Shows
Chromosphere: The Color Theory PodcastReflections: Primary Colors and the Art of PersuasionA reflection on teaching primary color concepts; thoughts on persuasion and the Pantone Color of the Year. Resources:Aristotle, On Sense and the Sensible, MIT websiteDa Vinci, A Treatise on Painting, e-book websiteOgden Rood, Modern Chromatics, Internet Archive, websiteBerlin and Kay, Basic Color Terms, Wikipedia (Search UC Irvine for PDF)David Batchelor, Chromophobia, University of Chicago Press, websiteMitchell Johnson on Color, Albers versus Itten, websiteJenn White, The enduring legacy of Jane Austen, WAMU / NPR, 1A, ListenJ...
2025-12-171h 04
The Medium Talk PodcastThe Taming of the Shrew: 10 Things We Hate Right Now Today we're taking a page from the Costanza family playbook and celebrating Festivus in September with our Airing of Grievances. From bananas and birds to cable news, vauguebooking, and passive-aggressiveness, we're telling you how we *really* feel and ... we've got some spicy takes, y'all. Plus, at the end of the episode we make an important announcement about the future of The Medium Talk Podcast. View the full show notes here. Connect with Colleen: Instagram | Website Connect with Anna: Instagram | Website Connect with Jenn: Instagram | Website
2020-09-0842 min
The Medium Talk PodcastHoosier Daddy: A Defense of the Romance Novel with Leigh KramerRomance novels have long been a source of collective societal derision: the over-the-top covers, the euphemisms, the punny titles. However, they're also a financial boon for publishing houses ... which means there's a *lot* of secretive reading happening out there. But why is it such a secret? Leigh Kramer joins us in the fourth chair for a fun debate about the merits of reading romance and offers recommendations for everyone from the easily embarrassed to the carnal connoisseur. We also play a lightning round of would you rather: two good things and talk about how we do (and don't do) c...
2020-08-2550 min
The Medium Talk PodcastJust Mercy: Exploring the Intersection of Grace and Justice with Tori PetersenWith social media, 24-hour news cycles, and #cancelculture on the rise, the clamor for justice feels almost … frenetic. Suddenly grace and mercy feel like quaint notions. Tori Petersen joins us in the fourth chair today as we wrestle with the question, is justice without grace really justice at all? We also talk about summer jobs and pregnancy cravings. View the full show notes here. Connect with guest Tori Petersen: Website | Instagram Connect with The Medium Talk Podcast: Website | Instagram
2020-08-1153 min
The Medium Talk PodcastSophie's Choice: The 2020 School Year ConundrumThe start of the school year is right around the corner but instead of the usual quest for pre-sharpened Ticonderogas, 2020 is upping the ante. The pandemic has altered everything about school as we know it, and today we’re talking about what our options are, the ones we’re choosing in our own families, and the reasons behind our decision. We also talk about how much Anna loves Zac Efron and how we do (and don’t do) kids’ TV programming. View this episode's show notes here. Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Website | Instagram
2020-07-2845 min
The Medium Talk PodcastAlexander Hamilton: Loving and Wrestling with a Cultural JuggernautIf you have a pulse (and Disney+), odds are you’ve jumped on the Hamilton train. In today’s episode, we’re talking about our initial encounters with the play, what it was like watching the original cast from our living room, and how much of a family affair we do (or don’t) make the material. We also talk about some of the controversy surrounding the play and the role of art as cultural commentary. Plus, we play a lightning round of COVID-themed “would you rather” and talk about how we do—and don’t do—fashion trends. View the full show notes...
2020-07-1447 min
The Medium Talk PodcastThings Fall Apart: How to Play the Hand We're Dealt with Lesley MillerToday we're joined by our good friend Lesley Miller to talk about how to proceed when life doesn't go the way we planned. From unexpected deaths to devastating diagnoses to, well, the entirety of 2020 thus far, we share the life hands we wish we'd never been dealt, what we learned from them, and the types of support we received that mattered the most. We also keep things light with a conversation about our favorite beach reads and how we do (and don't do) staying in touch. See the full show notes here. Connect with guest Lesley Miller: Facebook | Website Foll...
2020-06-3054 min
The Medium Talk PodcastPride and Prejudice: How Do We Do the Work?In conversations around race, racism, and white privilege, one phrase crops up over and over: do the work. But what is "the work" and how do we do it? That's what we're talking about in today's episode. As three white women, we're honest about where we're at and the areas we want to do better, and we share a whole host of books, TV shows, and movies that are helping us improve. We hope our conversation leaves you encouraged, challenged, and equipped to, well, do the work. Don't miss our full show notes here. Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagram | We...
2020-06-1659 min
The Medium Talk PodcastOne Hundred Years of Solitude: Dealing with Boundary FatigueIn today's episode, we're discussing the challenge of navigating what life looks like as things begin to open back up again after weeks of safer-at-home orders. How do we know what's safe, and how do we handle disagreements with family and friends who see things differently? We talk about where our own personal boundaries are, what shapes them, and admit to the exhaustion we feel trying to maintain them. We also share our irrational emotional freakouts during quarantine and how we handle household purchases. See the full show notes here. Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Website | Instagram
2020-06-0249 min
The Medium Talk PodcastTuck Everlasting: Are We the Grown Ups Now?In today's episode we're talking about the difference between being "a" grown up and "the" grown up, the times we kind of feel like we're faking it, and our kneejerk aversion to being ma'am-ed. We also talk about the beauty of a Mother's Day when the bar of expectations is essentially floor-level and how we do (and don't do) planners. See the full show notes here. Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagram | Website
2020-05-1947 min
The Medium Talk PodcastThe Catcher in the Rye: What Do You *Really* Remember From High School?This week, we're flashing back to the turn of the millennium and talking about high school. From our surprise at what actually stands out about those days to the things we wish we could recall, we find that memory is a funny thing indeed. We also talk about the unexpected joys in this season of #flatteningthecurve and how we do (and don't do) music. Full shownotes here. Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagram | Website
2020-05-0546 min
The Medium Talk PodcastSo You Want To Talk About Race: Understanding Racism and Privilege with Tanorria Askew and Manda CarpenterIn today’s episode, we’re joined by Tanorria Askew and Manda Carpenter to talk about race and privilege. Specifically, we’re discussing how to enter into these conversations well—from the resources they suggest to educate and inform to the books, shows, and social media accounts that invite us all to listen and learn. We also talk about our favorite books to give as gifts and how we do grocery shopping (and Tanorria sets the record straight once and for all on how to do green beans). Full show notes here. Connect with guest Tanorria...
2020-04-1458 min
The Medium Talk PodcastDante's Inferno: #CoronaVices Today, we’re exploring the circles of coping with a global pandemic. From the harmless outer circles of the long-lost indulgences now lining our pantries to the dark, morally-depleted core of our questionable television viewing habits (we see you, Tiger King), we share the #CoronaVices we’re employing to help us navigate these unprecedented days. We also talk about the current state of our personal hygiene standards and how we do adult beverages. View the full show notes here. Connect with The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagram | Website
2020-04-0745 min
The Medium Talk PodcastDivine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: Making and Tending Adult FriendshipsIn today’s episode, we’re deep-diving friendship. From our preferred methods of keeping in touch to the surprising similarities between how introverts and extroverts define a close friend, we break down the ways we foster friendship in this season of life. We also do a quick recap of our first week of sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and talk about how we do spring break when it’s not canceled. View the full show notes here. Connect with The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagram | Website
2020-03-2450 min
The Medium Talk Podcast*UPDATED Bonus Episode* Panic Room: Surviving Social Distancing Together**UPDATE** This is the updated episode with all the glitches fixed (we hope!) Gosh, kind of a lot has happened since we last spoke, huh? We’re now all hunkering down amidst a global pandemic, so we’re bringing you a special bonus (read: unedited because we’re all trapped at home with our children indefinitely) episode where we field a few listener questions and walk each other through surviving social distancing with our sanity (mostly) intact. See the full show notes, including links to everything we mentioned, here. Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagram | Website
2020-03-2140 min
The Medium Talk Podcast1984: How We Talk About Politics Without Losing Our MindsThis week we're talking about [slight wince here] … politics. Stay with us though; we’re not campaigning for a candidate or parsing issues. Instead, we’re talking about how we talk about politics: where and when we engage and the magic wand we’d like to wield to fix the whole thing. We also spin a minor conspiracy theory or two and wrap up by comparing celebrity free pass lists. See the full show notes here. Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagram | Website
2020-03-1048 min
The Medium Talk PodcastThe Most Dangerous Game: Do We Need Hobbies?This week we're talking about hobbies: what are they? do we have them? where's the line between a side hustle and a hobby? is this a purely privileged conversation, or do hobbies serve some higher purpose in our journey to being fully-formed human beings? We also play a lightning round of "would you rather" and get into a heated argument over the virtue of the spoiler. See the full show notes here. Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagram | Website
2020-02-2546 min
The Medium Talk PodcastLady Chatterley's Lover: Unpacking Purity Culture with Erin H. MoonThis week, Erin H. Moon joins us in the fourth chair to talk about s-e-x. We discuss what it was like growing up in the era of “True Love Waits,” whether we bought into the movement or not, and how that shapes the ways we do (and don’t) want to talk to our own kids about sex. We also wax philosophical about the impending sequel to Netflix’s hit To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and affectionately argue over the right and wrong ways to order at a restaurant. Full shownotes here. Connect with guest Erin H. Moon: Insta...
2020-02-1153 min
The Medium Talk PodcastCatch-22: The Realities of a Digital Detox with Akia NgIn today’s episode, we’re talking with our guest, Akia Ng, about how feasible a digital detox really is. What exactly does it mean to take a step back from digital life, and does drawing boundaries really just mean passing the buck on the responsibilities that come with living in our connected world? Is it a question of quality vs quantity? We also talk about the things we watched and listened to recently and break down our individual approaches to exercise. Full show notes here. Connect with guest Akia Ng: Instagram | Photography Follow The Medium Talk Podcast: Instagr...
2020-01-2848 min
The Medium Talk PodcastThe Picture of Dorian Gray: Weighing the Botox Dilemma with April HossToday we're thrilled to have Coffee + Crumbs writer and podcast co-host April Hoss join us for a conversation about cultural beauty standards. We talk about the times we've felt most confident as well as the insecurities we struggle with and explore the line between self-care and vanity. From boudoir photo shoots to breast implants and Botox, we ask ourselves—and each other—what's the bridge too far? We also chat about the funnest thing on our respective calendars this week and wage a lighthearted battle over fast food hierarchy rankings. Full show notes here. Follow guest...
2020-01-2147 min
The Medium Talk PodcastThe House of Mirth: How Do We Count the Cost of Our Choices?Description: Today, we’re throwing it back to our college econ class days with a conversation about opportunity costs. When weighing a decision, there’s the obvious price, or cost, of the choice we make. But the opportunity cost is the price of what we don’t choose. So how much does that play into our decision making? Do we wrestle with any regret over our big life choices, now that we better understand what they cost us? We also wage a lighthearted battle over the 1994 vs 2019 versions of Little Women (2019’s hot Professor Bhaer is the great unifier) and break...
2020-01-1445 min
The Medium Talk PodcastIn Cold Blood: Diving Into the Lure of the True Crime Genre with B.T. HarmanIn today’s episode, we’re looking at our cultural fascination with true crime. It seems like it’s having a bit of a moment, but history shows us that we’ve always been a little taken with the macabre. Is it part of the darkness of human nature, or is less sinister than that—a chance to exercise our imaginations and puzzle out an ending? B.T. Harman joins us in the fourth chair for our conversation today, and sticks around to talk about New Year’s Resolutions and how we feel about rereading books. Full show...
2020-01-0746 min
The Medium Talk PodcastGreat Expectations: Naming and Claiming Our (Dis)Comfort with AmbitionIn the inaugural episode of The Medium Talk Podcast, we talk about how we define ambition and if we’re meeting the expectations of our childhood selves. We admit the areas where we’re reluctant to call ourselves ambitious and wrestle some with how willing we are to risk failure. Plus, we devote a little time to discussing our most on brand/surprising recent behaviors, as well as the right (and wrong) ways to cook green beans. Full show notes here. Follow us: Instagram | Twitter
2020-01-0747 min
The Medium Talk PodcastThe Medium Talk Podcast TrailerRemember when nuance was a thing? Once upon a time, it was an earmark of a civilized society to cultivate conversations where a difference of opinions could be aired with equal parts grace and wit. Hosts Colleen Powell, Anna Jordan, and Jenn Batchelor are reviving nuance. Join us (and the occasional guest) in the space between small talk that skates the surface and a deep dive from the couch with your therapist. The Medium Talk Podcast: coming to your earbuds on January 7th, 2020.
2019-12-1903 min
A Year of ListeningEpisode 82: What I Learned from Listening (Year Two)It’s the last episode of 2019 and Colleen is sharing what she learned this year from listening to all her guests. This year provided so much food for thought as she listened and learned from a variety of people. Find out what were the most popular episodes and which ones have stuck with Colleen long after the microphone was turned off. Colleen also announced her future project, The Medium Talk Podcast with Jenn Batchelor and Anna Jordan. It drops in January and she’d love for you to be a part of the launch team. You c...
2019-12-1919 min
A Year of ListeningEpisode 80: The Upsides and Pitfalls of the Enneagram with Jenn Batchelor and Anna JordanIn this episode we talk Enneagram, or rather the pros and cons of this ancient self-knowledge tool. Colleen chats with two friends, Jenn Batchelor and Anna Jordan (from episode 77), about why they love the Enneagram, how its current popularity has effected its use, and what can be problematic about the Enneagram. Whether you’ve been doing a deep dive into the Enneagram for months, or you’ve just started wondering what the heck it is, this conversation will help you to understand the highest and best uses of the Enneagram. If you are new to the Enneag...
2019-11-2155 min
Coffee + Crumbs PodcastGrowing Your Family, Part 2In part two of our mini-series on growing a family, today we're addressing a side that isn't often discussed publicly: what happens when spouses disagree on whether or not their family is complete? C+C writers Jenn Batchelor and Anna Quinlan join host Indiana Adams for a vulnerable conversation on what it looks like when one spouse wants another baby, and the other doesn't. While we don't have a beautiful bow to wrap up today's episode with, we hope this raw and honest discussion encourages you, especially if you're walking a similar road with your spouse. Like...
2018-09-1138 min