Take #36! Welcome to SEASON 5 of Listen! I chat with my lovely guest Eliot Schrefer—he is aNew York Times bestselling author, is a science writer, has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, received the Stonewall Honor for best LGBTQIA+ teen book, and received the Printz Honor for best young adult book from the American Library Association. What a LIST.Eliot and I discuss the themes of mental health and intimacy inThe Darkness Outside Usand new sequelThe Brightness Between Us, dive into the power of media in processes of catharsis and identity formation, explore the complexity of life and our hidden selves in literature, and more. Welcome to...Listen!

Take #35! Welcome to SEASON 4 of Listen! In this final part of my four-episode fandom series, I chat with my lovely friend Kore about their art journey, finding themselves through art, discovering fandom friendships, their self-taught experience, our very first fandoms, and more. Welcome to...Listen!

Take #34! Welcome to SEASON 4 of Listen! In this next part of my fandom series, I chat with my wonderful friend Anchor about impostor syndrome, finding our fandom footings, our writing processes, how we engage with reading fic, reconciling our words with stats, and more. Welcome to...Listen!

Take #33! Welcome to SEASON 4 of Listen! In this next part of my fandom series, I chat with my lovely friend Sarah about our definitions of success, why we write what we write, what motivates us to engage in fandom, creating connection through fanfiction, and more. Welcome to...Listen!

Take #32! Welcome to SEASON 4 of Listen! I know it has been a hot minute since I last posted, so I appreciate the patience, my friends. I chat with my lovely friend Val about fandom spaces, building community and self-worth, understanding your identity as a writer, internet friendships across time zones, and more. Welcome to...Listen!

Take #31! Welcome to SEASON 3 of Listen! It's been a while...thanks for waiting, folks. I chat with my wonderful friend Trevor about our mental health and well-being, resiliency in the face of trauma and challenges, discovering our selected families, and the importance of support systems in growth and recovery. How does Pedro fit into all of this? You'll just have to see. Eagle-eyed listeners will notice the title is a nod to all of my episodes with Trevor (Take #1, Take #15, Take #28). A delight, as always. Welcome to...Listen! [Content warning: Discussions on mental health issues, suicidal ideation, language use]

Take #30! Welcome to SEASON 3 of Listen! I chat with my lovely guest Ali Hazelwood - a New York Times bestselling author, STEM academic, and the very personification of sunshine. Ali and I discuss STEM representation in romance, our definitions of success, mental health in the face of literary popularity, and more. We break down our next big goals, the power of fanfiction, and why romance is one of the best genres out there. You can read Ali's debut novel The Love Hypothesis and her STEMinist novellas while waiting for her next novel Love On The Brain to release August 23rd. Welcome to...Listen!

Take #29! Welcome to SEASON 3 of Listen, and the first episode of 2022! I chat with my lovely friend Jennifer about what it means to bring your authentic self to life while being conscious and protective of yourself and your energy in the process. We break down honesty, vulnerability, and building trust in and out of the workplace. Welcome to...Listen!

Take #28! Welcome to SEASON 3 of Listen! I chat with my wonderful friend Trevor about post-isolation mental health and social life, our lack of patience nowadays for nonsense, self-care and the importance of rest, and our thoughts as we reenter society and rediscover ourselves. Some of you may notice the title is a little nod to my very first podcast episode, as well as the season 2 premiere episode (Take #15!), both featuring Trevor! We love a good throwback. Welcome to...Listen!

Take #27! Welcome to SEASON 2 of Listen! I chat with an amazing panel of 3 of my South Asian peers. We discuss destigmatizing mental health in the South Asian community, self-esteem, generational trauma, unattainable success, and more! Welcome to...Listen!