Ladies and gentle beings, it's our last episode of the season! *air horn* To celebrate the occasion, we brought on another guest. Born in India but raised in Westchester, NY, Srishti Bose is a dear friend of the pod who is passionate about politics and civil rights. She obtained a degree in political science at Vanderbilt University, where she met and became besties with Anuska. She currently works in the healthcare industry but aspires to go to law school and pursue civil rights law. Aside from being a political junkie and a world traveler, she enjoys reality TV. She is also a Sagittarius sun and a Pisces moon which is…. a lot. And we love her all the more for it!
We wanted to keep things light and fun to end off the season, but as Srishti aptly mentions in this episode, almost everything is political these days, and Bachelor nation is certainly not exempt from this pattern. So we dived right in to the myriad of systemic issues that have plagued the franchise, first dissecting Rachel Lindsay's season and how she was marketed and treated as the first Black bachelorette. Then, we talk about how the franchise handles gender dynamics and fails to keep up with the times. We deconstruct the problematic premise of the show itself, which implies polyamory is simply a means to an end. And last, we tackle the intricacies of the most recent season of the Bachelor with Matt James, which leads to a nuanced conversation around his relationship and subsequent fallout with Rachel Kirkconnell, who had several racist allegations against her while the show aired. Of course, Bachelor nation is the gift that keeps on giving, so there's no way that we could possibly cover everything happening with the franchise, but we hope this gave you a nice introduction and overview about how we're feeling regarding the show at this point in time!
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing fun behind the scenes and continuing the discussion.
Happy listening!
Rodlyn: Twitter @fmnstmelodrama
Anuska: Insta / Twitter / YouTube @anuskadhar
TW: sexual assault, domestic violence, and abuse.
For our fourth episode we had our lovely friend, Jenny, join the pod! Jenny Fierro is a writer, student, and advocate who has dedicated her professional career to aiding survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human-trafficking. A current MA student in the Gender and Women’s Studies program at UW-Madison, she hopes to use Gloria Anzaldúa’s work as a guiding force for her research: how to care for Latina women beyond knowing Spanish. In her spare time she enjoys reading, storytelling, and building relationships with community organizations and members.
First, we asked her how she was introduced to activism and advocacy, and what those moments of clarity were in her realizing this was the work she wanted to do. Next, Jenny talked about her transition into grad school, and the differences in how she's seen these topics handled in the classroom in academia versus out in the field with the people who are actually being affected by these issues. Last, we chat about what Jenny is looking forward to seeing emerge in these spaces as the field continues to grow.
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing fun behind the scenes and continuing the discussion.
Happy listening!
Jenny: Insta @furiosafierro (personal) @gws_103 (class that Jenny teaches)
Rodlyn: Twitter @fmnstmelodrama
Anuska: Insta / Twitter / YouTube @anuskadhar
TW: fetishization, sex work, and the military. The Brown Girls' Journal condemns the horrific shootings that occurred recently in Atlanta, GA. We extend our solidarity to the families of those whose lives were taken, as well as to the Asian American community in Atlanta at large. We recorded this episode before the shooting, but are aware of how these topics have concretely manifested in light of the event.
It's our third episode, and we're leaving no stone unturned with this one! We tackle the fetishization of Asia on all levels: people, culture, and place. First, we discuss stereotypes that arise surrounding Asian American people and their bodies, and a little bit about how those have come to influence our own experiences in the dating sphere. Next, we unpack the age old debate of cultural appropriation versus appreciation (versus obsession), and where those lines blur. Last, we chat about two movies, The Darjeeling Limited, and Eat Pray Love, which both play into the trope of white people visiting Eastern countries to "find themself," and the damaging exoticization this can lead to.
Resources mentioned:
- Article on Yoga: https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/travel/yoga-colonialism-and-india/
- "Eating the Other" by Bell Hooks: https://genius.com/Bell-hooks-eating-the-other-desire-and-resistance-annotated
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing fun behind the scenes and continuing the discussion.
Happy listening!
Rodlyn: Twitter @fmnstmelodrama
Anuska: Insta / Twitter / YouTube @anuskadhar
For our second episode, we're covering the art of the side hustle. After breaking down the term itself (definition courtesy of the ever reputable Urban Dictionary), we talk about what we think our own side hustles are. Next, we unpack what actually drives us to pursue them - is it a sense of productivity, fame, or something else? Lastly, we couldn't leave an episode without acknowledging capitalism's influence on our lives, so we end out the episode by discussing what happens when everything you do for fun is also something do for money.
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing fun behind the scenes and continuing the discussion.
Happy listening!
Rodlyn: Twitter @fmnstmelodrama
Anuska: Insta / Twitter / YouTube @anuskadhar
We're back and better than ever before! Get ready for a jam-packed Season Two™ and five more episodes in your feed. For our first episode, we're talking all about new beginnings. First, we'll bid adieu to 2020, then get to the bottom of what of what a new beginning really is, and lastly, talk about what's in store for 2021. We're so excited to keep sharing our thoughts with you this year and hope you'll stick around for the ride!
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing some of our favorite quotes, poems, and self care practices.
Happy listening!
Rodlyn: Twitter @fmnstmelodrama
Anuska: Insta / Twitter / YouTube @anuskadhar
Surprise! We're back with a bonus episode to lift your post holiday spirits! We had the honor of interviewing the renown Filipina-American educator and poet, Barbara Jane Reyes, just a day after the presidential election ended. Barbara recently published a collection of poetry titled, "Letters To A Young Brown Girl." Born in Manila and raised in the Bay Area, she's the author of five previous poetry collections. She now works as an adjunct professor at University of San Francisco's Yuchengco Philippine Studies and lives in Oakland with her husband and fellow educator/poet, Oscar Bermeo. It felt right to end 2020 and our first season with a fun little brown girl celebration, and we hope you enjoy our conversation. Happy listening and we can't wait to see y'all in the new year!
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing some of our favorite quotes, poems, and self care practices.
For our last episode of the season, we're paying homage to the title of our podcast with a conversation on race! The lens that has served as a guide for all of the topics we've discussed this season comes into focus as we finally sit down to unpack it in depth. We open up about our personal journeys navigating whiteness while growing up and within our families, as students attending PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions), and now tackling our relationships with the Midwest. We reflect on historical events like the George Floyd protests this summer and the 2016 election we experienced in college, which have shaped our racial consciousness and our never-ending meditation on race. We hope this episode brings some solace and reflection to our listeners to culminate a tumultuous year. Happy listening and until next time! <3
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing some of our favorite quotes, poems, and self care practices.
It's our fourth episode and we're bringing in a friend to crash the party! June Shanahan is a transfeminine poet turned farmer based in so called Pennsylvania on occupied Lenape land. They have a deep investment in queer liberation and decolonization as they intersect with food justice, public health, spirituality, and storytelling. In this episode, we're breaking down environmental justice. We speak with June about their transition from the city to farm life, their thoughts on queerness in agriculture, and last but not least, on complicating notions of our diets (meat-eating, vegetarian, vegan) and how they are serving the movement.
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing some of our favorite quotes, poems, and self care practices.
Happy listening!
In our third episode we're tackling the Writing Establishment™ in all its elusive glory, as well as its fatal flaws. We'll deconstruct what it actually means to be a writer, how exactly one breaks into the industry, and finally, talk about how the publishing landscape itself has changed.
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing some of our favorite quotes, poems, and self care practices.
Happy listening!
In our second episode, we're talking Miss Taylor Swift - love her or hate her, you definitely have an opinion on her! We actually decided to talk about her before Folklore came out, but honestly it was kismet that the album dropped right before we recorded. We'll be dissecting our journey growing up with the country superstar, Taylor Swift as a political figure, and what exactly makes her a "problematic fav." And you might catch us fan-girling just a tad! <13
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing some of our favorite quotes, poems, and self care practices.
Happy listening!
For our very first episode we're tackling the concept of long distance relationships - romantic, platonic, and everything in between! We give you all the tea on our meet-cute, intel on long distance success, and discuss how it’s been affecting us during the pandemic. Bonus points if you name the song our episode title is referencing! ;)
The Brown Girls’ Journal is a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations. This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sound. You can get to know us a little better on Instagram and Twitter (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing some of our favorite quotes, poems, and self care practices.
Happy listening!
Hello and welcome to The Brown Girls’ Journal, a bi-weekly podcast where two long-distance best friends turn their entries into conversations.
Season 1 will feature 5 episodes where we’ll discuss everything from Taylor Swift to environmental justice, and interviews with our rad friends. Our first episode will premiere on Monday, September 14th, wherever you listen to your podcasts. For now, you can get to know us a little better on Instagram (@brwngrlsjournal), where we’ll be sharing some of our favorite quotes, poems, and self care practices.
This podcast was written and produced by Rodlyn Mae Banting and Anuska Dhar. Audio edited by Anuska Dhar and marketing done by Rodlyn Mae Banting. Our logo was illustrated by Molly Caroline Designs, and all music is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Happy listening!