Should We Sympathize with Mom Influencers? (with Fortesa Latifi)

Childhood Lore, Unlikable Characters, & The Fallibility of Memory (with Kristina Ten)

May 27th is the one year anniversary of It's a Lot! Thank you so much for our support throughout our first year. It means the world to us. Check out Emily's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/servemethesky/] this week for celebrations, reflections, and a fun giveaway! You can always support the show by leaving a review on your favorite podcast app or sending a one-time or recurring tip [https://itsalot.captivate.fm/support]. Author Kristina Ten joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a wide-ranging conversation about impostor syndrome, the lore of our youth, going back to school for an MFA, the marketing genius of Chuck Tingle, and why it's important to her to write flawed, unlikable characters--especially queer ones! In the second half of the show, we explore Kristina's experiences with moving all over the U.S., how she gets to know new places, our anxieties about AI, and why you've just gotta wail sometimes. Links: * Buy Kristina's debut, Tell Me Yours I'll Tell You Mine [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781945233302] (or borrow it from your local library!). * Follow Kristina on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kristinasergeevnaten/] or check out her website [https://www.kristinaten.com/]. * Emily's business, Serve Me the Sky Digital [https://www.servemethesky.com/]. * Also mentioned in this episode: The Only Good Indians [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781982136468] by Stephen Graham Jones and Fabulous Bodies [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781250398567] by Chuck Tingle. We're a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network [https://lunchador.org/]. Our logo is by Tenderchomps Art [https://www.tenderchomps.com/]. Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Roasters Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription! Mind of Magnus The Mind is an An Amazing Space Dive into the Mind of Magnus Champlin. A creative brain cursed with endless curiosity. The show focuses on learning about everything and anything, from factoids to deep dives into theories. Magnus interviews guests sharing their stories and life adventures all with the goal of expanding our minds. We are always on the lookout for the next awesome thing to learn! Dialed In: A Coffee Podcast Dial In your coffee game! A podcast by two coffee lovers for coffee lovers. Wade Reed and Aaron Pascucci approach coffee and its culture from a different angle - grab a cup and join us! Dial In your coffee game! A podcast by two coffee lovers for coffee lovers. Wade Reed and Aaron Pascucci approach coffee and its culture from a different angle - grab a cup and join us! https://levelupwny.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast (levelupwny.substack.com)

Growing with Your Kids as They Grow Up (with Kenya Malcolm)

Are we doomed to traumatize our kids? Host Emily Hessney Lynch sits down with Dr. Kenya Malcolm, PhD, a clinical psychologist and the Director of Infant and Early Childhood Initiatives at the University of Rochester Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry, for a conversation about exactly that. We explore how our trauma shows up as parents and how our anxieties can impact the environment our kids grow up in and their attachment to us, what your first stop should be when you're worried about your child's mental health (or your own!), and how to parse all the conflicting parenting advice you see online. In the second half of the episode, we chat about a new title Kenya recently added: grandma! She shares her hopes for being a grandparent (hint: it involves spoiling them and having tons of fun), how she's taking care of her daughter postpartum, and how she built a relationship with her daughters that was flexible and allowed both her and her kids to grow and change as they got older. Links: * We both use a Brick to help reduce the time we spend on our phones; if you're interested in trying it, you can save 10% with my link [https://getbrick.com/?snowball=EMILY96760]! * For more of Kenya, follow her PhD Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kmalcolmphd/], her Bookstagram [https://www.instagram.com/reviewsmayvary/], and the Genre Snaps Book Club [https://www.instagram.com/genresnapsbookclub/], or check out her consulting business [https://www.herdingducksconsulting.com/]. * Emily's website [https://www.servemethesky.com/] & Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/servemethesky/]. Books mentioned in the episode: * Nonfiction: The Whole-Brain Child [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9780553386691] and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781451663884] * Children's books: My Mouth is a Volcano! [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781931636858], I Just Don't Like the Sound of No! [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781934490259], and The Bakery Dragon [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9780593710968] * Fiction: Theo of Golden [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781668236512], Nothing Tastes as Good [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781668068410], and Fabulous Bodies [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781250398567] (out July 7, 2026) To support the show [https://itsalot.captivate.fm/support], leave us a one-time (or recurring!) tip. We'll send you a sticker to say thanks! We're a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network [https://lunchador.org/]. Our logo is by Tenderchomps Art [https://www.tenderchomps.com/]. Mentioned in this episode: Common Thread Check out Common Thread on Lunchador! https://feeds.captivate.fm/common-threads-hardcore/ Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business Check out Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business on Lunchador! https://feeds.captivate.fm/gettingrealwithbossy/ Joe Bean Roasters Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

The Suspense of Raising Kids (with Hayley DeRoche)

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of losing a loved one to suicide. There are no graphic details, but we do talk about grief at length in the second half of the show. Please take care while listening. Content creator, librarian, comedian, and mom Hayley DeRoche (they/she), the creator of the viral 'Sad Beige' phenomenon, joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a conversation about algorithms, having boundaries as an influencer, staying true to yourself creatively, her détournement poetry, and why they stay on social media despite the downsides. In the second half of the show, we dive into Hayley's experiences fostering and later adopting a child, navigating transracial adoption, parenting through grief, and how freeing it is when your kids get old enough that you don't have to watch their every move. We also talk about the excitement of not knowing who your kid will become and the joy of watching them grow up. Links: * Hayley's book, Dress Your Baby in Sage and Taupe: A Handbook for the Sad Beige Parent [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781324112044], is out now! Grab a copy at your favorite indie bookstore or request it from your local library. * For more of Hayley's work, follow them on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@sadbeige] or Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/officialsadbeige], or check out her website [https://www.hayleyderoche.com/]. * Emily's website [https://www.servemethesky.com/] & Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/servemethesky/]. To support the show [https://itsalot.captivate.fm/support], leave us a one-time (or recurring!) tip. We'll send you a sticker to say thanks! We're a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network [https://lunchador.org/]. Our logo is by Tenderchomps Art [https://www.tenderchomps.com/]. Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Roasters Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

Reminiscing About Dear America: Titanic (with Ella Dawson)

If you read and loved the Dear America books as a tween in the late 90s/early 2000s, then this episode is for you! Author Ella Dawson joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a fun conversation about everyone's favorite Dear America book, Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, by Ellen Emerson White, which came out in 1998. We discuss what held up well in our reread, whether or not the book is historically accurate, how little details bring a story to life, publishers' depressing cost-cutting measures, how Dear America compares to the I Survived series, how much a first-class Titanic ticket would cost in 2026, and what current events would make great Dear America books today. You'll even learn where the idea of a passenger surviving the Titanic on a floating door comes from (spoiler alert: it wasn't a white person floating on the door!). Links: * We discuss several book covers in the episode. Here are the images for each of the Dear America: Titanic versions: 1998 original cover [https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553478963i/247982.jpg]; 2010 reissue cover [https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71t082l9ZYL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg]; 2026 reissue cover. [https://images-us.bookshop.org/ingram/9798225072872.jpg?v=b578ca8f53a4d0cd78c0bb08736000d9] We also discuss the I Survived covers, including the novel version [https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61mJj5IVRIL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg] and the graphic novel adaptation [https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ABJiCShnL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg]. * Titanic Sinks Tonight [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38639981/] is the BBC mini series Ella recommended. * Listen to Ella's previous appearance on It's a Lot, "Capitalism Ruins Everything [https://itsalot.captivate.fm/episode/ella-dawson]" * Check out Ella's debut novel, But How Are You, Really in hardcover [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9780593473771] or ebook [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9780593473788] * For more of Ella and her work, find her on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/brosandprose] or Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/cw/brosandprose], and listen to her podcast Rebel Ever After [https://rebeleverafterpod.com/] * Follow Emily on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/servemethesky/] and check out her business, Serve Me the Sky Digital [https://www.servemethesky.com/], if you need a social media strategist, speaker, or writer! Books mentioned in the episode: * Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9798225072872] (Dear America) by Ellen Emerson White * Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, Austria-France, 1769 [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9780545315630] (The Royal Diaries) by Kathryn Lasky (please excuse the yaasified cover) * I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9780545206945] by Lauren Tarshis * I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912: A Graphic Novel [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781338120912] by Lauren Tarshis, illustrated by Haus Haus Studio and adapted by Georgia Ball * The Correspondent [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9780593798430] by Virginia Evans (recommended by Amanda, a children's librarian in Illinois, for those who enjoyed the epistolary format of Dear America). If what you loved is the immersive nature of Dear America, Amanda also recommends checking out more historical fiction as it can be richly detailed! And if you loved learning about different time periods, she recommends exploring more narrative nonfiction. * The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9780998063614] by Beth Brower (recommended by Lauren, a youth librarian in Upstate NY). If you loved Dear America and the Royal Diaries books, she also recommends historical romance as it's deeply researched and focused on women's interests. Some of her favorite historical romance authors are Alexandra Vasti, Sarah MacLean, and Evie Dunmore. Lauren also notes that historical fiction by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Kristin Hannah are worth checking out too! * Across the Living Infinite: A Queer Romance Aboard the RMS Titanic [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/247129148-across-the-living-infinite?] by Logan Sage Adams is out on April 15, 2026 and Ella is very much looking forward to reading it! To support the show [https://itsalot.captivate.fm/support], leave us a one-time (or recurring!) tip. We'll send you a sticker to say thanks! We're a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network [https://lunchador.org/]. Our logo is by Tenderchomps Art [https://www.tenderchomps.com/]. Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Roasters Visit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!

Should We Sympathize with Mom Influencers? (with Fortesa Latifi)

Journalist and toddler mom Fortesa Latifi joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a conversation about why we need more nuance in our conversations about mom influencers. In the first half of the show, we discuss how influential influencers truly are (and how much money is involved in the industry), how many mom influencers come from vulnerable backgrounds, and where Fortesa personally draws the line when it comes to the ethics of consuming content featuring kids. We also talk about her writing process for her new book, Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online, exploring the research process, finding sources, challenging revisions, and more. In the second half of the show, we explore Fortesa's own experiences with pregnancy (spoiler alert: not everyone experiences the ~pregnancy glow~. Sometimes pregnancy just sucks!) and motherhood so far. We bond over quitting therapy after becoming moms, the crushing weight of the mental load, and the joys of slowing down to experience the world through a toddler's eyes. Links: 1. Fortesa's book, Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online [https://bookshop.org/a/315/9781668080504], is out on April 7th! 2. Fortesa's story on TV moms [https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/let-your-kids-watch-as-much-tv-as-they-want-these-parents-think-its-better-than-the-alternative-120050086.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueWFob28uY29tL2F1dGhvci9mb3J0ZXNhLWxhdGlmaS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANu0f6unhXY3j7PT9Ga0XvC0oc9AQdM2rRAXovOw1Nc5zYxwzmzeXKBWliZvUGKVs4YNCWX8VBvmuK3uxlMbk4dfM29HoizM4TTuR-gFlt24kiwebdK_zyBSgda8rW52Ev5PSol5JO0USscaRaE7HZH5me2O_Fez4FtCDGREZdXy] and their unorthodox screentime approach 3. For more of Fortesa's work, check out her website [https://www.fortesalatifi.com/] or follow her on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/hifortesa/] or TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@hifortesa]. 4. Emily's website [https://www.servemethesky.com/] & Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/servemethesky/]. To support the show [https://itsalot.captivate.fm/support], leave us a one-time (or recurring!) tip. We'll send you a sticker to say thanks! We're a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network [https://lunchador.org/]. Our logo is by Tenderchomps Art [https://www.tenderchomps.com/]. Mentioned in this episode: Joe Bean Coffee - Coffee that Lifts Everyone Use promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.com Behind the Glass Behind the Glass Gallery podcast is a monthly talk with the current month's BTG Roster. Artists are interviewed about their submissions and we dive deep into their process, inspiration and thought process centralized around their artwork in the Behind the Glass Gallery located in the heart of Downtown Rochester NY. Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business Check out Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business on Lunchador! https://feeds.captivate.fm/gettingrealwithbossy/