Big Mood, Little Mood with Daniel M. Lavery

Prudence is joined this week by Harron Walker, a staff writer at Out magazine, whose work has appeared on Jezebel, BuzzFeed, Vulture, Vice, and Them. Together they tackle letters about how to create a safe space for your child who is showing signs of being transgender, should you worry that your girlfriend has been in therapy for 9 years, what to do when you find out your twin sister has been tras...

Prudence is joined this week by Aymann Ismail, an award-winning podcast host, video editor, photographer, and writer at Slate whose work focuses on identity and religion. He currently hosts Man Up , an interview podcast about men and relationships, family, race, and sex. Together they dig into letters about how to handle a boyfriend who’s frustrated because you travel for work half the year, what...

Prudence is joined this week by essayist Jackie Hedeman, whose nonfiction has appeared in The Best American Travel Writing 2017 , Entropy , Autostraddle , and elsewhere. Together they tackle letters about a what to do when you have a former patient who keeps demanding you take them back, how to handle a housemate who has habit of oversharing when he drinks, how to decide to cut off your toxic pare...

This week finds Dear Prudence live on stage at The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington. Recorded on March 20th, 2019, Prudie was joined onstage by author and assistant professor of English at UC Berkeley, Grace Lavery. Together they dig into letters about what to do when you desire a life that’s more than caring for your mother in law, how to handle a friend whose belief that you broke he...

This week finds Dear Prudence live on stage at The Bell House in Brooklyn. Recorded on March 13th, 2019, Prudie was joined onstage by Jezebel writer, Jasmine Sanders. Together they dig into letters about what to do when the kids you nanny are beyond out of control, how to handle a friend who dumps on you, but never listens to your problems, what to do with a fiancé who’s forgetfulness of basic thi...

This week finds Dear Prudence live on stage at The Hamilton in Washington DC. Recorded on March 12th, 2019, Prudie was joined onstage by the host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, Linda Holmes. Together they tackle letters about how to decide if you should cut ties with a sister who violated your trust, how to handle jealousy when your wife easily get gigs that you’ve struggled your whole life to g...

This week finds Dear Prudence live on stage at the Brava Theater Center in San Francisco. Recorded on March 7th, 2019, Prudie was joined onstage by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory. Jasmine’s books include The Wedding Date , The Proposal, and the forthcoming The Wedding Party .  Together they dig into letters about how to handle your bestie’s new friends that leave you feeling al...

This week finds Dear Prudence live on stage at The Soiled Dove Underground in Denver Colorado. Recorded on March 6th, 2019, Prudie was joined by writer Nicole Cliffe, who currently runs Slate’s Care and Feeding advice column, and was Daniel Ortberg’s former partner at The Toast. Together they dig into letters about what to do when you feel disconnected from your life that actually looks pretty goo...

Prudence is joined this week by writer Helen Rosner. She is the food correspondent for The New Yorker, and a former editor at places like Eater, Saveur, and New York Magazine. Together they tackle letters about what to do when a lonely neighbor treats you  as if you were her grandchild, what to do when a member of your fine dining club can no longer afford to pay, but insists on coming anyway, how...

Prudence is joined this week by Sarah Shourd, a multi-media journalist based in Oakland, California. Her work combines fiction with rigorous journalism to elevate marginalized voices. She’s now working collaboratively on a graphic novel as a JSK Fellow at Stanford. Together they tackle letters about what to do when you find yourself with diminishing social invitations because of your sickliness, h...

Prudence is joined this week by writer and artist, John Leavitt, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, Motherboard, Racked, And Marvel Comics. Together they tackle letters about what to do when your husband requests consent for any and all physical contact, what to consider when you don’t feel the same sense of romance that your wife wants, what to do when your dad surprises you by taking you...

Prudence is joined this week by Janet Cheatham Bell, who left her position as a textbook editor in 1984 to become a consultant to authors, the book publishing industry, and to produce her own books. She recently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to be near her three amazing granddaughters. Together they tackle letters about what to do when you inadvertently become your lover’s therapist, how to...

Prudence is joined this week by Justine D'Souza, a social media community management professional who also works for a youth helpline. Outside of work, she enjoys performing in operas, plays, and musicals. Together they tackle letters about what to do when your deceased friend’s mom finds you in social media and sends messages about her grief, how should you handle finding out your husband doesn’t...

Prudence is joined this week by Favianna Rodriguez, an interdisciplinary artist, cultural organizer, and political activist based in Oakland, California. Her art addresses migration, economic inequality, gender justice, and ecology. She is also the Executive Director of CultureStrike, a national arts organization that engages artists, writers and performers in migrant rights. Together they tackle...

Prudence is joined this week by Martha Rynberg, an Oakland based writer and performer. She is the principal director of the Solo Performance Workshop, and is getting an online masters degree in how to keep cats from scratching on leather furniture. Together they tackle letters about what to do when your coworkers never show up for your important life events, how to decide whether to tell a friend...

Prudence is joined this week by a close personal, if not a bit judgmental, friend, Maddie Chavez. Maddie’s judgements are known to be true of heart and strong of will.    Together they tackle letters about how to handle a boyfriend who thinks you’re perfect and blames himself for everything, how to come clean from the tall tales you once told as a teen, how to tell your husband after many years th...

Prudence is joined this week by writer and film critic Willow Maclay. Maclay runs the website Curtsies and Hand Grenades , and is co-author of the upcoming book Corpses, Fools and Monsters: An Examination of Transgender Cinema .  Together they tackle letters about how to get along with the normal but sometimes annoying family that took you in, what to do when you can no longer afford the travel ex...

Prudence is joined this week by journalist and comedian Francesca Fiorentini. Fiorentini is a correspondent with Explorer on the National Geographic Channel and a regular guest on The Young Turks. She’s also the host and creator of The Bitchuation Room podcast. Together they take on letters about how to handle a neighbor who keeps trying to kiss you and is also your wife’s good friend, should you...

Prudence is joined this week by author and activist, Ebony Adams. Adams is the co-host of the podcast, Feminist Frequency Radio, along with Anita Sarkeesian and Carolyn Petit. She is also the co-author of the recently published History vs Women: The Defiant Lives That They Don’t Want You To Know.  Together they dig into letters about how to handle a missed anniversary by your perpetually tardy boy...

Facing an empty guest chair, Prudence grabs Phil Surkis, the producer of the Dear Prudence podcast , and takes him on a journey through Prudie’s past, revisiting a few of the memorable letters of 2018. Prudie and guests Anna Luberoff, Jess Reynolds, Justine D’Souza, Baby Ange, Paola Dayanan, Myq Kaplan, and Kim Brinckerhodff, take on letters about whether you should tell your boss you attended a h...

Prudence is joined this week by Julia Furlan, a Brooklyn-based journalist and podcast maker who is trying to learn how to hold a grudge. Together they take on letters about what to do when racist thoughts influence your choice of sperm donor, should you leave your stable job to take the family on a year long sailing trip, how to approach the “do you want kids” question on first dates, what actions...

Prudence is joined this week by writer Soraya McDonald, the culture critic for The Undefeated on ESPN. Previously, she wrote about pop culture for the Washington Post, focusing on issues surrounding race, gender, and sexuality. Together, they dig into letters about what to do with your unused fertility drugs that are taking up precious fridge space, how to handle an unstable mother-in-law who’s ad...

Prudence is joined this week by San Francisco writer Laura Turner, who also happens to be Prudie’s older sister. Together, they tackle letters about what actions to take when you’re friends with a married couple who abuse each other, what to do when your boss schedules the holiday party on your religious day of rest, should you have another baby even though the fate of your marriage is uncertain,...

Prudence is joined this week by Chris Randle, a New York based writer who came here from Canada. He's written for places like Hazlitt, The New York Times Magazine, Pitchfork, and Real Life. Together, they dig into letters about how to handle a brother who is weirded out because he’s dating your ex, how to decide if you should you help someone in your friends circle who’s not actually your friend,...

Prudence is joined this week by Sophie Bee, a writer, speaker, nightlife promoter, and activist. She has written about film, music, queerness, and sex work. She is an organizer with Support Ho(s)e, a Chicago and New York City based collective advocating for sex worker rights. Together, they tackle letters about what to do when your ex-wife tells your daughter that you are to blame for their divorc...