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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, it’s Mightier Than the Sword! Steph and I talk about “Nanette”- the Netflix comedy special by Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby. If you haven’t seen it, OMG DO, and also, listen to us discuss just how groundbreaking it is. Gadsby does not give us a conventional stand-up comedy, but an intensely personal storytelling blending humor and pathos and spot-on social commentary. We are continuing our exploration of censorship, specifically of the female voice, and Gadsby’s singularly poignant show seemed to fit right into our shared hopeful view that maybe as a comedy audience- and a societ- we are finally willing to listen to stories, not just laugh at punchlines. Any questions, observations, stuff you’d like to add, please write to us at [email protected]. We aren’t joking when we say we want to hear from you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair: It's “Heart to Heart” with co-host Jane Gross. This is an incisive and, okay, radical conversation about what made Donald Trump Donald Trump. Jane, who knows her stuff when it comes to her long-time profession puts on her psychologist hat to connect the dots between Trump the emotionally stunted child to Trump the world-class narcissist acting out from a place of unique power on an international stage. What are we supposed to learn from this man, and this moment in history? The conclusion Jane draws is at once scary and empowering. Tune in to a very different, very honest, very important episode. My sponsor this week is Quip, the portable electric toothbrush that travels seamlessly (example: this past week, I’ve taken mine to Maine, California, and New York) and is all about best brushing practices. To get your first scheduled refill free, just head over to getquip.com/easychair. I’m a committed quip user, and once you try it, you will be, too. As always, questions, comments, concerns: email me at [email protected]. Unless you’re a rabid Trump troll or Russian hacker, we want to hear from you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair: “The Telltale Heart,” the classic twisted Victorian psychological thriller by Edgar Allen Poe. This story has been scaring the wits out of readers since it was first published in 1843. When the narrator of events insists to you that he’s not mad, there’s a pretty strong possibility that he is quite mad, indeed. This story of obsession, premeditation, gruesome murder and unbearable paranoia has stood the test of time- and I promise it will keep you riveted, whether or not you’re hearing it for the first time. Personally, I have so much fun when I go back to the classic Easy Chair storytelling format, where I get to simply read you a brilliant piece of writing. I hope you can grab 15 minutes to turn up the A.C., sit back, and listen to this sinister tale by the master of the macabre. Questions, thoughts, suggestions … please send ‘em my way at [email protected]. And congratulations to Easy Chair alum Danny Stone, who just landed a wise and fortunate agent to represent him in the literary marketplace. Not an easy feat, but Danny, I'm not surprised. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair: another episode of Heart to Heart, healing wisdom for creative souls, with co-host, artist, licensed therapist, and dear friend Jane Gross. Sometimes we are unwitting recipients of unanticipated negative reactions. From fielding angry emails and hurtful texts to facing the jerk who screams at you as you try your best to merge into traffic, we sometimes must confront negativity that blindsides us. What if the first reaction was calm, rather than frantic? Jane has some great tips on how to cultivate our ability to step back, rather than lash out, to sit with upset, rather than immediately push it away. Jane and I have both been working on this in our own lives with varying degrees of success, and we share our experiences with the knowledge that owning our reactions is not only the best way forward, it offers tremendous opportunity for growth. It’s always laugh-filled and enlightening when Jane and I collaborate. Tune in! This week’s episode is brought to you by Ritual, the once-daily subscription vitamin that is seamlessly and conveniently delivered straight to your door. I have been taking Ritual for the past three months and I have literally never felt better. Find out for yourself by visiting ritual.com/easychair. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, it’s another clear and honest episode of Mightier Than the Sword, the advice podcast for writers, readers, and people who may just be wondering what me and co-host Steph Spaulding have on our minds. Today, an email from a listener has us talking about censorship. It's a complicated topic. Do we, as female writers, self-censor before even putting our work out there? Is there a double standard for women and men, when it comes to being judged on the creative work we produce? From Samantha Bee to Roseanne Barr, women have said what’s on their minds, but often at great cost. For a serious topic, Steph and I manage to laugh a lot. Still. This is a writerly conversation that affects us all. Any insights, questions, opinions…c’mon, guys, we want to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]. This week’s episode is brought to you by the best, sleekest, smartest electric toothbrush in the entire universe- Quip. Just head over to getquip.com/easychair and get your first refill pack FREE with a Quip electric toothbrush. Your happy, healthy mouth will thank you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, it’s Heart to Heart, healing wisdom for the creative soul, with co-host Jane Gross. Today’s episode has many things to offer: an exploration of arguably what we humans crave more than anything. Jane’s answer might surprise you, just like it did me: I would have guessed love. What’s your guess? Tune in to find out Jane’s answer. Also, Jane takes listeners on an off-the-cuff guided meditation that is genuinely effective in helping to attain that aforementioned thing we humans want above all else. Please join me and Jane for a free-wheeling episode filled with self-discovery, insight, and laughter. Any questions, insights, or opinions for me or Jane? Email us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week: “The Gift of the Magi” is a classic short story by O Henry. This small gem is generally considered a Christmas story as well as an iconic example of comic irony. I would challenge the limits of these labels. This story about love and sacrifice is relevant for any time of year, and the lessons it imparts are not tied to one faith. While O. Henry certainly uses elements of both comedy and irony, his story tells what it means to love and sacrifice, and champions the notion that what really, really matters in this world can't be bought or sold. This has been a week that could use some tender loving care, and reading this story on the podcast felt, to me, like the most magical gift I could think of for you, my listeners. Enjoy. Questions? Comments? Do you have a short story you’d like to share on the podcast? Write to me at [email protected] . I would love to hear from you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
The week's episode: Bad Neighbor, Part 2, by author Deborah Zervas. This culmination of Deborah’s story is intense and provocative. This fiction is a cautionary tale about how the power people living side by side have to both create and destroy community. If you ever wonder what might downshift an altruist into a vengeful misanthrope, well, pay attention to the unraveling of the narrator as she recounts the intrusions and annoyances she endures at the hands of her neighbors, and see if you can determine her moral tipping point. Will just desserts be served? Tune in and find out. This week’s episode is brought to you by Quip, the iPhone of electric toothbrushes, designed with the health of your mouth in mind! I love my Quip. It’s designed to make brushing more effective. It’s also sleek, portable, and super affordable. Also, if you go to getquip.com/easychair, you get your first replacement brush free! It’s enough to put- and keep!- a radiantly healthy smile on your face! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair: I welcome back returning guest author Deborah Zervas for part one of her two-part story, Bad Neighbor. What does it mean to be a good neighbor? Perhaps a more relevant (and story-specific) question is, what does it take to make a bad neighbor? The narrator in this wry fictional tale is, like Deborah Zervas herself, a Midwest transplant to a Northeast city. She was raised with regional rules of civility, but a series of unfortunate neighbors seem hellbent on disabusing her of that idealistic notion. Deborah’s story follows an atypical (for The Easy Chair, at least) downward trajectory. It is by turns shocking and hilarious. Peeping Toms and tree Nazis, you’re on notice! Whether you’re appalled or laughing like crazy, you’re going to love listening to this story, and you will not want to miss part two next week. Questions, insights, anything at all, contact me at [email protected]. I want to hear from you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
I have been a long time planning the wedding for my daughter, Rachael. Guess what? The wedding is THIS WEEKEND. Yay, and YIKES. I needed something funny and light to read, since I didn't have time to write anything, so I settled on the hilarious “I Like You” by the hilarious Amy Sedaris. Today, I share some passages from her how to hostess book that are irreverent yet practical. How to be a guest. How to entertain guests. How to get rid of guests. Basically, it’s everything you need to know about planning a successful gathering of people. I desperately needed some snarky practical advice from a woman who does not take herself too seriously. I like you, too, Amy Sedaris, and so will all of you listeners. Wish me luck! If all goes well, I’ll be back next week with an original short story for you. If all doesn’t go well, I’ll still be back with an original story for you. Thanks for listening. Any questions, criticisms, insights, anything at all, contact me at [email protected]. I like you, and would like even more to hear from you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, Steph and I are back with Mightier Than the Sword. Our topic: the difference between writing and storytelling. I step out of my comfortable narrative distance to tell a very difficult true story. Two weeks ago, I was the victim of a sexual assault. The ways people- from friends and neighbors to law enforcement- reacted to my story made me realize that I may be a decent writer, but I am not a reliable storyteller. Steph and I talk about how women who have been victimized often detach from their feelings in order to relate a traumatic event. This is not your typical MTTS. What was a tough episode to record is an important episode to tune into. Take a listen, and if you have anything you’d like to weigh in on, get in touch with us at [email protected]. This week’s episode is brought to you by Quip, the world’s smartest wireless toothbrush. It’s lightweight, cordless, sleek and awesome. Just think of it as the iPhone of toothbrushes. When it comes to oral hygiene, Quip is a game-changer. Check it out at getquip.com/easychair. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week's episode: "Hills Like White Elephants." This classic short story by Earnest Hemingway is widely considered most striking for everything that is revealed in the things are left unsaid. A man and a woman are waiting for the train to Barcelona. It is a hot afternoon. They are drinking beer at a bar and talking about the landscape, the weather, and whether or not the woman should have an abortion. Nothing is actually said about this last detail, but Hemingway’s inference is as heavy as the still, hot afternoon air of the café, and his spare style allows the reader (or listener) to fill in the gaps, leaving to our imagination to resolve the deliberately open ending. This may be a short short story, but it is complex, as well as exquisitely crafted. Tune in and be transported! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
It’s a return to the old format, only instead of fiction I’m reading a witty social commentary by the inimitable humorist/social critic Fran Lebowitz. Lebowitz, author of Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, has been writing about what makes people and life annoying since the early seventies. My favorite Lebowitz quote: “The opposite of talking isn’t listening. The opposite of talking is waiting.” Her essay, “Writing: A Life Sentence,” is a textbook example of Lebowitz’s sardonic style. Professional and aspiring writers will see themselves and their career arcs in this essay. Join me as I read Lebowitz's deftly hilarious, biting assessment of the writer's life from cradle to grave. Any questions, insights? PLEASE direct them to me at [email protected]. For real. I would love to hear from you. Listen up! Shameless plug! Cookies and listening to podcasts are the perfect pairing. Want chocolate chip cookies to die for? Multigrain shortbread that’ll knock your socks off? I got ‘em. Just visit jakesmomscookies.com and order them today! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week on The Easy Chair, it’s Heart to Heart, healing wisdom for all of us humans, with co-host Jane Gross. This week Jane takes on the topic of asking for and accepting support from trusted sources. Getting help can be challenging for those, like yours truly and Jane, who generally find themselves in the helper role. Asking for help is, in fact, a vulnerable and brave thing to do. As with many of our best Heart to Heart convos, Jane and I start down a path with no planned destination, so the fact that this podcast turned out to be both enlightening and useful was the very best kind of surprise. Please join us for a uniquely special episode. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Easy Chair
This week, another fabulous episode of Mightier Than the Sword! Steph and I stay on last time's topic: travel writing. Steph reads her succinct, distinctly humorous reflection on her recent trip to Paris (here's an example: “The Eiffel Tower: I like it.”). I admit it: I slacked on my assignment to write something fresh about my recent travel experience to Norway, but I did rummage through my bookshelves to find a piece I wrote years ago for a coffee table book about the Cayman Islands and an inspiring woman I met there named Miss Winnie. Steph and I also talk about travel vlogging (On the Road With Darwin, are you listening?). This is a super fun episode, and we hope you’ll join us. We also hope you’ll write to us at [email protected] with some travel stories of your own. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.