We're Glad This Book is Called I'm Glad My Mom Died

September 28, 2022 Kelli & Emily

Emily: This blog post has been a long time coming, but we’ve finally gathered here to discuss Jennette McCurdy’s bestselling memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died. Thanks so much to Jayce, former guest and friend of the pod, for joining us for this chat!

McCurdy is a former child actor and star of the Nickelodeon TV series iCarly. In this book, she explores her difficult relationship with her mother, how her mom manipulated her, forced her into acting, encouraged her to develop an eating disorder, and more.

The book covers very difficult material, but nevertheless the book is reaching a very wide audience. I was interested in reading the book because I have been a huge fan of iCarly (and specifically McCurdy) for years. But a lot of people picking up the book are people who have no previous knowledge of McCurdy and her career. I think that’s so cool because I don’t think that’s something we see often with celebrity memoirs. So I thought I’d start by asking you guys: What made you pick up this book? And why do you think so many people are reading it?

Deciphering Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

August 25, 2021 Mary & Emily

Mary: Well, pals, do we have a doozy for you today. Emily and I are here to talk about Nightbitch, the new novel by Rachel Yoder. Nightbitch follows an unnamed mother as she slowly descends into madness (or is it madness?). As she comes to terms with what it means to be a mother, Nightbitch grapples with her increasingly doglike nature, her isolation from others, and her growing urges to embrace her animalistic nature.

Giving a Voice to the Voiceless: Author Kim Taylor Blakemore on 'After Alice Fell'

February 28, 2021 Kelli

At the beginning of last year I spoke with Kim Taylor Blakemore about her novel The Companion, a dark and sumptuous historical thriller set in nineteenth century New Hampshire. Her new novel, After Alice Fell, shares this same setting and roughly the same time period (1865, ten years after events of The Companion). The story follows Marion, a nurse recently returned from the war to discover that her younger sister, Alice, has died after falling from the roof of the asylum she’d been committed to in Marion’s absence. Wracked with guilt, Marion sets out to investigate her sister’s death, which she’s convinced was no accident.

Read on for my conversation with Kim Taylor Blakemore about After Alice Fell, wherein we discuss history, suspense, and the treatment of the mentally ill in nineteenth century America. The last time we spoke, Kim and I were entirely unaware of the pandemic that would hit in a few months time, so it was also great catching up with her about how her writing and research process has changed in light of our new reality.

(This interview is spoiler-free!)

The Great OCD AMA: Answering Your Questions about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

August 1, 2020 Susan

Between a global pandemic, racial violence, and the fact that this is also an election year, it’s no surprise that many of us who experience mental illness are feeling heightened symptoms. I’ve seen more and more people being open about their experience with mental illness on social media this year, and that openness is something I think is important for others to see, whether they have also experienced it or not.

In the spirit of vulnerability, I opened up my DMs on Instagram a few weeks ago to shed some light on my own experience with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Why Animal Crossing is the Perfect Quarantine Escape

April 8, 2020 Mary

Nintendo’s Animal Crossing has charmed gamers since 2001, when the first installment was released. Created by Katsuya Eguchi (who also had a hand in such cute games as Yoshi’s Story), each game in the series lets the player create an avatar to represent themselves in a world filled with anthropomorphic, cute animals. Responsible for maintaining the town and keeping residents happy, the player must make friends with the various residents of the town, who are free to move in and out as they please. The attraction of the game comes from a collector mentality; the player can choose to work on a museum that collects the various fish, bugs, and fossils available throughout the game.

A Seoul Resident’s Cure for Corona fears: Binge-Watching Outlander

March 14, 2020 Julianne McAdams

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I live in South Korea, where the number of reported Covid-19 cases is fast approaching 8,000 (at time of publishing). The school where I teach has been closed for three weeks, and we’ve been advised by local authorities to avoid leaving our homes. So I’ve been inside a lot. Like, a lot. It is in the deepest depths of this isolation that I came to find Outlander on Netflix.

True Life: I Puke When I'm Nervous and Knives Out Made Me Feel Seen

December 9, 2019 Kelli

When I was in high school and spending way too much time at my local Barnes and Noble, one of the most memorable books I picked up to read was It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. What makes it stand out in my mind is not necessarily the writing style or the plot or even the characters, but the fact that it was the first time I’d ever encountered a description of something that up until that point, I was almost certain I was alone in experiencing: chronic anxiety-induced vomiting.

Apparently, we’ve come a long way since 2006. Several of this year’s biggest films feature main characters suffering from this same affliction, including Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers, Elizabeth Banks’ Charlie’s Angels reboot, and Rian Johnson’s spectacular whodunnit, Knives Out. In particular, Knives Out takes the concept and poses a hypothetical I’ve never even considered: what if my unfortunate physiological response to anxiety was actually useful?

(CW: anxiety, depression, puke.)

My Father's Continued Battle with the Green Hearse: SIX FEET UNDER Season 1 Part 2

November 11, 2019 Emily

In case you missed our recap of the first half of Season 1 of my favorite show of all time, let me fill you in on what we’re doing here. This is a special rewatch for me of the best show ever made. For my dad, it’s his first time watching it. In this installment, we will cover the second half of season 1. I hope you’ll watch along with us, and feel free to leave comments letting me know why this show is special to you. I love to hear that.

Spoilers for the second half of season 1 to follow, but nothing will be spoiled beyond what we’re covering in this post. Because, of course, my dad hasn’t seen it yet.

Revisiting HBO's SIX FEET UNDER: Season 1 Part 1

October 14, 2019 Emily

I have said it many times. HBO’s Six Feet Under is the greatest show ever.

I’m hoping in this series to get into more specifics of why I feel this way. But for now, I will say this. I have rewatched this show many times. I especially enjoy rewatching it with people who have never seen it before and rediscovering through them what makes this show so special.

This particular rewatch is a special one, however, and it’s particularly personal. I watched this show with my brother when he was sick. I have have not watched this show since my brother’s death near the end of 2017. Now, as I’m coming up on the 2 year anniversary of his death, I’ve found myself longing to return to the show that gave me so much clarity and understanding about life and death. It’s just an HBO show. That probably sounds like hyperbole. But it isn’t.

Even more importantly, I am watching this show with my father, who has never seen it before. So as I rewatch this show with the loss of my brother heavy in my heart, I will be discussing the show with my father Charles Martin here in these blogs. We will probably get personal about our feelings about loss because this show feels personal.

For this first blog, we’re looking at the first half of Season 1: episodes 1 through 6. There will be no spoilers for what happens beyond those episodes if you decide to watch with us.

If You Haven't Watched Hulu's The Act, You Are In For A Treat

May 3, 2019 Mary & Emily

In a media culture that is saturated with true crime television at the moment, it takes a special show to stand out from the crowd. Hulu’s new television series The Act, which just finished its first season, is that kind of special show. Based on a Buzzfeed newspiece written by co-showrunner, producer, and writer Michelle Dean, The Act follows the tragic story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother Dee Dee.

Read the Buzzfeed article to get the details of the case. Then watch Mommy Dead and Dearest for even more shocking details. If you’re anything like Mary and Emily, you’ll still be fascinated by this fictionalized account of this unbelievable story. Here’s why…

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