Ep. 7. Music, Satire, and Kicking a Man In the Balls

Our Special Guest—Michelle Cmarik

Michelle C. is one of those delightful and complicated people we love talking to. She's done a lot with her life, including lots of travel, a former life in music, building a family, and the chaos and change that comes with it all.

She's a case study in expectations vs. reality, and loves some sad music like we do. We talk about Gregory Alan Isakov, Rufus Wainwright, and what it was like to be a musician in a former life.

Michelle is also a brilliant humorist. In a recent piece, she accused me of trying to edit more hand jobs into her stories, which may or may not be true. Unless you've had me as an editor, you can't possibly know.

In all seriousness, Michelle is one of the most heartfelt writers I've read in years. She takes you on a journey with her in all the stories she writes. When she's not writing sexy stories about vibrators or eating cheese straight from the fridge, she's exploring her own thoughts about the tangential lives of the cellists who played with the Beatles. Or she's writing about her seven-year-old's thoughts on death.

Or, one of my personal favorites that we weren't able to talk about on the show *(despite it being on my show notes), was a piece she wrote about those who craft things of beauty despite time being finite.

During our engaging conversation, she tells us all about kicking a man in the balls on the Paris metro, discusses what it was like to start support groups for people with plantar fasciitis and grey pubes.

From her article about the Paris Metro:

"So I kicked this guy with all of my might, straight in his balls. He fell back, doubled over (in pain, agony, relief?) just in time for the Metro doors to open and for me to rush out."

Check out the full story here.

Some music we discussed:

Beauty Mark by Rufus Wainwright, and Dinner at Eight also by Rufus.

Someone Michelle really enjoys: Jude York.

And a favorite of the show, Anais Mitchel with Tailor and Bright Star.