S4 Ep 12: Getting Your Sh*t Together with Cynthia Wright

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Clubhouse has revealed itself to be a place where folks (like me) who have difficulty moderating will quickly run into trouble. Luckily, before I weaned myself off, I had the opportunity to meet Cynthia Wright, a self-described "queer writer and military brat" who also hosts the fabulous recovery podcast Getting Your Sh*t Together. Cynthia's pod offers a unique mix of storytelling, interviews, personal development, social commentary, and—of course—recovery tips. We had a great conversation about how podcasting can be a form of therapy, how intersectionality shows up in recovery spaces, and how self-compassion played a pivotal role in her own story. Enjoy! (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

S4 Ep 11: Suicide is a Feminist Issue with Sara Scofield

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Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide and suicidal ideation.

When Sara and I first spoke about her appearance on Feminist Hotdog, I wasn't entirely clear on the connection between feminism and suicide prevention. However, after this conversation, I realized that suicide is a stigma-laden topic that—like addiction and abuse—often impacts women in unseen ways and must be talked about openly for anything to improve.

In this episode, Sara explains how our medical and emergency response systems are falling short when it comes to suicide prevention and how we can become agents of change by using our voices to challenge cultural narratives about women and mental health. We also dig into some promising developments in policy and treatment and how you can get involved in spreading the word and smashing the stigma around suicide.

If you've ever lost someone to suicide or know someone who has, I highly recommend you listen to this healing and inspiring episode. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

S4 Ep 8: Speaking Light Into Abortion with Amanda Star Kingsley

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What do you feel when you hear the word abortion? What words do you associate with it? If you’re Amanda Star Kingsley, those words might be fear or sadness but they might also be strength, purpose, and light.

Amanda is a post-abortion life coach. Her mission is to help people achieve the vision for their lives that compelled them to choose abortion. Through her coaching and her podcast, Speaking Light Into Abortion, Amanda is smashing stigmas and asking critical—and sometimes messy—questions designed to help her clients embrace their agency and move forward in confidence. Regardless of your relationship to abortion, prepare to feel a paradigm shift during this powerful conversation. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S4 Ep 7: Calling Each Other In with Loretta J. Ross

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It's not every day you get to interview a woman who has inspired you for decades. In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with feminist icon Loretta J. Ross, activist, writer, and scholar, and a critical voice who has helped shape many aspects of the Women's Movement and the ongoing struggle for human rights worldwide.

Over the course of her career, Loretta has worked to center Black women and girls in conversations about sexual and gender-based violence, sterilization abuse, violent extremism, and reproductive justice (a framework she co-created). Her more recent work focuses on helping activists hone the skills they need to hold each other accountable without undermining their humanity—an approach she refers to as "calling in," an alternative to "calling out." For anyone who needs a beautiful reminder of the benefits of treating each other more gently, this episode is for you.

S4 EP 3: Radical Magick with Dr. Kate Tomas

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Light some candles and get cozy. This week, I’m featuring a guest who has had a profound personal influence on me: Dr. Kate Tomas, creator of the Spiritual Life Upgrade program and the Money Magic Manifestation course. Kate is a psychic, a witch, and a spiritual empowerment mentor who specializes in helping women and femmes activate their power. She’s also an anti-capitalist who’s ready to hex racists and burn it all to the ground!

Everything is an energy game, and I highly recommend you direct some of your energy toward Dr. Kate if you have questions about how to remove money blocks, set boundaries, say “no” to losers, or anything else, really. She’s literally magick! (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

S4 Ep 2: Caring for Your Soul and Mindset with Jocellyn Harvey

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It’s a stressful week for just about everybody. As of posting time for this episode, we still don’t know who the next president will be. It’s time to spend some extra time caring for ourselves, and Jocellyn Harvey is here to help. 

The founder of Soul and Mindset shares some of her favorite techniques for remaining grounded when life feels unbearable, including befriending anger, an emotion most of us try hard to suppress. We also talk about approaching spiritual work with compassion and why love and light isn’t a great recipe for enlightenment—especially when the world feels as fractures as it does right now. 

Take a deep breath, press play, and take a moment to nurture your soul and check on your mindset. 

BONUS: Feminist Hotdog listeners get $25 off Jocellyn’s signature course, Befriending Anger. Just use the code 25ONME at checkout. 

S4 Ep 1: Racism and Recovery with Jessica Hoppe

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Recovery spaces are not immune from the “isms” people experience in other spaces. My first guest of Season 4, writer Jessica Hoppe, addressed this topic after she noticed people of color being shut down in meetings for talking about police brutality and the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The solution, she says, lies in connection and sharing stories *without restrictions* so everyone can bring their full, authentic selves into recovery. Hear her own inspiring story and learn why “the first step to recovery is admitting you are not powerless over your privilege.” 

S3 Ep 8: Reading for Liberation

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Today’s episode is a celebration of the written word in honor of a major milestone—the completion of the Feminist Hotdog book manuscript! (Coming January 2021 from Lit Riot Press.)

Since words have been dominating my psyche, I decided to devote this week’s episode to reading (and writing!) for liberation. I spoke with Stef Bernal-Martinez of 1977 Books, poet Angbeen Saleem, and Alana Baumann and Samra Michael of the new podcast She Well Read about the role books and poems are playing in their pandemic lives, and the writers who help them envision a more just and intersectional future. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S3 Ep 7: Managing Trauma While Isolating

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Yep, we’re still inside. Is anyone else scraping the bottom of their self-care toolkit? 

If virtual happy hour and Tiger King aren’t cutting it anymore, you need this episode. The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on our mental health, especially for the millions of people in this country who suffer from mental illness or have a history of sexual trauma. My guests this week are two mental health providers who each have unique and helpful resources to share. 

Stephanie James, host of The Spark podcast, joined me to talk about techniques she uses to help her clients stay grounded. She also extends an invitation to a free online summit for survivors of sexual abuse seeking to reclaim their power. Alexandra Pajak provided mental health services in the prison system for a decade, and has composed a gorgeous album of music inspired by mental illness and recovery from trauma. Sample a few tracks and then buy the album; all proceeds go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S3 Ep 6: Feminism in the Time of COVID-19

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Unique times call for unique episodes. This week, I spoke to four different people about how they are experiencing the COVID-19 epidemic and their visions for how they see the virus influencing our human future. Listen in on my conversations with Erin and Maria of the podcast Feminists Without Mystique, my good friend Joanna Williams, and my 8-year-old niece and first-time podcast guest Evelyn. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S2 Ep 4: Trans Dudes With Lady Cancer

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What do you do when you and your chosen family member are diagnosed with cancer within days of each other? If you’re Brooks Nelson and Yee Won Chong, you eat a lot of pie—and then you make a movie. As two transmasculine people who were treated for cancers often (and incorrectly) associated only with cisgender women, Brooks and Yee Won are using their story to educate and to inspire change. Hear how their documentary, Trans Dudes With Lady Cancer, is busting myths, opening minds, and challenging medical establishments across the country to embrace trans-inclusive healthcare. (Music by Ava Luna, Loyalty Freak Music, Make My Love Your Home, Katrina Stone, Clepsydrae, Monako, and Borrtex.)

S2 Ep 3: Feminism and Sobriety - Part III with Jocellyn Harvey

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For the third and final episode in the Feminism and Sobriety series, I spoke with Jocellyn Harvey, author of Recovering the Home. Jocellyn’s sobriety story led her to a place where she felt the need to recover not only her body and her mind, but also her living space. She developed a four-part framework for women who want to clear their homes of the energy created by their drinking and replace it with a safe, nurturing environment where they can feel comfortable and relaxed without alcohol. 

Jocellyn is inspiring for many reasons, but one of the biggest things I took away from our conversation was how committed she is to resisting perfectionism and giving herself grace. Listen and learn about how she overcome not only her problem drinking, but also the endless cycle of feeling like we’re never doing enough. (Music by Ava Luna, Loyalty Freak Music, Gradient, Borrtex, Stanley Gurvich, Monako, and Katrina Stone.)

S3 Ep 1: Feminism and Sobriety - Part I with Holly Whitaker

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We are kicking off 2020 with a guest I have wanted to interview forever: Holly Whitaker, founder of Tempest Sobriety School and author of the fabulous new book Quit Like a Woman. If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with drinking or you're thinking about making a change for 2020, this episode is a MUST LISTEN.

Today's topic is particularly personal. This is the first in a three-episode series about feminism and sobriety that I wanted to do, in part, to create some space to talk about my own recovery and to come out as a sober person and what that means as a feminist. (Have questions? Let’s talk!)

Holly dropped so many mind bombs in this interview, it was almost impossible to edit. We talked about her story, why she tried and then left AA, and the origins of Tempest. We also dug into why our recovery culture needs a feminist overhaul and what it really means to “quit like a woman.” (Music by Ava Luna, Loyalty Freak Music, Katrina Stone, Rew, Space Doves, Borrtex, and Josh Leake.)

Stuff We Talked About on This Episode

Adrienne's Quit Lit Favorites

S2. Ep 15: Road Trippin' with Amelia Hruby

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It’s the last episode of Season 2! I can’t think of a better way to mark 30 episodes of Feminist Hotdog than by talking to Amelia Hruby, podcaster extraordinaire, who is traveling to EVERY STATE in the country to interview badass women and gender-nonconforming people for her show, Fifty Feminist States. Learn along with Amelia as she talks about the amazing people she’s met on her trip to the Deep South (including Montgomery!), her forthcoming book of feminist mantras, and what’s inspiring a whole choral arrangement of singing in her feminist heart. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music)

S2. Ep 14: Feminist High Five with Leah Abrams

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Sometimes I wish I could go back and meet my 20-year-old self. I’m sure she’d be cool, but there’s no way she’d be as woke, witty, and together as this week’s guest—Leah Abrams! She’s a feminist college student with a mind for policy, history, and grassroots organizing, and she has a lot to say about the way feminism has already positively influenced her young life. Listen in as we talk about feminism on campus, unsung climate change heroes, things we’re REALLY good at, and two media groundbreakers who belong in the Hotdog Hall of Fame. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S2. Ep 13: The Limits to Our Justice with Jana Schmieding

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If you’re not tuned in to Jana Schmieding and her awesome podcast Woman of Size, you’re missing out. Jana is a comedian, writer, educator, and artist with a talent for getting to the heart of why we need to expand our vision of justice. She is also a Lakota woman who navigates feminism in white and decolonized spaces and has a lot to say about both. We talked about how she uses her platform to advance both Native and fat liberation, dug into the distinctions between body positivity and fat positivity, and celebrated the badassery of Wilma Mankiller. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S2. Ep 12: Thank You, Kimberlé Crenshaw with Liz Kleinrock

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If the world had more teachers like Liz Kleinrock, what a wonderful place it would be! She’s an award-winning, book-writing, TED-talk-giving badass educator who is living her values every day. Whether in front of the classroom or on Instagram, where she runs a popular platform for other teachers, Liz inspires the people around her by shining a light on critical social justice issues. Listen and learn about how she went viral for talking to students about consent, what it takes to be a feminist teacher, and why life is better with Lizzo. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S2. Ep 11: My Second Life with Clara Holmes of Rollin' Funky

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Clara Holmes is a model, fashion and lifestyle blogger, and the creator of Rollin Funky, a blog and social media platform where she captures her fabulous life in words and pictures. In addition to being a lover of shoes, travel, and nightclubs (and a fierce feminist), Clara is a full-time wheelchair user who writes with depth and honesty about how being a woman with a disability influences—but does not define—her. Learn how she transformed her life in her thirties, how she's helping change the fashion industry, and why Nicki Minaj holds a special place in her heart. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

Things We Talked About on this Episode:

S2. Ep.10: Growth Is a Way of Life with Urjita Parekh

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Meet questioner, seeker, mother, reader, counselor, and all-around fabulous human Urjita Parekh. She’s the kind of friend who always steers you in the right direction when you’re questioning life, and she brought her signature energy to our conversation in this episode. Absorb her wisdom as she talks about finding a spiritual path, negotiating identity in hostile spaces, and growing as a person when you’re busy as hell. (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

S2. Ep.9: The T Is Usually Silent with Hazel Edwards

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I've wanted to interview Hazel Edwards ever since I started Feminist Hotdog. At the tender age of 22, she's the interim director of the Bryson Institute, the education and training department for Philadelphia's Attic Youth Center. Pushed out of a school that refused to affirm her gender, she now advocates for trans youth and educates service providers. Listen and get your education on intersectional feminism and being an ally to trans and nonbinary people. Her story will make your liberationist heart sing! (Music by Ava Luna and Loyalty Freak Music.)

Stuff We Talked About on This Episode: