In this fourth episode of Season 3, ATM STORYTELLERS features two compelling works, the first a work of fiction that argues sometimes we can’t change without first being destroyed.:“The Invitation” by Carolynn Kingyens. And that is followed by an essay that acts as an ode to the empowering, feminist masterpieces penned by Betty Friedan and Maggie Doherty: “Feminine Mystique : How Betty Friedan and Maggie Doherty Upended My World” by Claire Wilcox.

Carolynn Kingyens is the author of two poetry collections: Before the Big Bang Makes a Sound and the newly released Coupling, both published by Kelsay Books (Coupling is available on Amazon). In addition to poetry, Kingyens writes essays, book and film reviews, micro fiction, and short stories. Today, she lives in New York and Canada with her husband and two amazing daughters.

Claire Wilcox is an addiction psychiatrist, associate professor of translational neuroscience and writer. She has published essays in the El Portal Literary Journal, Wilderness House Literary Review, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and elsewhere. She has also written articles for the Santa Fe Reporter, Psychology Today and Science in the News. She authored the book Food Addiction, Obesity and Disorders of Overeating: An Evidence-Based Assessment and Clinical Guide, published by Springer in 2021, and numerous academic articles.