The Personal Element

Christine Junge and Tavi Black
  • 5.0 (10)
  • ARTS

Where we listen to essays we love, and talk about what makes them so great.

  1. 02/15/2023

    Episode 20: I'm Deaf And I Have 'Perfect' Speech. Here's Why It's Actually A Nightmare.

    In Rachel Zemach's essay, first published in Huffpost, we learn that for a deaf person, being able to speak is not superior to communicating in ASL (American Sign Language). Rachel lost her hearing as a ten-year-old girl and as a result, can speak clearly--unlike many people who are deaf. But this doesn't give her an advantage. In fact, complications arise when people assume that if she can speak, she can hear. In this informative essay, we learn through Rachel's honesty and humor that there are many ways to communicate.

    32 min

  2. 01/15/2023

    Episode 19: At 86, My Grandmother Regrets Two Things

    In this exquisitely poetic essay, first published in The Diagram and republished in Creative Nonfiction, Diana Xin takes our listeners back to her grandmother's rural village where she boils water for drinking and hangs her laundry on the line. "To accumulate so many years and so few regrets: this must be a life well lived," the writer explains. She takes us through the tragedies of her grandmother's life, the loss of family as one after one children and grandchildren move away, out into the world, into what seems like prosperity. But the writer is torn between the bounty of her grandmother's world and her own, more modern accommodations in Seattle. Come listen, get swept into Diana Xin's textural world.

    29 min

  3. 12/15/2022

    Episode 18: Something Like Love

    Not everyone has an amazing relationship with their parents. Not every parent is a person we feel proud to be related to, to be "of". In some cases, we are simply just different people. Or maybe the problems run deeper, into past actions or beliefs. Janice Northerns faces her conflicted feelings head-on in the essay Something Like Love, first published in Yellow Arrow, where she describes being at her father's deathbed, struggling to define their relationship.

    27 min

  4. 11/15/2022

    Episode 17: Urgent Care

    In this special edition of The Personal Element, we rebroadcast an episode of Lesley University's Why We Write podcast. Christine and Tavi talk about their writing lives as well as dig into Cindy House's essay "Urgent Care" from her acclaimed memoir/essay collection Mother Noise. They are joined by host Georgia Sparling to dissect this fabulous essay on mothering and regret encapsulated in a visit to an emergency room. With incredibly crisp, economical language, Cindy House helps readers reflect on their own understanding of comparison to others and shame.

    41 min

  5. 10/15/2022

    Episode 16: Lenny

    Alice block is a writer who has a great depth of knowledge about music, theater, and performance in general. She's published two memoirs (and a novel) exploring her relationships with the women in her life, her own sexual awakening and her rich life experiences in the 1970s New York City gay scene. Alice contemplates a man named Lenny who she almost married in comparison to the "relationship" she had with the famous Leonard Bernstein. With humor and aplomb, Alice takes us through her successes and regrets.

    32 min

  6. 09/15/2022

    Episode 15: Gun Bubbles

    Icelandic-American writer Margrét Ann Thors takes readers on a surprising ride from Reykjavík to Colorado through her imaginative translations. The essay, though beautiful and amusing, touches on such heavy subjects as abortion, mass shootings and serious medical conditions. Margrét deftly explores her feelings around perpetrators and zealots in relation to her pregnancy. In gorgeous language, this essay will have you wondering how the author managed to weave all these subjects into one piece. We will help you unpack Gun Bubbles in Episode 15 of The Personal Element.

    40 min

  7. 08/15/2022

    Episode 14: Motherhood Can Be Isolating. My Anxiety Made It Worse.

    Scientist and writer Lauren Tanabe takes us through her anxiety-ridden world of early motherhood. Concerns that her child will be injured or fall ill push Lauren to isolate herself further, hoping to keep her daughter clear of germs and accidents. With clear self-analysis, she admits that her anxiety is not something she wants to pass on. Listeners will identify with the writer's worries. Written pre-pandemic, the essay is almost prescient in its discussion of germs and phobias.  "Motherhood Can Be Isolating. My Anxiety Made It Worse." was first published in The Washington Post the essay is read by Mandy Davis music by Polkavant

    34 min

  8. 07/15/2022

    Episode 13: I’m Not Scared of Death, But I Can’t Stop Asking This One Question

    Essayist Kelly Eden discusses the larger questions in life as she skillfully weaves in her experiences with a chronical illness, contemplations regarding the movie Tick Tick Boom and the life of "Rent" creator Jonathan Larson, and a desire to make a mark in the world. Christine and Tavi contemplate their own relationships with health, writing and fear of death while pointing out the economy of words in this essay which was first published on Medium.com. You can also check out Kelly's Personal essay course  or sign up for her newsletter: becauseyouwrite

    32 min
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About

Where we listen to essays we love, and talk about what makes them so great.

Information

  • Creator
    Christine Junge and Tavi Black
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2023
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Personal Element
  • Show Website
    The Personal Element