S3E1 - The Mother’s Name

Season 3 opens with host Chauncey Zalkin talking burnout, perfectionism in grad school, and finally giving her kids her last name. She then sits down with publishing veteran and writer Cindy DiTiberio (The Mother Lode) who talks reclaiming competence after divorce, the “math of motherhood,” the portal of 40, and what it's like to undergo MDMA therapy.

Highlights:

• The cost of motherhood—money, labor, identity
• Renaissance after divorce
• Flipping the playbook on patriarchal milestones
• Cindy’s journey from ghostwriting to her own voice

Guest:

Cindy DiTiberio — writer, former HarperCollins editor, pens the popular newsletter The Mother Lode, on Substack.

Other Mentions and Resources :

• The House of Mirth (book) by Edith Wharton
• Nightbitch (novel & film) 
• Fresh Starts Registry, support for divorce and major life resets
• Ambition Monster (book) 
• MDMA-assisted therapy (trauma processing in a therapeutic setting)

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Written, directed, and executive produced by Chauncey Zalkin. Intro/Outro sound engineered by Eric Aaron. Photography by Alonza Mitchell with Design Consulting by Paper + Screen.

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Actual People, a Podcast
www.chaunceyzalkin.com