Shows
Critical Reads PodcastThe Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health: Navigate an Unequal System, Learn Tools for Emotional Wellness, and Get the Help You DeserveIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health: Navigate an Unequal System, Learn Tools for Emotional Wellness, and Get the Help You Deserve by Rheeda Walker, PhD. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher:
"An unapologetic exploration of the Black mental health crisis - and a comprehensive road map to getting the care you deserve in an unequal system.
We can’t deny it any longer: there is a Black mental health crisis in our world today. Black people die at disproportionately high rates...
2024-05-261h 16
Critical Reads PodcastModern Love (Anthology TV Series): Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am Part 2In part two of our Modern Love episodes, we will be discussing an episode entitled, Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am, from season one of Modern Love (Anthology TV Series) directed and produced by John Carney. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the producers: "An unlikely friendship. A lost love resurfaced. A marriage at its turning point. A date that might not have been a date. An unconventional new family. These are unique stories about the joys and tribulations of love, each inspired by a real-life personal essay from the beloved New York Times co...
2024-05-181h 06Critical Reads PodcastModern Love (Anthology TV Series): Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am Part 1In part one of our Modern Love episodes, we will be discussing an episode entitled, Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am, from season one of Modern Love (Anthology TV Series) directed and produced by John Carney. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the producers: "An unlikely friendship. A lost love resurfaced. A marriage at its turning point. A date that might not have been a date. An unconventional new family. These are unique stories about the joys and tribulations of love, each inspired by a real-life personal essay from the beloved New York Times co...
2024-05-131h 00Critical Reads PodcastThe Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-DiscoveryIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will discuss The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Ignorance is bliss―except in self-awareness. What you don't know about yourself can hurt you and your relationships―and even keep you in the shallows with God. Do you want help figuring out who you are and why you're stuck in the same ruts?
The Enneagram is an ancient personality typing system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings...
2024-05-041h 17Critical Reads PodcastAre u ok?: A Guide to Caring for Your Mental HealthIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Are u ok?: A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health by Kati Morton LMFT. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Everyone struggles with mental health issues from time to time, but the greatest level of misunderstanding comes from knowing the difference between mental health and mental illness, figuring out whether we need professional help and, if so, how to find it. Are u ok? walks readers through the most commonly asked questions about mental health and the process of getting help. From fi...
2024-04-271h 15Critical Reads PodcastCritical Reads is Back, Take TwoIn this bonus episode of Critical Reads, I wanted to take some time to provide you all with more updates about my life. I know I tried to relaunch the podcast last year and that was an EPIC FAIL. This episode is the start of "Take Two." Like the last time, I figured it would be nice to let you know what is happening behind the scenes before sharing new episodes again. I really hope you enjoy this listen!
To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast
To learn more about me or co...
2024-04-2730 min
Critical Reads PodcastGurl, Where Have You Been?: Musings, Updates, and MoreIn this bonus episode of Critical Reads, I wanted to take some time to provide you all with a few updates about my life. I will answer questions including: Where have you been? How are you doing emotionally and spiritually? Where are you at in your career? What are you wrestling with? Since I haven’t been able to post content in a while, I figured it would be nice to let you know what is going on behind the scenes before launching this podcast again. I really hope you enjoy this listen!
Source mentioned in this episode:...
2023-04-2250 minCritical Reads PodcastRent (Musical Drama Film)In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing the Musical Drama Film, Rent, directed and produced by Chris Columbus. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Set in New York City's gritty East Village, the revolutionary rock opera RENT tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent. 'Measuring their lives in love,' these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness, and the AIDS epidemic. RENT is based on Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning musical, one of th...
2022-05-161h 31Critical Reads PodcastBipolar Faith: A Black Woman's Journey with Depression and FaithIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman's Journey with Depression and Faith by Rev Dr. Monica A. Coleman. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Monica A. Coleman’s great-grandfather asked his two young sons to lift him up and pull out the chair when he hanged himself, and that noose stayed in the family shed for years. The rope was the violent instrument, but it was mental anguish that killed him. Now, in a gripping fashion, Coleman examines the ways that the legacies of slavery, war...
2022-05-161h 35Critical Reads PodcastStamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Part 1In part one of our Stamped From the Beginning episode, we will be discussing Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Some Americans cling desperately to the myth that we are living in a post-racial society, that the election of the first Black president spelled the doom of racism. In fact, racist thought is alive and well in America - more sophisticated and more insidious than ever. And as award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi argues in Stamped from th...
2022-04-271h 03Critical Reads PodcastStamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Part 2In part two of our Stamped From the Beginning episode, I continue my discussion about Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. (As a refresher) Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Some Americans cling desperately to the myth that we are living in a post-racial society, that the election of the first Black president spelled the doom of racism. In fact, racist thought is alive and well in America - more sophisticated and more insidious than ever. And as award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi arg...
2022-04-271h 12Critical Reads PodcastMedical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present Part 1In part one of our Medical Apartheid episode, we will be discussing Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "The first full history of Black America’s shocking mistreatment as unwilling and unwitting experimental subjects at the hands of the medical establishment. No one concerned with issues of public health and racial justice can afford not to read this masterful book that will stir up both controversy and long-needed debate. From the era of s...
2022-04-131h 12Critical Reads PodcastMedical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present Part 2In part two of our Medical Apartheid episode, I continue my discussion about Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington. (As a refresher) Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "The first full history of Black America’s shocking mistreatment as unwilling and unwitting experimental subjects at the hands of the medical establishment. No one concerned with issues of public health and racial justice can afford not to read this masterful book that will stir up both controversy and long-needed deba...
2022-04-131h 16Critical Reads PodcastUnbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too MovementIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana J. Burke. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "From the founder and activist behind one of the largest movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the 'me too' movement, Tarana Burke debuts a powerful memoir about her own journey to saying those two simple yet infinitely powerful words―me too―and how she brought empathy back to an entire generation in one of the largest cultural events in Americ...
2022-03-281h 43Critical Reads Podcast#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American WomenIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Native Women demand to be heard in this stunning anthology. Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book. In the same style as the best-selling Dreaming in Indian, #NotYourPrincess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a...
2022-03-231h 38Critical Reads PodcastPromising Young Woman (Black Comedy Thriller Film) Part 1In part one of our Promising Young Woman episode, my special guest, Dianne, and I discuss the Black Comedy-Thriller film, Promising Young Woman, written, co-produced, and directed by Emerald Fennell. Here’s a brief summary of the movie courtesy of Focus Features: "From visionary director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes to a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman...until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by...
2022-03-131h 11Critical Reads PodcastPromising Young Woman (Black Comedy Thriller Film) Part 2In part two of our Promising Young Woman episode, join Dianne and me as we continue our discussion about a great film written, co-produced, and directed by Emerald Fennell. (As a refresher) Here’s a brief summary of the movie courtesy of Focus Features: "From visionary director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes to a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman...until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret d...
2022-03-131h 03Critical Reads PodcastEmpowering Black Femmes with Rosette and ChristabelIn this bonus episode of Critical Reads, I am inviting you to listen to an interview conducted by my good friend Rosette Mamboleo. Rosette is a law student, a religious educator, and a mental health first aid instructor who is the founder of Elpida. Elpida is a faith-based low-profit limited liability company whose primary purpose is to spread hope and fight to see the total eradication of poverty. Through her organization, Rosette created a web series entitled Safari with Elpida, where she interviews people who are doing very dynamic and empowering work. In this episode, Rosette is joined by Christabel...
2022-03-081h 19Critical Reads PodcastWithout Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in AmericaIn this bonus episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America by James Allen. With essays by Hilton Als, John Lewis, and Leon F. Litwack. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the publisher: "The Tuskegee Institute records the lynching of 3,436 blacks between 1882 and 1950. This is probably a small percentage of these murders, which were seldom reported, and led to the creation of the NAACP in 1909, an organization dedicated to passing federal anti-lynching laws. Through all this terror and carnage someone -- many times a professional photographer -- carried a camera an...
2022-02-281h 22Critical Reads PodcastThe Cross and the Lynching TreeIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African American community. In this powerful new work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk. Both the cross and the lynching tree represent the worst in human beings and at the same time a thirst for life that re...
2022-02-281h 34Critical Reads PodcastStand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of GodIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "On the Sunday morning after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s killer, black preachers across America addressed the questions his death raised for their communities: 'Where is the justice of God? What are we to hope for?' In this timely and compelling book, Kelly Brown Douglas examines the myths and narratives underlying a 'stand-your-ground' culture, taking seriously the social as well...
2022-01-311h 33Critical Reads PodcastInside Out (Animated Comedy Film)In this episode of Critical Reads, me and my special guest, Dianne, will be discussing the Animated Comedy Film, Inside Out, written by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley. Here’s a brief summary of the movie courtesy of Pixar: "Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness. The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where th...
2022-01-231h 35Critical Reads PodcastChanges That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier YouIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You by Dr. Henry Cloud. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Many of us struggle with anxiety, loneliness, and feelings of inadequacy. We know that God created us in his image, but how can we be loving when we feel burned out? How can we be free when we struggle with addiction? Will we ever enjoy the complete healing God promises? Combining his professional expertise and personal experience, renowned psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud gu...
2022-01-161h 19Critical Reads PodcastThe Oxford Handbook of Feminist TheologyIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Theology by Sheila Briggs and Mary McClintock Fulkerson. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "This innovative volume highlights the relevance of globalization and the insights of gender studies and religious studies for feminist theology. Beginning with a discussion of the position of the discipline at the turn of the twenty-first century, the handbook seeks to present an inclusive account of feminist theology in the early twenty-first century that acknowledges the reflection of women on religion beyond the global No...
2021-12-191h 23Critical Reads PodcastDimensions of Social Welfare PolicyIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Dimensions of Social Welfare Policy by Neil Gilbert and Paul Terrell. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Dimensions of Social Welfare Policy provides a comprehensive and widely-used framework for analyzing social welfare policies. The text encourages readers to develop their own thoughts on social welfare policy and to explore policy alternatives. Theoretical points are illustrated with examples from a cross-section of program areas including income maintenance, child welfare, model cities, daycare, community action, and mental health. The text familiarizes students with the content of...
2021-12-051h 23Critical Reads PodcastThe Deconstructionists PlaybookIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing The Deconstructionists Playbook edited by Crystal Cheatham and Theresa Ta. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher:
"The Deconstructionists Playbook comprises selections from devotionals that have been published by Our Bible App in the last few years. In 2017, Crystal Cheatham set out to create a mobile Bible app where users could read devotionals concerned about topics outside the norm for traditional Christian publishing. These devotionals are explicitly queer-affirming, anti-racist, pro-feminism, and encouraging of interfaith inclusion. Today, the app has published hundreds of devotionals whi...
2021-11-261h 05Critical Reads PodcastWhy Critical Reads? The Origin StoryIn this first episode, I will be sharing a little bit about Critical Read's backstory. Before we dive into the different resources I have planned, I wanted to use one episode to introduce myself and give you general information about how each episode will be formatted. Please think of this episode as a group contract between you (the listener) and me! In addition to explaining the show's layout, I plan to go over essential definitions associated with Critical Reads and some basic assumptions, aka things that I am asking you to assume to be part of our Critical Reads group.
2021-11-261h 05Critical Reads PodcastGod Space: Where Spiritual Conversations Happen NaturallyIn this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing God Space: Where Spiritual Conversations Happen Naturally by Doug Pollock. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "In God Space Doug Pollock shows you how the Holy Spirit can do amazing things through ordinary everyday conversations. You'll find fresh insights and practical tools for connecting with others when you read about the real-life stories of how ordinary people learned to engage others in rich spiritual dialogue that open doors instead of slamming them shut. Let Doug Pollock show you how to be a natural vo...
2021-11-261h 24Critical Reads PodcastWelcome to Critical Reads the PodcastWelcome to the Critical Reads Podcast with Neph Lesperance! Critical Reads is a podcast designed to help you deconstruct cultural norms one resource at a time. Each week, I invite you to reflect on books, articles, and other resources that not only interest her but can also be used to help people critically analyze different aspects of society. Tune in as Neph grapples with topics and themes that drive most people to the place of insanity.
To learn more or get updates about my content, please feel free to visit my website soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me o...
2021-10-1502 min