Minibabble: The best thing that ever happened to me
What is it like for mothers raising neuroatypical children? Host Suki Wessling reflects on how creating an episode on that topic led her back down Memory Lane.
Now on the Babblery
Take the scaffolding down: Mothering neuroatypical adults
“What to Expect”-style books are very popular amongst moms, and for good reason. Most children follow relatively closely to what we expect from them. But some children deviate from the norm in ways that create great struggle: for caregivers, educators, medical professionals, and most of all, the parents raising them. In this episode, Wendy and Rebecca detail the struggle to get support for their children, the toll it took on their own sense of self, and finally, the growth and understanding that they achieved in the process of helping them to adulthood.
Minibabble: Extraordinary creatures
What do women see when we look at our culture looking at women? This sounds circular, but it is the way that many mature women see ourselves. When we look in a mirror, we don’t see light bouncing off our faces and bodies and reflecting back from a smooth surface. We see the cultural experience of seeing ourselves as women. In this Minibabble, women talk about the experience of being looked at as they look at themselves.
A deep connection to humanity: Motherhood in the 21st century
There are many wonderful things about modern communication, including the fact that you could find this text and read it! Social media in particular has been instrumental in creating awareness….
Minibabble: Mothering, the common denominator
The Babblery has a full episode coming out later this month about the challenges and joys of motherhood, but on Mother’s Day, I thought maybe we should stick with the joys. I hope you enjoy this short episode from mothers who will never regret their decision.
Exactly Who We Are: The Portraiture of Jana Marcus
What happens when a photographer, a mature woman herself, welcomes older women into her studio to get the “full glamour treatment”? In this episode, we explore how a session with photographer Jana Marcus inspired and thrilled the women who took part. Even though beauty is supposed to be a superficial attribute, seeing themselves as beautiful, strong, and desirable had a deep and lasting effect on these women.
Minibabble: Trying not to do damage: Bettina Aptheker on a pivotal moment in the Free Speech Movement
The 1960s is well-known as a turbulent time, but in this memory, Bettina revisits a scene that was particularly influential in years to come. The Student Free Speech Movement has served as a template for protests by young people since, from the Vietnam War to Black Lives Matter. In this memory, feminist scholar Bettina Aptheker reflects on how a fact of her upbringing led her to stand on a police car at a rally, in a scene reminiscent of fact and fiction that took place later.
Riding the waves of feminism: A conversation with scholar Bettina Aptheker
Noted feminist scholar Bettina Aptheker explores the dawning of her feminist consciousness in waves. Daughter of a communist, Aptheker had to throw off a lifetime of conditioning about sexuality and the role of women in order to come into her own as a woman and a scholar.
Minibabble: On cats, haters, and fighting the good fight
Some thoughts on cats, haters, and fighting the good fight with feminist scholar Bettina Aptheker.
Minibabble: Herp Women Publish a Book
Herpetology is a science with a dubious distinction. It is one of the least diverse professions, especially in terms of gender. Our guests on this episode noticed their own uniqueness. In fact, it was often pointed out to them how unusual they were. But they also noticed the special bonds they formed with their female colleagues around the world. So one day, they set out to do something about it. The result is a book, Women in Herpetology, 50 Stories from Around the World.
