Abraham Verghese has two acclaimed careers. He’s an infectious disease specialist known for his focus on the human side of medicine and a bestselling author of books like “My Own Country” and “The Covenant of Water.” In a recorded live event in Pittsboro, North Carolina, Anita talks to him about the shared philosophy he brings to both professions and probes him about how his own experiences inform how he writes about bodies and relationships.

Meet the guest:

- Dr. Abraham Verghese, acclaimed physican and author

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Special thanks to McIntyre’s Books in Fearrington Village for hosting this event.

Our understanding of the term bisexuality has been in a state of constant evolution. In a moment when bisexual adults make up the largest share of the LGBTQ+ population, how is bisexuality being re-imagined, reclaimed — and sometimes relinquished? Anita meets two people who have grappled with the term’s history, meaning and power for building community.

Meet the guests:

- J.R. Yussuf is the author of “Dear Bi Men: A Black Man's Perspective on Power, Consent, Breaking Down Binaries, and Combating Erasure”

- Jazmín Aguilar is a host and senior audio producer at the Boston Globe

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Please note: This episode originally aired October 10, 2024.

Update: J.R. Yussuf’s book, “Dear Bi Men,” was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES award.

When Jessica Slice was 28 years old, a bout of heat exhaustion triggered an underlying neurological disorder that led to permanent physical disabilities. In the 14 years since, Jessica met her now-husband David Yourdon and started a family. They talk to Anita about how their parenting experience has been one of adaptation and creativity — from learning how to separate their worth from external standards to accepting that all bodies have changing needs that require attention and care. They share the nitty gritty of their parenting life, with wisdom that’s relevant for all families.

Meet the guests:

- Jessica Slice, author of “Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World"

- David Yourdon, Jessica's husband

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Dig deeper:

Jessica's newsletter, Whatever What Is

It took Anita 12 years and five therapists to find someone who could help her tackle questions of racial and cultural identity. She meets two therapists of color working to make that kind of support more accessible. Sahaj Kaur Kohli, founder of Brown Girl Therapy, talks about approaching wellness from a more collectivist lens, and Jor-El Caraballo shares how he helps clients build tools for resilience in the face of systemic oppression.

Meet the guests:

- Sahaj Kaur Kohli is a psychotherapist, the founder of Brown Girl Therapy and the author of “But What Will People Say?”

- Jor-El Caraballo is a therapist, the co-founder of Viva Mental Health and Wellness and the author of “Self-Care for Black Men”

Special thanks to Lisa R. Savage, Erinn Scott, Melody Li and Susan Chung for contributing to this week's episode.

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Please note: This episode originally published July 25, 2024.

Anita hands over the mic to Embodied’s intern, Nina Scott. After listening to our recent episode about country queers living in rural America, Nina became interested in exploring the Black queer South. Drawing from her own personal experience as a Black lesbian born and raised in the South, Nina speaks to an artist and an academic who are dedicated to contextualizing the experience of Black Southern lesbians.

Meet the guests:

- Shirlette Ammons is a musician, poet and producer

- Dr. Nikki Lane is an anthropologist, writer and assistant professor at Duke University

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Here are the academics Dr. Nikki Lane mentioned who are exploring the experiences of Black lesbians:

- E. Patrick Johnson

- Kemi Adeyemi

- Mignon Moore

Anita's been deep in romantasy land this year reading Fourth Wing & ACOTAR. And it's gotten her thinking about the skill required to make steamy sex scenes come alive on the page and out loud. She goes behind the scenes with two prolific erotica author-editors and a former producer for the audio erotica app Dipsea to figure out how the sausage — and the butt slaps — get made.

Meet the guests:

- Rachel Kramer Bussel has been published in more than 100 erotica anthologies, edited at least 70 others and is the author of “How To Write Erotica”

- Cecilia Tan has written science fiction and fantasy erotica for 30 years and is the founder of the publishing company Circlet Press

- Selene Ross is a former audio producer for the popular audio erotica app Dipsea and an artist and musician with an MFA in fiction from Oregon State University, where she teaches podcast storytelling and writing

Special thanks to Megan Hart and Lee Suksi for contributing to this episode!

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Please note: This episode originally aired August 8, 2024.

Update: Some of Cecilia Tan’s stories are now free to read on a brand new erotica and romance reading site called Theo.

When you board a plane, flight attendants greet you with practiced smiles and seamless service. But there’s a lot of mental and emotional labor that passengers don’t see. Missy, a Hawaii-based flight attendant, takes Anita inside her world and shares stories from her close to five years on the job — from managing unruly passengers to dealing with medical emergencies. Travel journalist Natalie Compton also shares her reporting on the financial precarity some flight attendants face and how understanding more about their reality has changed the way she approaches air travel.

Meet the guests:

- Missy is a Hawaii-based flight attendant who is using only her first name since she's not authorized to speak on behalf of her airline

- Natalie Compton is a travel reporter for The Washington Post

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Dig deeper:

Natalie's reporting on the financial precarity of early-career flight attendants

Natalie's reporting on flight attendant training

Rae Garringer grew up on a sheep farm in rural West Virginia, and once they left for college and came out as queer, they weren't sure they could ever move back. They believed the story they’d been told: to thrive as an out, LGBTQ+ person, you have to live in a city. But when Rae did move back in 2011, they realized that story was a lie. Anita talks to Rae about making queer life work in the country — from navigating dating challenges to getting along with neighbors you disagree with. They also talk about Rae’s oral history project, podcast and book “Country Queers,” which documents queer, rural life in 21 states around the country.

Meet the guest:

- Rae Garringer is the founder and director of Country Queers, an oral history project and podcast, and the author of "Country Queers"

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