Becky Mollenkamp and Sandhya Sudhakar dive into adrienne maree brown’s blog post "Relinquishing the Patriarchy." This rich, layered discussion covers gender roles, emotional labor, discomfort, and how patriarchy harms us all. From parenting to dating, personal identity to privilege, they explore how internalized systems shape us—and what it really takes to unlearn them. With insights into Enneagram types, somatic therapy, and white womanhood, this is a powerful reflection on liberation, healing,...
Jul 22, 2025•54 min•Ep. 14
This week, Becky and Goddess Erica discuss Andrea Dworkin’s 1988 essay on pornography and power. They explore ethical porn, sex education reform, and the intersection of pleasure, patriarchy, and AI. A bold, vulnerable conversation about dismantling shame and building new systems for healing and desire. This week’s text: ✍️ “Pornography: Men Possessing Women” by Andrea Dworkin Goddess Erica: 🌐 https://goddesserica.com 🎧 https://podcasts.apple.com/goddess-erica-show 📱 https://instagram.com/god...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 13
In this episode of Assigned Reading, Becky and Kim unpack Barbara Love’s essay on developing a liberatory consciousness. Using the framework of the “4 A’s”—Awareness, Analysis, Action, and Accountability—they reflect on the deeply personal work of moving from complicity to liberation. This episode explores queer identity, internalized oppression, white feminism, and how awareness shapes every step of meaningful change. This week’s text: ✍️ “Developing a Liberatory Consciousness” by Barbara Love ...
Jul 08, 2025•53 min•Ep. 12
Aging, feminism, and power collide in this juicy conversation. Becky and podcast producer Ana Xavier discuss Susan Sontag’s The Double Standard of Aging and how it still resonates decades later. From gray hair and menopause to child-free choices and decentering men, this feminist talk gets real about the aging double standard and what it means to opt out of performative femininity. This week’s text: ✍️ “The Double Standard of Aging” by Susan Sontag This week’s guest: Ana Xavier Ana Xavier is a p...
Jul 01, 2025•58 min•Ep. 11
What happens when the law can't see you? This episode dives into Kimberle Crenshaw’s landmark 1989 essay on intersectionality, exploring how courts systematically erase Black women. Becky and Tori break down Crenshaw’s trapdoor metaphor, legal analysis, and the continuing relevance of intersectional feminism today. This week’s text ✍️ “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex” by Kimberlé Crenshaw This week’s guest Tori, aka Tori, Etc., is a neurodivergent speaker and educator on deconst...
Jun 24, 2025•55 min•Ep. 10
In this episode, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive deep into Sylvia Rivera’s 2001 speech, "Bitch on Wheels." They unpack Rivera’s righteous rage, explore the erasure of trans voices in LGBTQ history, and reflect on the importance of solidarity and intersectionality in the fight for liberation. This raw speech from a legendary activist is just as urgent today. This week’s text: ✍️ “Bitch on Wheels” by Sylvia Rivera This week’s guest: Taina Brown is a justice-centered DEI consultant and co-hos...
Jun 17, 2025•58 min•Ep. 9
In this powerful conversation, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke unpack Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s iconic essay *We Should All Be Feminists*. They explore how feminism intersects with race, colonization, shame, and identity. Faith shares deep insights from a Black Caribbean lens, and the two reflect on how culture is created—and can be disrupted. This week’s text: ✍️ “We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie This week’s guest: Faith Clarke is an organizational health and inclusion...
Jun 10, 2025•57 min•Ep. 8
✍️ This week’s essay: “Love as the Practice of Freedom” by bell hooks 🎙 This week’s guest: Heather Vickery is a coach, speaker, podcast host, and joy-bringer. Her work centers around intentional living, courageous leadership, and aligning action with values. Heather brings radical honesty and warmth to everything she does—even when it’s tough love. Find Heather: 🌐 vickeryandco.com 🎧 Was it Chance? 📷 @vickeryandco Discussed in this episode: What “love as liberation” really means in the contex...
Jun 03, 2025•55 min•Ep. 7
This week’s text: ✍️ “What No One Else Will Tell You About Feminism” by Lindy West This week’s guest: Paige Worthy (she/her) is a writer, editor, and brand messaging strategist for progressive entrepreneurs. Known for her spicy takes, thoughtful wordcraft, and zero tolerance for misogynist bullshit, Paige shows up in business and life as a truth-teller and cat-loving rage queen. She’s currently on sabbatical—joyfully making pottery, resisting capitalist productivity, and embracing rest as rebell...
May 27, 2025•59 min•Ep. 5
This week’s text: ✍️ “Speaking of Nature” by Robin Wall Kimmerer This week’s guest: Nancy Harris (she/her) is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and facilitator supporting leaders and organizations committed to equity, people-centered work, and transformational change. She’s the founder of Restart Consulting, host of The Intersection podcast, and a lifelong nature-lover rediscovering the power of slowing down. Find Nancy: 🌐 restartconsulting.com 🎧 The Intersection podcast 📱 LinkedIn Discuss...
May 20, 2025•48 min•Ep. 6
This week’s text: ✍️ “Compulsary Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence” by Adrienne Rich This week’s guest: Lindsay Johnson, aka The Radical Connector, is a sales & visibility coach for misfit entrepreneurs building their businesses to the beat of their own drums and radical enough to believe they can change the world! Lindsay’s superpower is getting entrepreneurs over their fear and discomfort of selling, taking bold action, and gaining the confidence to put themselves out there! After 20+ ...
May 12, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 4
This week’s text: ✍️ “Joy” by Zadie Smith (New York Review of Books) This week's guest: Jordan Maney is the Radical Joy Coach™ helping Black, brown, and queer folks recover their softness, reclaim their joy, and rest without guilt. She’s a writer, speaker, and coach whose work centers joy as a liberatory, ancestral practice. Jordan’s presence is sunshine—you’ll see what we mean. Find Jordan: 🌐 radicaljoycoach.com 📷 @radicaljoycoach on Instagram Discussed in this episode: Why Zadie Smith’s essa...
May 12, 2025•57 min•Ep. 3
This week’s text: ✍️ “Abolition Can Mend Our Democracy” by Angela Y. Davis (Inquest) This week’s guest: Amelia Hruby is a feminist writer, podcaster, and producer with a PhD in philosophy. She’s the founder of Softer Sounds , a feminist podcast studio for entrepreneurs and creatives, and host of Off the Grid , a podcast about leaving social media without losing your clients. Her work explores deep community, collective care, and tech refusal. Find Amelia: 🌐 ameliahruby.com 🎧 softersounds.studi...
May 12, 2025•58 min•Ep. 2
Welcome to Assigned Reading —the feminist podcast where we read bold, brilliant essays and talk about them like real people. In this short trailer, host Becky Mollenkamp introduces the show and what to expect: weekly conversations about powerful feminist essays, deep questions, occasional confusion, and a whole lot of curiosity. Each episode features a different guest and a different piece of feminist theory—from classics to contemporary gems. This isn’t a lecture. It’s not a class. There are no...
Apr 26, 2025•3 min•Ep. 1
