Today I’m joined by everyone’s favorite poet, Kate Baer, for a tender conversation about midlife transitions, medical anxiety, and the power of female friendship.We talk about how to orient around ideas instead of problems, and we share a few poems from Kate’s forthcoming collection, How About Now, out November 4th.If you’ve been feeling a little lonely, uncertain, or in-between — or all three — this one is for you.We discuss:How the body makes itself known in midlifeBody neutrality, medical anxiety, and illnessThe public scrutiny around Kate’s weight lossParenting in a fatphobic world“Menopause is when all the girls you were come out to play”How to cultivate female friendships — even through conflictThe difference between community and friendsBeing erased from the male gaze as you ageMore about our guest: Kate Baer is the 3x New York Times bestselling author of What Kind Of Woman, I Hope This Finds You Well, and And Yet. Her work has also been published in The New Yorker, Literary Hub, Huffington Post and The New York Times. Her next book, How About Now, is out November 4, 2025.Connect with Kate:Kate’s website: www.katebaer.comKate’s Instagram: @katejbaerBuy How About Now. Pre and early orders help authors so much: bookshop.org/p/books/how-about-now-poems-kate-baerMentioned in this episode:Katie SturinoSend me (Ali) a text message.

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