Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Tea with BR I'm trying to live my life I just need space to grow I'm just trying to make it right these people won't let me go I'm just trying to live my life I just need space to grow I'm just trying to make it right these people won't let me go Let me grow, let me go, let me grow, let me go they should know they should know they should know they should know I'm just trying to live my life I just need space to grow.
[00:00:54] Speaker B: Welcome to the Tea with Bri. I'm your host, Bri. Thanks for listening. The Tier 3 podcast is focused on deep, honest and vulnerable conversation. Each week I sit down with a different guest in order to have those conversations. Every week, we'll start with my guest's bio, an intro to how we know each other, and then we'll go into a deep dive conversation about whatever topic they brought to me that week. This week, I am joined once again by my guest, KB Brookins. Kb, who uses they them pronouns, is a writer, educator, and cultural worker from Texas. KB's poetry collection, Freedom House, won the American Library Association Barbara Giddings Literature Award and the Texas Institute of Letters award for best first book of poetry. KB's memoir, Pretty, won the Lambda Literary Award in transgender nonfiction, the Great Lakes College's Association New Writers Award. Their writing is published in the New Republic, Newsweek, Poetry magazine, and elsewhere. KB is an assistant professor of creative writing at Santa Clara University.
Hi. Great to see you. We had a little catch up before we recorded. We have so much to discuss.
Where do we want to begin? Because I feel the biggest thing that's on my mind right now is you have like 37 books out now because you're a writer.
[00:02:06] Speaker C: Not.
Not 37.
[00:02:08] Speaker B: 37. No. For
[00:02:12] Speaker C: anything
[00:02:12] Speaker B: more than you
[00:02:12] Speaker C: can't say that about Stephen King, but you can't
[00:02:15] Speaker B: say that about
[00:02:15] Speaker C: me.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Anything more than 2 is like 20. So
[00:02:20] Speaker C: I
[00:02:20] Speaker B: don't know what to say. So how many books do you have out right now?
[00:02:24] Speaker C: I have three.
Yeah. So three.
I wish it was 37, but, you know, hopefully maybe in this lifetime I will get close.
[00:02:35] Speaker B: Yeah. I feel like you're my version of Alexander Hamilton. You just have so much to write about. So, Chip Trout, we're all tuned in. We are ready to write and to say, because I feel like we cannot also ignore the magic that you've been creating with trans news that doesn't suck. Like, that I feel like, has been so empowering and so exciting to, like, watch you grow online Which I think is one of my favorite things of all time. Because I'm like, yes, a person I know and trust and let's make the right people important and famous online. And yeah, tell us, tell us a little bit more about how that came to be, because I think it just kind of popped up one day for me and I was like, what is, what is happening on the online over there?
[00:03:19] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, your.
Your perception of it is the exact same as mine.
So I,
[00:03:26] Speaker B: in the
[00:03:27] Speaker C: middle of literally, like, after, like, you know, book promo, I wanted to like, not just only be posting about my book all the time.
So I literally, at the time with the social media manager I was working with was like, okay, I need to complete up with some ideas of, like, other stuff to post. And then I was like, what if I did something like, called, like, trans news that doesn't suck, and it's literally just content that I would consume and enjoy.
Because at the time, which, you know, trans news, I posted my first video in, like, February 2025. And at the time I was seeing, like, nothing but negative news as it related to trans people, like, across the world in where I was living at the time, which was Texas, like, it was just an onslaught of, like, negative stuff all the time. And then when I would see positive stuff, it would be like, far and few between.
[00:04:16] Speaker B: Right.
[00:04:17] Speaker C: And I just felt a bit, like, fed up with it. And so I was like, okay, let me just, like, amplify one good news story on my socials and just kind of see what happens. And that's really how I approach social media. I'm like, I'll try it. I'll see what happens if it flops. Cool. I'll try it, like, probably one more time and see, you know?
And yeah, it just really popped off from the very beginning. So I posted this, like, short video, less than 60 seconds of, like, this is a news story that I heard about recently.
And, you know, if you want to hear more news stories like this, like, follow me.
And then it did not
[00:04:54] Speaker B: flop.
[00:04:56] Speaker C: Yeah, I was like, oh, my God, okay.
Like, thousands of people, like, coming to this and being like, yeah, I really needed this this week. And that stuff especially made it feel like, oh, maybe I'll do this again. Because I like giving people things that are valuable, right? And other trans people as well as trans allies, like, felt the same of, like, all I see is negative stuff. So, like, this is cool that I'm hearing about something positive that, like, just didn't make it to my timeline because of the ways Social media just prioritizes stuff that, like, pisses you off these days. Right, right,
[00:05:27] Speaker B: right.
[00:05:28] Speaker C: So, yeah, then I just started making videos. Since February 2025, I've been posting either a video or a short flip through on my social media every week. And the flip throughs are just like, here are the, like, top five or so things that I saw this week online.
Um, and like, I wouldn't necessarily. Or. And then like a little bit in. So like, maybe two months after I started, like, posting these videos and these flip throughs, I then started doing a weekly newsletter.
And on the newsletter, it's literally like every Friday, I send out a list of, like, anything that I can find online that week. Sometimes people send me stuff, which I'm very grateful for. And then most of the time, it's like, stuff that I just, like, look on new sites and put all in one list.
And I see it as like a serotonin boost, you know, like, hey, is if you follow that newsletter, you know you're going to get positive news once a week. And a thing that I've more newly started with trans news that doesn't suck is Q&As with artists and advocates.
So to be like me just talking with a trans artist about their work or advocate. And I define advocate as like, you know, someone doing activism. Someone like, bringing people together or pushing folks towards, like, this, like, trans future that we want to see where trans people can just, like exist and things like this don't have to exist anymore. Right. People who are doing those things. So really it was born out of, like, this is stuff that I would like to see more of online.
And, you know, very often when you're putting out stuff that you yourself would like, like, other people end up liking it as well.
[00:07:05] Speaker B: Kb
[00:07:09] Speaker C: what is it?
[00:07:10] Speaker B: KB Me? I'm just like, being super nostalgic. I'm like, remember we met and you were a wee baby and you were talking about changing the world.
Here you are just.
[00:07:21] Speaker C: I
[00:07:22] Speaker B: was literally
[00:07:22] Speaker C: talking about
[00:07:22] Speaker B: this the other day. Let me have my emotions. Thank you. Just because you're a Virgo, never forget.
Let me, as a Pisces, have my feelings. Thank you.
[00:07:33] Speaker C: I
[00:07:33] Speaker B: was literally talking the other day about. We've been friends almost 10 years, which is insane to think about because I'm like, I'm still 26 years old, so. Interesting.
Thank you.
Thank you. Have not aged today. Actually. Aging backwards, everybody. I'll tell you my secrets another time.
[00:07:51] Speaker C: Yeah. But
[00:07:53] Speaker B: I recently hung out with Shawn Lamar, who had also served on the board with us On Austin Black Friday. I visited. I saw him in Chicago when I was there and we were just talking about how all of us have like grown and changed since Austin Black Pride. And we bought, I bought up you and I was like it has been so fun to watch KB do so many different things. But I think creating like you're saying this space for specifically trans folks and non binary folks who are like my existence as a trans person doesn't. Doesn't change who I am or like it should just be why is this even a conversation? Like I am an artist, I am a spouse, I'm all these different things.
And I think just you doing specifically trans news that doesn't suck. I think like you're saying has just added so much joy and conversation to a. To.
To a topic that is just so vilified. Especially like I think about this last week when like all we all know the Republican, specifically Republican Paxton's team who sent those quote mailers to all these families addressed to students and like watching organizations in Texas specifically tent and out youth.
[00:09:05] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:09:05] Speaker B: Who were like we did not send this out.
We are here for trans kids who need us, but we're not. Like this wasn't us. And like if you do like 10 seconds of research, you'll see that these are from an organization that doesn't actually exist and a mailing address that actually like the whatever the LLC is like registered in Wyoming. This is even Texas. Like the desperation of politicians to for like trans folks are not ruining your life. Queer people are not ruining your life. Immigrants are not ruining your life. It is the current party that controls the Senate and the House and the presidency that is ruining and everything. Like the cost of housing and gas is not because a trans person exists or an immigrant has a job is because these people you voted into office are doing all this stuff. Not full value music during my recording.
[00:09:55] Speaker C: I'm sorry, I live in Oakland. It's loud here.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: Give me one second. Now you're fine. Not full volume music.
Living in the Bay. Don't give the bay a bad rap.
Let the people exist, not you. I
[00:10:11] Speaker C: mean I personally love it but it be happening on my zoom calls very often because I live
[00:10:15] Speaker B: downtown
[00:10:16] Speaker C: and people,
[00:10:18] Speaker B: people
[00:10:19] Speaker C: be blasting their music just riding through
[00:10:21] Speaker B: and as they should.
[00:10:23] Speaker C: This
[00:10:23] Speaker B: is America, Freedom. You know,
[00:10:25] Speaker C: Turn up
[00:10:26] Speaker B: at 3 o' clock on a Saturday as you should.
I think that's also an interesting segue too because like this is your besides from when you were in Vegas for those nine months. This is your first time living outside of Texas.
And I am thrilled to know how that feels because I feel like, as me, I was only there for eight years collectively.
And,
[00:10:53] Speaker C: you
[00:10:53] Speaker B: know, I've been talking to a lot of friends, specifically black folks, specifically also people who are black and queer.
Having left Texas, and especially during this current, like, election cycle of.
Of I feel this need to defend Texas. Of, like, actually, Texas was like, a great place for me to live, specifically because I lived in Austin, obviously.
[00:11:16] Speaker C: Right.
[00:11:16] Speaker B: But I'm like, Texas is one of the most, if not the most diverse state in the country.
We just are gerrymandered to death. And, yeah, old, old Republican white men controlling the narrative.
But watching specifically this James Talarico race against Paxton and knowing that he is nervous as all ghetto.
So, yeah, I'm just wondering how it feels to be out of Texas as a Texan for the first, like, real time. Because how long have you lived in Oakland? It hasn't been that long yet.
[00:11:50] Speaker C: No. Like five months.
Yeah. Still very new. And I mean, before this, I lived in Las Vegas for nine months. Yeah. So I, up until last year was what the people call, like, a career Texan. Like, I was born, raised and based in Texas. Grew up, went
[00:12:09] Speaker B: to college in Texas.
[00:12:11] Speaker C: Went to college. Both my degrees are Texas degrees, you know.
Okay. Both, yeah. Lived in Fort Worth, literally.
So my bachelor's at TCU and my home education and ever so slightly. Yeah.
And then, yeah, my master's degree is from UT in Austin. So I, like, was Texas down for real? And thought that I would, like, live and die there.
Wrote pieces about it and such. And I think, you know, the institution that I was at started to change, you know, of
[00:12:52] Speaker B: course.
[00:12:52] Speaker C: And I was like, okay, this is not necessarily looking, like, long term viable. Also, like, there's no academic job for you, usually at the place that you graduate, at least not, like, right after you graduate from there. Because that's just like, how academia works. It doesn't make sense. That's how it works.
[00:13:10] Speaker B: Of course.
[00:13:11] Speaker C: And then I was like, okay, I have to look elsewhere, like, even if I don't want to, to. And like, with the academic job market being so volatile, it was like, okay, do I apply to, like, four jobs or do I open myself up to places outside of Texas and maybe it's like 50 jobs, you know, like, it's not a lot of jobs that usually, like, open in creative. Right. Like, in my field in particular.
So, yeah, I had to shoot some shots, and then once I got some offers, I had to. I, like, spoke to a few, you know, mentors And. And they were just like, you know, what do you feel like will make you, like, most happy long term?
And I was like, I know I do feel the stress starts away on me, at least, like, living in Austin. I won't speak for, you know, other places, but, like, I was not just, like, letting this happen. Like, letting the anti trans policies and letting all of the anti, you know, everybody marginalized policies, like, happening quietly. Like, I was very active in the local community, you know, doing lots of, like, literary events, doing also, like, commission for the city of Austin's, like, LGBTQ Quality of Life commission. I was going to the Capitol to tents, you know, protests and Equality Texas. Like, I was there, and I just felt like the stress literally started to give me, like, physical, like, issues, you know, like health issues.
So I was like, yeah, this can't stand long term, you know, and though I, like, love this place, this place is not keeping up with, like, the pace of, like, my physical health, you know, like, it's like,
[00:14:59] Speaker B: yeah,
[00:14:59] Speaker C: if it's getting to that place, then I need to at least entertain living somewhere else. And I never lived outside of Texas, like, in 29 years of life. So I was like, I also don't want to live somewhere because it's like, where I ended up. Like, I want to live somewhere, and it'd be like, an intentional choice.
So moved to Vegas for that fellowship, and then when I got this job here, moved here simply because I'm like, if I ever return, I want it to be because I want to, not because I, like, just, like, am stuck here, if that makes sense. And I also want to see what kind of feeling. What would it feel like to be a Texan living somewhere else? And so far, you know, I won't lie, I feel a lot calmer in my body.
You know, I feel like that. That stress, that constant stress of, like, will I have a job tomorrow?
Will someone. Will a student, you know, complain simply because they have, like, a black trans teacher? And will that be, like, the end of my academic career? Will I continue to be, like, exploited for the fact that I am, like, black and trans and, like, be put on? Like, you know, I felt like, you know, like, with Austin, right? It's like, quote, unquote, progressive place. But I felt like I was getting really, like, overly relied on because of, like, the identities that I have.
So
[00:16:29] Speaker B: I was like,
[00:16:30] Speaker C: I just. We
[00:16:31] Speaker B: need to unpack
[00:16:31] Speaker C: that.
[00:16:32] Speaker B: Yeah, because. Yes, absolutely. Yeah,
[00:16:34] Speaker C: yeah, yeah. And it's like, I just can't be on the front lines, like, breaking my Body down, you know, not all the time, not without help, and not, like, in a tokenizing way. Like, it's not. It's not something I'm willing to do. So I feel a lot calmer here, and I feel like I made the right decision for me and, you know, my family. Right. I have my.
My spouse with me now. And I also have, like, you know, we have to keep ourselves together in order to be useful and helpful and creating the world that we want. So, yeah,
[00:17:12] Speaker B: yeah, I feel like I'm so far. I think about this often, too. Like, when I left Texas, everyone was like, why? You loved it. I was like, oh, I loved living in Austin. That's not the problem. Austin is still Texas. And so when I left in 24 for good because I knew that the current president would get elected again, I did not see that going well.
So I moved back home to Connecticut, and I'm still here before my next big move, which probably be next year, maybe the year after which we can circle back to where I want to move in a
[00:17:45] Speaker C: second.
[00:17:46] Speaker B: But I think about, you know, all the work. I think a lot of us as queer people, queer black people were doing in Austin because Austin is such a white city.
And everyone's like, what. What's been, like, the biggest change? I was like, oh, I get to, like, relax, like, sometimes in the form of boredom. I was like, but I would rather be bored than, like, right now at 36. Go back to what I was doing in my 20s. Like, it was so exhausting. It was like, you're saying the tokenization of, like, having to talk to organizations. Like, have you talked to any other black queer people this week? Because I am not.
[00:18:17] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:18:18] Speaker B: the only one. Like, there's like, I would give your name. Sam's name, Sheldon. Like, Sean. Like, anybody. Anybody else on this list? I have a full list of people.
Queer people, trans people, non binary people. Like, all the things. Like, if you want a list of different people, I can give it to you. Because it was just like, you can't only depend on me because you know me. Like, because I'm like, you're saying I could move away, Anything can happen.
But, like, you're saying that the. I don't have the same level of stress in my body living back in Connecticut in a blue state, you know, And I think it's been interesting, too, to watch Texas politics. And like I said before, like, having to almost defend Texas to people who have never visited or live there. Of, like, it's
[00:19:05] Speaker C: not
[00:19:05] Speaker B: what it seems. It's not just, like, farmland or green pasture or, like, it was a whole. We lived in a very big city that was like, yeah, but it's, like, still has, like, nature to it. Like, Austin,
[00:19:16] Speaker C: right,
[00:19:16] Speaker B: Has, like, hills and you can hike, and there's a literal lake around the middle of downtown. Like,
[00:19:22] Speaker C: and
[00:19:22] Speaker B: so having to explain that, too, of, like, having the governor live in the Capitol and hate our mayor so much. Like,
[00:19:30] Speaker C: when
[00:19:31] Speaker B: we try to put all these things in place for Covid, the governor's like, no, like, literally die. Like, figure it out. Like, we're not going to protect
[00:19:38] Speaker C: our
[00:19:38] Speaker B: people.
And so, yeah, I think about that often. People like, why'd you leave? Like, Austin's. Was Austin's so fun. I'm like, yeah, I'm like, I do not take for granted that, like, we lived in a place where people, like, saved to vacation to or, like, bachelor parties. Bachelorette parties are there. Like, it was a. It's a very fun city. I still go back to Austin every year.
But to live in Texas was so detrimental. It got. It got to be detrimental and just, like, so exhausting because, like, you're saying, you know, you want to be involved. You want to. You know, we've sat on boards, we've protested, we've done calls, we've talked to politicians, like, yeah. And I was like, where the next. If that next generation wants to be mentored, I will help them all they need. I'm like, but I can't.
And at that point, I was like, I don't know if I want to get married. I don't know if I want to have kids. Like, if. What is the next step in my life that I need to start preparing for?
And, like, I couldn't even imagine living there right now with, like, ice reeds. And, like, all that stuff has been happening there recently. I'm like, they.
Hmm. So, yeah, I just. I think about that. About that often of, like, of still watching the people who I know do that work. And I'm like,
[00:20:44] Speaker C: I
[00:20:44] Speaker B: will donate to whatever thing you need, but I cannot live there again. I don't know if I could ever live in a red state again. Especially now. Like, you're saying in a partnership, like, I have to not only consider me and my safety, but it's like, my partner. If we decide to have kids, if we. You know, there's just so many other things you have to think of, because, as you know, I'm a bit of a spitfire, and I kind of will just say things.
That movement was felt. That was. That was. You've been waiting to agree to
[00:21:10] Speaker C: that.
[00:21:11] Speaker B: I don't particularly appreciate that tone of voice. Thank you.
[00:21:14] Speaker C: Well, you said it. I just agree
[00:21:17] Speaker B: that agreement was too quick. That was a little too swift for me.
[00:21:21] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:21:21] Speaker B: But, yeah, thank you. But, yeah, like, no, but I also know, like, that comes from a place of, like, I tell people, like, I. My privilege is also not missed on me. Like, I am a CIS gender woman who is, quote, straight, passing, like, like, not super clocked. And although I have been offended lately, like, I always think you're straight. That's offensive to me, actually.
[00:21:38] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:21:40] Speaker B: That, like, makes my skin crawl. No shade to the straight
[00:21:42] Speaker C: girlies.
[00:21:43] Speaker B: But I don't think it could be me ever.
Truth queen. But
[00:21:49] Speaker C: love is love, you know?
[00:21:53] Speaker B: Yeah. Yes. Do whatever feels right for you. Love who you love. But
[00:21:59] Speaker C: I don't understand that lifestyle. But, you know,
[00:22:02] Speaker B: loving a man in this economy.
Yes. Girl, I've been joking. One of my aunts just went through a divorce and I'm like, you know what's really chic right now? Late in life? Lesbianism. She's like, girl, you don't think I've thought about. I'm like, now's just like the time, like, you just go out and just.
[00:22:21] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:22:21] Speaker B: Razzle dazzle. You never know.
[00:22:23] Speaker C: I know
[00:22:24] Speaker B: you've unpacked some things. You're older now.
You're a Scorpio queen. Go off, like, if you decide,
[00:22:31] Speaker C: let a girl buy you a drink. You know? That's what I'm saying.
[00:22:34] Speaker B: I'm like, you look great, girl. You would never, you know, keep the people guessing.
[00:22:39] Speaker C: Right?
It's true.
[00:22:41] Speaker B: I'm just saying. I'm.
I'm just saying, ever since I came out, I've been the happiest person ever. I have not seriously dated a man in, like 15 years, and it's been a delay.
[00:22:53] Speaker C: Wow.
[00:22:54] Speaker B: So thank you. I know. Yay, me.
[00:22:57] Speaker C: Well,
[00:22:58] Speaker B: anyway, that's my. That's my shtick about being queer.
[00:23:02] Speaker C: Yeah. And, like, I like what you say about, like, having to defend Texas too, because I find myself, like, there are big pluses to being in a blue state, but I also feel like there are the minuses of, like, blue state ignorance. Right. Because like,
[00:23:17] Speaker B: or, like, people get so, like, laissez faire, like, oh, we're blue. We don't have to do anything. I'm like, no,
[00:23:22] Speaker C: no.
And, like, there are a lot of places that are, like, light blue. You know, Like, I'm in California and people think of California as this, like, you know, bedrock of progressive whatever. But I'm like, girl, let's actually look at the congressional maps.
Let's have a
[00:23:37] Speaker B: little conversation.
[00:23:39] Speaker C: Let's look at the Democrats that you elect. Because they're not, I would say, like, lefty, you know, like all that.
And like, yeah, there will be like, you know, sometimes these passing comments, like, you know, I have this person in my class and, you know, they're from Fort Worth. And like, they will say it in a tone where I'm like, so just a reminder that I am from Texas as well.
Or like, oh, you know, like, like I was in a. I was like, I don't know, at some kind of like happy hour recently and someone was like, yeah, something, something about like the good south, like talking about a experience that they had. And the person next to them was like, is there any good South? And I was like, so let's, let's back up a bit,
[00:24:27] Speaker B: rein
[00:24:27] Speaker C: that in.
Yeah, I don't think
[00:24:30] Speaker B: critically.
[00:24:31] Speaker C: Yeah, it's like, you can shit on the politicians all you want, let's not shit on the actual people. All day
[00:24:37] Speaker B: long. All day long. Thank you.
[00:24:40] Speaker C: Yeah. Cause I'm like, gerrymandering exists. Like over policing exists.
There is like a lot of, like, they, these red states thrive on misinformation, thrive on like, like
[00:24:55] Speaker B: fear mongering, like us fear mongering
[00:24:58] Speaker C: and then also like voter suppression. Like all of those things are happening and they all come together to make the politics look the way that they are. Like, literally. I remember in 2020, like Greg Abbott trying to like close polling locations, like super close to the election, right? And then like Kim Paxton, like you said earlier, like, sending out this fake news stuff and all of this like, anti trans bullshit that like, you know, Republicans have been peddling, like, oh, this person wants to mutilate children. All this bullshit, even though that's been like, disproven like all of these ideas over and over. And you know, I think also Democrats writ large are not responding to it very well.
And that's been upsetting too.
So it just like creates, it creates the redness, right? Like, it's not necessarily that the people don't want progressive policies. I think there are a lot of things just standing in the way of that
[00:25:55] Speaker B: for sure. And I mean, you feel disenfranchised, right? Like you're talking about,
[00:25:59] Speaker C: yeah,
[00:25:59] Speaker B: them purging the voter rolls and, you know, closing locations. Something recently just happened of like, they closed a bunch of locations at like, near a college in the South.
I was like, where
[00:26:09] Speaker C: do you
[00:26:09] Speaker B: expect all these college kids to go? Vote now. Like, you can't just shut them down. Like, this is voter oppression. Or like, how you can't. What was it like? Was it during the 20 or 24 election? Like, you can't hand out water and you can't hand out, like, snacks in line. And I was
[00:26:24] Speaker C: like, yeah,
[00:26:24] Speaker B: for people who are voting, I'm like, y' all are that pressed about people voting? I'm like, oh. Because they know, first of all, voting in an election is one of the safest things you can do. There's like, no. No one. No one is, like, messing with elections, you guys. Except maybe.
But
[00:26:41] Speaker C: yeah, they're definitely messing with them. As in trying to make it hard to vote and trying to make it to the point where people don't want to do it because it's actually, like, too laborious.
Not giving people off from work, like, that is also a form of voter suppression. So I'm like, girl, it's just stuff you don't understand as, like, a Californian.
[00:27:01] Speaker B: Also
[00:27:02] Speaker C: in this. If
[00:27:02] Speaker B: and when you can vote early, everybody, I'm telling you, just go early.
[00:27:06] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:27:07] Speaker B: Two weeks before the election, just go. Go it early. It's not.
I went yesterday. I was a little. I was a little annoyed. I went at 9:30, did not open till 10.
Okay. I left. I then went to work, and I went and voted later in the day at 4:30, 5:00'. Clock. It was fine, but.
And I, again, I live in a blue state, although my city I live in is a little red, which is upsetting to me because I'm like, what are we doing? Like,
[00:27:31] Speaker C: right.
[00:27:31] Speaker B: Also, like, watching people who I've known for a long time sway to Republican. And I'm like, we grew up in a. I don't know if I've told you the story about how I got into politics at 10. 10 years old.
Yeah. I've been like this my entire life. I got an encyclopedia set one year for Christmas. Your girl is asking questions since the moon.
The year that the Gore Bush election really messed your girl up. We were like, in class and my teacher. I know. Take it back. What were you, four?
My teacher was like, if you could vote in the election right now, who would you vote for? Me.
Dem. Since the day I was born. Actually, more of a socialist. Leftist socialist now. But, you know, we'll unpack that in a minute.
[00:28:16] Speaker C: I'm
[00:28:16] Speaker B: thinking like, oh, we all grew up together. We're all in the same class. We all go to the same school. We're obviously all going to vote the same to See hands go up for Bush.
[00:28:26] Speaker C: Wild
[00:28:27] Speaker B: insane to
[00:28:28] Speaker C: me.
[00:28:29] Speaker B: What on earth do you mean? My literal.
I believe in like past lives and like alternative realities. There is a reality where Gore, Bush won and the planet is now healthy and we're completely solar powered.
[00:28:44] Speaker C: Yeah. Al Gore
[00:28:45] Speaker B: data centers don't exist.
[00:28:47] Speaker C: Yeah. We're
[00:28:48] Speaker B: not, we're not destroying the Grand Canyon and shit to put an ugly ass data center there.
[00:28:53] Speaker C: Yeah. We're
[00:28:54] Speaker B: not fracking for oil and bullshit. Like, there's a. Fossil fuels have been eliminated.
[00:29:00] Speaker C: Yeah. And literally since then, it feels like the Democrats have been moving far and farther right.
Which I'm like,
[00:29:08] Speaker B: kb, it irks
[00:29:10] Speaker C: me.
[00:29:10] Speaker B: I'm like, what am I voting for?
[00:29:13] Speaker C: Like,
[00:29:14] Speaker B: I was at a dinner. So we went, Shelby and I take our annual trip to Chicago. We're there, we run into some of her friends and one of her friends, coworkers is there.
And me and this guy are talking to this guy. He's originally, he's from Long Island. And the guy that we're with, a friend of ours is like, says to the guy from Long island, oh, what do you think of Mamdani? And he was like, oh, he's awful.
And me and this man just
[00:29:38] Speaker C: go,
[00:29:39] Speaker B: why?
He goes, oh, did you not hear? He said he hates the Jews. I go, pull up the art. I want the exact article, quote.
[00:29:45] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:29:45] Speaker B: I
[00:29:46] Speaker C: want,
[00:29:46] Speaker B: I want literally prove to me that that man said that. And I, and I just looked at him and my, the guy we were, the friend we were with, he just looked at me and I said, okay. And the guy from Long island was like, you seem to have had a reaction. I said, I was like, I'm just not gonna sit here and argue and try to explain something to you one when I'm two drinks in. Because I know I'm already Chatty Cathy without alcohol,
[00:30:07] Speaker C: but
[00:30:08] Speaker B: also I'm not gonna prove to you that this man did not say this because you believe it already.
But I'm
[00:30:14] Speaker C: like,
[00:30:14] Speaker B: this man who has filled potholes, this man who has lowered the cost of stuff in New York. This man
[00:30:22] Speaker C: who
[00:30:22] Speaker B: was doing all these things to make sure that every New Yorker can afford life in New Yorker in New York.
[00:30:27] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:30:28] Speaker B: He quote, unquote, said he hates the juice. And you don't have,
[00:30:32] Speaker C: like, you know that's not true. You don't have proof of that, like at all. And not AI videos, not YouTube, not look like,
[00:30:41] Speaker B: not a random put together video from Instagram. Like you cut in piece and you could tell there's like a lot like
[00:30:47] Speaker C: it's
[00:30:47] Speaker B: like how I'm watching the Abdull race out of. What is it? Minnesota and Michigan I can't think of right now.
[00:30:52] Speaker C: I
[00:30:52] Speaker B: think it's Michigan. And I'm like, you guys just watching him like talk to Republicans? I'm like, you are a saint. Because
[00:31:00] Speaker C: yeah,
[00:31:01] Speaker B: I'm constantly asked like, are you gonna run for office? I'm like, no. Everyone's like, wow, you guys, I have no patience for people.
[00:31:07] Speaker C: Absolutely
[00:31:07] Speaker B: not. I would be taken out in a week because I'm like, why do we pay for. Why? Why is housing this much? Why is gas this much? Why are groceries this month? I also believe in universal healthcare, childcare and college. Absolutely. So,
[00:31:21] Speaker C: yeah,
[00:31:22] Speaker B: I fear America would be upset because it could happen, but we'd have to get rid of the healthcare industry and that's never gonna fly in our lifetime. So I can't get people to recycle. You think I'm getting people?
[00:31:35] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:31:36] Speaker B: please.
I can't get people to stop using chat GPT to figure out the square root of four. You have a calculator.
[00:31:43] Speaker C: Yeah.
And the chatgpt of it all is really rough. Like, as an English
[00:31:48] Speaker B: educated and creative, I can't even imagine.
[00:31:51] Speaker C: It's like, bro, I don't know how to tell you more than one. Like, people my age as well as like, you know, the youth that are coming up, I'm like, y', all, literacy is a foundational skill.
[00:32:03] Speaker B: Kb.
[00:32:03] Speaker C: You can't do anything else in life successfully if you don't know how to read and write.
[00:32:08] Speaker B: Kb
[00:32:10] Speaker C: And I
[00:32:11] Speaker B: am
[00:32:11] Speaker C: chat GPT.
[00:32:13] Speaker B: I'm convinced that
[00:32:14] Speaker C: I
[00:32:15] Speaker B: cannot read.
I'm convinced
[00:32:16] Speaker C: kids
[00:32:17] Speaker B: can't read. My friend's kid is like an avid reader. Like, she's a book nerd and I love her for it. Hell yes, Leah, go off queen. I am convinced that a lot of these kids cannot read.
And I'm
[00:32:28] Speaker C: like, it's unfortunate. Like, you
[00:32:29] Speaker B: get
[00:32:30] Speaker C: taken advantage of when you can't read.
You are more susceptible to falling for misinformation when you can't read. When you like, you
[00:32:39] Speaker B: have no critical thinking skills.
[00:32:41] Speaker C: Exactly. You can't even get to critical thinking if you can't read and write. Like, those are just basic skills. And then like being able to read something and be able to like have a certain level of skepticism about it to where you go and look up reputable sources,
[00:32:57] Speaker B: retain the knowledge and what you just read, have critical thinking to debate it or debunked it for yourself. But I was watching a TikTok last night that was like the Problem today is that kids can't read.
And I was like, oh, tell me more. I was like. And he. The guy who did the tick tock was like, when I didn't know the answer, his mom also bought him an encyclopedia kit. She's like, I could tell you the answer,
[00:33:16] Speaker C: but you
[00:33:16] Speaker B: can also learn to look it up yourself. And this is like, support your local libraries, by the way. But I'm like, dewey decimal system. I was like, I love the library. I will. Every new city I go to, I go straight to the library. Cause I'm like, what you got going on? What's the
[00:33:30] Speaker C: vibe?
[00:33:30] Speaker B: But I'm like, kids today can't read everything is this googleable. And there's like no critical thinking. And it's truly, honestly terrifies me. Like, like I said, I live with my family and my nephew's. The oldest is senior in high school. And then the twins are 11.
And the twins have been like, very misogynistic lately. And I'm like,
[00:33:51] Speaker C: where, where
[00:33:51] Speaker B: are you getting this from?
1, because you're raised by a single mother and it's me here, your grandmother, our grandmother and our aunt also helped to raise you. You were raised collectively by like six women.
So where is this coming from? Like those schools and being online, I'm like,
[00:34:09] Speaker C: they,
[00:34:10] Speaker B: they, they constantly think that men are superior just because that's what they're fed online. I'm like, great. I was like, we're almost the same height.
I'm five three. Everybody leave me alone. Okay? My nephews are tall and I'm five three, but I feel six two. Okay.
[00:34:24] Speaker C: I
[00:34:24] Speaker B: have six two energetically. Thank you. I'm tall by energy. Okay, thank you. What about yourself? So they've been like, well, men are just inherently stronger than women. I said, oh, that's. If that's the case, then you as an 11 year old should be able to beat me in an arm wrestle.
They're like, no. I was like, no, no. If what you're saying is that men are superior to women, it should not matter. Our age. And it should not matter that I do Pilates and my arms are in the best shape of their lives ever. You know, let's. Let's go. If you think as a man that you can beat me, let's go.
So that's been a lot of conversations lately. It's like, you guys do know that I'm 36 and an avid reader and I take nothing at face value. Like,
[00:35:04] Speaker C: yeah,
[00:35:04] Speaker B: I love a side quest and a rabbit hole. I will search research things like, it is my job. Like, it has just been so scary too. Like, I work at a high school and watching. We went. We took the kids on a trip last year. We took them cross country skiing and snowshoeing. I'm at an environmental charter school, which is really fun.
And like, watching those kids interact has been like, saving of my soul because my kids, like, actually talk to each
[00:35:29] Speaker C: other.
[00:35:30] Speaker B: But, like, watching, it's the best. And it's a very small school. We have like 230 kids collect, like, across all four years.
And so watching me interact has, like, saved my soul about society in the future. And they're like, all really involved. Like, we are a social justice focused school too. So, like, they like, talk to people at Yale and the other local colleges and like, like, on with the city and the state, like, watching other kids who. I'm like, you are so afraid of being perceived, number one, in general.
Number two, God forbid someone thinks you're smart. It's like a scarlet letter that you are educated and can critically think. I'm like, what a time to be.
[00:36:07] Speaker C: You
[00:36:07] Speaker B: could not pay me to go to high school right now. Like,
[00:36:10] Speaker C: no, absolutely not. I'm so glad I was born when I was and that I graduated when I did, because, no, absolutely not. Like, I think I'm like, we as a society have not gotten to the place where, like, AI, generative AI, specifically because chatbots and stuff like that have,
[00:36:28] Speaker B: like,
[00:36:28] Speaker C: existed for a while.
[00:36:29] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:36:29] Speaker C: But like, generative AI, we. It's like, technology is doing this, humanity is doing this. Like, we just are not in
[00:36:37] Speaker B: the place.
Yeah, yeah,
[00:36:39] Speaker C: yeah. Like, we don't have a baseline, like a level of respect for each other, Respect for each other's like, intellectual property, and then also like a respect for literacy as a foundational skill. So for that reason, people are using ChatGPT not to do anything helpful, but to like, bypass the, the act of reading and writing. And it's like corroding the little skills that they have in order to do this. And like, now us as educators, we have to, like, become creative and, like, finding ways to circumvent AI or a lot of institutions are now trying to push it on us where they're like, oh, incorporate AI into your classroom. And I'm like, why would I do that? I teach reading and writing.
I teach skills that they need, no matter what major they have. Like, they need to be able to read something, like psychological fallacies. You know,
[00:37:34] Speaker B: you have to listen a manual, instructions, a menu, a contract. Like,
[00:37:42] Speaker C: yeah, you will need to Learn how to sign a contract.
Yeah,
[00:37:46] Speaker B: we
[00:37:47] Speaker C: all have to sign contracts to have any job, to get any lease on anything. Like, you need to know how to decipher information.
So. No, I'm not about to bring in AI for people who are still, like, learning that skill.
[00:37:59] Speaker B: When one of the twins told me that their teacher said, you could use AI to do your math homework, I said, excuse me,
[00:38:05] Speaker C: What? If you please excuse my dear Aunt Sally. What happened to
[00:38:10] Speaker B: Pemdas? Did just fine for me.
[00:38:13] Speaker C: I still be doing that thing where you're trying to figure out an equation and you have to, like,
[00:38:20] Speaker B: write out
[00:38:20] Speaker C: the.
Yeah, the solve for X. No, we gotta go
[00:38:24] Speaker B: back
[00:38:24] Speaker C: to that
[00:38:25] Speaker B: paper and pen. What are we doing?
[00:38:28] Speaker C: What happened to if Johnny had two apples?
Like, let's get back to that.
[00:38:34] Speaker B: Bring back those TI calculators, everybody. Because what? They were just fine for us. Thank you.
Wild. I just. I. I think that's also why I'm, like, terrified to raise children, because I'm like, my kid would. I. I am not against technology. I'm just like. I don't think we should just be giving kids tech to just, like, distract them. Like, give them a book.
[00:38:55] Speaker C: No. Make
[00:38:55] Speaker B: them go outside. That's the problem. The kids aren't outside anymore. My parents.
[00:38:59] Speaker C: Yeah. I
[00:38:59] Speaker B: will see you later.
When the street lights come on, like, go outside. Literally touch grass.
[00:39:06] Speaker C: Yeah, I know. I was happy as a clam, like, riding my bike around, skateboarding really poorly. Going outside and talking to my friends, like, not
[00:39:16] Speaker B: poorly.
[00:39:17] Speaker C: I was never really actually good at skateboarding, but I would do it for the aesthetic mostly. So, like.
[00:39:25] Speaker B: But I think go
[00:39:26] Speaker C: outside and make a friend.
[00:39:28] Speaker B: And I think about this often. Like, the neighborhood I grew up in, it was. Was probably like, 15 houses in, like, the section of my street. And almost everybody. We were. All the kids were almost like, all the same age. Like, we were like, within, like, a four to five year age difference of everybody. Right?
[00:39:44] Speaker C: And
[00:39:44] Speaker B: so I just think about, like, we were outside all the time. Like, the boys are playing basketball, the girls are yapping it up. I. I am. I. I'm doing dramatic renditions of karaoke to Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. Walking around with my Walkman. Okay. I'm singing Avril Lavigne in my angsty era. Okay. I have feelings, okay? She's a theater girl. She's expressing herself, okay. And I just, like, the kids aren't doing. Like, I see my friends now who, like, their kids are in sports. I'm like, yes, great. Their kids are in theater. Great. Love it. Like, I'm like, get them off this. Like, get them off the tablets. Get them off the video. And I never thought I would be like, get out of the video. Because I was like, I was a psych too girly PS2, PlayStation 2.
But we weren't online. Like, it was just the game. You could just play that game and call it a day. But I'm like, no. Social
[00:40:35] Speaker C: media
[00:40:37] Speaker B: literally can
[00:40:38] Speaker C: have some pluses, but, like, there are a lot of minuses, too. But
[00:40:42] Speaker B: it's like, the thing now, too. Like, they're saying, like, kids shouldn't have social media to. They're at least, like, 16, which I agree with. Like, having that much access to the Internet at that age, I think is detrimental. And I think about, like, me growing up with an eating disorder, and I didn't even have access to the Internet. Like, that. Right. Like, that was just from, like, watching MTV and, like, seeing magazines of, like, if you were not thin, you were not pretty. Right. And now I
[00:41:06] Speaker C: look
[00:41:07] Speaker B: like everything is online also. We have to go all the way back. The girls makeup today,
[00:41:13] Speaker C: y'
[00:41:13] Speaker B: all don't know what we had to go through. When your smoky eye looked like you just put a thin layer of just black eyeshadow. Our makeup was terrible. It built character.
[00:41:22] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:41:22] Speaker B: Okay. No one is looking. Right. The outfits we wore in, like, if I. The swishy pants from the 90s.
Character building.
[00:41:31] Speaker C: Okay. The
[00:41:32] Speaker B: kids today, I'm like, you guys don't know. We. What we went through, everything was not refined and picture perfect. We didn't really.
We took photos and hope they came out well because we had to wait for that to develop. Or when you got a digital camera, you had to hope that your friend's finger wasn't over the thing. Like, you.
[00:41:47] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:41:48] Speaker B: And, like, how kids are so afraid of being perceived now. And I'm like,
[00:41:52] Speaker C: yeah, we
[00:41:53] Speaker B: grew up in, like, that perf. Like, you're saying that really good era. I think we're like, the last, like, the millennials might be, like, the last generation of, like, we got to just exist.
[00:42:02] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:42:02] Speaker B: And I. And I feel bad for the kids.
[00:42:05] Speaker C: Yeah. I think it's, like, a little too much about, like, you know, whether or not I'm cringe and whether or not, you know, all that stuff. And I'm like, y', all, it's okay to be earnest. It's okay to not know something. It's okay to be wrong. Like, I'm not gonna stone you in class. Like, even when I, like, am teaching, I feel like half of my job, like, Alongside teaching creative writing or, you know, first year writing, whatever it is that I'm teaching. I also have to, like, deprogram them from this, like, you're going to suffer consequences if you're wrong type of thing where I'm like, you're in a class. The whole point of this class is for me to teach you these concepts. I'm not going to expect you to know I'm all the time. And, like, the grade is not actually, like, what I care about. I care about whether or not you're learning. So if you're not getting the grade that you want, come talk to me in office hours. Say out loud, I don't understand something.
And there's no, luckily, there's no one right way to write a poem.
I'm not actually grading you. It's mostly completion grades.
You just have to try and not send me AI slots, you know? Done.
[00:43:14] Speaker B: Yeah. And I, I. That makes me think of, like, when me, you, Megan, Noah went out. I think it was one of those nights we went out and we, you, the three of you. I was like, oh, I'm not a creative. I'm not an artist. And they're even like, are you on drugs? And I was like, probably
[00:43:26] Speaker C: like,
[00:43:26] Speaker B: like that. That, that was such a validating conversation because I'm like, you and Meg are poets. Noah is like a tech genius. I'm like, I don't know what Noah got going up in there, because brilliant.
And like, your poetry, Meg's poetry. I'm like, you guys, I just yap. Like, I am a yapper. Like, that is my.
And you're like, yes. No, you are pot. Like, you are. Like, talking is also an art. And I was like, interesting. Like, and I think about that, too. Like, you're talking about, like, being cringe. I was like, I'm cringe all the time.
[00:43:55] Speaker C: Yeah. And
[00:43:56] Speaker B: that's okay. I exist and I'm fine. Like, I think my whimsy up there, like, love it. Like, for you get one life. What are you talking about? Like, being so afraid and, like, telling my kids too, at school, like, in the grand scheme of things. And I know it feels like I'm. I'm minimizing your experience. And I don't mean to.
None of this actually matters. You're here to get an education and become the person you want to become.
Most of this you won't even remember. Like, this is all just, like, in 10 years, none of this is going to matter. You're going to be living somewhere else. You're doing something Else, like a fully fledged person. Like, so right now you get to, like, mess up and try things and, like, not be perfect and not worry about what other people are doing. And, like, just live. Like,
[00:44:38] Speaker C: just
[00:44:39] Speaker B: live like it is it. I tell everybody, just live. Like, what are we?
[00:44:42] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:44:43] Speaker B: as long as you're not hurting anybody, just live. I don't really understand it.
Live your life.
[00:44:50] Speaker C: And if this person, if this person in, like, this class doesn't like you, I'm like, okay. Like, there were a number of people who didn't like me in high school, but I think I won that battle. Ultimately.
They're looking miserable. I'm looking flourished. You know,
[00:45:09] Speaker B: the best revenge is a life well lived. I say I stand by that. Like,
[00:45:12] Speaker C: yeah.
[00:45:13] Speaker B: No, no, no, Professor. I cannot believe you're a professor.
[00:45:19] Speaker C: It's true.
It's true. And I mean, didn't necessarily see, like, it even when we first met. Like, that wasn't necessarily in my plans, but, you know,
[00:45:29] Speaker B: I remember
[00:45:29] Speaker C: when you asked
[00:45:31] Speaker B: me to write your recommendation letter for grad school, and I was like, this actually makes sense. Like, you should try academia. Like, you being a professor makes sense. But I'm also like, what a grown up.
Like, being a professor is, like, such a grown up job. I'm like, wow, what a grown up.
[00:45:48] Speaker C: I mean, we're all pantomiming being grown up and acting like we know what we're doing. Like,
[00:45:54] Speaker B: surely
[00:45:54] Speaker C: there are some times where I'm like, y', all, I'm not in a good mood. My basketball team lost yesterday.
Yeah, they won today. They
[00:46:04] Speaker B: won today.
They
[00:46:05] Speaker C: won today.
We're all good.
[00:46:08] Speaker B: We up. Listen, before we get back to your story, I need you to understand what I say.
Tippies, if you hear this,
[00:46:19] Speaker C: what you about to say, I'm scared.
[00:46:22] Speaker B: I would risk it all for a dinner.
I am down. Sorry. Partner's gonna listen to this. I am down bad. I told my partner that Tip Hayes is, like, my, like, elevator person. Like, and
[00:46:36] Speaker C: then
[00:46:37] Speaker B: she's like, are you serious? I was like, listen, she does something to me. I don't really know.
[00:46:42] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:46:43] Speaker B: I am down bad for tippies.
[00:46:47] Speaker C: It's the swag. It's also the, like, I do my job well about her. It's the, like, oh, underestimate me if you want to. About her. I get it. I mean, the Valkyries is a team full of fine people. Fine and foreign. That's. That's.
[00:47:02] Speaker B: That's
[00:47:02] Speaker C: what I call them. Yeah, yeah,
[00:47:04] Speaker B: fine. And Tip is from Florida. Fine. And she went to U. A
[00:47:10] Speaker C: lot of Them like, half the team is like, not from the U.S.
[00:47:14] Speaker B: you're right. You're right, you're right. That's just so funny.
Foreign, like, slow zoom on tips from Florida.
[00:47:23] Speaker C: It's like, it looked like Natalie Nakase. The coach was like, you either got to be fine or you gotta be foreign to be on this team.
It is what it is.
[00:47:31] Speaker B: Where's the
[00:47:31] Speaker C: lie? You're both, you know,
[00:47:32] Speaker B: where's the lie?
And now does it pain me? As a Liberty fan? Yes. Am I aside from my girls?
[00:47:38] Speaker C: Sorry.
[00:47:39] Speaker B: Sure. Thank you. But I've been voting for the Valkyrie since Tip been on the team. Like, that is that.
I don't think I would ever live in California, but for Tiff.
Tiff and my current partner who may end up in California. Let me. Let me also say that because she's gonna listen to this episode. She's like, oh, but, yeah, let me. Let me give a little.
And for. And for you, honey, who I love so much. But
[00:48:03] Speaker C: come to the dark side. Come to the Bay Area. I
[00:48:07] Speaker B: don't want to drive anymore. You know I hate driving.
[00:48:09] Speaker C: You don't have to. You don't have to in the Bay. You have to. In la. You don't have to in the Bay. We got the bar, we got bus, we got ferry, we got the trolley.
Yeah. That's the train system.
[00:48:21] Speaker B: I know what the BART is. I'm just like, bart, please. No. Where I want to go is the chi.
I become such a Chicago girly. Yeah.
[00:48:32] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:48:33] Speaker B: I'm going through the last Chicago shy
[00:48:35] Speaker C: is not doing well right now.
[00:48:37] Speaker B: All they. Listen, there was a. I didn't say it would be my team. I just say I want to live in Chicago because you know who will get
[00:48:43] Speaker C: there.
[00:48:44] Speaker B: We'll have the Valkyrie come play. We'll have Liberty come play. I just gotta be able to see basketball. I don't really care who's near me.
Also, I don't need to be near Tiff Hayes because I really do worry about my relationship.
I am deeply in love. This person is my best friend. But
[00:48:59] Speaker C: I understand.
That's how
[00:49:01] Speaker B: I feel
[00:49:01] Speaker C: about Kyla Char. Kyla Charles. Every time I see her, I'm like, she is so beautiful.
And then, like, in one game during the finals, Kyla was like, getting into it with Ryan Howard, who was on the Dream. And I was like, no, stop
[00:49:16] Speaker B: fighting. The girls are fighting.
[00:49:19] Speaker C: No,
[00:49:20] Speaker B: no.
[00:49:20] Speaker C: Fine on fine crime. I don't like that.
[00:49:23] Speaker B: I'm fine on fine crime. Girls, please.
[00:49:28] Speaker C: I wanted to get in the middle and be like, girls. Oh, My God, do you need to go to the side and we can talk about it? Like,
[00:49:35] Speaker B: I can be. I can mediate. It's fine.
[00:49:38] Speaker C: Yeah, I'll be a listening ear. Kyla, just come here.
[00:49:43] Speaker B: That's like, I think about whenever, like, Natasha Cloud was like Whispering Spring and Tiff Hayes, like, they had that interaction on the court.
[00:49:48] Speaker C: I was like,
[00:49:49] Speaker B: I just think Tasha is a clown and I love her. I was like, if I could have been just standing there in that moment because it was so over. Like, the face. I was like, I could not. Like, I love the W so much. It is unreal.
But yeah, no, we're for the Valk. Although Angel Reese, girl, you deserve.
[00:50:07] Speaker C: She's. She's great.
[00:50:08] Speaker B: You are.
[00:50:10] Speaker C: I understand why people are rooting for her when she's on fire. It's really exciting to watch. However.
[00:50:16] Speaker B: However
[00:50:18] Speaker C: my Valkyries need to win. It's such a good, like, have
[00:50:22] Speaker B: you gone to a
[00:50:22] Speaker C: game? They are. I have like a couple of the games at Valhalla.
It's been
[00:50:27] Speaker B: cute. This for you. It's been cute. I love this for you.
[00:50:32] Speaker C: It's like they're a ragtag team of people who, like, got dumped on
[00:50:35] Speaker B: other teams. If that isn't merch by next year, we're making it because what are we doing?
[00:50:42] Speaker C: The finite foreign team, the FF team, like, go
[00:50:44] Speaker B: ahead
[00:50:44] Speaker C: and trademark that
[00:50:47] Speaker B: with my. With my blessing, please.
The liberty made the mistake of, like, reaching out to me for something, like someone in, like, their communications or
[00:50:55] Speaker C: like,
[00:50:56] Speaker B: or like guest services reached out. I was like, hey, girl, can't come this weekend. But now that I have your email and we've just been going back and forth, I'm like, hi, the season's over, but please know I will take that train anytime to go see my girlies in the bk.
Yeah. Because I go for pride. The Pride night every year. Like this year, like, 15 of our friends, me and my other friend coordinated. I was like, 15 of us rolled deep to this pride game. I was like, wow, to be gay at a pride. It was like 15 years. Like our one. Our one straight white dude friend. I was like, I guess you can come. Sure.
[00:51:31] Speaker C: You're the token.
[00:51:32] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:51:34] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:51:34] Speaker B: You're allowed to be there. But
[00:51:36] Speaker C: I'm like, bringing a man to a W game. I'm like, I don't know, but he
[00:51:40] Speaker B: reads as queer. Like, I kind of have questions about him sometime, which is great, you know, live your life. We love an ally. We also love, like a later in life gay man. That's Your business. But,
[00:51:52] Speaker C: yeah, the W is great. It's exciting. Right now it's growing, which is exciting.
[00:51:57] Speaker B: 30 years the W has been around everybody like, Like,
[00:52:00] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:52:00] Speaker B: Although. Oh, we gotta. Now we gotta talk about the. The. The CC of it all, because.
[00:52:07] Speaker C: Oh, no. I'm
[00:52:08] Speaker B: so sorry. We have to. We have to. Because I have to be upset about her as somebody else does,
[00:52:13] Speaker C: too.
[00:52:14] Speaker B: I.
I've been reading a lot of stuff, obviously, about
[00:52:18] Speaker C: the
[00:52:18] Speaker B: W's been around for so long, predominantly filled with, like, black, queer black
[00:52:22] Speaker C: women, especially
[00:52:23] Speaker B: during, like, the height of Black Lives Matter and, like, all the activism that was happening during that time, and now that has shifted to the dark side because of these two white women on the same team. Which in the way I'm gonna get canceled for this. The way people cape for Cece, like, she's the best player in the league.
[00:52:49] Speaker C: Do
[00:52:49] Speaker B: y' all look at stats?
[00:52:51] Speaker C: Are
[00:52:51] Speaker B: you watching the same league
[00:52:52] Speaker C: say otherwise? Like,
[00:52:54] Speaker B: have you looked at Andrew Reese's stats? Stats. Asia Wilson stats?
[00:52:59] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:53:02] Speaker B: Like,
[00:53:03] Speaker C: yeah,
[00:53:03] Speaker B: another white lady. Like, it could, sure. But that one,
[00:53:07] Speaker C: I'm like, stewie and Paige are the actual exciting whites.
[00:53:11] Speaker B: I go, please, Paige, my girl.
[00:53:17] Speaker C: Yeah,
[00:53:19] Speaker B: we up. I will defend that woman to the end of time. I love Paige, but, yeah, I'm like, you guys, please be serious.
[00:53:26] Speaker C: I love that people texted me today and was like, congrats on your win. Like, I was out there with the Valkyries. You were.
[00:53:32] Speaker B: You're an honorary team member.
[00:53:35] Speaker C: Because all I do is post about them these days on my threads. Like, I've been so stressed about it for the past, like, number of weeks.
[00:53:42] Speaker B: Maybe,
[00:53:43] Speaker C: maybe I'll get season tickets. And then I'll be like, hey, come through. Because I've been thinking about getting season tickets next year.
You can come and sit with me and then meet Tip.
[00:53:56] Speaker B: I don't understand what's
[00:53:57] Speaker C: so
[00:53:57] Speaker B: funny. I'm dead ass serious,
[00:54:01] Speaker C: which is why it's funny.
[00:54:04] Speaker B: Would risk it all, is all I'm saying. Life for short. Risk
[00:54:06] Speaker C: it all.
I understand. I understand you about Tip. A lot of people about Brittney Griner, me about Kyla.
Brittany just got something I don't really
[00:54:17] Speaker B: get. I know, but I really don't get it. The voice, maybe. Like, I do love how deep
[00:54:21] Speaker C: her voice is.
That goes a long way for people.
[00:54:24] Speaker B: Do you love Atali?
[00:54:26] Speaker C: I think she has a very beautiful smile. I think she's not unattractive.
[00:54:30] Speaker B: She's just like, I'm not risking it all for Brittney Griner.
[00:54:33] Speaker C: Yeah, that's fair. She's very handsome to me.
And like, I'm like, I understand.
Can I say that? Handsome, pretty, beautiful.
[00:54:43] Speaker B: I don't know why. It felt shady for a second. And I'm like, that's me.
[00:54:46] Speaker C: It was not. I
[00:54:47] Speaker B: know. That was a me thing. That was a me thing. I established. Go ahead.
[00:54:51] Speaker C: Yeah. And like, she is the exact girl that girls would leave me for in high school.
[00:54:56] Speaker B: You want to talk about it? You want to unpack that?
A lot of therapy,
[00:55:00] Speaker C: the tall, light skinned girls. I'm not. I've talked about it in therapy before, but it's the, it was the tall light skinned studs that would just take all the girls from me in high
[00:55:11] Speaker B: school. I know. I'm so sorry. My. My heart goes out too.
How tall are you? You?
[00:55:17] Speaker C: I'm five nine. So I am short in the grand scheme of things.
[00:55:22] Speaker B: Okay. Me at 5:3. I was like, yeah, sure.
[00:55:27] Speaker C: But it's like, it's something about when you get to six feet, all of a sudden you're like,
[00:55:31] Speaker B: get a pass for everything.
[00:55:32] Speaker C: You can. You can get anybody you want, you know, in the sapphic world.
[00:55:37] Speaker B: But see, I would qualify you as tall, which for me I'm like, yes, five.
I think I'm tall. Which is a lie. But you are tall. Anything over 56 is tall to me. So I'm like, sure, everybody, thank you.
[00:55:51] Speaker C: I wish everybody thought like you, but that's not true.
[00:55:54] Speaker B: 59 is not short because 5 8, 58 is like what? 58 is the average man height.
[00:56:03] Speaker C: No, I think you're in short king status if you're like under 510.
[00:56:09] Speaker B: Ridiculous. Okay,
[00:56:10] Speaker C: it is.
[00:56:11] Speaker B: I gotta do some research. Like what is tall? What's the average height of the American man?
[00:56:17] Speaker C: It probably is 5A. But they be lying, so
[00:56:21] Speaker B: thank you.
[00:56:22] Speaker C: They be lying about their height.
[00:56:23] Speaker B: Lying about.
Men lie. Everybody, you heard it here first. Just wanted you quote us.
[00:56:31] Speaker C: They'd be like, I'm five' eleven. And I'm like, okay, take the tims off. How tall are you actually?
[00:56:35] Speaker B: Really? Me? With a tape measure. Really?
[00:56:40] Speaker C: Put your hair down. How tall are you
[00:56:41] Speaker B: now?
Say next to that wall. I'll measure it. Because how are you? 5:10 and with the same height.
Interesting. Interesting.
[00:56:53] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:56:54] Speaker B: Men lie.
Anyway, friend, thank you for this. This is always a delight. It's just, just yapping it up about you and all the things. I will be sure to link everything in the show notes. People can find you, they can get your 27 books. Also, you mentioned James Patterson earlier. Literally, it's what's holding up My microphone right now. So that man is up? Yeah. Does he sleep? I feel like he doesn't sleep. He's a vampire.
Just cranking up. James
[00:57:21] Speaker C: Patterson, Stephen King, like, Quakey and Messi. Like, there are some people, they just be plopping out the books.
I need some time in between, but God speed.
[00:57:33] Speaker B: Keep up. Keep up.
As you know, at the end of every episode, I ask a sort of palate cleanser question.
And that question is, what is the best advice you ever been given? Or what's a piece of advice you'd give to your younger self?
[00:57:50] Speaker C: Best advice or piece of advice I would give to myself or
[00:57:54] Speaker B: to a student. What would you tell your student right now?
[00:58:01] Speaker C: Well, a thing that I tell students very often is, like, sometimes we have in our heads that, like, we are unremarkable. Like, we've lived lives that everybody else has lived and like, there's nothing unique that has happened to us.
But start writing that story down, right? Trust in your ability to tell a story in a way that nobody else will.
All of us have that innate ability.
You just got to figure out what is your story and how do you tell it in a way that is different than anybody else.
And being able to have that opportunity throughout my life to say things about what I see and what I've experienced has really saved me in multiple ways.
So I would continue to empower my students and anybody who could be listening to this. Like, just write your story down. You don't know who needs to hear it.
[00:59:00] Speaker B: That's it for this week's episode of the Tea with Bree. Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram at the Tea with Bri. Send me an email at the tea with Bri gmail.com or visit the website thetwithbreepodcast.com you can find me your host, Brianna Jenkins on Instagram. Brianna Jenkins. Don't forget to rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. A special thanks to Mama Duke for our theme music, and I will catch you next time. Time. Bye.
