Old emails are a fossil record of our lives. What were you doing this time last year, or two years ago, or ten? Even if you don’t keep a diary, you’ve got email... and this week, we're digging through ours. With Allison P. Davis, Mona Chalabi, Maddie Aggeler, Lisa Miller, Andrea Long Chu, and Stella Bugbee.

The Cut on Tuesdays

The Ghost of Emails Past

Meet a stranger, get married, do LSD, follow a band, buy a van, swear off men, go sit on a pyramid.... and other ways to change your life forever. Two women look back over decades of committing to big change, and Molly’s husband demonstrates the fathomless mysteries of the people we know best. Plus, a show announcement.

Some Personal News

Once upon a time, Carmen Maria Machado met a woman who was beautiful and smart and funny and (amazingly, to Carmen) wanted to be her girlfriend. They got together, and at first, it was everything Carmen had been waiting for... and then things started to change. We spoke to Carmen about her new memoir, In the Dream House, and her search for more women with stories like hers.

The Woman of Your Dreams

Jenny Slate never had stage fright at all... then suddenly, in her late 20s, she did. In this episode the comedian, actress, and author of the new book Little Weirds tells us about feeling like she was losing the thing she most loved. And she shares some of the ways she's learned to deal with her anxiety — from finding a supportive partner, to deciding not to drink, to establishing a morning routine worthy of Georgia O'Keeffe.

Jenny Slate is a Seasoned Professional

When you start a new job, maybe you’ve got a fantasy of the life you want to lead—the new and improved person you want to be. But then you walk in the door, and your fantasy future collides with reality. So: What comes next? In this episode, we talk to Congresswoman Lauren Underwood and Uncanny Valley author Anna Wiener about intense new jobs, and how to embrace the optimism of a fresh start without losing yourself in the process.

You're Hired

On August 18, 2012, Cher tweeted: "Whats going on with mycareer." In this episode we ask what's going on with OURcareers—how do we know when it's time for a change, and what does it feel like to actually quit? Esther Perel offers some advice about work, friends, and feelings.

You Should Probably Quit

Eva Chen is Instagram's resident queen of fashion... but she's also a life-long Babysitters Club obsessive who just published her third book for kids. She sat down with Stella Bugbee to talk about how she gets it all done, from sanitizing her airplane seats to the sneaky email trick that keeps her sane.

Eva Chen Has a Magic Wand

When Alison called a Lyft after a night out with friends, she was looking for a quick ride home. Instead, she was driven across state lines, to a park — and the next morning, she woke up with no memory of what had happened there. Two years later, she's still looking for the truth about that night. On this week's show, Alison tells her story.

Your Driver is Here

Ben Lerner is not known for freestyling. He's known for writing novels (also poems). But as a kid growing up in Topeka, Ben was deep in a world of male anger—anger that found outlets in debate championships, drunken fistfights, and, yes, also white-guy rap battles. And while Ben was growing up, his mom, Harriet Lerner, was navigating a world of anger, too. In this episode, Ben and Harriet talk about how their family's life shaped Ben's new novel, The Topeka School.

Penis Envy and Other Problems

This week, we want to know: What does it ACTUALLY feel like to be pregnant? We asked women to tell us what they didn't expect when they were expecting... and we heard about everything from extra nipples to extreme horniness to the benefits of being a pregnant war correspondent. With Rukmini Callimachi, Angela Garbes, and many more.

Pregnancy: Let's See What This Body Can Do

It’s that time of year again—and this week, we’re re-releasing one of the first episodes we ever made. It’s all about what happens when women’s whisper networks become visible... which happened on a bathroom wall at Brown in the 1990s, and in our own inboxes two years ago.

Bad Man Season

When sperm donation first became widespread, it was supposed to stay a secret. That didn’t happen. Here’s what did...Featuring crazy coincidences, heartwarming reunions, sister moms, turkey baster twins, and a stadium full of siblings.

Hi It's Us Your 30 Long-Lost Siblings

Rebecca Traister checks her phone first thing in the morning: It's always full of bad news, but that bad news is her job, and she wants to know what she's getting into right away. On today's episode, Traister — the politics writer for New York Magazine and the Cut — tells us how she gets it all done, from profiling presidential candidates to constantly reminding her four-year-old to "PEE AND BRUSH!"  Also included: The secret to running. (It's walking.)

Rebecca Traister's Brain is Boiling

An episode all about anxiety—from panicky thought-spirals to private self-soothing techniques. Featuring Aparna Nancherla, Jenny Odell, Sarah Wilson, our extremely anxious colleague Ruth Spencer, and many more.

AAHH IT’S THE ANXIETY EPISODE AHHHH

Eve L. Ewing has spent years living in Chicago, working in Chicago, and thinking about Chicago — she knows the place. Then she found an 800-page document that changed the way she saw her hometown. On this week's show, Eve tells us the story of what happened in Chicago in the summer of 1919. Eve's book, 1919, is out now.

The Hottest Weekend of 1919

The Cut on Tuesdays brings you women’s voices on culture, style, sex, politics, and people: It’s everything The Cut can’t stop talking about. Join host Molly Fischer every week for arguments, obsessions, dissections, reflections, confessions, and other deep dives. From New York Magazine and Gimlet Media.

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The Cut on Tuesdays

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