Big Mood, Little Mood with Daniel M. Lavery

Danny Lavery welcomes Leslie Cohen-Rubury , a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and host of “Is My Child a Monster?”, A Parenting Therapy Podcast. Lavery and Cohen-Rubury offer advice to someone who’s parents might interfere with her decision to be a surrogate mother for her friends. Another letter writer is wondering how to tell their mom about being abused by their teacher when they were 16. Also...

Danny Lavery welcomes Halle Kiefer, a Senior ComedyWriter at Crooked Media, and Alison Leiby, a New York based comedian. Together, Kiefer and Leiby host Crooked Media’s weekly horror film podcast, Ruined. Lavery, Kiefer and Leiby offer advice to someone who’s rapidly approaching burn-out at work. Another letter writer is wondering what to do about their therapist, which has started to feel unsafe....

Danny Lavery welcomes Alo Johnston, author of Am I Trans Enough , and co-host of the Wondermind podcast, Baggage Drop. Lavery and Johnston offer advice to someone considering how to reveal their crush, and another letter writer who feels disappointment that their college friend decided to detransition. Plus, a listener's response to a recent letter titled “Vacation Friends”. Need advice? Send Dann...

Danny Lavery welcomes Sequoia B. Holmes, host and creator of the pop culture podcast Black People Love Paramore. Lavery and Holmes offer advice to someone who is tired of her friend complaining about her ailments. Another letter writer is starting to wonder why their partner is with them. Plus, the story behind Black People Love Paramore, and a pro tip on how to keep your cereal crunchy. Need advi...

Danny Lavery welcomes Emma Gray, author of A Girls’ Guide To Joining The Resistance , and Claire Fallon, a culture critic based in New York. Together, Gray and Fallon host the podcast, Love To See It , a snarky but affectionate dissection of dating reality shows Lavery and Gray and Fallon offer advice to someone who is trying to cope with racist coworkers. Another letter writer is concerned about...

Danny Lavery welcomes Laura Cathcart Robbins, the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Stash: My Life In Hiding , and host of the podcast, The Only One In The Room. Lavery and Robbins offer advice to someone who is wondering if they can handle a bad boss and salvage their dream job. Another letter writer is wondering why she is always confused by family and social etiquette. Also, a deep div...

Danny Lavery welcomes Kaitlynn Bartley, a Higher Education working in Residence Life, and Nicole Fusco, an epidemiologist. Lavery, Bartley and Fusco offer advice to someone who is wondering how to stop having a crush on their boss. Another letter writer is afraid they won’t live up to their new friend’s expectations. Plus, a lighting round letter about getting over a breakup.  Need advice? Send Da...

Danny Lavery welcomes Ben Miller, co-author of the book, Bad Gays: A Homosexual History , and co-host of the podcast, Bad Gays, along with Huw Lemmey. Lavery and Miller offer advice to someone who is wondering if it’s okay to offer a DIY transition option to their boyfriend. Another letter wants to avoid any and all conversations having to do with astrology. Plus, a deep dive into Miller’s book, B...

Danny Lavery welcomes Seth Dirlam, a law school career counselor. Lavery and Dirlam offer advice to someone who is wondering how to stop resenting her best friends after a vacation gone awry. Another letter writer wants to support their friends who are figuring out their gender identities, without overstepping.  Need advice? Send Danny a question here . Email: mood@slate.com If you enjoy this show...

Danny Lavery welcomes Kimi Culp, a multimedia producer, and the host of All the Wiser, a podcast about finding hope and possibility on the other side of pain. Lavery and Culp offer advice to someone who is concerned about the magazine selection in her dentist’s office. Another letter writer is wondering how to deal with a mother-in-law who freaked out up upon discovering her sex toys. Plus, a list...

Danny Lavery welcomes Dr. Orna Guralnik, a psychoanalyst and writer, and the host of the Showtime Docu-series, Couples Therapy. Lavery and Guralnik offer advice to someone who is nervous about initiating a kiss on a fourth date. Another letter writer wants to protect her nephew from her sister’s toxic family. Plus, a lighting round question about rainbow flags. Need advice? Send Danny a question h...

Danny Lavery welcomes Cyndie Spiegel, author of the book, Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life is Not Okay. Lavery and Spiegel offer advice to someone who is uncomfortable bringing up financial privilege among their friend group. Another letter writer wants to sever ties with her mom, but there’s one complication. Also, Spiegel shares the inspiration behind her book, Microjoys. Need advi...

Danny Lavery welcomes Zak Rosen, a Detroit-based story maker who created and hosts the podcast, The Best Advice Show , and co-hosts Slate’s parenting podcast, Mom and Dad are Fighting .  Lavery and Rosen offer advice to someone who’s wondering if he should be concerned about a cashier's creepy behavior. Another letter writer is wondering how to cope in a less than desirable living environment. Plu...

Danny Lavery welcomes Kristen Meinzer, an award-winning podcaster and author, and Jolenta Greenberg, a New York-based comedian and author. Together, Meinzer and Greenberg host a new podcast called How To Be Fine, where they discuss wellness-related questions and help debunk all the self-help myths and promises. Lavery, Meinzer and Greenberg give advice to someone who is feeling under appreciated b...

Danny Lavery welcomes Tuck Woodstock, a journalist, educator, and the host of the podcast Gender Reveal.  Lavery and Woodstock give advice to someone wondering why they’re suddenly identifying with their birth sex five years into their transition. Another letter writer is concerned about coming out to their social media following. A third letter is about fearing you are no longer attractive to you...

Danny Lavery welcomes Gabe Mollica, a comedian, storyteller and writer in Astoria, Queens. Lavery and Mollica tackle two letters. First, from a letter writer who’s wondering how to talk to her best friend who is a contrarian. Another letter writer is losing her connection with her father, as he believes that COVID is fake. Plus, Mollica shares the inspiration for his off-Broadway show, Solo. Need...

Danny Lavery welcomes comedian, actor, and host of the Beautiful/Anonymous podcast, Chris Gethard.  Lavery and Gethard take on three letters. First, from a letter writer who is terrified about the unknowns of transitioning. Another letter writer is wondering if their standards are too high when dating. Our third letter is from someone who wishes they could get over their resistance to polyamory. P...

Danny Lavery welcomes Kate Duffy, a New York based licensed clinical social worker. Lavery and Duffy tackle two letters. First, from a letter writer who wants to date someone who her best friend just broke up with. Another letter writer who is concerned that a friend’s issues around food is breaking apart their friendship. Need advice? Send Danny a question here . Email: mood@slate.com If you enjo...

Danny Lavery welcomes Sharon Lurye, a data journalist based in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Lavery and Lurye take on two letters. First, from a letter writer who can’t get her ex-boyfriend to pay her back. Another letter writer wants to help her freshman roommate get her life back. Plus an update from the letter “Resentfully In Love”. Finally, Lavery reads a letter with the subject, “Mad About Masking...

Danny Lavery welcomes Amy S. Choi and Rebecca Lehrer, co-hosts of the new podcast series from The Mash-Up Americans titled, Grief, Collected. Lavery and Choi and Lehrer tackle two letters. First, from a letter writer who is engaged to someone they may be sexually incompatible with. Another letter writer is wondering how to return an ornament to an ex who stalked her during their breakup. Plus, a d...

Danny Lavery welcomes Sunshine, a Digital Content Producer for the National Birth Equity Collaborative, an organization that fights for the maternal, infant, sexual, and reproductive wellbeing of Black people who can birth.  In a surprise twist on today’s show, Sunshine revealed that they had written a letter which Danny read on our Praise with No Raise episode last year. We recommend checking out...

Here's a special treat for all of you Big Mood, Little Mood listeners: Daniel M. Lavery is excited to introduce to you the new Dear Prudence podcast with Jenée Desmond-Harris. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast listening platform! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danny Lavery welcomes Daniela Taplin Lundberg, a film producer and the host of the Hollywood Gold podcast. She is the Founder of Stay Gold Features, an independent film finance and production company.  Lavery and Taplin Lundberg take on two letters. First, from someone who is wondering how to approach ending a friendship she previously promised she wouldn’t. Another letter writer wants to reduce t...

Danny Lavery welcomes Marie Manner, a research and development data scientist. Lavery and Manner take on two letters. First, from someone who is wondering if it’s okay she doesn’t have a big reason to cut her father from her life. Another letter writer is wondering if she should pursue a long-time crush. Need advice? Send Danny a question here . Email: mood@slate.com If you enjoy this show, please...

Danny Lavery welcomes Bay Ryan, a postgraduate ecologist. Lavery and Ryan tackle two letters. First, from someone who is frustrated by loved ones who don’t take COVID precautions seriously. Another letter writer feels struggles to say any back after his partner says anything romantic. Plus, the latest on daylight saving time. Need advice? Send Danny a question here . Email: mood@slate.com If you e...