The Staircase

In 2017, comedian Negin Farsad came on the show to tackle kids’ unanswerable questions. Now she’s a mom, wrestling with how to explain death, slavery, and war to her own child. Plus, a delightful episode crossover moment with another former guest. (Hint: hot firefighters!) … Recommendations from the archive Want to hear more comedians answer kids’ questions? Check out the whole series! • Kids Ask Negin Farsad Unanswerable Questions • Lauren Lapkus Answers Kids’ Unanswerable Questions • Kids Ask Chris Gethard Unanswerable Questions … Episode resources • Negin’s podcast: Fake the Nation • Negin’s book: How to Make White People Laugh • We recorded this episode at the women’s clothing company M.M.LaFleur in Manhattan. And they’ve got a special promo for you! You get 15% off first-time orders with the code LONGSHORT15 … • Join LST+ for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! • Follow us on Instagram • Sign up for our newsletter, where we recommend other parenting + reproductive health media • Buy books by LST guests (your purchase supports the show!) • Website: longestshortesttime.com … Cover photo credit: Joyce Zhang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Negin Farsad on esoteric allergies, the power of fire hydrants, and growing up Muslim... all in this edition of Kids' Unanswerable Questions. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on February 1, 2017 and is a favorite from the archives. Since then, Negin has become a mom — and next week we’ll be back with a new episode where she talks about how she navigates her own daughter’s unanswerable questions! … Episode resources • Kid-friendly versions of Negin’s answers are on our website. • Negin Farsad’s podcast: Fake the Nation … • Join LST+ for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! • Follow us on Instagram • Sign up for our newsletter, where we recommend other parenting + reproductive health media • Buy books by LST guests (your purchase supports the show!) • Website: longestshortesttime.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Casey grew up in a chaotic home, and as a child she struggled to understand the strange — and sometimes unsettling —choices her parents made. When it came time to start her own family, Kate decided to trade the bad kind of chaos for the good kind. … Recommendations from the archive • Want more family drama? Listen to Dani Shapiro’s Family Secret. • Does Family Size Matter? An only child explains why she wanted a large family. … Episode resources • Kate’s podcast: Reality Life With Kate Casey … • Join LST+ for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! • Follow us on Instagram • Sign up for our newsletter, where we recommend other parenting + reproductive health media • Buy books by LST guests (your purchase supports the show!) • Website: longestshortesttime.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We pick up where we left off with Kiely, Jenna, and their sperm donor Dominick. This time it's Jenna's turn to get pregnant. And, unlike last time, things do not go according to plan. ⭐️ This episode originally ran on November 30, 2016 and is a favorite from the archives. We hope you enjoy, and we’ll be back next week with a brand new episode. … • Join LST+ for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! • Follow us on Instagram • Sign up for our newsletter, where we recommend other parenting + reproductive health media • Buy books by LST guests (your purchase supports the show!) • Website: longestshortesttime.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone proudly share their abortion stories, which led one of them to realize she wanted to be a mom and confirmed for the other that she didn’t. Plus: the problematic ways we talk about "readiness" for parenthood… and sex after abortion. … Recommendations from the archive • Listen to The Scarlet A, about one of the rare OBGYNs who provides abortions (and needed one herself) … More from Renee and Regina • Book: Liberating Abortion • Podcast: The A Files • Website: liberatingabortion.org … Get involved Renee and Regina say there’s a lot you can do to help improve abortion access in your community. Start by contacting your local clinic, abortion fund, or doula collective. These places are always looking for volunteers with a wide range of skills. … Renee and Regina’s recommended reading list • The Abortion Companion by Becca Rea-Tucker • Killers of Roe by Nancy Littlefield • Expecting Inequity by Khiara M. Bridges • Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts • Relinquished by Gretchen Sission • A book about bodies for kids: Boobies by Nancy Vo *When you buy through these links, we receive a commission, so your purchase supports the show! … • Join LST+ for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! • Follow us on Instagram • Sign up for our newsletter, where we recommend other parenting + reproductive health media • Buy books by LST guests (your purchase supports the show!) • Website: longestshortesttime.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices