The Silver Linings Handbook

Jayson Blair
  • 4.6 (126)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Life has many layers. Whether it's true crime, the media spotlight, mental health, religion or any other part of a person’s journey, there are so many deeper truths underneath the surface. To truly understand them, you need to peel back those layers to find the depth, beauty, joy, suffering and struggles that become the silver linings. Join Jayson Blair each week for interesting conversations with interesting people from all walks of life. Artwork by Hannah Hill. https://www.instagram.com/serious_moonlite/?hl=en Production by Alyssa Miller. https://www.instagram.com/alyssarenee.co/?hl=en

  1. 5d ago

    218. Lindsay Clancy and the Politics of Sympathy with Clara Lewis, Part 2

    Clara S. Lewis joins me again as we go deeper into the questions the Lindsay Clancy mistrial leaves behind — especially how courts try to evaluate wrongfulness, intent, and culpability when severe postpartum disorders or psychosis are in play. We look at why juries struggle with these cases, how expert testimony gets flattened into competing narratives, and why centuries‑old ideas about “good” and “bad” mothers still shape public reactions and prosecutorial decisions. We also examine the broader landscape: the women whose pregnancy‑related crises never make headlines, the gaps in clinical training around postpartum psychosis and intrusive thoughts, and the ways stigma and silence keep families from getting help early. Clara breaks down the historical roots of the “politics of sympathy,” and together we explore what a more humane, prevention‑focused approach could look like — one that treats maternal mental health as a public health issue rather than a moral sorting exercise. Listen to part one here. Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623 Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store Visit The True Crime Times Substack at: https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at: The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music. See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    218. Lindsay Clancy and the Politics of Sympathy with Clara Lewis, Part 2

  2. Sep 22

    217. Lindsay Clancy and the Politics of Sympathy with Clara Lewis, Part 1

    On September 4, 2026, Lindsay Clancy’s trial ended without a unanimous verdict on her criminal responsibility - a result that left the public divided and the deeper questions unresolved. I’m joined this week again by Dartmouth professor Clara S. Lewis, author of American Infanticide, for a wide‑ranging conversation about what the Clancy case reveals about maternal mental health, psychosis, and the limits of our legal system. We revisit Clara’s earlier work on Emily Weaver, discuss Laken Snelling’s recent manslaughter plea, and explore why society still struggles to assess, treat, and legally interpret crises like postpartum psychosis and pregnancy denial. Clara breaks down the centuries‑old narratives that continue to shape how these cases are prosecuted, while we reflect on the clinical and personal realities of psychosis that the courtroom often can’t capture. Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623 Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store Visit The True Crime Times Substack at: https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at: The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music. See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    217. Lindsay Clancy and the Politics of Sympathy with Clara Lewis, Part 1

  3. Sep 15

    216. The Journalist and The Serial Killer with Maria DiLorenza, Part 2

    In Part 2, Maria DiLorenzo takes us inside her unlikely relationship with the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway - how it began, why he chose to write her back, and what she learned from years of letters and calls. We explore his manipulations, his contradictions, and the unsettling intimacy that forms when a journalist steps into a serial killer’s world. Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623 Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store Visit The True Crime Times Substack at: https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at: The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music. See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    216. The Journalist and The Serial Killer with Maria DiLorenza, Part 2

  4. Sep 8

    215 .The Journalist and The Serial Killer with Maria DiLorenza, Part 1

    Janet Malcolm once wrote that every journalist who truly understands their work knows its moral ambiguity. She was describing the uneasy intimacy between reporter and subject — and how that bond can fracture. But sometimes, the journalist isn’t the most manipulative person in the room. Maria DiLorenzo, one of the only journalists to interview Gary Ridgway, joins me to explore her years‑long relationship with the Green River Killer, his double life, his psychology, and the early failures that let him keep killing. Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623 Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store Visit The True Crime Times Substack at: https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at: The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music. See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    215 .The Journalist and The Serial Killer with Maria DiLorenza, Part 1

  5. Sep 1

    214. Speaking for the Dead with Michele Wood, Part 2

    Former Chicago Homicide Detective Michele Wood returns with an unfiltered look at the cases that haunt her, the ones that cracked open years later, and the ones she’s hoping will close. She talks witness intimidation, cold‑case breakthroughs, and what justice really looks like in neighborhoods living with daily violence. Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623 Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store Visit The True Crime Times Substack at: https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at: The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music. See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    214. Speaking for the Dead with Michele Wood, Part 2

  6. Aug 25

    213. Speaking for the Dead with Michelle Wood, Part 1

    Michele Wood is a 25-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, a longtime homicide and cold-case detective, an FBI-certified hostage negotiator, and the author of the book Model Detective. Michele traces the roots of her career back to her childhood in gang-plagued Logan Square, including the violent attack she survived at age 11 that sharpened her instincts and set her on the path toward policing. For Michele, being a homicide detective is ultimately a calling - a commitment to speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves. Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623 Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store Visit The True Crime Times Substack at: https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at: The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music. See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    213. Speaking for the Dead with Michelle Wood, Part 1

  7. Aug 18

    212. Girl on Fire with Jennifer Eskew, Part 2

    Jennifer Eskew picks up her story at the moment her career begins to accelerate. In Part 2, she walks us through the realities of undercover work in Virginia — the operations that shaped her, the risks she learned to manage, and the emotional and ethical weight of living a double life. She talks about the cases that defined her early years, the moments that tested her resolve, and the institutional barriers she had to navigate as one of the only women doing this work at the time. We also explore how those experiences prepared her for the federal cases and national crises she would later confront, and how she learned to carry the cost of the job without letting it consume her. Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623 Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store Visit The True Crime Times Substack at: https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com Jayson's Substack newsletter, The Center Holds, can be found at: The Center Holds | Jayson Blair | Substack The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music. See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    212. Girl on Fire with Jennifer Eskew, Part 2

  8. Aug 11

    211. Girl on Fire with Jennifer Eskew, Part 1

    Jennifer Eskew grew up in a small farming community in rural Virginia where violent crime was rare — until a 1968 shooting injured her mother, sister, and neighbors and set her on a lifelong path toward law enforcement. In this episode, Jennifer talks about that moment, the community that shaped her, the early barriers she faced as a woman pursuing police work, and how she eventually became a Virginia State Trooper and the state’s first full‑time female undercover officer. We also discuss her role in the Colonial Parkway murders investigation and the early undercover work that defined her career. Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.com Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at: https://silverliningshandbook.com/ Check out our Patreon to support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbook Join our Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623 Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store Visit The True Crime Times Substack at: https://truecrimemessenger.substack.com The Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music. See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    211. Girl on Fire with Jennifer Eskew, Part 1
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4.6
out of 5
126 Ratings

About

Life has many layers. Whether it's true crime, the media spotlight, mental health, religion or any other part of a person’s journey, there are so many deeper truths underneath the surface. To truly understand them, you need to peel back those layers to find the depth, beauty, joy, suffering and struggles that become the silver linings. Join Jayson Blair each week for interesting conversations with interesting people from all walks of life. Artwork by Hannah Hill. https://www.instagram.com/serious_moonlite/?hl=en Production by Alyssa Miller. https://www.instagram.com/alyssarenee.co/?hl=en

Information

  • Creator
    Jayson Blair
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    264
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © BlueSky Studios LLC
  • Show Website
    The Silver Linings Handbook

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