Episode 9: How Not to Have a Birthday Party with Luci Strong

Episode 12: Time to Go with Susanna Ross Clyde (Max)

💜🎙️In this week’s episode, Susanna Ross Clyde (Max) shares her essay, “Time to Go: Even Mickey Can’t Help” reflecting on her experience with betrayal and what it took to move forward and heal on her own.  During our conversation, Susanna shared how writing has served as a therapeutic tool, allowing her to channel her innate creativity. Although she faced marital betrayals, her support network helped her move forward and push past the burden of societal expectations. Susanna talks about the magic of words and how music can hit us deeply and resonate with our own stories. We touched on the lasting effects of domestic violence on trust and the beauty of rediscovering ourselves after trauma. Most importantly, Susanna emphasizes the importance of self-expression, embracing the beauty and hardships of life, and choosing to be better rather than bitter. Susanna Ross Clyde (Max) is an aspiring writer with southern roots, a love of sweet tea, and a little bit of sass she inherited from her late grandmother. Susanna has been telling stories since childhood, is an experienced improvisation actor, and was a regular feature writer forVenue Magazinein Cincinnati, Ohio. She dabbles in writing as a form of therapy and more of her musings are often shared on her personal blog, "Tacos and Truth Bombs". When she's not working hard to provide for her two amazing children, you’ll find Susanna sweating it out in a hot yoga class or laughing with great female friends over a glass of wine! Susanna resides in Cincinnati with her two children, Elizabeth and Andrew, and their rescue dog, Jersey.   Experience this Episode: Listeners canwatch the full interview [https://herownwords.club/watch-the-show] orread the essay [http://herownwords.club/ep9-essay-luci-strong]. Connect with Susanna: * LinkedIn @Susanna Max [https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-max-397062a4/] * Blog @Tacos & Truth Bombs [https://susannamax.wixsite.com/tacosandtruthbombs] * Facebook @Susanna.Max [https://www.facebook.com/susanna.max/]  Follow Her Own Words: * Instagram @⁠Herownwords.podcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herownwords.podcast/] * LinkedIn @⁠Her Own Words⁠ [https://linkedin.com/company/herownwords] * Website: ⁠⁠https://herownwords.club/⁠⁠ [https://herownwords.club/] * Do you have a story?⁠Share a personal essay here⁠ [https://herownwords.club/share-your-story] * Sponsor the show: If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider supportinghere [https://ko-fi.com/herownwords]. *** Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): * Show Theme: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky⁠ [https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky]  // License code: IUN6XTDNDDJVLFCJ * Essay Song: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/studiokolomna/miracles⁠ [https://uppbeat.io/t/studiokolomna/miracles] // License code: CZXQMJIJCL6ZTILU

Episode 11: She Was Always There with Katherine Stinson

💜🎙️In this week’s episode, Katherine Stinson shares her essay, “She Was Always There” reflecting on her journey of self-acceptance, and how it led her to get hearing aids and finally feel heard.  During our conversation, Katherine shared her experience living with hearing loss and how it shaped her upbringing and adult life. She opened up about the stigma surrounding disabilities and being “othered,” which made her resistant to owning her hearing loss. We also chatted about the challenges faced during social interactions, attending concerts, or going out to bars and restaurants, and the crucial need for better design. Over the past few years, writing has become a therapeutic outlet for Kate, but it was the experience of getting hearing aids that expanded her sense of self. Her hearing aids brought unexpected moments of delight—listening to musical instruments, taking in the sounds of nature, and realizing the joy that comes from hearing others’ laughter. With newfound access to the world, Kate developed a stronger sense of self, learned to communicate her hearing needs, and found the confidence to advocate for herself. We touch on the need for conversations about our differences rather than making assumptions, the importance of self-advocacy, and the value of keeping an open mind when it comes to our health and the needs of others. Katherine Stinson is a 35-year-old author of Deserted Plateau, a poetry collection. As a published poet, she’s been featured in various magazines, including Clementine Zine, Pink Disco Magazine, Curio Cabinet, Letters to Lovers, and Honey Fair Magazine. In her free time, she enjoys writing and traveling. Professionally, she works as a Direct Service Professional at a nonprofit organization.  Experience this Episode: Listeners can watch the full interview [https://herownwords.club/watch-the-show] or read the essay [http://herownwords.club/ep11-essay-katherine-stinson]. Connect with Katherine: * Instagram @ k8b0ne [https://www.instagram.com/k8b0ne/] * Purchase her book, Deserted Plateau on Bookshop [https://bookshop.org/p/books/desertedplateau-katherine-stinson/21473239?ean=9789360944025&next=t&next=t] or Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Desertedplateau-Katherine-Stinson/dp/9360944025] * Purchase the book, Shouting Won’t Help  on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4hjdCBL]  Follow Her Own Words: * Instagram @ ⁠Herownwords.podcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herownwords.podcast/] * LinkedIn @ ⁠Her Own Words⁠ [https://linkedin.com/company/herownwords] * Website: ⁠⁠https://herownwords.club/⁠⁠ [https://herownwords.club/] * Do you have a story? ⁠Share a personal essay here⁠ [https://herownwords.club/share-your-story] * Sponsor the show: If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider supporting here [https://ko-fi.com/herownwords]. *** Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): * Show Theme: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky⁠ [https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky]  // License code: IUN6XTDNDDJVLFCJ * Essay Song: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/studiokolomna/miracles⁠ [https://uppbeat.io/t/studiokolomna/miracles] // License code: CZXQMJIJCL6ZTILU

Episode 10: A Change of Spirit with Naomi Bindman

A Note Before We Start: Today’s episode is heavily focused on grief and loss with mentions of suicidal ideation. These are sensitive topics so please honor yourself as you move forward. 💜🎙️In this week’s episode, Naomi Bindman shares her essay, “A Change of Spirit” reflecting on the complexities of grief and the value of honoring three special women in her life through storytelling. During our conversation, Naomi reflected on the influence of her mother and grandmother on her writing and teaching journeys, as well as how feedback has helped her refine her craft. Through storytelling and performing, she has found a way to give voice to her deceased daughter and honor the legacies of the three most important women who shaped her life: her mother, grandmother, and daughter. After her daughter, Ellen passed away in a car accident at the age of seventeen, Naomi rediscovered the will to live by performing Ellen’s songs. Initially, she pursued this goal seeking enough closure to end her life. Instead, she found an unexpected joy she once thought was lost forever. Together, we explored the challenges of grief and the cultural discomfort around pain, emphasizing the need to lean into grief and allow oneself to feel the pain before moving forward. Grief is not linear and looks different for everyone, including Naomi who shared how the experience of losing her daughter was the most incomprehensible loss of all. Wherever you are in your journey, she encouraged embracing the pain of grief, recognizing the value of therapy, connecting with others who have experienced similar losses, finding creative outlets for processing emotions, and embracing vulnerability as integral to the healing process. Naomi Bindman is a writer, musician, and award-winning educator based in Vermont. Her articles, essays, and poetry have appeared in anthologies and journals including Mothering, So to Speak, Friends Journal, and Consilience, among others. She’s received grants from the Vermont Arts Council and serves as faculty for the Vermont State Colleges. Her memoir, You're the Words I Sing, tells the story of Naomi's journey back to life performing the songs of her daughter, Ellen. Experience this Episode: Listeners can ⁠watch the full interview⁠ [https://herownwords.club/watch-the-show] or ⁠read the essay⁠ [http://herownwords.club/ep9-essay-luci-strong]. Connect with Naomi: * Website @ naomibindman.com [https://naomibindman.com/]  Follow Her Own Words: * Instagram @ ⁠Herownwords.podcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herownwords.podcast/] * LinkedIn @ ⁠Her Own Words⁠ [https://linkedin.com/company/herownwords] * Website: ⁠⁠https://herownwords.club/⁠⁠ [https://herownwords.club/] * Do you have a story? ⁠Share a personal essay here⁠ [https://herownwords.club/share-your-story] * Sponsor the show: If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider supporting here [https://ko-fi.com/herownwords]. *** Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): * Show Theme: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky⁠ [https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky]  // License code: IUN6XTDNDDJVLFCJ * Essay Song: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/studiokolomna/miracles⁠ [https://uppbeat.io/t/studiokolomna/miracles] // License code: CZXQMJIJCL6ZTILU

Episode 9: How Not to Have a Birthday Party with Luci Strong

💜🎙️In this week’s episode, Luci Strong shares her essay, “How Not to Have a Birthday Party” reflecting on how planning the ideal birthday party taught her an important lesson about what really matters in life. During our conversation, Luci shared the importance of having a supportive community of family and friends when navigating life's challenges. She reflected on her writing journey, using storytelling to process emotions, and how her Southern upbringing continues to shape her stories. We also touched on the impact of perfectionism on personal growth and how embracing spontaneity can lead to some of life’s most rewarding moments. At its heart, our discussion reaffirmed a timeless truth: at the end of the day, it’s the people around us who matter most. Luci Strong is a budding writer hailing from Mississippi. Her Southern experiences and upbringing shape her writing. She loves to read romances, thrillers, and fantasy novels. Luci has found her calling as a Family Nurse Practitioner, where her passion for healthcare is evident in her focus on women's sexual and reproductive health and primary care. When she’s not reading, writing, or caring for her patients, she enjoys baking, hanging out with family and friends, and binge-watching her favorite TV shows. Experience this Episode: Listeners can ⁠watch the full interview⁠ [https://herownwords.club/watch-the-show] or ⁠read the essay⁠ [http://herownwords.club/ep9-essay-luci-strong]. Connect with Luci: * Instagram @ lucigoosey [https://www.instagram.com/_lucigoosey/] * Read her essay, "Life's Music" here [https://heyyoungwriter.com/lifes-music/] Follow Her Own Words: * Instagram @ ⁠Herownwords.podcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herownwords.podcast/] * LinkedIn @ ⁠Her Own Words⁠ [https://linkedin.com/company/herownwords] * Website: ⁠⁠https://herownwords.club/⁠⁠ [https://herownwords.club/] * Do you have a story? ⁠Share a personal essay here⁠ [https://herownwords.club/share-your-story] * Sponsor the show: If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider supporting it *** Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): Show Theme:   // License code: IUN6XTDNDDJVLFCJ Essay Song: // License code: CZXQMJIJCL6ZTILU

Episode 8: Finding Solace with Sally Edelstein

A Note Before We Start: This content touches on childhood abuse, suicide, and gun violence. These are sensitive topics so please honor yourself as you move forward. 💜🎙️In this week’s episode, Sally Edelstein shares her essay, “Finding Solace in an Unlikely Place,”  reflecting on her lifelong battle with depression and how she found the strength to live in an unexpected place. During our conversation, Sally opened up about her personal experiences with trauma and how therapy has shaped her understanding of her mental health struggles. Despite the disconnect between her outward appearance and her internal struggles, Sally found strength in her ancestors and renewed self-love for herself by trusting her voice and creativity. Her experience highlights the burden of societal stigma for mental health sufferers. We talked about the urgent need to end the stigmatization and the importance of listening to each other through genuine conversations about our mental health Sally Edelstein is an award-winning collage artist and writer, based in Huntington, NY. She considers herself a visual archeologist digging deep into American mythology, excavating and examining the social fiction we and society have told ourselves over the past 70 years. A nationally exhibited artist, she has won awards from the Society of Three-Dimensional Illustrators, The Art Directors Club of N.Y., and the Society of Illustrators. As a writer, her essays have appeared in The Independent, The New York Daily News, Tablet, and Next Avenue among others. Experience this Episode: Listeners can watch the full interview [https://herownwords.club/watch-the-show] or read the essay [http://herownwords.club/ep8-essay-sally-edelstein]. Connect with Sally: * Instagram @ sallyedelstein [https://www.instagram.com/sallyedelstein/?hl=en] * Website: https://www.sallyedelsteincollage.com [https://www.sallyedelsteincollage.com/content.html?page=1]  * Storefront: https://sally-edelstein.pixels.com/ [https://sally-edelstein.pixels.com/]  * Watch the visual reading of Perpetual here [https://app.showit.com/%7B%22link%22:%7B%22type%22:%22url%22,%22target%22:%22https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ8VPx92gRo%22%7D%7D] Follow Her Own Words on: * Instagram @ ⁠Herownwords.podcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/herownwords.podcast/] * LinkedIn @ ⁠Her Own Words⁠ [https://linkedin.com/company/herownwords] * Website: ⁠⁠https://herownwords.club/⁠⁠ [https://herownwords.club/] * Do you have a story? ⁠Share a personal essay here⁠ [https://herownwords.club/share-your-story] * Sponsor the show: If you're enjoying the podcast, please consider supporting it here [https://ko-fi.com/herownwords]. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): * Show Theme: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky⁠ [https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky]  // License code: IUN6XTDNDDJVLFCJ * Essay Song: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/studiokolomna/miracles⁠ [https://uppbeat.io/t/studiokolomna/miracles] // License code: CZXQMJIJCL6ZTILU