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The Manic Episodes
The Manic Episodes
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A super-gay podcast by super-gay singer-songwriter Mary Lambert and her partner Wyatt about bipolar disorder, queer relationships, and body love. And poems. And farts.
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S2 E14: Reproductive Justice & Hope with Annisha Romney
5d ago
2 hrs 3 mins
S2 E14: Reproductive Justice & Hope with Annisha Romney
Mary & Wyatt welcome the incredible Annisha Romney to the podcast to chat about reproductive justice, sex education, and activism. Annisha works in technology as a software consultant. They were recently drawn back to activism and organizing while working to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in their various former workspaces. Now most of Annisha’s free time is spent pursuing equity, acting for justice, and building intersectional feminism across the Commonwealth in their role as Co-President of Mass NOW.Also on the agenda: a rousing game of “Underrated/Overrated” and poems by Olivia Atwood, Maghan Baptiste, and Rick Barot.
5d ago
2 hrs 3 mins
S2 E13: Grief & Pleasure with Rachel McKibbens
[CONTENT WARNING: Death and illness; sexual abuse; suicide]We always say this, but this is one of our best episodes. We are thrilled to welcome Rachel McKibbens, a dear friend of ours and a blessing to the world.Rachel McKibbens is a two-time New York Foundation for the Arts poetry fellow and author of four collections of poetry, Pink Elephant, Into The Dark & Emptying Field, MAMMOTH and blud. In 2012, McKibbens founded the annual Pink Door Writing Retreat, open exclusively to non-men writers of color. McKibbens is a member of Latinas Unidas and co-curates the critically acclaimed reading series Poetry & Pie Night in upstate New York.
Apr 29 2022
1 hr 32 mins
S2 E12: Letting Go of Shame & Living Naked with Annie Grace
Oh my God oh my God oh my God Queen Annie is here! Mary & Wyatt are joined by the amazing Annie Grace, the author of This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life and The Alcohol Experiment: A 30-day, Alcohol-Free Challenge to Interrupt Your Habits and Help You Take Control. Annie grew up outside Aspen, Colorado, in a one-room log cabin without running water or electricity. Having discovered a passion for marketing, Annie Grace earned a Masters of Science (Marketing) and dove into corporate life. As the youngest vice president in a multinational company at the age of 26, her drinking career began in earnest. At 35, in a global C-level marketing role, she was responsible for marketing in 28 countries; she was drinking almost two bottles of wine a night. Knowing she needed a change but unwilling to submit to a life of deprivation and stigma, Annie Grace embarked on a journey to painlessly gain control of alcohol -- for her that process resulted in no longer wanting to drink. Never happier, she left her executive role to write and shareThis Naked Mind with the world. In her free time, she loves to ski, travel (26 countries and counting), and enjoy her beautiful family. Annie Grace lives with her husband and three children in the Colorado mountains.Also on the agenda: Movie reviews for movies Wyatt & Mary haven't seen, the best TV show in the history of the universe, and poems by Sharon Olds and Li-Young Lee.
Apr 15 2022
2 hrs 12 mins
S2 E11: Higher Ed, Hoedowns, and Hootenannies with Leslie Yingling
Mary & Wyatt are absolutely freaking out because the inimitable Leslie Yingling (she/her) is joining us on the pod. Leslie is one of Wyatt’s dearest friends in the whole world (she’s getting ordained to officiate Mary and Wyatt’s wedding!) and she is a certified badass in every way. Leslie Yingling is an Associate Dean of Students and an Assistant Vice Chancellor in Student Affairs at the University of Arkansas, where she works on increasing equity, ease of college completion and a sense of community and belonging among minoritized students. She has also worked as a housekeeper, a teacher, a reporter and copyeditor, and a reluctant backup singer in her brother's rock band. She studied political science, journalism, and psychology as an undergraduate, earning at just the wrong time a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri and later a Ph.D. in public policy at the University of Arkansas. She believes that curiosity and learning can nurture generosity and justice. Her most salient felt identities are secular humanist, white woman, educator, parent, introvert, big sister, and friend. When she needs a time out, she spends time outside, with her family, or listening to two Steve Winwood songs repeatedly.
Apr 1 2022
1 hr 48 mins
S2 E10: Mary and Wyatt Check In
It’s a solo episode! Mary and Wyatt take a break from our amazing slate of guests to check in about how they’re holding up during a tumultuous couple of weeks. Also on the agenda: art made of candy, bald eagle webcams, and poems by Wendell Berry and Ashley M. Jones.
Mar 20 2022
1 hr 17 mins
S2 E9: Dismantling Diet Culture with Judith Matz
Wyatt and Mary snuggle into Wyatt's office to talk to anti-diet trailblazer Judith Matz (LCSW, author of The Diet Survivor's Handbook and creator of the Making Peace with Food card deck) about weight stigma, binge eating disorder, and common myths about fatness. Also on the agenda: The Manic Episodes hired a bunch of unpaid employees; Wyatt is hooked on the Civil War; and poems by Sylvia Plath and Reginald Dwayne Betts. Instagram: @judmatzJudith's Website
Mar 5 2022
1 hr 51 mins
S2 E8: Healing from Religious Trauma with Andrea Randall
Content warning: Eating disorders; sexual assault. Mary and Wyatt take a break from wedding planning and their continued obsession with Meg Stalter to talk about church, scripture, and theology with author and religious scholar Andrea Randall. They also bring back Absolution Hour and read poems by Jon Sands and Gabrielle Calvocoressi.
Feb 19 2022
2 hrs 41 mins
S2 E7: The Art of Nothing Much with Kathryn Nicolai
Content warning for this episode: Eating disorders Mary and Wyatt welcome the fabulous author, podcast host, and world-creator Kathryn Nicolai (she/her) to the podcast. Kathryn is the creator of the enormously successful podcast Nothing Much Happens and the author of the book of the same name. She is an architect of coziness, writing soothing stories that both ease the reader into peaceful sleep and teach the principals of mindfulness so that waking hours likewise become sweet and serene. She leans on her years of experience as a yoga and meditation teacher to seamlessly blend storytelling with brain training techniques that build better sleep habits over time. She lives in Michigan with her wife and three dogs.Mary and Wyatt chat with Kathryn about creating and maintaining boundaries, both in personal and professional life. They talk about the genesis of Nothing Much Happens (it involves a beagle), and the incredible world she has created through the stories on the podcast. She also talks about how those beautiful stories became a beautifully illustrated book. Also on the agenda: Mary and Wyatt pitch their own sleep stories; Kathryn tells us how to make butter tomato sauce; and poems by Ada Limón, Rumi, and Rachel Wiley. http://instagram.com/nothingmuchhappenspodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/nothingmuchhappenspodcast/https://twitter.com/nothingmuchpod
Feb 5 2022
1 hr 49 mins
S2 E6: Creators and Connectors with Hollis Wong-Wear
Mary and Wyatt are pleased as punch to welcome Hollis Wong-Wear to the pod. Hollis is a songwriter, musician, speaker, creative generator and community advocate who lives between Los Angeles and Seattle, WA. She is the lead vocalist of the electronic R&B trio The Flavr Blue, and was GRAMMY nominated in 2014 for her work with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.With her roots in spoken word and slam poetry through the nationally recognized Youth Speaks program, Hollis is passionate about how creativity and the arts fuel and shape civic discourse, and is dedicated to lending her voice and capacities towards vibrant social equity.Hollis has been a featured speaker at conferences, conventions and speaker series, sharing her spoken word poetry and her candid insights on her experience as an independent artist and engaged activist. She has performed and spoken for an array of organizations and schools, including KEXP, WrapWomen, Planned Parenthood, University of Washington, YWCA and the Eileen Fisher Leadership Institute, has been featured by TedX University of Washington, and has presented alongside such luminaries as Gloria Steinem, Kimberle Crenshaw and Eve Ensler. A native of the Bay Area, Hollis graduated from Seattle University with a major in History and a minor in Global African Studies, and was recently named the recipient of Seattle University’s 2016 Outstanding Recent Alumna Award. She is a Google Next Gen Policy Leader, an alumna of the Hedgebrook Residency, and is a Humanity in Action Senior Fellow. Hollis has been appointed to several boards and commissions, including the Board of Directors for 4Culture and the Seattle Center Advisory Commission, and is currently an ad-hoc commissioner on the Seattle Music Commission.Hollis, Mary, and Wyatt talk about friendship, community, and solidarity in a brief but lovely chat. They discuss the perils of social media, especially for artists in the early stages of their careers, and how Hollis and Mary inspired each other when they first met. Also on the agenda: Mary’s stinky ballet flats, furniture made of silly putty, and poems by Jon Pineda and Aya Alzubaidy.
Jan 22 2022
1 hr 10 mins
S2 E5: Love Yourself... or Else with K Richardson
Mary and Wyatt are joined by their friend K Richardson (he/they), an out and proud Black Queer currently living in Brooklyn, NY. He is an organizer, facilitator, and racial equity educator. Before beginning his current role as Communications Manager at the Transgender Law Center, K served as the Manager of Hotline and Prevention Programs at the NYC Anti Violence Project, where his focus was supporting queer and trans survivors of sexual violence and has over 15 years of rape crisis work. They firmly believe in equity of all with a priority on trans + gender nonconforming, non-binary people and believes that there should be a place for Black Trans women of all experiences to live freely and thrive. For more than a decade, K. has been dedicated to creating spaces that foster community while centering Black Queer theory in his work. K drinks iced coffee all year, is frequently seen solving a Rubik’s cube, reading a book and has a Simpsons reference for *almost* everything. Mary, Wyatt, and K spend a few glorious hours talking about capitalism, collective bargaining, and how to engage in activism and advocacy while maintaining your mental health – or, as Mary calls it, your “brain paradise.” Y’all are going to adore K; we’re so lucky to have him on the pod. Also on the agenda: Mary tells a story about falling asleep during a concert as a performer, and K tells a story about falling asleep during a concert as an attendee; we’re all obsessed with snacks; and poems by Nikki Giovanni, Lucille Clifton, Adrienne Maree Brown, and Natasha Rao.
Jan 8 2022
2 hrs 40 mins
S2 E4: Style, Art, and Fat Queer Femme Bonding with Kim Selling
Mary and Wyatt are in Seattle with some bomb-ass new recording equipment, and they’re thrilled to welcome Kim Selling to the pod. Kim sent us two bios, and they’re too good not to include here:Kim’s pre-Covid professional bio: Kim Selling is a fat queer femme based in Seattle. They can be found generating content for The Stranger, yelling about poetry for various small presses, and selling piles of glittering vintage for bunny ranch madams, crop top goths, and lizard queens alike on the World Wide Web.Kim’s Actual Present-Day Bio:My depression is at an all-time high, my personality is the new person I'm dating, and I have nothing to look forward to because I'm still functionally unemployed!!!!Kim, Wyatt, and Mary talk about fashion, representation, and mental health for queer people in fat bodies. They also play a spirited game of “What sign is this thing?”, which was a delight because of Kim’s dazzling array of astrological knowledge. Also on the agenda: the cruel, hidden world inside snow globes; climbing the ladder at Abercrombie; and poems by Tracy K. Smith, Frank O’Hara, Patricia No, and Ellen Bryant Voigt. Kim’s Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/croptopgoth/https://www.instagram.com/heavydutyvintage/
Dec 24 2021
2 hrs 40 mins
S2 E3: Public Health & Harm Reduction with Nadia Schuessler
Mary and Wyatt are freaking out because they're so excited to welcome the inimitable Nadia Schuessler to the pod. Nadia is a social worker, public health advocate and community organizer. She cares deeply about harm reduction, integrated healthcare, trauma centered healing practices and community arts. She has worked in a variety of fields, including mental health/addiction services, food manufacturing, a variety of seasonal tourist attractions, and most notably, the music industry with her all time favorite boss Mary. Mary and Wyatt chat with Nadia about her wide variety of experiences: community theater, driving ice cream trucks, managing logistics, doing social work, and driving a Winnebago with Mary while on tour. She talks about how a family tragedy motivated her to pursue a career in social work and public health. Also on the agenda: The Whisper Game, the ingenious design of the human butthole, and poems by Warsan Shire, Laura Kolbe, and Rumi.
Dec 6 2021
2 hrs 14 mins
S2 E2: Housing, Activism, & Imagination with Trenda Loftin
Mary and Wyatt are elated to welcome Trenda Loftin to the pod. Black, queer, and polyamorous, Trenda (she/her) has a variety of callings that she strives to weave together to work towards liberation. She is a social justice consultant, theatre artist, worker-owner of The Compost Cooperative, and a REALTOR with Coldwell Banker Community Realtors. She works with theatre companies, organizations, and individuals to address inequity within programs, practices, and policies, utilizing interactive and creative approaches. Trenda recognizes the importance of cultivating home spaces- not just as spaces for living, but for dreaming and co-creating. Her real estate and consulting work is anchored in seeking ways to increase access for those who face barriers to securing safe and enriching home and work spaces. Mary, Wyatt, and Trenda talk about the power of theater and imagination, how to weave together activism and community while also creating sustainable income for ourselves and our families, and the power of seeing yourself represented in stories.Also on the agenda: MARY AND WYATT GOT ENGAGED!; Wyatt, Mary, and Trenda collaborate on unsolicited jingles; and poems by Maya Angelou, Kevin Young, and Diane Seuss. IG: @trenda.realtor.ma; @compostcooperative; @willowprecFB: @trenda.realtor.ma; @tlo.happenings; @reallivetheatreWebsite: www.trendaloftin.com; www.willowprec.com
Nov 22 2021
2 hrs 14 mins
S2 E1: Radical Welcome with Andrew Sackett-Taylor
Mary and Wyatt kick off Season 2 with the usual spate of unhinged silliness and their very first guest, Andrew Sackett-Taylor. Andrew (he/him) works as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Transhealth Northampton, a healthcare start-up serving trans, non-binary, and gender diverse individuals across the lifespan. Trans- and queer-identified himself, it’s been his longstanding dream to serve the community through compassionate, affirming, patient-centered care. Mary, Wyatt, and Andrew chat about everything from the pure pleasure of dancing in one’s driveway to the importance of connection and authenticity in trans-affirming psychiatric care. Andrew talks about his own experiences with neurodivergency and psychiatric care and how he offers radical kindness, vulnerability, and compassion in his own practice. Also on the agenda: A spirited round of Gay or Straight, an important conversation about Halloween candy, and poems by Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, and Charlie Petch. Learn more about Transhealth Northampton here:www.transhealth.org@ourtranshealth on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Nov 7 2021
1 hr 56 mins
Episode 67: Failure... & the End of Season 1!
Mary & Wyatt peel off their sweaty running clothes and settle in for a very real & vulnerable conversation about failure and some big changes coming to the pod. Mary talks about the trajectory of success in her career and her uncertainty about the future. Wyatt talks about the relationship between their bipolar disorder and their fear of failure. Also on the agenda: Mary is risking it all to be a TikTok star and is related to Marie Antoinette (probably), Wyatt wants to start the College School Bus, and poems by Forrest Gander and Rosemary Tonks. Donate or volunteer for Houston Haitians United to help Haitian migrants transitioning to life in Texas: https://linktr.ee/hhunited1804
Sep 24 2021
1 hr 53 mins
Episode 66: Abortion
Mary and Wyatt settle in for a discussion about the recent Supreme Court ruling about the ultra-restrictive Texas abortion ban. What’s the path forward for reproductive justice? How do we help advocate for people left in the wake of this decision? Also on the agenda: The Whisper Game, the calming properties of lofi beats, and poems by Joshua Bennett and Nicole Sealey.
Sep 10 2021
1 hr 21 mins
Episode 65: Greed
Mary and Wyatt perch on the couch for a chat about greed. From Adam Smith to Ayn Rand to Gordon Gecko, they talk about the evolution of attitudes toward wealth, accumulation, and capital. Also on the agenda: Mary’s Netflix show comes out today, herons eating gigantic fish, more Harvest Town lore, and poems by Roger Reeves and Nicole Sealey.
Aug 27 2021
1 hr 36 mins
Episode 64: Consent and Bodily Autonomy
[Content warning: Sexual assault and childhood sexual assault] Mary and Wyatt snuggle up on the big yellow couch for a discussion of consent, bodily autonomy, and how banishing the gender binary could save us all. Also on the agenda: Georgie has formed an independent nation in our bedroom, Wyatt thinks bagels are overrated, Mary throws serious shade, and poems by Diane Seuss and Rhiannon McGavin.
Aug 13 2021
1 hr 33 mins
New Episode Delayed… Sorry, y’all!
Episode description not available.
Aug 6 2021
1 min
Episode 63: Suicide
[Content Warning: Suicide and Self-Harm]Fresh from watching Anthony Bourdain’s biopic, Mary and Wyatt settle in on the big yellow couch for a long talk about suicide. They talk about mental illness, stigma, how suicide has touched their lives, and dig in about environmental conditions and systems that contribute to poor mental health. Also on the agenda: Mary and Wyatt’s top five favorite movies, there is poop in our basement, and poems by Maggie Smith and Adrian Matejka.
Jul 23 2021
1 hr 37 mins
