Episode 26: Modern Loss IRL, Pastel Platitudes on Pillows, and The Richness of Living with Author Rebecca Soffer

Rebecca Soffer joins Mallory in the MILK Studio to talk about her book, “Modern Loss: Candid conversations about grief. Beginners welcome.” Rebecca is the CEO of the website Modern Loss, which she founded with co-author Gabrielle Birkner. A former producer for the “The Colbert Report,” Rebecca is a nationally recognized speaker on the topics of loss and resilience, and contributes regularly to books, magazines and other media.

Rebecca Soffer; Photo by Elaina Mortali

Blurbed by everyone from Mindy Kaling to Stephen Colbert to Anna Sale, “Modern Loss” is practical, surprising, and filled with the darkly humorous and tender details of death's inevitability. Rebecca talks about her own messy story of loss, and how she lives her life as a mom, wife, and journalist with as much richness as possible. Check out modernloss.com.

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 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.
 

Episode 10: Class, Race, Public School, Death, Sex, and Sisters with Author Lucinda Roseneld

Novelist Lucinda Rosenfeld joins Mallory in the MILK studio to talk about her latest novel, CLASS. A satirical look at life in Brooklyn's bubbly cauldron of privilege, need, guilt and self-righteousness, the book GOES THERE, and is an unflinching and funny look at a rather familiar liberal community.

They discuss Lucinda's longevity as a writer, working through the losses of their mothers, sexuality and being seen as a woman over 40, sisters, and the power of being twenty something.

Lucinda is sharp, hilarious, and candid both in her writing and in what she shares with Mallory as a MILK.

Episode 9 1/2: Encyclopedias of Ordinary Lives Remembering Amy Krouse Rosenthal

A mini episode -- a monologue actually. Remembering Amy Krouse Rosenthal, author, creator, filmmaker, connector, mother, wife, daughter and friend. She wrote things, she read things, she made things and she did things, so many wonderful things.

She even made Mallory a portable radio out of a milk carton once. She was herself a MILK and should have been on this podcast.