Amy confesses to having imaginary relationships with a whole bunch of people and we consider whether she is totally nuts or simply engaged in a bunch of parasocial relationships (or possibly both?). We go on to discuss the benefits of parasocial relationships for people with chronic illnesses, potential drawbacks for all parties involved, and what lessons social science has for us on the topic.

PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Dear Deb,

I met you once in Nashville after a show and though my brain is foggy these days, it’s a moment I’ll cherish forever.

Years later, you gave me the gift of visiting my home state of Maine and - even better - presented a show that allowed a person like me (light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, all the dumb sensitivities) to stay for the whole thing and share my very favorite artist with my parents who’d come to tow to help with my caretaking.

Continues at https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/dedication

CITED IN THIS EPISODE:

1. Horton, Donald, and R. Richard Wohl. 1956. “Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance.” Psychiatry 19 (3): 215–29.
2. Liebers, Nicole, and Holger Schramm. 2019. "Parasocial Interactions and Relationships with Media Characters–An Inventory of 60 Years of Research." Communication Research Trends 38(2):4-31
3. Struck-Peregończyk, Monika, and Iwona Leonowicz-Bukala. 2023. "Changing the Narrative: Self-Representations of Disabled People in Social Media." Przeglad Socjologii Jakosciowej 19(3):62-79.
4. Schiappa Edward, Gregg Peter B., Hewes Dean E. (2005), The Parasocial Contact Hypothesis, “Communication Monographs”,vol. 72(1), pp. 92–115, https://doi.org/10.1080/0363775052000342544

Intro music: Humoresque by Antonín Dvořák from Suzuki Flute School Volume 3; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

Outro music: Moon Over Ruined Castle by Rentarō Taki from Suzuki Flute School Volume 1; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

For more information, go to amyblackstonephd.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As former residents and forever fans of Minneapolis, we’re outraged and heartbroken by the occupation, kidnapping, and murder of residents that our government is shamelessly unleashing on the people who live there today. Everything is very much NOT alright. But Minnesotans are hardy - and hearty - folk and we love them and the state we moved from those 20+ years ago, deeply. In this episode, Amy shares an essay she wrote recently about the occupation in Minnesota and what the occupiers don’t understand about the people they so foolishly thought they could intimidate. We go on to reflect on our years in Minneapolis and the various ways that social trust has been the key to building the strong community ties that took ICE by storm.

TO MINNEAPOLIS, WITH LOVE

Normally, the chill in Minneapolis melts easily - all it takes is a smile, a nod, a simple kindness - but there’s a new kind of ICE in town, the likes of which Minnesotans have never seen and, before they can melt it, it is quite literally killing them. Watching as the city that ushered me into adulthood is occupied and its people are kidnapped and murdered by our very own government is the sort of apocalyptic cognitive dissonance that was most definitely not on my Bingo card this year. Or ever.

Continues at ⁠⁠https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/to-minneapolis-with-love

CITED IN THIS EPISODE:

1. Howley, Kerry. January 23, 2026. “Your Friendly Neighborhood Resistance.” New York Magazine. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/minneapolis-vs-donald-trump-ice-invasion.html
2. Strand, Palma J.,J.D.L.L.M., and Malka R. Kopell M.P.P. 2025. "A "Civity" Approach Helps Build the Civic Muscle that Underlies Healthy Communities." American Journal of Public Health 115(4):506-510 https://libraries.maine.edu/auth/EZproxy/test/authej.asp?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/civity-approach-helps-build-civic-muscle-that/docview/3188476442/se-2.
3. As promised in the episode, note that the state with the HIGHEST levels of social trust in the nation, even higher than Minnesota, is (drum roll, please).... UTAH!

Intro music: Humoresque by Antonín Dvořák from Suzuki Flute School Volume 3; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

Outro music: Moon Over Ruined Castle by Rentarō Taki from Suzuki Flute School Volume 1; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

For more information, go to amyblackstonephd.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when the community you spent years crafting falls apart? As we pick up the pieces wrought by the war that has been our experience with the pandemic, Long COVID, and our community's response to both, we assess where and how things went wrong and how we might begin rebuild. Good thing Amy's done lots of research on these topics - and that there's a whole new generation doing things differently that we can learn from!

REBUILDING OUR VILLAGE

When I interviewed childfree adults for my book, I learned that many nonparents form intentional communities around which they build their lives. Lance and I are no different. We settled in Bangor, Maine intending to stay here as we age. Eventually, we presumed, we’d die here.

Over the years, our local network grew thanks to considered, intentional effort. We put real blood, sweat, tears, love, and resources into this wickedly wacky, absolutely lovable little city these past couple of decades. As a result, we’ve moved past the daily reminders that we are “from away” to feeling fully embraced. Never have I loved a place more deeply. Never have I felt more HOME.

Continues at https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/rebuilding-our-village

CITED IN THIS EPISODE

1. Blackstone, Amy. Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence. New York: Dutton.
2. Gardner, Susan K. and Amy Blackstone. 2015, 2023. “Confronting Faculty Incivility and Mobbing,” in Disrupting the Culture of Silence: Confronting Gender Inequality and Making Change in Higher Education, edited by Kris De Welde and Andi Stepnick. New York: Routledge.
3. Johns Hopkins University: Gen Z In The Workplace
4. Stanford University: 8 ways Gen Z will change the workforce
5. West, Kath. 1991, 1997. Families We Choose: Lesbians, Gays, Kinship. New York: Columbia University Press.
6. Amy's 2019 NYT OpEd: Grow Old Like the Golden Girls

Intro music: Humoresque by Antonín Dvořák from Suzuki Flute School Volume 3; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

Outro music: Moon Over Ruined Castle by Rentarō Taki from Suzuki Flute School Volume 1; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

For more information, go to amyblackstonephd.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.