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On the first night of Hanukkah 2024, I give to all of you, by way of my seventh-grade bestie and USA TODAY bestselling author Helena Greer, the story of Carrigans Christmasland! Inspired by rage-Tweets about Hallmark movies, these steamy stories dare to ask the important question: "what if this beloved trope was gay?" (and Jewish). Helena and I did the math, and we have known each other for nearly 30 years now (yikes...). We met during the formative, chaotic, defining days of trauma that is middle school in our hometown of Tucson. Those experiences, and more, are central to who we have become, and the exploration and identity we began to discover in those days, like so many of us, has shaped much of who we became, and in Helena’s case, her return to writing and the birth of the Jewish Christmas-tree-farm-owning Carrigans.

This episode will probably resonate with a lot of '90s kids, but we do discuss some of our and our peers' struggles, including sexual assault, disordered eating, self-harm, addiction, and sexual identity. While we reflect on these as part of our own lives and in compassionate, nuanced, and meaningful terms, it may be a lot for some people to take on, and we recognize that. But, perhaps the most important part of the discussion is how friendship and community can--and did--mean the difference between life and death for alienated, traumatized kids like us and our small band of misfits.

While you will not find anyone with a more wise, loving, hilarious, nuanced take on these and a million other topics than Helena, if you need to skip to around 37:00 where we dig in more to the books themselves, go for it, and if you don't wanna hear about it at all and just wanna get those books, go to: https://www.helenagreer.com/books and pick your bookstore poison!

Other topics include: how Jewish is Jewish enough, and can the daughter of a convert father ever get there? How do you know what flavor of Judaism is right for you? Also: the glory of approaching your forties, the power of rage-Tweets, and some Tucson deep cuts that are surprisingly relatable to anyone with a hometown.

GLOSSARY

Sitting Shiva: From the Hebrew word for seven, sheva, the tradition of mourning for seven days including customs like sitting low to the ground and covering mirrors, bringing the family of the deceased food, and sitting in silence together.

Reconstructionist Judaism

Bonus material:

Our Tu Bishvat episode with the hilarious Tobin Mitnick.

Today, Alcoholics Anonymous says it is not affiliated with "any religion, nor is it allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution." You can find more on its Christian origins in Ken Burns' Prohibition documentary, and in many sources across the internet.

Meet Richard Siken

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