Episode 24: How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids, Marriage Under a Microscope, and Cyndi Lauper’s Vintage Kitchen with Jancee Dunn

Jancee Dunn joins Mallory is in the MILK Studio to talk about her latest book, "How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids."

Photo: Elena Seibert

Jancee is the New York Times bestselling author of five books, including a memoir of her years at Rolling Stone, a book she co-wrote with Cyndi Lauper, and a children’s book, "I'm Afraid Your Teddy Is In Trouble Today," about stuffed animals up to no good. Her essay collection, "Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?" was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. She is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Parents.

Check her out at JanceeDunn.net

Episode 23: Wedding Toasts, Gentrification and Gen X Mid Life Crises with Journalist Ada Calhoun

Ada Calhoun joins Mallory in the MILK Studio. Ada is the author of  “Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give,” a funny and poignant personal examination of marriage – her own and the institution itself.

In addition to this essay collection and her first book “St. Marks is Dead,” Ada writes for The New York Times, The NewYorker.com and Oprah.com about MILKy topics like Gen X female mid life crises, gentrification, and loss – many of Mallory’s favorite dinner party topics.

Check her out at AdaCalhoun.com.

Episode 22: Singing, Songwriting, Soul Searching and Social Justice with Nicole Alifante

Nicole Alifante joins Mallory in the MILK Studio. Nicole put a successful acting career on hold to raise her son, and is now pursuing music with a new sense of purpose.

They discuss epiphanies about racism and privilege, actively participating in local politics, and finding peace in writing songs and collaboration. Nicole’s new album, “La La La,” is available on iTunes and shows her soulful range as an original songwriter and singer. 

Milk Podcast Episode 21: Secret World of Teenagers, The Bechdel Test, Sexuality and Casting with Actress Amy Hargreaves

Actress Amy Hargreaves joins Mallory in the MILK Studio. Currently starring in the popular “13 Reasons Why” series and in Showtime’s “Homeland,” Amy is also appearing in two fall films, “Super Dark Times” and “Wonderstruck.”

Amy’s first audition was an open call for Broadway’s “Annie” at age 12, and she has worked in commercials, voiceovers, film, television and theater jobs, ever since.

Amy talks with Mallory about navigating motherhood and performing, how expressing sexuality in her acting career helped her get roles as she got OLDER, and the harassment and assault issues that are rocking the entertainment world.

Episode 20: Bored, Brilliant and Werkin It with Podcast Host and Author Manoush Zomorodi

Note to Self Podcast Host Manoush Zomorodi joins Mallory in the MILK Studio and they talk being frazzled, switching between mom and non-mom identities, and how business trips are cool but are certainly not yoga retreats.

In her new book, "Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self," Manoush details how we can free ourselves from our devices by seeing boredom as a gift.

This episode recorded at the Werk It Women’s Podcast Festival, produced by WNYC Studios.

Episode 19 Ghosts, Sex, Cancer and Revenge with Author Stephanie Gangi

Author Stephanie Gangi joins Mallory in the MILK studio to talk about her compulsively readable literary ghost story, “The Next.”

Photo: Elena Seibert for Stephanie Gangi

Gangi's first novel, written at age 60, is a sexy, satisfying, whirlwind tale of a lover scorned, and of mothers, daughters, sisters, cancer, death, social media ... all with a killer soundtrack. Stephanie is fierce, funny, beautifully present, and her writing is thrilling and deep. 

Episode 18: #Goals, Getting Out More, and Making Me Happen with Educator /Coach Taayoo Murray

Taayoo Murray joins me in the MILK studio to discuss how she and her kids set and meet goals, her work/mom ephiphany, and her book and coaching program “Making Me Happen.”

Taayoo is motivated, positive, and ready to help tweens, teens and the parents who love them with academics, behavior, athletics, and personal goal setting. She is lovely to talk parenting with --  and she has a great laugh! Check her out at taayoomurray.com and Making Me Happen on Facebook. 

Episode 17: Siri, Schedules, Sidekicks and Autism Spectrum Disorder with Journalist Judith Newman

Journalist Judith Newman joins me in the MILK studio to talk about her new book "To Siri With Love: A Mother, Her Autistic Son, and The Kindness of Machines."  

Judith is the author of You Make Me Feel Like an Unnatural Woman, a columnist for The New York Times Book Review and a regular contributor to The New York Times Style section and People. A contributing editor to Prevention, she also writes for National Geographic, AARP, Vanity Fair, and many other publications. She and her sons live in Manhattan.
 

Episode 16: Tweens and Teens, The Trauma of Changing Schools, and Not Curating the Truth with Middle Grade Author Lisa Greenwald

Lisa Greenwald joins me in the MILK studio to talk about writing books for tweens and teens, fitting it all in as a mom and a writer, and not feeling guilty all the damn time. Hard!

She has 2 new books out this summer, “Kale, My Ex, and Other Things to Toss in a Blender,” which is her first young adult novel, and “11 Before 12,” which is part one of a middle grade duology.

Lisa takes questions from a tween superfan, talks about writing books during nap and school time, and finding pleasure and inspiration in watching people interact. Check her out at lisagreenwald.com. 

Episode 15: The Gypsy Moth Summer, Los Angeles as Zoloft, and Writing for an Audience of One with Novelist Julia Fierro

Julia Fierro joins Mallory in the MILK studio to talk about her riveting new novel, “The Gypsy Moth Summer,” as well as her first book, “Cutting Teeth.”

A graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Julia founded The Sackett Street Writers’ in 2002, a creative home to more then 3500 writers n NYC, Los Angeles and Online. Her work has been published in The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Glamour, Poets and Writers, and many other publications. Julia speaks frankly about anxiety and the OCD behaviors she tackles to write, and how motherhood intersects with her writing mind.

Julia is a great champion of her students and colleagues, a supportive wife to another writer who “gets it,” and a mom to two super readers. She recently relocated from her beloved Brooklyn to Los Angeles, and likes to generalize about that.