned Books Series is Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. In it, Bechdel dives into her relationship with her father, their sexuality, and his death - all illustrated by the author. Each picture holds true to the adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words“.  Support the show Be part of...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! You’ve seen us cry many times, but this episode feels different. The world is truly complicated and problematic at times - especially now. But, what do we do about it? This is our cry for help. Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash Support the show Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this e...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Narcissism, for good or bad, is a bit of a hot topic right now. But, what do we really know about narcissism? Dr. Susan E. Schwartz comes back to talk to us about narcissism (and love) from the perspective of Jungian analysis.  More about Susan E. Schwartz, PhD: Dr. Schwartz has trained in Switzerland as a Jungian analyst....

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Do Black women and white women experience patriarchy differently? If so, how? This conversation is inspired by a post on Instagram by @bunmisupreme.  The inspiration for this episode: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTx37k6DmE0/?igsh=MWtvMzQwamdna2pjMQ== Support the show Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts a...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! *** Correction: "I did notice one mistake at the end of the conversation regarding a statistic. I said that maternal mortality is 4 women per 1,000 live births in The Netherlands versus 1,000 out of 1,000 live births in other countries. What I meant to say was 4 per 100,000 and 1,000 per 100,000 live births." - Li...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! This month's installment of our Banned Books Series is Kirsten Miller's novel Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books. Joining the discussion this month is fan and friend of the pod Charie Procter (who also happens to be one of Raquel's sorority sisters from their alma mater Vanderbilt University). Th...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! GLP-1s, trad wives, fat phobia, body policing, thinness as a moral imperative, performative masculinity and femininity. Everywhere you turn someone is talking about weight and fascism; but are the two related? We dive into the connection in this week's episode. Join us down this rabbit hole, won't you? What are yo...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this week's episode author Emily Meg Weinstein joins us to discuss her memoir Turn to Stone. Emily does so much more than just chronicle a significant time in her life or regale the reader with tales of her rock climbing adventures, she examines her own fears and desires, leading to realizations that are simultaneou...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this week's episode, we discuss Just Pills: The Extraordinary Story of a Revolution in Abortion Care by Rebecca Kelliher. This book details the history of mifepristone and misoprostol - the two pills used in medication abortions.  Support the show Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episo...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! This month's installment of our Banned Books Series is all about The Vagina Monologues - the play written by V (formerly known as Eve Ensler) in 1994. "Based on dozens of interviews V conducted with women, the play addressed women’s sexuality and the social stigma surrounding rape and abuse, creating a new convers...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We talk often on this show about the collapse of patriarchy, listening to new and different voices and perspectives, and the envisioning of a new way forward for society. It's also important to talk about how women are supporting patriarchy. This week's guest is one of those voices examining our present while envi...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Content warning: In this week's episode, we share our thoughts about The Epstein Files. This is a heavy topic riddled with powerful emotions. Please take care of yourself and prepare yourself however you need to in order to listen. Or sit this one out if that is what is best for you.  Support the show Be part of the co...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Although this week's guest, Melissa Tiers, focuses professionally on coaching the unconscious mind via hypnosis, she speaks passionately and often on social media about issues near and dear to our hearts here at Madness Cafe; specifically, patriarchy, decentering men, and how we've all been primed to act (and, yes...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! 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...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! 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 gu...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! 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 experience...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! "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 f...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! 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 temp...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! 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 e...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! 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 disc...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! 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. Support the show Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have le...