'Every Body is Great' is a brand new show produced in part by Room Magazine and hosted by Mica Lemiski! Each episode will focus on a specific body part, exploring different peoples' relationships with that part of themselves. We'll get into body politics, body image, body horror, body positivity, body...everything! Every Body is Great debuts fall 2020. Stay subscribed to this channel for updates on the release date, or follow @micalemiski on Twitter.

Fainting Couch Feminists

Introducing: Every Body Is Great

Over the past 2.333 years there have been some amazing and super sweet guests on Fainting Couch Feminists! This episode is an audio highlight reel, featuring snippets from some of the best convos had on the show—like, ever! We've got insight from: Anne T. Donahue, Lisa Taddeo, Vivek Shraya, Alexandra Bischoff, Soraya Chemaly, Morgan Brayton, Jen Sookfong Lee, Stacey May Fowles, Mozhdah Jamalzadah, Anna Mehler Paperny, Megan Jones, and Jocelyn Tennant. They talk about bodies, anger, grief, politics, men, love, depression, pop culture, sex...and obviously lots more! Tuning in is A+ highly recommended.

A Bunch of Women Talk About Important Things

We went back into the archives for an oldie but greatie! Join Mica as she chats with love experts Mandy Len Catron and Carrie Jenkins about love sweet love. Together, they answer questions from listeners about prioritizing (or not prioritizing) romantic love, how love and violence are linked through language, divorce, and relationship contracts that have nothing to do with marriage! Also please enjoy Mica's opening monologue, in which she roasts her former self and divulges details of her romantic past.

The Love Episode feat. Mandy Len Catron and Carrie Jenkins (Re-release)

Poet Cara Nelissen's writing explores desire—but not the grand, romantic, gotta-have-you-now kind. She's more interested in pining, unrequited wanting, and the kind of bleeding love that makes us all feel kind of...pathetic. In this episode, Cara and Mica talk about queer pining, why Cara likes to discuss death on a first date, what *might* happen when you die, MAGIC, and why crows are kind of spectacular. Enter 2020 with a healthy does of love and death and magic! Also please buy Cara's chapbook, Pray For Us Girls (Rahila's Ghost Press), because it's beautiful and it will fill your soul with hope and longing and crow facts.

Love & Death & Magic feat. Cara Nelissen

In this seasonally-driven solo episode, Mica lays on the table all her varied feelings about the holidays and attempts to charm you with stories of Christmas magic and mayhem. She discusses the very awkward encounter that proceeded the purchase of a new piece of furniture, examines the trope of horny old women in Holiday Baking shows, and explains why she believed in Santa Clause for an unfathomably long time.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Whatever.

Three years ago, Brandi Bird began experiencing some terrifying delusions. They believed their neighbour was building a bomb, their step-mom had been replaced, and people everywhere were out to harm them. Only recently did Brandi realize that what they experienced was psychosis—a highly stigmatized mental illness, and one we rarely talk about. In this ep, Brandi chats with Mica about what may have triggered their psychotic break, how they sought treatment in the psych ward, and the link between OCD and eating disorders. Brandi also discusses poetry, Indigeneity, the problem with words like "resilience." Also: buy Brandi's chapbook. It's called "I Am Still Too Much" (Rahila's Ghost Press) and it will knock your socks RIGHT OFF!

Powerful, Terrifying Brains: Brandi Bird Talks Psychosis and OCD

Musician Saffron A has always been an outsider. A songwriter with a clear sense of self, Saffron's clarity of purpose has often isolated her from the "in-crowd" but left her with a ton of creative fuel. She uses music to process and open conversations on tough stuff—sexual assault, trauma, and what it means to be truly resistant and resilient. In this ep, Saffron and Mica chat about why music has proved to be a more effective vehicle for justice than the actual justice system, how Saffron balances faith with feminism, and why a shaved head is a powerful thing!

I'm Still Processing: Saffron A Talks Trauma, Songwriting, and Shaving Her Head

Jess Taylor's new short story collection, "Just Pervs," explores women's desire and sexual taboo in strange, wonderful, necessary ways. In this ep, Jess and Mica talk about why we rarely think of women when we think of "pervs," and why hyper-sexuality is still viewed as sexual deviance when coming from women. Jess also chats about the challenges of presenting as bisexual, visible vs. invisible injury, her drag persona Dick Anderson (!!), and why she's never been afraid to talk about sex.

Are We All Just Pervs?: Jess Taylor Talks Female Desire and Taboo

Caitlyn Sponheimer is a writer, filmmaker, and actor whose new movie, April in Autumn, explores the tension between fantasy and reality in grand romance narratives. Even if we dream of so-called "grand gestures," do we actually enjoy them in real life? Caitlyn and Mica also discuss typecasting and why they gravitate towards roles (whether in acting, writing, or real life) that allow them to rebel against stereotypes they're expected to embody. Also: the inspiration behind Caitlyn's short film, "Kitty's Naughty Knickers," the mythic allure of "finding yourself" through travel, and why a lot of Caitlyn's early acting role models were men. Oh, and go see April in Autumn in theatres! Info here: www.aprilinautumn.ca

Expectation Vs. Reality: Caitlyn Sponheimer Talks Romance, Role-Playing, and Selling Used Underwear

Mona Awad is the author of Thirteen Ways of Looking At A Fat Girl as well as the new bestseller, Bunny, which dives into the sweet horror of mean-girl-groups in a truly dark setting: grad school. In this episode, Mica and Mona talk about the various ways women perform sweetness and for what reasons. Do we want power? Protection? A way to seduce? Or simply an exit strategy from an uncomfortable conversation? Also up for discussion: student-teacher power dynamics, how body image colours our everyday interactions, and why writing can be such a violent process. Plus, advice from an award-winning novelist (hello, that's Mona!) on how to get past writer's block.

The Horror of Sweetness: Mona Awad Talks Performing Cuteness and Power in 'Bunny'

Kelly S Thompson is writer and former Captain in the Canadian Armed forces. She's also the author of the brilliant new memoir, "Girls Need Not Apply," which delves into the highs and lows of her experience in the military. We're talking sexism, competition, anxiety, and...finding love! Mica and Kelly also get into how easy it is to accept or even replicate misogynist behaviour when all you want to do is FIT IN, in addition to how beauty and a want for validation intersect with military life. Also: what happens when your professional and romantic life intersect? How do you handle situations where everyone feels entitled to discuss your sex life? Kelly has some thoughts on it ALL.

Girls Need Not Apply: Kelly Thompson Talks Sexism and Life in the Military

Leslie Kern has a career you've probably never heard of but definitely need to know about! She's an urban feminist geographer and she's here to discuss why and how cities were literally not built to support women and other marginalized people. In this episode we talk about whether or not condos are feminist entities, why increased security doesn't mean increased safety, THE BATHROOM PROBLEM, and how street art affects a city's identity. Also, Mica rants briefly about her UTI and grosses everyone out. Also! Leslie's new book, Feminist City: A Field Guide, is out now and please buy it.

How to Build a Feminist City feat. Urban Geographer Leslie Kern

Power guest alert! Alexandra Cunningham is a showrunner, writer, and producer best known for her work on Desperate Housewives and, most recently, Bravo's Dirty John, where she is the showrunner aka THE BOSS OF EVERYTHING. Alexandra is shaping the true crime genre as we know it in pop culture, and so we chatted about why stories of murder and deception resonate so strongly with women, as well as how Alexandra is making the genre less exploitative. We also chatted about Alexandra's personal journey to becoming a force in Hollywood and what qualities she looks for when hiring writers for her shows. Plus, the cocaine-fuelled stage drama that started her career. There’s something for everyone in this juicy ep.

Killer Content: Showrunner Alexandra Cunningham Talks TV Writing and True Crime

Alison Acheson is a writer and teacher whose latest book, Dance Me to the End, is a memoir of her time caregiving her husband, Marty, through ALS. In this episode Mica and Alison tackle questions like: is it possible to maintain romance in a relationship where one partner is dying? What's it like to re-fall in love with your spouse? What is a soul? And is there anything to glean from cliches like "live in the moment"? We also discuss viral trends (remember the ice buck challenge?) as a means for raising awareness. Are they effective or are they fuelled primarily by online ego? Both? Also, good news: Alison's book is out October 8th. Available online and at fine bookstores everywhere!

Can Love Survive A Terminal Illness? feat. Alison Acheson

Chandler Levack is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker who is in love with Jonah Hill! (She interviewed him and the chemistry was HOT.) Chandler is here to talk about how being a film critic has helped her create better art, what it felt like to be a young female music critic (as in, a novelty) in the 90s, and the pros and cons of Twitter as a platform for cultural criticism. We also chat about her fear of birds, the VIFF debut of Feminist Live Reads (October 1st at the Rio in Vancouver!) and why it's important for women to tackle male perspectives in writing and film.

Everyone's a Critic: Chandler Levack Talks Filmmaking and Cancelled Culture

Writer and musician Mica Lemiski interviews women and non-binary artists about a range of topics (gender! politics! love! literature!) in a podcast best-suited to bitches, witches, and anyone who's ever been called "hysterical."

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Fainting Couch Feminists

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