In this episode, I share my first experience using hard drugs and what it was like to have my boyfriend call me a "dirty dirty e-head" in front of all my friends. I am self-conscious about my clothes, worried that what I wear will start a fight. I am drinking everything in sight and things at home are getting really, really bad. I can't concentrate at school, but for the first time, I wonder about my future - Will I be a professional chef? Or a writer? (Spoiler alert: I did both.)

This episode is a bit of a mess, but I think these stories are too important not too share. <3

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

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I'm taking a pause from my regular scheduled programming to bring you a special episode about the life and death of my dog, Gnowee.

In this episode, I share tons of memories from the day I adopted Gnowee right up until her death. I share a little bit about what she taught me and how I've been handling the grief of her passing.

Gnowee died on May 5th, 2025 and will forever be remembered as the sweetest, calmest, coolest, silliest dog in my heart. This episode is not for the faint of heart <3

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

It's summer 2004 and I am learning everything I can about how to be a anxious/avoidant-attached-codependent... and I'm ACING IT. I miss my friends terribly and start telling my diary about my fantasies of being on my own and then SPOILER ALERT: my boyfriend reads my diary!

This episode has ALL the drama, betrayal, love, friendship, and loneliness. I'm accused of cheating and I'm comforted all in the same page. It's a doozy, I tell ya!!!

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

Content Notes: This episode contains mentions of suicide, drug use, disordered eating, death, and other potentially triggering topics. Please take gentle care while listening. <3

In this episode, I have a long chat with my pal jp! We met in April 2024 when we both stumbled into the same writing workshop. Our connection was immediate, and shortly after, jp hired me to help edit their book of poems—the rest is history!

jp thorn (he/they/any) is a queer, neurodivergent artist raised in & returned to the bible belt. advocate for destigmatization & radically open communication, their work is inspired by humanness, reframing traditionalism, therapeutic processes, unlearning patriarchy, identity, & global patterns.

We cover a lot of big topics in this episode, including jp’s experience with an eating disorder, substance use/abuse/recovery, unmedicated mental health struggles, suicide, love, and heartbreak. jp also reads poems spanning the last 20 years, which they have meticulously archived.

My favorite part of this episode was asking jp what advice they would give to people starting out in the poetry world—and, of course, sharing plenty of laughs over how emo we used to be!!!

You can find more from jp at thorn.jp and join us both in Unfold by going here.

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

Content Notes: This episode mentions self-harm, drug/alcohol abuse, and sexual assault. Please take gentle care while listening. <3

It's summer 2004 and I'm working my afterschool job as an egg picker at a local farm. When I'm not at work or school, I am spending every waking moment getting high and drunk. Oh, and did I mention, I aM sO LiKe iN LoVe?!?!

A lot of things came to the surface in this episode but the main thing is learning that a relationship that I always thought of as not that bad, turns out to be really disturbing.

This episode is LACED with drama and I really dive deep into some insane things that happened to me around this age. This episode has it all! Betrayal! A love triangle! Sex! Drugs! Rock and Roll! Poetry!

Have a listen and take good care - this episode deals with both sexual assault and self-harm (which was a HUGE surprise that I am still processing!)

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

It's 2018 and I'm on the very tail end of my five-week adventure in Thailand. I've been teasing it for a few weeks and today is the day I finally share the full story of my best love story (and, as a special treat, I read a rough draft of my Modern Love essay!)

In this episode, I spontaneously decide to read from page 97/98 of my memoir, Salt and Sour, because there is an important story that is allllll connected. Oh yea, baby, there's a TWIST!

I hope you enjoy this insanely romantic love story about the time I fell head-over-heels for a drummer from California in an airport/airplane. There's lots of gushing and tears and laughter in this one. Thanks for listening!!

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

I've just arrived to Koh Samui, Thailand. It's a quiet island and I am as lonely as one could ever be - there are no humans (except my sweet neighbor, Rod) and I've got a wretched sunburn. I share two stories of when I trusted a random stranger - one went well and one went sideways. I get suuuuper introspective and write and write and write. Spoiler Alert: this episode ends on a cliffhanger and I last minute decide that there needs to be a Part Three of this episode about Thailand. Stay tuned for next week when I share the story of how I fell in love at the airport and my life changed forever (it's a GOODIE!)

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!

It's early 2019 and I've just arrived in Thailand. I'm staying with my best friend who is, like me, a bit of a mess but trying to hold it all together. We eat until we can't eat anymore, walk until we can't walk anymore, sweat until... you get the idea. In this episode, I uncover the real reason why I went to Thailand and it's only partially selfish. I pine for a good man back home who I am weeks away from breaking up with and eat fried chicken alone in my hotel room. This episode is fully of friendship, conflict, and nostalgia.

Part two is comin' at you next week - come with me to Koh Samui where I almost died multiple times and my life changes forever in the Bangkok airport.

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books!