Madness Cafe

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Trigger warning: violence. If you need to skip this episode to protect your peace, please do so and come back for the next episode. In this week's episode, we talk about how the recent violence against women and people of the global majority is affecting us. Support the show Be part of the conversation by sharing your...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this episode, we talk about the current literacy crisis among both children and adults in the U.S.  Mentioned in or inspiration for this episode: https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/2024-2025-literacy-statistics https://edtrust.org/blog/the-literacy-crisis-in-the-u-s-is-deeply-concerning-and-totally-preventable/...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! This minisode was inspired by an episode of The New York Times podcast The Interview where guests Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor discuss end times fascism. The Interview: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naomi-klein-and-astra-taylor-say-the-end-of-the-world/id1624946521?i=1000789153139 Support the show Be part of the con...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! This month's banned book is The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, the second book in the MaddAdam trilogy. The first book in the trilogy, Oryx and Crake, was discussed in episode 189 which aired on February 6, 2025. We are fortunate to have our dear friend Carolyn Crane of The Whimsy Farm podcast on the show to dis...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! This week's episode features return guest N.G. Avant joining us to discuss her new book Witchy Women: Hammer. In this book, the 4 main characters travel back in time for the greater good of women as well as that of society. Tune in to this episode to hear why storytelling is so important in imagining and bringing about...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We’re back with another banned book discussion; this month’s book is The Giver by Lois Lowry. Tune in to hear our thoughts about The Giver. Mentioned in this episode: https://thisbookisbanned.com/banned/the-giver-banned/ Support the show Support the show Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episod...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! At the young age of 14, guest Linda Gambill decided that she wanted to join the Peace Corps. In her early 20s, Linda took the plunge and became one of the many Peace Corps volunteers in 1978. In her memoir, The Geography of Desire, Linda takes us along as she revisits her time in The Gambia. If you ever wanted to know what...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We're starting a new, periodic series on the show about envisioning matriarchy. This episode is such a great way to start this series. Our guest this week, Sam Cross, literally wrote a book about it - Manifesting Matriarcy. In this episode, we talk about what matriarchy really is, how it can show up now in our daily li...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! It's time for another installment of our Banned Books Series! This time we're discussing Zakiya Dalila Harris' debut novel, The Other Black Girl. Tune in to hear our conversation about the book and what it says about the lack of diverse representation in the publishing industry, tokenism, and what it means to...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this episode, guest Jen Gallagher of Jen Gallagher Counseling LLC joins the show to talk anger and rage in midlife women. In her work as a limited licensed psychologist, owner of Jen Gallagher Counseling LLC, a certified menopause mental health provider and a recovering 'nice girl’, Jen focuses her practice on midli...

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...