Dr. Waffle & Friends

Our guest writer this week is the fabulous Mary Miller, who reads a short essay that appeared in McSweeney's —all about how her uncle was maybe not as famous as she had always thought. She and Dr. Waffle discuss music, fame, writing, ambition, big families, the South, storytelling, and storytelling in the South. TAGS: Cliff Thomas Trio; Lloyd Price; Elvis Presley; Graceland; Sun Studio; Ameri...

It's a brand new season of Dr. Waffle & Friends! (In case you haven't noticed, a "new season" usually means that a few months of extreme busyness has kept Dr. Waffle from making any new episodes for a while....) We're kicking off Season 4 with a corker -- a timely episode about New Zealand (for all those thinking about repatriating for any reason) and a Special Mystery...

Guest writer Cannon Schmitt reads an essay about becoming a surfer later in life, and Dee and Cannon discuss the spiritual aspects of sports, what it means to give up on mastery, parallels between surfing and writing, and so much more! TAGS: surfing; William Finnegan's Barbarian Days ; spirituality; Baptist Church; Georgia; writing; academia; Buddhism; Nicholson Baker; the Levenger catalogue...

In this episode, Dr. Waffle welcomes another guest interviewer, close friend (and baker and pianist extraordinaire ) Maura Glennon. Dee and Mo discuss the pains and pleasures (and pains) of home ownership, dealing with repair people, the fear of being an asshole, some light politics, and the difficulties of building community. TAGS: Vancouver; Oxford, Mississippi; Carnegie Hall; Florence Pie Bar S...

Dr. Waffle welcomes her first guest writer, Melissa Cole! In this episode, Melissa reads an essay about writing an essay that appeared in Newsweek and the blowback that ensued. She and Dr. Waffle discuss women’s bodily autonomy, the right to privacy, the public personas of authors, the writing process, and so much more! TAGS: Newsweek ; Sandra Tsing Loh; Roe v Wade; Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health...

Welcome to Season Three of Doctor Waffle & Friends! It’s a whole new recipe, containing 50% more Friends! Beginning with this episode, our new format will alternate episodes in which Dr. Waffle reads an essay and is interviewed by a Friend, and episodes in which a guest writer reads an essay and is interviewed by Dr. Waffle. In the first episode of the new season, Dee shares an essay about Jes...

In this episode, Tania’s story cues us up to FINALLY talk about "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and we share favorite moments, relationships, and themes. We also discuss watching TV with friends, TV you have to pay attention to, and people who talk during TV shows. And we say farewell to a friend of Dr. Waffle and make room for new friends.     TAGS: Thirtysomething , The Bear , Dark, Buffy...

In this episode, Dee shares her lifelong obsession with candy bars, and she and Tania discuss the Great American Candy Bar Hierarchy, milk vs. dark chocolate, the dynamics of sharing dessert, judgmental waiters, recovered memory, and so much more. TAGS: Cadbury; Snickers; Zagnut; New Zealand; attachment theory Spoilers for Thelma and Louise and The Mill on the Floss Take the candy bar interiors qu...

In this episode, Tania reads an excerpt from her forthcoming book and she and Dee discuss stress about politics, political parties, political polarization, Canadian politics, Mississippi politics, and dislike of talking about politics. TAGS: Facing the Fracture: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation Spoilers for the 2016 U.S. Presidential election Find out more about Facing...

In this episode, Dee reflects on the nature of good and evil and she and Tania discuss serial killers, Prince, and elementary-school musicals. TAGS: serial killers; Serial ; Undisclosed ; S-Town ; Civil War ; Prince; Trader Joe’s; fava beans; Casebook of a Crime Psychiatrist ; James Brussel; Malcolm Gladwell; Michael Hobbes; If Books Could Kill ; Manichaeism; Buddhist causes and conditions; Sigmun...

In this episode, Tania reads a love story, and we chat about limerence, COVID, FOMO, and keeping the spark alive. Tags: Love and Limerence by Dorothy Tennov; Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel; The Art of Gathering by  Priya Parker Spoilers for “Modern Family” Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, subscribe, and share so more folks can find us. FOLLOW us @drwaffl...

In this episode, Deanna talks—a lot—about the The Music Man , and then she and Tania discuss musicals, con artistry, repressed sexuality, billiards vs. pool, Gilbert & Sullivan, Ikea furniture, and so much more. Tags: Meredith Willson, The Music Man , Pirates of Penzance , Lithuania, South Park Spoilers for The Music Man , Breakfast at Tiffany’s Deanna says she still can’t remember what drum s...

In this episode, Tania shares a story that might be a poem, and we chat about bisexual haiku (#biku), The Big Lebowski , men’s vulnerability, the challenges marginalized people have recognizing their own privilege, and patriarchy. Tags: Eve Sedgwick; Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market; Battle of the Sexes Spoilers for Forgetting Sarah Marshall Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please r...

In this episode, Dee recalls* when she was the subject of a memory experiment, and we chat about trivia, game shows, Leonard Bernstein, feline song lyrics, and Tania’s crush on Alex Trebek. [*See what we did there?] TAGS: Jeopardy! ; What’s My Line   Spoilers for Episode #8004 of Jeopardy! Link to Tania’s uncle’s appearance on What’s My Line? Link to Rob’s appearance on Jeopardy! Thanks for listen...

In this episode, Tania answers the age-old question, “Have you ever been married?” We talk about Jewish weddings, Vegas weddings, green card weddings, secret weddings, same-gender weddings, and David Sedaris. TAGS: The Essential Guide to Lesbian and Gay Weddings ; J. L. Austin, How to Do Things with Words Spoilers for “The Office” All about Mormon polygamous sects in British Columbia Thanks for li...

Welcome to Season Two of Doctor Waffle & Friends ! (We completely, totally, 100% planned this season break for exactly right now.) In the first episode of the new season, Dee shares an essay about smoking, the South, and passive-aggression. Tania and Dee discuss Tania’s new book, extending grace to people we disagree with, getting back at people through writing, long Covid, Buddhism, the vagus...

It’s a podcast about a play about a soap opera! In this episode, we perform a memoir play Tania wrote about All My Children , and we discuss network TV, ancient technology, small communities, and so much more. TAGS: All My Children ; Lee Press-On Nails; soap operas; DVDs; Michael E. Knight; Sarah Michelle Gellar; "Soap Dish"; the actors and writers strike Spoilers for All My Children , J...

In this episode, Dee tells a story about a homicidal camel that somehow ends up being about everything else—including Frankenstein , Chekhov, and hoagies—and we welcome our first guest! Spoilers for Frankenstein . Listen to Matt tell the camel story. TAGS: Karl Jung; shadow self; camels; murder; Mexico; Coca-Cola; Amoroso Bread Company; Philadelphia; Jacques Derrida; Anton Chekhov; Colonel Sanders...

In this episode, we explore Tania’s spoiler phobia and discuss the challenges of being related to a memoirist, PowerPoint pedagogy, etiquette, and—as usual—Taylor Swift. Spoilers for the fact that a TV show exists, but only in the vaguest terms. TAGS: Buffy the Vampire Slayer ; the Marvel Comic Universe; Taylor Swift; Hamilton . The David Sedaris essay Dee mentions , entitled “Repeat After Me.” Th...

Is everyone as neurotic as Deanna about throwing parties? Is anyone? In this episode Tania and Dee explore the philosophy of entertaining, generational etiquette differences, cartes de visite , karaoke, Buddhist ragers, and so much more. Spoilers for Mrs Dalloway , War and Peace , and Anna Karenina . TAGS: Parties; Gen X; Buddhism; karaoke; neuroticism One of Dee’s favorite recipes for frozen (mak...

How does a middle-aged woman who has never heard a Taylor Swift song become a die-hard fan? In this episode, Tania recounts her transformation from Taylor novice to Swiftie. Also, Dee and Tania discuss their inability to write fiction, getting caught off guard by emotions, fan girling, their relationships with music, limerence, connections to podcasters, and of course, Taylor Swift. Info on adoles...

Deanna avenges herself on her elementary school nemesis, we discuss the difference between “stories” and “essays,” and we conclude that theater geeks are better than jocks. Listen to Dee sing the little-known intro to “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” and thus demonstrate why she never aspired to be a musical theater star. PLEASE NOTE: The name on the podcast title doesn't match the name...

In this episode, Tania reads a story, we talk about fear of nature, and once again invoke Michelle Obama’s memoir. [Spoilers for Gone With the Wind] Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, subscribe, and share so more folks can find us. FOLLOW us @drwafflepod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook EMAIL us at DrWafflePod@gmail.com Read DEANNA’S ESSAYS at doctorwaffle.s...

In this episode Deanna disparages a variety of activities and recommends others, particularly walking, with certain caveats. [Major spoilers for Tess of the d'Urbervilles] Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, subscribe, and share so more folks can find us. FOLLOW us @drwafflepod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook EMAIL us at DrWafflePod@gmail.com Read DEANN...

In this episode, Tania reads a short memoir piece and introduces her suggestible muse; we talk about #Charlottesville, race relations, and Southerners; and we invoke memoirists Michelle Obama, Bruce Springsteen, and Trevor Noah. [Spoilers for Mad Men and Greek mythology] Tania expresses her appreciation to Greg Prieto and Raquel Bernaldo for introducing her to the activity that inspired this piece...