Free Cookies
91 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 463 ratingsA humorous podcast by Kate Fagan and Kathryn Budig filled with thoughtful conversations ... and offering delicious takeaways.
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Episodes
BEST BOOKS OF 2023 with AMAZON BOOKS’ SEIRA WILSON
December 13, 2023 13:40 - 74 MBDear Listener: WHAT IS TIME? 2024 is upon us, so we decided to make your holiday book shopping seamless with Amazon Books senior editor Seira Wilson who shares her top five books with Inky Phoenix appeal from their annual list. Kate and Kathryn gab about the acquisition of Inky Phoenix Press first book and the enjoyment of saying the word listicle. In Bonus content: Kate and Kathryn share their Top 3 list: favorite book, tv show, and wild card of 2023!
BAD MANNERS COOKIES with MICHELLE DAVIS
October 31, 2023 17:45 - 79 MBWe’re thrilled to have Michelle Davis (queen of the Bad Manners recipe empire) back on the pod to celebrate the launch of their newest cookbook: HUNGRY AS HELL. And being that Kathryn and Kate are always hungry as hell, they open with a discussion of Kathryn’s prolific cooking, Kate’s kitchen manager skills, and where she could do better. Michelle talks food, satiating her hunger, and finding true love with her wife.
ANIMAL COOKIES with SHARK HEART author EMILY HABECK
October 03, 2023 22:30 - 82.5 MBImagine a world where a doctor says: you’re morphing into a great white shark. That’s the wild premise of our guest’s debut novel, Shark Heart: A Love Story. Kate and Kathryn open by contemplating what creatures they would most want (and not want) to morph into, followed by a delightful conversation with Emily Habeck about her theatrical background, dealing with rejection, and the inspiration for this gorgeously imaginative novel. Support our podcast by becoming a member of The Inky Phoenix...
PHOENIX COOKIES with Bindery Founders MATT KAYE and MEGHAN HARVEY
September 14, 2023 12:00 - 71.5 MBThought you’d seen the last of us, huh? After a two-year hiatus we are BACK right in time for Kathryn to launch Inky Phoenix Press! That’s right y’all, The Inky Phoenix is now a subscription platform (think Patreon for book lovers) made possible through Bindery Books. Co-founders Matt Kaye and Meghan Harvey join us to explain this revolutionary publishing model, how it came to be, and what to expect as a member. And as always, Kate and Kathryn kick things off with some playful banter about w...
ALL THE COLORS CAME OUT with Kate Fagan
June 11, 2021 13:34 - 74.7 MBKathryn and Kate open up about the inner workings of their relationship while Kate wrote her latest book, ALL THE COLORS CAME OUT, and the pair brings on Kate’s mom while the show is rolling. (Oh, oh, and many jokes are had about the size of Kate’s ego!)
POPISHO with LEONE ROSS
May 27, 2021 12:57 - 73.9 MBWelcome to world of Popisho! Kate and Kathryn muse about magic, and why and when we lose our connection with it, then author Leone Ross (POPISHO) reassures Kathryn to stick to her magical guns. Leone shares what her “cors” (magical ability) would be, how to return to the flow of creativity, permission to understand strangeness, and by the end of the show, has Kathryn and Producer Lindsay in tears. Oh, and get ready to learn about pum pums.
IN FIVE YEARS with REBECCA SERLE
May 13, 2021 16:53 - 83 MBAnd today … we have the NYT bestselling author of IN FIVE YEARS, Rebecca Serle! Rebecca chats about the difference in writing for the page vs. the silver screen, writing as a means to figure out your life, and why she is focusing on being present for success. Kathryn and Kate open with a comedy of errors on astrological signs.
THE LOST APOTHECARY with SARAH PENNER
April 28, 2021 13:13 - 84.6 MBKate and Kathryn are shocked to discover they have a blind spot related to ice cream (they ask for listener feedback!), then they welcome Sarah Penner — author of the debut NYT bestseller THE LOST APOTHECARY — a page-turning novel set between modern day London and 1791 about a woman who secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them.
PEOPLE LIKE COOKIES with ELLERY LLOYD
April 14, 2021 15:01 - 82.6 MBKate and Kathryn have a mind meld about what their joint pen name would be, then the duo chats with British married author duo Ellery Lloyd (whose debut novel PEOPLE LIKE HER is like Gone Girl with a momstagram account!) about writing with your partner and how they gleaned all their smart insights about social media.
A THOUSAND COOKIES with NATALIE HAYNES
March 31, 2021 15:58 - 126 MBKathryn quizzes Kate on the mythical origins of some well-known idioms (spill the beans, anyone?), then the duo are joined by BBC host and bestselling author Natalie Haynes (A THOUSAND SHIPS) who shares why the classics are for EVERYONE!
DIVINE COOKIES with ELLIE EATON
March 17, 2021 13:24 - 113 MBKate and Kathryn plumb the mysteries of the allure of novels set at boarding schools with Ellie Eaton, debut author of THE DIVINES. The trio also discusses what motivates Ellie to sit down and write, and how, in England, your accent (posh!) reveals a whole lot about you. Oh, plus, K&K discuss their takeaway from the Pixar movie, Soul
PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER with LUVVIE AJAYI JONES
March 04, 2021 13:57 - 107 MBLuvvie, goddess of cheekbones, truth and jollof is in the house and she’s here to talk about her newest book, PROFESSIONAL TROUBLE MAKER: THE FEAR-FIGHTER MANUAL. We discuss what it means to fail loudly, speaking truth, being human, the fear of success, and most importantly, why everyone needs their own hype mantra.
THE WITCH’S HEART with Genevieve Gornichec
February 25, 2021 14:27 - 72.9 MBTHEY’RE BACK for Season ... 4? Kate and KB sit down with debut author Genevieve Gornichec to talk about writing an epic saga, Kathryn and Genevieve’s mutual love for Norse mythology, should YOU watch Vikings, and what it means to be a Nordic Re-enactor, plus Kate hits Kathryn with the list of Free Cookies notes they built up during the off-season.
PLAIN BAD COOKIES WITH EMILY M. DANFORTH
December 17, 2020 18:27 - 120 MBIn this year’s Free Cookies finale (🎉), Kate and Kathryn are joined by Emily M. Danforth — author of PLAIN BAD HEROINES and THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST — to discuss the inspiration for her ambitious new novel and how every creative project has its own timetable.
BEST COOKIES OF 2020
December 11, 2020 16:51 - 75.1 MBKate and Kathryn assess whether the pandemic has caused them to merge into one person, then they each share their top three TV shows — and they agree on the best one! — as well as their top three books of 2020.
RUN, COOKIE, RUN WITH KARA GOUCHER
December 04, 2020 16:22 - 98.3 MBKathryn and Kate talk identity and achievement with two-time Olympic runner Kara Goucher, as well as how to remain focused in an unjust world.
THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE with V.E. SCHWAB
November 25, 2020 14:51 - 118 MB“Do you think a life has any value if one doesn’t leave some mark upon the world?” These words swirl at the center of V.E. Schwab’s magnificent novel, THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE. K + K talk to Victoria about manifesting success vs. rolling with the punches, casual queerness in literature, perseverance and the importance of knowing your story is worth telling.
WELCOME, WELCOME TO CARAVAL with STEPHANIE GARBER
November 19, 2020 14:15 - 118 MBKathryn and Kate share quotes that have recently inspired them — “pessimism is a misuse of imagination” — a conversation inspired by the magical bestselling author Stephanie Garber who shares her wisdom about perseverance and the pivotal moment in her writing career that allowed her to keep creating.
TINSELTOWN COOKIES with ZOSIA MAMET
November 12, 2020 14:12 - 134 MBK&K discuss their varied reactions to on-screen awkwardness, then welcome actor (and yogi!) Zosia Mamet — part of the hit HBO show GIRLS and upcoming THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT — onto the show to talk about maintaining identity and sense of self in the swirl of Hollywood.
CALMING MEDITATION with GINA CAPUTO
November 02, 2020 02:50 - 22.2 MBA gift for Cookie Monsters ahead of Tuesday’s election: a breath-and body-focused meditation, from Free Cookies-favorite Gina Caputo, for staying in our bodies when our minds want to spin out into the stress-o-sphere.
THE COOKIE AND THE DARK WATER with STUART TURTON
October 22, 2020 11:58 - 120 MBIn honor of their quirky conversation with brilliant English writer Stuart Turton — of THE DEVIL AND THE DARK WATER — Kate and Kathryn share a list they’ve been building during quarantine about behaviors depicted in movies and on TV that NEVER happen in real life.
WHEN WE ALL VOTE with STEPHANIE YOUNG
October 15, 2020 15:58 - 93.7 MBYou can’t have a government that represents the people when the people don’t vote for them.” A little taste of the incisive insight from guest Stephanie Young, the managing director for culture, communications and media for When We All Vote. Want to vote but don’t know if you should do it early, by mail, or in person? Ready to make a difference but don’t know where to start? Stephanie breaks it all down. Tune in and vote: this episode is for you.
ON PHOTOGRAPHY and SINCERITY
September 03, 2020 13:19 - 55.4 MBKate and Kathryn breakdown a line from writer Susan Sontag — “Impossible to feel sincere while having one’s photograph taken” — and how it applies to the current world we find ourselves in.
COOKIE FUELED with WILL BULSIEWICZ
August 28, 2020 14:40 - 127 MBThe low-fat 90s, the high-protein aughts ... ever wonder when scientists would finally discover what foods best fuel the human body? Kate and Kathryn sit down — in person, from 10 West Edge in downtown Charleston! — with the New York Times bestselling author of FIBER FUELED, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, to breakdown his sexy research on what foods will make our bodies go vroom vroom. Enjoying the show and want occasional bonus content? Please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/freecookies
NOCTURNAL COOKIES with VIKRAM PARALKAR
August 20, 2020 14:26 - 77.2 MBA conversation that includes “cosmic nihilism” has always gotten someplace good, and Kate & Kathryn go there and dive deep with Vikram Paralkar, author of NIGHT THEATER and oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania, whose novel imagines the afterlife as a bureaucracy and touches upon themes of morality and “mattering.” Enjoying the show and want occasional bonus content? Please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/freecookies
YES, CHEF with KRISTEN KISH
August 13, 2020 14:25 - 124 MBKate and Kathryn discuss the concept of food tethering the soul to the body, and how far away some of us have gotten from that idea, then they are joined by the inimitable Kristen Kish, author of Kristen Kish Cooking and Top Chef, who talks about the small lessons that stick with her and, most importantly, her fierce backward hat game.
PIZZA GIRL with JEAN KYOUNG FRAZIER
August 06, 2020 13:23 - 82.2 MBKate and Kathryn bring on producer Lindsay Collins to talk about her sketch comedy creation, an espresso-guzzling zebra — a conversation in keeping with the flavor of the show’s main guest, Jean Kyoung Frazier, author of the book PIZZA GIRL, which includes one of Kathryn’s favorite snippets of dialogue ever written and has inspired her pizza-topping game.
SLAM (DUNK) COOKIES with LAYSHIA CLARENDON
July 31, 2020 12:00 - 101 MBKathryn and Kate deconstruct the #challengeaccepted campaign on Instagram, why they didn’t do it, and what “women supporting women” in action looks like — it looks exactly like what the WNBA has done this season, which is why K&K are joined by WNBA all-star Layshia Clarendon for an inside look at social justice in action and the league’s #sayhername campaign.
A BURNING COOKIE with MEGHA MAJUMDAR
July 23, 2020 12:46 - 108 MBBefore chatting with debut — and New York Times bestselling! — novelist Megha Majumdar, Kate and Kathryn discuss a fascinating new quirk in one of their dogs (will any listeners relate?) as well as the brand-new women’s soccer league franchise in Los Angeles.
OWN YOUR COOKIE GLOW with LATHAM THOMAS
July 16, 2020 04:24 - 126 MBKathryn and Kate discuss their thoughts on ... making a baby! ... (should they? Is it the right time?) all in honor of their guest, Latham Thomas, doula, founder of Mama Glow, and author of Own Your Glow.
IT WAS SIR HOROWITZ, IN THE CONSERVATORY, WITH THE COOKIE with ANTHONY HOROWITZ
July 09, 2020 13:00 - 94.9 MBKate and Kathryn talk with internationally bestselling author Anthony Horowitz (19 million copies sold!) about the origin and fruition of ideas, the anatomy of writing a murder mystery, how writing saved his life, and whether or not Clue is his favorite movie.
THE COOKIE IN THE CERULEAN SEA with TJ KLUNE
June 29, 2020 14:00 - 95.1 MBIn honor of the last day of Pride Month, Kate and Kathryn discuss their favorite LGBTQ+ movies and TV shows (Kathryn impressively manages to butcher every title) before bringing on award-winning author of THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, TJ Klune. TJ walks us through his magical cast of characters, the importance of queer representation in literature, how writing calms the storm in his head, and why J.K. Rowling is breaking our hearts.
STRONG IN THE BROKEN PLACES with QUENTIN VENNIE
June 25, 2020 13:28 - 104 MBKate and Kathryn talk about decolonizing their bookshelves then talk with guest, Quentin Vennie, author of the memoir Strong in the Broken Places. Quentin discusses his thoughts on racial equity, growing up Black in Baltimore, his battle with anxiety, and holding members of the wellness world accountable.
ANTI-RACISM WITH NICOLE CARDOZA
June 15, 2020 14:34 - 81.8 MBNicole Cardoza, yoga teacher and founder of Yoga Foster and Reclamation Ventures, joins Kate and Kathryn to discuss her controversial experience with Yoga Journal, inclusivity in the wellness world, and her Anti-Racist Daily Newsletter. Find and support her work on Patreon.
THE COOKIE OF LONGINGS with SUE MONK KIDD
May 28, 2020 13:26 - 120 MB“Writing is an act of courage.” These words are stenciled in the home of today’s inimitable guest, Sue Monk Kidd, and her newest NYT bestselling novel THE BOOK OF LONGINGS is proof of that conviction. Sue eloquently explains both her evolution as a writer, discovering she was homesick for herself, and the emotional impetus for one of the loveliest prayers ever written. This episode is EVERYTHING.
ALL COOKIES AREN’T BLUE with GEORGE M. JOHNSON
May 21, 2020 12:53 - 89.1 MBKate and Kathryn talk with George M. Johnson, author of the new YA memoir/manifesto, ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE, about the importance of queer stories for kids, as well as the almost criminal lack of sex education in schools — especially for LGBTQ kids.
THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING COOKIES with GRADY HENDRIX
May 14, 2020 13:13 - 124 MBFor those days where you can’t decide between Steel Magnolias or Dracula, look no further: Grady Hendrix, NYT bestselling author of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, joins K + K to entertain you with his dazzling wit, southern hospitality, and affinity for everything that goes bump in the night. K + K are also joined by producer Lindsay to discuss the recent Alison Roman and Chrissy Teigen drama and their collective thoughts on cancel culture
MY DARK COOKIE with KATE ELIZABETH RUSSELL
May 07, 2020 13:30 - 98.1 MBKate and Kathryn, inspired by the haunting protagonist of MY DARK VANESSA, discuss how the brain works to make the broken parts of life fit our story. They’re then joined by NYT bestselling author, Kate Elizabeth Russell, to further explore the concepts or obsession, dedication and how to let your character speak for herself.
SING, GODDESS, THE RAGE OF COOKIES with MADELINE MILLER
April 30, 2020 12:13 - 95.4 MBCalling all lovers of myth, story and rosy-fingered dawns ... Kate and Kathryn geek out with Madeline Miller, the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of CIRCE and SONG OF ACHILLES. The trio discuss history’s unwritten characters and why the classics will keep you humble.
ONCE UPON A COOKIE with MELISSA ALBERT
April 23, 2020 13:18 - 101 MBK + K chat with Melissa Albert, the New York Times Bestselling author of The Hazel Wood and The Night Country. Trust us: These aren’t your Disney fairytales. Melissa divulges her attraction to darkness, what it’s like to create original fairytales, and the greatest of all mysteries ... what is in her stew? Bonus: Kathryn puts on her best storyteller voice and reads from one of her favorite tales, The Snow Queen.
THE GLASS COOKIE with EMILY ST JOHN MANDEL
April 16, 2020 11:51 - 96.4 MBEmily St John Mandel, author of Station Eleven and the newly released The Glass Hotel, chats with Kate and Kathryn about her most recent book, the idea of counter lives, money as its own country, and Kate’s proclivity toward disasters. If you haven’t read her National Book Award nominated Station Eleven, yes — the time is now!
THE SCIENCE OF COOKIES with WILL STORR
April 08, 2020 13:07 - 102 MBCalling all storytellers! Kate and Kathryn talk with Will Storr, the best-selling author of The Science of Storytelling, about how our brain tells stories, cause and effect, what makes elevated storytelling and how Odysseus most definitely was the OG hustler.
QUARANTINED COOKIES
April 02, 2020 13:00 - 113 MBKate and Kathryn wanted to understand how this pandemic is effecting small businesses, so they spoke with a yoga entrepreneur (Gina Caputo of Colorado School of Yoga), boutique owner (Stacy Smallwood of Hampden Clothing), cafe owner (Jon Echeverry of Paper Plane Coffee) and restauranteurs (Melody and Michael Shemtov of Butcher & Bee). Also, from now on: we dunk at 8pm.
"THE COOKIES” with Alison Roman
March 27, 2020 13:12 - 95 MBKate and Kathryn, live from Blue Bicycle Books in Charleston, chat with Alison Roman, NYT Cooking columnist, bestselling author of Nothing Fancy, and Mother of Stews. Oh, and K + K kick it off with dinosaur erotica.
Untamed Cookies with Glennon Doyle
March 19, 2020 16:00 - 123 MBKate and Kathryn are back and they are CHEETAHS! And they’ve brought with them the funny and brilliant Glennon Doyle, author of UNTAMED, her brand new #1 NYT memoir/manifesto filled with insights.
Plated Cookies with Victoria and Tamal Dodge
September 24, 2019 13:20 - 104 MBK&K are joined by Victoria and Tamal Dodge, whose new book, The Yoga Plate, has hit shelves. The group talks about judgement-free veganism, “doing the least harm”, and everything from the wolves in Yellowstone to Gandhi.
Paraben-Free Cookies with Sarah Villafranco
August 13, 2019 12:16 - 100 MBK + K drop an emoji bombshell: 🤯😢🙅🏼♀️. Then the pair are joined by Osmia Organics founder Sarah Villafranco, a former physician, to talk clean beauty.
DISCLAIMER COOKIES
July 30, 2019 20:13 - 33 MBKate and Kathryn pull back the curtain on Season 3 and what the game-plan is going forward.
GOOPY COOKIES with SEAMUS MULLEN + DR. WILL COLE
July 23, 2019 13:17 - 111 MBKate and Kathryn chat about Kathryn’s newest creation, then Kathryn (🎶Ridin’ Solo🎶) brings on the Goop Fellas — Seamus Mullen and Will Cole — to get real about the wellness world.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A COOKIE with JEN PASTILOFF
June 14, 2019 01:26 - 87.6 MBKathryn and Kate host a live event with Jennifer Pastiloff, author of the brand-new memoir, On Being Human. The duo talk to Jen about, well, being human: depression and death and truth and dorking out.