Last year, Kristyn recorded a podcast with her partner/co-parent Kevin titled “Discord Mode.” This conversation is effectively a part 2 of that conversation, and a public offering of repair after a public rupture event.

How can cis/het white women compassionately offer grace (the same grace Black women have given us) to our men in order to invite them into liberation while also not tolerating abusive fragility? How can pivoting a relational framework from “husband” to “friend” create spaciousness for secure attachment to (finally) flourish? Why does patriarchy have to be such a fucking sinister villain?

If you like Reality TV- especially fraught emotional predicaments based on historical abandonment wounds and attachment patterns, you may really enjoy this “Reality Podcast.”

Please tend to your nervous system and listen with caution, while moving/tasking, and/or taking many breaks, or even consider skipping this episode altogether. Be kind and compassionate to yourself.

#attachment #liberation #couplestherapy #realityTV

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration in today’s episode:

Carmen Spagnola's podcast marriage miniseries, courses on Secure attachment and Contact Nutrition on The Numinous Network

Zawn Villines’ podcast with Desiree Stephens

Desiree Stephens’ substack about extending grace

Desiree Stephens’ substack on interrupting fragility during repair

Hospicing Modernity (Book)

Ani Difranco: “If more people were screaming then I could relax”

Roadmap to Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)

Note: This Writers Group episode is more of a diary entry documenting our creative process rather than a well-researched audio essay about a theme or an outlined interview. Transitions may feel jarring or confusing since the priority is consent and privacy over elements of our work. If you have a pressing question, feel free to ask on substack! (These conversations occurred in September 2025)

Today’s episode is about the push and pull between Pantsing (ie: writing by the seat of your pants) vs Plotting (ie: outlining the story ahead of time. Kristyn shares a cute anecdote about how her opening was inspired by ideas shared on a fandom’s reddit page. Matt relieves some of Kristyn’s anguish by reminding her that “the bud is not the mistake before the flower” and the emotional intentions of editing. (She still kinda hates it, though)

You can find Matt here and here

Follow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Jeanna Kadlec: “Embrace the Cringe” and “No new stories”

Sarah Faith Gottesdiener ‘s Moon Studio & Moonbeaming Podcast

People’s Oracle, Dayna Lynn Nuckolls “Liberation is Collective Imagination”

Thanks to Sophie Strand for “Compost Heap”

Resources in the “Compost Heap”: Zawn Villines’ Low Value Men

For more deconstructing fundamentalist Christianity, check out Tia Leving’s Instagram and Substack and Jeanna Kadlec’s “Heretic: A Queer Revolt Against Evangelicalism, Empire, and the Lies we are Sold”

Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music)

Remember, Remember the 5th of November! The movie V for Vendetta is now 20 years old, and it is clear from looking around that the dystopia has arrived!

Why is it important to listen to and follow native Voices in the reVolution? How can we all be a little more mischieVous in how we disrupt the status quo? What is it that makes Costa Rica a Blue Zone anyway? Just how many layers of symbolism are there to the Guy Fawkes mask in the 2005 movie {V for Vendetta} anyway?

Kristyn with a why chats with Adri Leiton about the importance of being in solidarity with indigenous people everywhere, the importance of community and mutual aid with the iGuana Collective, historical and cultural insights about Costa Rica (specifically the Guanacaste province), and grappling with power and privilege, all through the lens of the story {V for Vendetta}.

Follow La Colectiva de La iGuana on Instagram and Facebook

Follow the podcast on Substack and Instagram!

#vforvendetta #rememberrememberthe5thofnovember #guyfawkes #PuraVida #costarica #colectivadelaiguana

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Desiree Stephen’s Substack: No Kings, just Kinship: From March to Momentum

“Disruption leads to Risk”

For more on protecting yourself from the Empire's mass surveillance, YK Hong’s Liberation Toolbox is a must!

Timothy Snyder’s Book: On Tyranny

“Do not obey in advance”

The Flag that Adri mentions from the scene he watched on TikTok

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network for practicing grappling with settler identities and land acknowledgments

Cosmic Anarchy is a great substack to follow, like this piece on revolution and mutual aid

Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music)

How can astrology help us give ourselves permission to do the things we deeply yearn to do and live the lives we would prefer? What is the connection between a creative practice and a spiritual journey in helping us to process shame, and how can practices like playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends or baking sourdough for our community resource our somatic capacity in the revolution?

Kristyn with a why chats with Jeanna Kadlec about her memoir- "Heretic: A Queer Revolt against Evangelicalism, Empire, and the Lies we are Sold;" astrology; the role of queerness, creativity, and community in the revolution; the importance of being cringe earnest; and why it is imperative to prioritize and keep personal our playful pleasure practices to stay grounded and resourced in capitalism.

Jeanna Kadlec’s Disney column at Longreads

You can follow Jeanna’s substack "Astrology for Writers."

Follow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network

Listen to Jeanna and friends on their podcast Call your Coven- Coming out of the broom closet

Audrey Lourde “Uses of the Erotic”

Kristyn’s Intro to Astrology →Diana Rose Harper 's Podcast with JVN

Maeg Kaene*

Pallas K. Augustine

Mecca Woods

Sasha Ravitch

ET Shipley*

*Kristyn has had readings with Maeg and ET and highly recommend them both <3

Melissa Febos.

Lilly Dancyger

Mary Karr

Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Ashley Ford's “Somebody’s Daughter”

For more deconstructing fundamentalist Christianity, check out Tia Leving’s Instagram and Substack

Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music)

Can any good story that compels you towards a more liberated life be considered “Gospel?” If the Bible doesn’t mention Hell, what else might fundamentalist Christianity be getting wrong? Is this whole podcast made possible by Kristyn’s teenage years of evangelical somatics? If inspiration is really a godsend, then isn’t our creative practice a worship of the divine?

Kristyn with a Why chats with friend and fellow spiritual-creative Matt about story and gospel as they introduce themselves and set intentions for the stories they are working on in their weekly writer’s group.

You can find Matt here&here

Follow the podcast on Substack & Instagram!

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network

Sophie Strand’s novel: “The Madonna Secret”

Marcus Borg: “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time”

For more deconstructing fundamentalist Christianity, check out Tia Leving’s Instagram and Substack and Jeanna Kadlec’s “Heretic”

Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music)

(This episode is based off the FX show “Say Nothing” that came out in 2024, based on the non-fiction book of the same name.)

What is it that makes stories of revolution (Les Mis, Hadestown, etc) so irresistible? How is it possible that our suburban public school education in the 90s in the USA did not properly educate us on the realities of oppressed peoples overseas? Who benefits when we believe the narratives that empire tries to convince us are “too complicated” to understand? Who gets to define “terrorism?” How can we do better- individually and collectively?

Kristyn with a Why invites her friend Jamie onto the show to share a “Story History” lesson about the time of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland and its echo in the revolution against colonist regimes in current day, specifically in Palestine, all through the 2024 FX show “Say Nothing.”

#Saynothing #northernireland #palestine #thetroubles

Follow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

Toni Cade Bambara- “The role of the artist is to make the Revolution irresistible”

A classic example of “Drunk History”

Podcast “Millenials are killing Capitalsim” about “The Dark- Selected writings of Brendan Hughes”

More History on the Colonization of Northern Ireland featured in “Millenials are Killing Capitalsim” Podcast

Chani App for Astrology

Audre Lorde- “The Master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”

Timothy Snyder’s Book: On Tyranny

Book: “Let this Radicalize you”

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network for more on the Ace Studies & Secure attachment.

Liberation with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music)

(This episode is offered as a collective imagining and embodiment of better stories we can look to for guidance towards liberation)

How can we collectively pivot away from stories that demand converting or disposal rather than co-holding in community?

In what ways can wounds and embodied practices be portals offering ancestral healing? How can a practice of polyamory be a portal to an animistic practice of opening up to resourcing from energetic sources found in nature? What if every womb-having person could reclaim the “wise power” of menopause as an initiation?

Kristyn with a Why invites her anti-Zionist Jewish friend Anna Shneiderman to share her story in three acts: The Seder, Ancestral Healing, Co-Holding with Nature.

0: Intro to episode

5:00: Introduce Anna

13:20: Act 1- The Seder

23:37: Act 2- Ancestral Healing

42:00: Act 3- Coholding with Nature

1:00:00: Anna’s “Practices to Become Accident Prone”

1:12:00: Outro

Follow the podcast on Substack or Instagram!

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Grateful for all the learning and inspiration alluded to in today’s episode:

blacspace.coop

Wise Power- Menopause as Initiation

Choosing Clean Pain- Resmaa Menakem’s book: My Grandmother’s Hands

Rachel Heron Yoga

Land Acknowledgment Practice- Hayden King

Somatics with the Strozzi Institute

Offers and Needs Market

Carmen Spagnola’s Numinous Network for more on Secure attachment.

Embodied Social Justice with Rev. angel Kyodo williams

As always:----------------------------------

Thankful for the musical inspiration for the theme song:

Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, specifically “Our Lady of the Underground” and Orpheus’ Song

“Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams

Shout out for the artistic assistance of:

Matt Schubbe (Logo)

Kevin Carlow (Music and sound editing)