Nice Jewish Fangirls

The Nice Jewish Fangirls are back, and talking all things Jewish and futures! Michal, Tamar, and SM interview Michael Burstein and Ian Randal Strock, editors of the new Jewish Futures anthology of science fiction. They discuss the inspiration, process, and surprises behind the project — including “Moon Melody,” SM’s contribution to the book! This week’s current obsessions include adventures in cra...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls return to hold a series of interlocking discussions on meta-narratives! Using the upcoming Pesach holiday as springboard, the Fangirls talk about the nature of stories within stories, the purposes they serve, and the ones that stick with us from year to year. This week’s current obsessions are all about the small screen - Resident Alien on SyFy, Severance on AppleTV+, and...

The Bottle Episode (Episode 56) In honor of the holiday of Purim, the Nice Jewish Fangirls converge to discuss a favorite television phenomenon: The bottle episode! What appeals to us about this kind of TV? Is necessity the mother of our favorite episodes? And what does the future hold for these tightly-written TV installments? For this week's current obsessions, the fangirls share their favorite...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls convene urgently (but not with haste) for the final installment of our Middot Mussar series! The fangirls debate the definition of “zerizut,” discuss how this trait links back to the first in the series, and explore its applications in fandom and fiction. Plus… singing? This week’s obsessions include the novel Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory, as narrated by Ari Fliakos, and...

What an honor to podcast for you! This week, the Nice Jewish Fangirls discuss the trait of honor (kavod) from fandom to reality. How is honor portrayed in fiction? Is it the same trait that the Middot Mussar refer to? What can we we learn from the nuances between these definitions, and how can we bring honor into our daily lives? This week’s obsessions include the online game Wordle, the Talmudic...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls form a trust circle to discuss the attribute of… well, trust (bitachon)! How does trust play a role in fiction and fandom? What’s the difference between trust and faith? And what lessons can we take into the real world, beyond the stories we love? This week’s obsessions include fantasy enamel pins, Morality for Muggles by Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg and narrated by SM, and a con...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls come together to talk about hakaras hatov — gratitude — the third of the Middot Mussar! Why is this trait different (and perhaps harder) than all other traits? Is it something we find easily in our favorite stories? How can gratitude help us become better fans, and better people as we engage in culture and entertainment? This week’s obsessions include the “squishy” astrona...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls converge to discuss the second of the Middot Mussar: Nedivut -- generosity. Is being generous a value explored often in modern fiction? Where can we find it, and where can we find it lacking? And what role does generosity play in the real world of fandom and critical culture? This week’s obsessions include the Libby app (and libraries in general), Spider-Man: No Way Home,...

In their 50th episode, the Nice Jewish Fangirls converge to discuss "savlanut" (patience), the first of the Middot Mussar. Which characters and storylines most embody this trait? When is it a source of struggle, and why? Is impatience always a negative trait? And what can these stories tell us about our own journeys toward becoming more patient and accepting people? This week's obsessions include...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls return to share what they've been up to over the past year -- and of course, talk about all of the books, TV series, movies, weird preoccupations, podcasts, and skills they've become obsessed with! (Spoiler alert: It's a lot of things!) The Fangirls also announce the plan for their next set of episodes, so make sure to let them know what you think of the concept of savlanu...

BOO! The Nice Jewish Fangirls are joined by horror screenwriter and scary-stuff aficionado Avishai Weinberger to explore the whys and hows and what-fors of horror storytelling. Why do frights and freak-outs appeal to us (well, some of us!)? What's the difference between horror and tragedy? And how should newbies and scardy-cats explore the genre -- and what can we gain from facing our fears? This...

This week, the Nice Jewish Fangirls take an in-depth look at the room where it happens: the sukkah! (That’s totally what you were thinking, right?) Michal, Tamar, and SM use the location-specific holiday of Succot to explore setting in fiction and fandom. Can a place make a story? Does a story make the place? Is any of this actually important? Tune in to find out! This week, we have forgone our Cu...

Challenge Accepted II: Electric Boogajew (Episode 46) Challenging times call for challenging… challenges! In this week’s episode, the Nice Jewish Fangirls rate and discuss the fandom challenges issued back in episode 42. Tamar talks about Bloodline by Claudia Grey and Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, Michal shares her take on Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite and Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston, a...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls return (with extreme caution) to celebrate the one and only Tamar Herman and discuss the release of her first book, BTS: Blood, Sweat, and Tears! Learn what Tamar's process is like, how she sat down to tackle this epic accomplishment, and the Jewish Pesach-eggs that she hid inside the finished product! Head over to GoodReads for more information, and order at your local in...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls return to fail miserably at their stated mission of NOT talking about the viral sensation that's sweeping the nation. Also: What coping mechanisms are we using to get through this? This week's current obsessions include Kpop group Everglow's fashion, The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner and Shane by Jack Schaefer! Get our NEW MERCH! www.redbubble.com/people/inka...

In the latest episode of Nice Jewish Fangirls, Michal, Tamar, and SM open their fandom lockets and explore the stories that hold a permanent place in their hearts. Come for the inevitable Harry Potter discussion; stay for SM's passion for a... Western? This week's current obsessions include: Netflix's Locke and Key, the new album from BTS, and Cheer! Get our NEW MERCH! www.redbubble.com/people/ink...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls are back for the first new episode of 2020! Today they relive the days of their youth by remembering their first fandoms, and issue a fresh round of fandom challenges! This week's current obsessions are The Untamed, The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski, and podfication completion! Get in touch with us! Twitter: www.twitter.com/JewishFangirls Facebook: www.facebook.com/j...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls return!

The Nice Jewish Fangirls engage their imaginations to discuss that hottest of hot topics (in more ways than one) -- fanfiction! What attracts us to the world of transformative works? What do we love reading, and what totally turns us off? And what can we learn from this fantastic nook of flourishing fandom? This week's Current Obsessions include 'The Mandalorian' on Disney+, Spinning Silver by Nao...

Hungover from the holidays, the Nice Jewish Fangirls are still talking about forgiveness in November! Michal, SM, and Tamar gather around to discuss how the Jewish concept of forgiveness plays out in fiction, debate examples of our favorite forgiven baddies, and also contemplate the question that plagues us all: When do you read if you don't keep Shabbos? This week's Current Obsessions include the...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls sat down with Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman, editors of and contributors to "It's a Whole Spiel", a collection of young adult Jewish fiction! Why do we need Jewish YA fiction? How do you capture the spectrum of Jewish realities in one anthology? And ALL THE JEWISH BUCKY BARNES, PLZ! The Fangirls also go over their current obsessions, which include Tudor history, podf...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls assemble to discuss the movie of all movies, Avengers: Endgame! After a spoiler-free introduction, Michal, Tamar, and SM share their thoughts and answer listener questions on the Big One. Did Endgame stack up to all 22 movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Is Nebula the secret MVP? Does the movie repeat disappointing tropes? Is Thor, like, okay? And can we talk forever...

It’s almost time for Purim, and this year, the Nice Jewish Fangirls are considering a slightly more serious side of the holiday. Michal and SM are joined by rabbi, author, and certified nerd MaNishtana to break down the issues of cultural appropriation and Blackface that often occur on Purim. Why is it so hurtful? How do fictional stories deal with appropriation and Blackface, and what does that t...

This time around, the Nice Jewish Fangirls take on the topic of love and romance in fiction! The fangirls break down what makes them feel the good feelings (and sometimes, the not-so-good feelings) when it comes to courtship and commitment in everything from Jo Beverly’s romance novels to the “manly” genre fiction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Michal, Tamar, and SM also discuss their favorite...

The Nice Jewish Fangirls return, and this time, they’ve got a professional! Dr. Avigail Gordon joins the NJFs to explore and explain depictions of mental health and therapy in popular culture, from Monk and Frasier, to Batman and Daredevil. What works when exploring mental health in fiction? What really doesn’t? And how can artists do right when exploring mental health in the future? In this episo...