The Babblery Podcast

Minibabble: Swinging with Nora Germain

What is swing and why does jazz violinist Nora Germain love it so much? In this short outtake from our full interview, Nora explains what swing is, how it feels to play it, and why she believes that everyone would love it if they gave it a chance …

Minibabble: Nora Germain is a player AND a person

Jazz violinist Nora Germain speaks about being a woman in a male-dominated industry …

“The Giving Mindset” with violinist Nora Germain

Nora Germain is almost always the first jazz violinist her audience has heard, and she considers it part of her job to make a place for her instrument in the jazz world. She also believes deeply in the power of bringing swing to a wider audience. An independent artist whose social media acts as her agent, Nora speaks deeply and emotionally about the life of a modern musician …

Minibabble: Shaped by Motherhood

How does becoming a mother—or choosing not to—shape women’s lives? Time and again, mothering is fundamental to how women do their work. Whether women choose to be mothers or not, the choice affects their lives deeply. Having children often changes or postpones career choices, but mothering also informs how women do their work outside the home. In this interview, you will hear how mothering or choosing not to mother fundamentally changed the lives of twelve women: Retired judge LaDoris Cordell, Smart Politics founder Karin Tamerius, artist and writer Enid Baxter Ryce, filmmaker Brooke Berman, writer and nonprofit founder Rickey Gard …

Minibabble: “I screamed at Gloria Steinem”

Gloria Steinem died this week. In death, she’s being memorialized, but in life, one woman remembers her grace and perseverance …

Minibabble: “We didn’t know how to listen”

Abortion, race, and the second wave History records that Black women felt excluded from Second Wave Feminism. In this short piece, historian Barbara Winslow reflects on the issue through her experience as a radical feminist activist in Seattle. She traces the movement’s roots to the anti-war and Civil Rights movements, but Barbara argues that there were complications that led to Black women’s voices being stifled. While the media played a large role in ignoring the leadership of Black women, she explains, white feminists also had trouble listening to and understanding the concerns of Black women. For a more in-depth discussion, …