Converge Podcast 03 "Zines are a good place for radical hope" - Interview with Zinester Cath Elms

On this episode of the Converge Podcast, I talk to Cath Elms, feminist and author of feminist perzine Here. In my Head.

We talk about feminism, longevity, typewriters, relating real life events to feminist theory, the zine community, how and why to start your own zine and much, much more. Enjoy!

Say hi to Cath and Philippa on Twitter - the text is populated for you but you can edit it.

Show Notes

• Spill the zines 
• Marching Stars Zine Distro 
• Rebel Grrl Zine 
• Cath's site: catherineelms.co.uk 
• Blatantblithe.wordpress.com 
• Cath on Twitter 
• Spill the Zines on Twitter and Facebook 
• Swansea Feminist Network on Facebook 
• Vampire Sushi Distro 

Direct Download: converge_ce_zines_3.mp3

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Converge Podcast 02 “Once you open your eyes and see it it doesn’t go away, it gets worse” – Interview with Cath Smith of The Women’s Room

When two women on Twitter heard BBC Radio 4′s flagship Today programme host discussions with all-male participants, and the show said they had not been able to find any qualified women to feature, they decided to do something about it. They set up The Women’s Room, where over 2,000 women have signed up to register their expertise and experience.

In this episode of the Converge Podcast I talk to one of the site’s co-founders about sexism, Twitter and women’s representation in the media.


Show Notes

• The Women's Room
• The Women's Room on Twitter

Music (Creative Commons Licences)

• Holloway Holiday by Scragfight (This is what feminism sounds like)
• I dunno by Grapes (ccMixter)

Direct download: 02_Converge_The_Womens_Room.mp3

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Converge Podcast 01 "A place to explore what I was feeling, and why I thought I was feeling like that" - Interview with Bipolar Blogger

Mental health service users face regular discrimination and are misunderstood and misrepresented by public opinion and the media. In this first episode of the Converge Podcast, I talk to Charlotte Walker, also known as the Bipolar Blogger, about her experience of mental ill-health, and how she has developed her blog and social media presence. We compare notes, share similarities and offer hints and tips to anyone listening who wants to better understand the issues surrounding mental illness and stigma.


Show Notes

• Mind
• Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me: A Graphic Memoir by Ellen Forney
• Charlotte's Blog
• Charlotte on Twitter
• Charlotte on Facebook

Music (Creative Commons Licences)

• Terminal by Drained Glory (Mansplaining on the Dancefloor
• I dunno by Grapes (ccMixter)

Direct download: 01_Converge_Bipolar_Blogger.mp3

Subscribe to the podcast 

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Procrastination Podcast and Book

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a chronic procrastinator. In an effort to improve this really stressful trait in my life I have been reading up and studying all about it, and one of the best resources I have found is the iProcrastinate Podcast. I have been listening to the whole back catalogue over the last couple of months, and trying to implement some of the strategies that Dr. Tim Pychyl recommends and explains.

Since my year in France, as part of my degree, I've always wondered why French people apparently do not procrastinate. They don't even have a word for it (dictionary said, "faire quelquechose demain qu'on devrait faire aujourd'hui" - do something tomorrow that you should do today). So, as Tim sometimes answers listener queries on his podcast, I decided to email him. To my very pleasant surprise, he responded quickly and has now made a podcast episode all about it.

I am very much looking forward to listening to it, and you should go listen too! Go on, it'll be good, I promise.

Tim has also written an awesome book, The Procrastinator's Digest, (also on Kindle for only a few pennies over £2!) and you can see his website here.

[The image is a photomosaic of 36 clocks. It was taken by Leo Reynolds and is used under a Creative Commons Licence]

Madness Gone Politically Correct

So, I have made my podcast debut. And as if that's not exciting enough, I am sharing the stage airwaves pod with Sir David Attenborough, one of my lifelong heroes. Very exciting! I talked about the language of disability and disablism, and you can hear me on the Pod Delusion here.

Then, to add to the excitement, Clare Horton at the Guardian liked it and quoted me. My head may eventually shrink back to its self-deprecatingly normal size, but I wouldn't bet on it.

So, head over there and have a listen. You'll notice the Schizobird story I blogged about last week