Episode 59 - Now That We Think About Summer Reading with Amy Allen Clark

Episode 59 - Now That We Think About Summer Reading with Amy Allen Clark

Hello friends! I’m so excited for this week’s podcast. We have Amy Allen Clark with us to talk about Summer Reading. You may know Amy as MomAdvice [https://momadvice.com] or as the host of the Book Gang Podcast [https://momadvice.com/category/reads] (and if you don’t already know her, trust me, you’ll love her!). I first met Amy when she selected The People We Keep [https://momadvice.com/post/the-people-we-keep-an-interview-with-allison-larkin]for the MomAdvice Book Club [https://www.facebook.com/groups/758469254281752/]and she invited me on her podcast. I loved every minute of our conversation! And when Home of the American Circus [https://momadvice.com/post/allison-larkin-interview] came out, getting to go back on the Book Gang Podcast to talk with Amy was one of my favorite moments of the book release. Amy is so special and full of genuine enthusiasm for books. She takes book recommendations seriously, and puts so much thought into how she chooses books for her podcast and reading guides. Her Summer 2026 Reading Guide [https://momadvice.com/post/2026-summer-reading-guide] is on sale now and it’s spectacular! And she was so kind to join us and talk about some books to look out for, and just the joy of summer reading in general. If you’ve ever found yourself in a reading slump or decision paralysis when it comes to books, Amy’s got you! And you’ll love listening to her author interviews (and the spoilers episodes she does for her Patreon subscribers) [https://www.patreon.com/c/momadvice/posts]. We hope you find your next great summer read! And we’d love to know what you think about summer reading. Do you have great memories of reading books on beaches or on your back porch? Did your local library have a summer reading program? What’s on your TBR pile this summer? Email us at NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com to let us know! Happy Summer Reading! xo Allison (and Alice) Follow Amy MomAdvice.com [https://momadvice.com] Book Gang Podcast [https://momadvice.com/blog/category/reads/book-gang-podcast] Book Gang Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/momadvice/posts] Amy on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/momadvice/?hl=en] Book Lounge Podcast [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6c9lTef62t5SqHLk2ddVw2ba2M6ieSr0] by the Libby app Books Mentioned The Bright Years [https://momadvice.com/post/sarah-damoff-interview] by Sarah Damoff Top of the World [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9781668024621] by Ethan Joella These Heathens [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9780593596944] by Mia McKenzie The Calamity Club [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9781954118812] by Catherine Stockett The Bee Sting [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9781250338259] by Paul Murray The Good Life for Less [https://momadvice.com/booklandingpage/index.html] by Amy Allen Clark Strangers [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9780593733318] - Belle Burden A Well-Trained Wife [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9781250898050] by Tia Levings The Correspondent [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9780593798430] by Virginia Evans The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9780385341004] by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows With Friends Like You [https://momadvice.com/post/2026-summer-reading-guide] by Amy Chozick Famesick [https://momadvice.com/post/2026-summer-reading-guide] by Lena Dunham Skin Contact [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/book-gang/id1584160738?i=1000773365981]by Elisa Faison All the Women in My Brain [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9781250832665] by Betty Gilpin Broken Horses [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9780593237267] by Brandi Carlyle Open Book [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9780062899972]by Jessica Simpson Where the Girls Were [https://momadvice.com/post/kate-schatz-interview#:~:text=Where%20the%20Girls%20Were%20is,and%20society's%20expectations%20of%20women.] by Kate Schatz The Reservation [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9781640097483] by Rebecca Kaufmann Support the show by using our affiliate links! Force of Nature, Planet Friendly, Toxic-free Cleaning [https://partners.forceofnatureclean.com/YRJyDm]* Our Bookshop Store [https://bookshop.org/shop/nowthatwethinkaboutit]* Follow us Alice Carbone Tench [https://open.substack.com/users/200470748-alice-carbone-tench?utm_source=mentions] & Allison Larkin [https://open.substack.com/users/48450956-allison-larkin?utm_source=mentions] If you love this podcast, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-that-we-think-about-it-podcast/id1806974586] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com [https://nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 58 - Now That We Think About the Anatomy of a Protest Song (with Peter Mulvey)

This episode is sponsored by Little Leaf Design [https://www.littleleafdesign.com]: Better Websites; Easier Process. Little Leaf was born out of a passion for design and the belief that every business deserves a beautiful, easy-to-use website. Ashley is more than just a web designer; She’s your dedicated partner and mentor as you embark on the journey of creating your site together. Her goal is to enhance your business through an outstanding online presence. She’ll translate all the nerd speak into concepts you understand and design a website that is user-friendly, gorgeous and reflects your brand and business needs. Ashley has designed sites for professors, lawyers, copywriters, non-profits, many small businesses, and authors, including me. She’s easy to work with and great at taking her client’s chaotic ideas and translating their brand into a website, with all the best webtools. So if you need a website, head to LittleLeafDesign.com to learn more about working with Ashley. We have Peter Mulvey [https://www.petermulvey.com] on our podcast this week, and I’m beyond delighted to share this episode with you. I first saw Peter play on the Ithaca College campus in 1997. I’ve been a fan ever since and know for certain that I’m a more aware, thoughtful person because I’ve spent almost thirty years listening to Peter’s music, going to his shows, and reading his newsletters and social media posts, where he shares so much about the way he makes sense of the world. Everyone should be so lucky as to have a kind, wise, witty folk singer’s catalog of songs to rely on through those fractious late-teen years all the way through mid-life (and beyond). Of course, The People We Keep was influenced by my love of Peter’s music, but the way he absorbs art, politics and humanity and turns it into music has influenced me as a creative person in general. I think you’ll find him inspiring too. Peter’s songs take on the full breadth of human experience. And some of those experiences are reactions to the injustices of our country and culture — like the song Smell the Future [https://youtu.be/a9d44sADaIA?si=Sk8OP7Hzm-VfCsb7] from his 1995 studio album, Rapture [https://petermulvey.merchtable.com/digital-releases/rapture-digital-download], about the Rodney King verdict and the Los Angeles riots, or the weighty, yet delightful, Jesus Wants to Take Your Guns Away [https://youtu.be/851jvnatD4M?si=A37Tb3n-eVJVji9w], and the song/community project Take Down Your Flag [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEgfvRQoqjavsYok3DVhqOLmrMWSSxh9G], about the 2015 murders at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. In true protest song form, Peter invited other musicians to write additional verses to Take Down Your Flag, and has compiled a playlist of over 200 musicians [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEgfvRQoqjavsYok3DVhqOLmrMWSSxh9G&si=8RNSZQO5QYQR3O7x] performing and adding to the song he started, including Peter Yarrow, Pamela Means, Lori McKenna, Patty Larkin, Keb' Mo', Tod Weidner, Mark Erelli, and Ani DiFranco. Throughout this episode, we dive into the experiences and inspirations that fed into the writing of Take Down Your Flag and Peter’s other protest songs. In the conversation, Peter says, “My path into protest song has always been an emotional and immediate and visceral path. And I don’t in the moment (of writing them) think of them as protest songs,” which is extremely helpful insight for all of us who feel disturbed by the injustice surrounding us, affecting us, hurting our friends and neighbors. We don’t have to know every political angle of a moment to feel something and turn our feelings into art that may help change someone else’s heart and mind, or make like-minded people feel less alone. And even thought it’s not a protest tune, I want to leave you with one of my all-time favorite songs. When I first heard On the Way Up, back in 1997, I felt like if I listened to this song enough it might fix something broken in my heart. And you know what? I think it did. Let us know in comments or email [http://mail:nowthatwethinkaboutit@gmail.com], what you think about this episode? What’s your favorite protest song? Who inspires you? If you’re an artist of any kind, what do you want your art to reflect? Thanks again to Ashley at LittleLeafDesign.com [http://LittleLeafDesign.com] for sponsoring this episode. If you have a book coming out, a Substack essay or a newsletter, an album or a creative project, or a small business you’d like to promote, and you are interested in sponsoring an episode of Now That We Think About It, please email us at NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com [NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com] for more information. We hope you enjoy this episode! xo Allison (and Alice) Links Peter Mulvey’s Website [https://www.petermulvey.com] Peter on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/petermulvey43/] Peter on Tour with Floyd Mercantile [https://www.petermulvey.com/#livestreams-home-section] Peter on Patreon [https://petermulvey.merchtable.com/digital-releases/rapture-digital-download] We also discussed the song Shirt [https://youtu.be/BjuhKYOOe2U?si=wdHMT79iChoP_s9p] from the album Kitchen Radio [https://petermulvey.merchtable.com/digital-releases/kitchen-radio-digital-download] Support the show by using our affiliate links! Force of Nature, Planet Friendly, Toxic-free Cleaning [https://partners.forceofnatureclean.com/YRJyDm]* Our Bookshop Store [https://bookshop.org/shop/nowthatwethinkaboutit]* Follow us Alice Carbone Tench [https://open.substack.com/users/200470748-alice-carbone-tench?utm_source=mentions] & Allison Larkin [https://open.substack.com/users/48450956-allison-larkin?utm_source=mentions] If you love this podcast, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-that-we-think-about-it-podcast/id1806974586] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com [https://nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 57: Now That We Think About Pivoting in Life, with Leanne Citrone

This episode is sponsored by the Bookish Nomad. (https://www.youtube.com/@Bookish_Nomad [https://www.youtube.com/@Bookish_Nomad]) After 25 years as an Emmy-nominated Art Director and Production Designer on shows like Grace & Frankie, Amy Lee Wheeler found herself navigating a film industry stalled by runaway production. When a major home repair emptied her savings, she rented her house, packed her car, and drove across fifteen states to reconnect with friends and family she hadn’t seen in over a decade, including her godmother and mother, both battling dementia. Bookish Nomad is the vlog she made along the way. It’s unpolished and personal, but posting what she learned about the people she meant to stay close to felt worth talking about. Follow along on YouTube, or find her writing at DeRailed [https://amyleewheeler.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips] on Substack. Hi friends! I am so happy that Allison Larkin [https://substack.com/profile/48450956-allison-larkin] and I are sharing this episode today! This is Alice writing, and our guest on the show for this episode is the amazing Leanne Citrone (that you can follow here Leanne Citrone [https://substack.com/profile/121708954-leanne-citrone] ). With her, we talk about pivoting in life, as in the skill to say yes and be open to curiosity and learning — seeing everything as a stepping stone for what comes next, ultimately redefining failure. I have learned so much from this talk, both when we had it, and when we edited it. In fact, revisiting the experience of Allison and Leanne, a little older than me, really helped me see how free I can become, once I finally let go of old ideas about the many ‘should’ and ‘should not’ of life. So I hope that you will all get something out of the honesty and the vulnerability we all showed in this talk: cancer, professional life, food, success, and the reminder that is all about the journey. We never know what an event in our life is teaching us for the events and adventures to come. Thanks again to the Bookish Nomad [https://www.youtube.com/@Bookish_Nomad] for sponsoring this episode. If you have a book coming out, a Substack essay or a newsletter, an album, a creative project, or a small business you’d like to promote and are interested in sponsoring an episode of Now That We Think About It, please email us at NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com [NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com] for more information. Support our show: Force of Nature, Planet Friendly, Toxic-free Cleaning [https://partners.forceofnatureclean.com/YRJyDm]* Our Bookshop Store [https://bookshop.org/shop/nowthatwethinkaboutit]* Follow us Alice Carbone Tench [https://open.substack.com/users/200470748-alice-carbone-tench?utm_source=mentions] & Allison Larkin [https://open.substack.com/users/48450956-allison-larkin?utm_source=mentions] If you love this podcast, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-that-we-think-about-it-podcast/id1806974586] *affiliate links This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com [https://nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 56 - Now That We Think About Owning Stuff

This episode is sponsored by Cassandra Dunn Editing Services [https://cassandradunn.com/editing-services/]. Cassandra has over 20 years of professional copy editing experience and an MFA in creative writing. She’s a traditionally published author [https://bookshop.org/a/114534/9781476761619], and she’s been specializing in developmental edits and book doctor services for 13 years. Her clients’ books have won awards and received starred Kirkus reviews. She works in all genres and she’s here to help you make your project the best that it can be. So if you have something you’ve been working on, or even if you have something that’s just starting and you want to know if you’re on the right track, you can send Cassandra an email and start the conversation about how to take your writing to the next level. This week, inspired by a New York Times article [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/realestate/storage-unit-photo-tour.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hlA.rcf3.WLqAGmQW_v3_&smid=nytcore-ios-share] delving into the stuff six New Yorkers are keeping in their storage units, Alice decided to discuss our relationship with stuff. It’s a fascinating conversation, because Alice and I have very different relationships with keeping things and letting them go. While I have a hard time letting go of things that hold meaning or memories — especially the things I’ve personified (see Walter, below). And Alice sometimes feels weighed down by belongings, and finds some freedom in a good closet purge. Although, we both share a love of things with unknown (or partially known) histories attached. Alice has a beautiful antique notebook that Ben gave her as a gift, that belonged to someone in the 1800s. And I have a recipe box from an unknown woman, found in an antique store, packed full with correspondence and recipes. And while I don’t have any particular collections anymore, Alice collects miniature food magnets from Italy that are absolutely delightful. This was another conversation where we came in thinking it would be kind of a simple topic, and then we realized just how many areas of life and memory and self-identity is connected to our relationship with stuff. Do you have a storage unit? Do you keep things to avoid making decisions about letting them go? Do you collect something? Are you someone who hangs on to objects or would you rather have a clean slate? We would love to hear about your relationship to your belongings. Please send us an email at NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com [NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com] and let us know what you think about owning stuff. We may use your message on a future episode! (Let us know if you’d like to remain anonymous). We hope you enjoy this conversation! xoAllison & Alice Thanks for reading! This podcast is public so feel free to share with a friend! Thanks again to Cassandra Dunn Editing Services [https://cassandradunn.com/editing-services/] for sponsoring this episode. If you have a book coming out, a Substack essay or a newsletter, an album, a creative project, or a small business you’d like to promote and are interested in sponsoring an episode of Now That We Think About It, please email us at NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com [NowThatWeThinkAboutIt@gmail.com] for more information. Support the show by using our affiliate links! Force of Nature, Planet Friendly, Toxic-free Cleaning [https://partners.forceofnatureclean.com/YRJyDm]* Our Bookshop Store [https://bookshop.org/shop/nowthatwethinkaboutit]* Follow us Alice Carbone Tench [https://open.substack.com/users/200470748-alice-carbone-tench?utm_source=mentions] & Allison Larkin [https://open.substack.com/users/48450956-allison-larkin?utm_source=mentions] If you love this podcast, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-that-we-think-about-it-podcast/id1806974586] *affiliate links This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com [https://nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 55 - Now That We Think About Farming, with Andrew Raffaele of Orto Farms

This episode is sponsored by Little Leaf Design: Better Websites; Easier Process. Little Leaf was born out of a passion for design and the belief that every business deserves a beautiful, easy-to-use website. Ashley is more than just a web designer; She’s your dedicated partner and mentor as you embark on the journey of creating your site together. Her goal is to enhance your business through an outstanding online presence. She’ll translate all the nerd speak into concepts you understand and design a website that is user-friendly, gorgeous and reflects your brand and business needs. Ashley has designed sites for professors, authors, lawyers, copywriters, non-profits, and many small businesses. She’s easy to work with and great at taking her client’s chaotic ideas and translating their brand into a website, with all the best webtools. So if you need a website, head to LittleLeafDesign.com [http://LittleLeafDesign.com] to learn more about working with Ashley. In today’s world of ‘whatever-we-want-with-a-click’, many have lost touch with where our food comes from and when food is grown, where, and by whom. If you’ve ever wondered how to reconnect with the roots of the food you eat while promoting sustainability, this episode is for you. We have invited my friend Andrew Raffaele of Orto Farms to share the profound impact of urban farming on local communities and cultural heritage. Andrew is the visionary behind Orto Farms, a non-profit urban farm located in Northeast Los Angeles. With a mission to relieve poverty and educate the community about sustainable agriculture, Andrew’s work is rooted in his personal experiences and cultural Italian heritage. His unique approach not only focuses on growing food respecting the seasons and the many varieties of it that we have lost, because of the corporations that chose profit over cultural value, but also on restoring the community’s connection to its culinary roots. Learn more about Orto Farm [https://www.ortofarms.com] and follow Andrew here [https://www.instagram.com/ortofarms] And if you are interested in CSA boxes, these are the ones that Allison and I use. We look forward to hearing about yours, and about the produce and/or the obstacles you encounter in your community. Fresh Farm to You [https://www.farmfreshtoyou.com] Use code ALIC5982 for $15 off your first produce box.* Support the show by using our affiliate links! Force of Nature, Planet Friendly, Toxic-free Cleaning [https://partners.forceofnatureclean.com/YRJyDm]* Our Bookshop Store [https://bookshop.org/shop/nowthatwethinkaboutit]* Follow us Alice Carbone Tench [https://open.substack.com/users/200470748-alice-carbone-tench?utm_source=mentions] & Allison Larkin [https://open.substack.com/users/48450956-allison-larkin?utm_source=mentions] If you love this podcast, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now-that-we-think-about-it-podcast/id1806974586] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com [https://nowthatwethinkaboutit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]