Summertime!
Last week's episode was the Season 2 finale where we pondered: are we really helping the listener have better conversations?
School’s out for the summer and we’re taking a short hiatus from podcast production. In good news, we’ll be back in the Fall with a brand new season filled with more science and stories of abortion (and reproductive health). Over the summer, we’ll continue to share essays and thoughts on the Substack newsletter.
photo by Bev June 23, 20222
Each summer, I spend some time on the NC coast with family and friends relaxing, reading books, cooking delicious food, and walking every morning on the beach. Sadly, vacation season often overlaps with supreme court decision season. In the summer of 2022, I was one day away from finishing vacation when the Dobbs decision was released. We all knew it was coming after the leak, but I was hoping to eek one more day without facing the harsh reality that was coming.
You likely have a clear memory of where you were when you heard the news. I was on the beach with my family. I remember watching the kids playing in the surf as a fielded a call from the head of our hospital’s communications team. In tears, she broke the news. Within a few hours, I was on the phone with an NPR reporter. What I said then, I still believe now: “We have to continue advocating, we have to continue fighting. And we can't give up hope that we will be able to maintain the health care that's right for people. The health care that's necessary for people.”
Almost 4 years after Dobbs, the fight for reproductive health continues. When we started the podcast in the Fall of 2024, our goal was to help our listeners have better conversations about abortion by sharing the science and stories of abortion in the US. By sharing the reality of care and the realities of those seeking care, our hope was to bring more peaceful conversations and make you, the listener, the hero at the dining room table when abortion is discussed.
Jonas and I have been debating about whether we are meeting the needs of our listeners. Are we helping people have better conversations? In the season finale, we took a tour of some of our favorite conversations about conversations.
As we recharge and take a break for the summer, we want to hear from you, dear listener. So, we set up a hotline: Call us at 919-442-8101! What do we want to hear about?
Have you had a tough conversation about abortion? What helped you have that conversations? What went well? What didn’t go so well?
Is there a conversation with someone you’re dreading? Why? What could help you have a better conversation?
Are you loving the podcast or want to give us feedback? Do you have a favorite episode? Leave us a message!
Maybe you are a member of a generation that dreads making phone calls and talking to humans or even talking to a voicemail box. We have an option for you! Send us an email at: outlawedpodcast@gmail.com
There is a 3 minute limit on the hotline voicemail, but call back if you are cut off! We have received some AMAZING messages from listeners and already have some ideas cooking for the Fall. We would love to hear from you. Our most steadfast listeners make this project meaningful to us and keep us motivated to make more episodes. Thanks you for your support!
If you need a few summer recommendations, while you patiently wait for the new season, here you go!
I just finished Jeff Hiller’s memoir “Actress of certain age” - What a fantastic read!! In the book he talks about his role in Somebody, Somewhere (one of my current favorite shows) about found family, community, and grief. He considers the question when thinking about his show: what would be better: having 9 people think the show was their #1 favorite or 100 people thinking it was their 9th favorite? It highlights the importance of people finding your work deeply meaningful. We feel the same way about the podcast.
Here are a few books I have in the stack while I’m on vacation:
Kin by Tayari Jones
Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer
Culpability by Brice Holsinger
One day, everyone will have always been against this by Omar El Akkad
Check out this article from the Washington Post about a study that puts Americans in 9 different political parties. I had fun taking the Pew Research Typology quiz about which party you belong to. (My kids think I’m a total nerd because I find taking quizzes fun.)
We’ll continue to share interesting things that catch our attention this summer, both here and on our instagram feed (@outlawed_the_podcast). So, follow along!