Madness Cafe

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! This month's selection is The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid. Published in 2022, The Last White Man is the fifth novel by the British Pakistani novelist and consultant Mohsin Hamid. Written as an extended allegory, it tells the story of an unnamed town in an unnamed country whose white inhabitants have all begun to cha...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, poverty continues to be a seemingly unsolvable issue in the United States. But is it really unsolvable? This week's guest, Devon Gray, argues that poverty is a problem that can be solved. In this episode, we speak with Devon about possible solutions that could p...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this episode we speak with guest Anika Pavel about her memoir Encounter with the Future, chronicling her journey from childhood in communist Czechoslovakia to her experience as an immigrant to her life now as a writer. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Every life tells a story, and Anika's is no exception...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this episode, we have the genuine pleasure of chatting with our Super Fan Susannah Cragwick! After all of the mutual admiration, we dove into Susannah's incredible story of redefining herself after growing up in a high control, conservative religious environment, adjusting to living in a foreign country where she do...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Welcome to the 2nd installment of our Banned Books Series! This month's book is Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, a 2003 novel that Atwood described as speculative fiction rather than pure science fiction because it doesn't deal with things we can't yet do but goes beyond the amount of realism she associ...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Given the amount of mis- and disinformation in the news it's increasingly important that we make smarter decisions about the news we consume and where we get it. But how do we do that? Our guest, journalist and anchor, Jasmine Styles talks to us about what we need to keep in mind when figuring out where to go for accur...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Porn's influence is everywhere - just take a look around. But what is it like to work in the porn industry as a writer, to have a view behind the curtain. Robert Rosen's book Beaver Street: A History of Modern Pornography gives the reader a view that isn't often discussed. Tune in to hear about Robert's...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In many ways, the country (and possibly the world) is trying to make sense of the 2024 election and what lies ahead. We’re doing the same. Join the postmortem and let us know how you’re processing Trump’s reelection.  Support the show Be part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Welcome to the 1st installment of our Banned Books Series! In this episode, we discuss George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto. This is a beautiful and important book. Tune in to hear our reactions to and understanding of All Boys Aren't Blue. Afterwards, let us know your thoughts about t...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Sometimes a poem or a piece of writing just speaks to you. In the first book of our Banned Book Series, All Boys Aren't Blue, George M. Johnson talks about Paul Laurence Dunbar's We Wear the Mask - a poem that has significant meaning for Raquel.  Share with us a poem or piece of writing that has impacted you! Supp...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Have you ever wondered why you react in certain ways or why you have particular feelings or aches and pains? It turns out that a lot of it is based in childhood. It's our subconscious blueprint. Although there are a number of helpful techniques to uncover our blueprint, one very helpful tool is rapid transformational t...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Regardless of whether you are tuned in to popular "news", chances are pretty good that you've heard something about the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni saga. We dive in with our opinions about this debacle in this minisode. What are your thoughts about all of this? Mentioned in this episode: Eve: How the Fema...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this week’s episode we’re telling y’all about one of the ways that we are striking back at Project 2025 - we’re doing  a banned book series in 2025! For each month of the coming year we’ll discuss a book that has been banned. In hopes that y’all will join us in this reading journey, the list of all of the books in the se...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We're trying something a bit different here at Madness Cafe - minisodes! These are a chance for us to pop in from time to time when we feel the urge to chat a little about a timely topic in the zeitgeist. Our very first minisode is about Black trad wives. We have opinions! (Shocker!)  What do you think about Black trad...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! What is ethical non-monogamy? Is it the same as polyamory? Are we talking about swinging? We're talking about all that and more with Lauren Hayes, a relationship coach specializing in supporting ethically non-monogamous (ENM) couples, including swingers and the ENM-curious. You might be surprised about what you learn i...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! How much do we really know about our parents, grandparents, and our family history? How do they fit into the backdrop of history as a whole? Susan Servais' mother Kathe Mueller Slonim gave her family the gift of her story in the book Escape From Dachau: A True Story of Survival, Courage, and A Daring Escape in the Face...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! In this week's episode, we discuss Varuni Sinha's memoir, Golden Handcuffs: An Immigrant's Pursuit of Happiness. Varuni, a New York-based writer and multimedia producer, describes her book as a story of love, strength, and resilience written with the intention of spreading peace and harmony. Golden Handcuffs...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Sexual abuse is objectively a difficult topic. Even more so when the predator is your father. Cindy Benezra knows this all too well; her predator was her father. In her memoir, Under the Orange Blossoms, Cindy shares her story, along with how she healed, in the hopes of helping others.  Behind the accomplished author, speak...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Magic mushrooms, plant medicine, psilocybin - what came to mind when you read those words? If you grew up in the 80s, "just say no" probably popped up. But are all drugs bad? Can their powers be used for good? Sometimes, yes. Specifically, psilocybin. We talk about this (and so much more!) with guest Leslie Draffi...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! After a few days of processing the results of the election, we talk through our feelings about what happened, what's to come, our fears and hopes, and our plans going forward. The conversation doesn't stop here, and it doesn't stop with us; after you listen, please share your thoughts and feelings. Community...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! We read and discussed Stacey Abrams' Our Time Is Now before the results of the 2024 election were announced. We were excited and hopeful and wanted to share Stacey's message, information and talented wordsmithing with everyone. We're in a very different emotional space right now, but we still want everyone to...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Return guest Christina Reynolds, Senior Vice President of Communications and Content at EMILYs List, is back to talk about the book that she co-wrote with the President of EMILYs List Stephanie Schriock - Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World. Timely topic, no? But trust that the lessons in the book...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! So many people walk through life wearing a mask, disconnected from themselves. How can we drop the mask and reconnect? According to this week's guest, Gao Motsemme, we have to get to the core of the issue and connect to source. That's how we get to the sexual and creative energy that the patriarchy is so afraid of...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Words matter. Words have power. Art is powerful. We explore just how powerful words, art, and poetry can be with guests Tara Bracco and Karla Jackson-Brewer. Tune in to hear some of that power as Karla reads a portion of one of her poems included in the book, Poetic People Power. For 20 years, the New York City-based spoken...

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode! Sensitive, empathic, overwhelmed? Can you relate? Do you know someone who can? How can you protect yourself? How can you manage overwhelm in this time of chaos? This week's guest, Abby Humphrey, talks to Raquel and Jennifer about what can help. Abby Humphrey has been practicing acupuncture in Ann Arbor since 1999. In 2...