Off the Shelves Podcast
This podcast was born out of frustration—and a desire for change. We’re two women juggling the demands of motherhood and careers, determined to channel our energy into something meaningful. Together, we’ll explore creativity, share our thoughts, learn from each other, and, yes, blow off some steam. We’ll tackle the big questions, the small victories, and the age-old dilemma: What’s for dinner?
Listen on:
Episodes
9 hours ago
9 hours ago
This week, we read Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler—a powerful, thought-provoking novel and the first in her Earthseed series. It’s our second banned book selection, and we were surprised to learn it’s been restricted in some prisons and schools due to its “controversial” themes, including race, politics, religion, and violence.
We also loved and talk about this NPR interview where Butler was asked to imagine a world without racism—definitely worth a listen: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/03/1078020872/octavia-butler-imagines-a-world-without-racism
Plus, we chat about recent travels, fender benders, and a surprisingly strong affection for Delta Airlines.
4 days ago
4 days ago
In this episode, we talk about Miranda July’s award-winning, “wild, sexy, shocking” autofictional novel, All Fours. While this book isn’t banned, it’s been getting a lot of attention—and we had to find out why. We loved its unhinged glory.
All Fours explores relationships, marriage, midlife, identity, motherhood, and a surprising theme: menopause.
Listen in as we also dive into current fashion trends (yes, jorts!), car shopping, and campus tours.
4 days ago
4 days ago
It’s our first full episode, and we’re so excited! Today, Carey and Deb discuss Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood’s 2003 dystopian novel that has been banned at the state level in public schools. But why? That’s what we set out to find.
Grab a coffee—or your favorite beverage—and listen in!
We’ll also dive into Carey’s obsession with pre-ordering books. How much has she spent? And will we read the second book in Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy? You’ll have to listen to find out.
4 days ago
4 days ago
Off the Shelves is a new podcast with Carey Van Wagoner & Debbie Farka where we invite you in to our conversations about books, kids, careers, life, and anything that's on our minds.
In each episode, we will explore a recent read, catch up on daily events of life, share favorite things and tackle the age old dilemma of what's for dinner. We promise you'll laugh and learn with us. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and join in, we're glad you're here.
New episodes drop every two weeks on Tuesday.