Life In Jest

🎉 Life in Jest Podcast: One Year of Comedy, Friendship & Real Talk

Life in Jest just turned ONE—and somehow, we missed it until now! It’s never too late to celebrate, and we couldn’t let this milestone pass without thanking all of our amazing listeners. Whether you’ve been with us since our very first drop or just stumbled on this comedy podcast last week, you’ve helped us grow more than we ever imagined. 💜

To cele...

What do Shakespeare, black squirrels, and tomato therapy have in common? Only Selene & Pascale could connect those dots in this laugh-out-loud episode of Life in Jest!

The bestie cousins kick things off with a quick & hilariously muddled Middle English Canterbury Tales recitation (yes, really), then detour into pet antics, squirrel showdowns, and the questionable psychology of why we notice the weirdest details in life.

But b...

From a cheesy museum to chilling trials, Selene and Pascale find meaning (and mischief) in every stop. This episode opens with Selene’s recent author trip to Lafayette, Indiana, where she presented a library talk on the remarkable Marquis de Lafayette--the city's namesake, America's hero, and the subject of her award-winning book Revolutionary Friends. Selene shares about life as an author and why connecting with people who...

Join us on "Life in Jest" as we explore the fascinating intersection of comedy and history with Keb Pound, the creative mind behind "The Stupid History Minute" podcast and the author of The Stupid History Book. In this episode, Keb, a stand-up comedian, shares how he came up with such a "stupid" concept, and he reveals how humor can illuminate the often twisted narratives of history. We discuss the challenge...

In this poignant Life in Jest episode, authors Selene Castrovilla and Gae Polisner share an intimate conversation about friendship, grief, and the healing power of writing in the aftermath of September 11th. Together, they reflect on the impact of 9/11, the importance of hope in storytelling, and how literature can help us process trauma.

Gae discusses her acclaimed YA novel The Memory of Things, which follows a teenager navigating ...

Buckle up (or at least hold onto your city transit ticket) as Selene and Pascale take you along on their whirlwind trip to Boston! From misadventures on public transportation to run-ins with Chinese restaurants and Apple maps, the duo finds comedy in every wrong turn. Along the way, they spill the tea—literally—at the Boston Tea Party, hate on the now infamous duck tour, and even get spooked/turned on by their demon guide on a ghos...

🪓 Lizzie Borden didn’t actually give her stepmother forty whacks—but folklore doesn’t let facts get in the way of a good jump rope rhyme. Pascale shrugs, “it worked for the rhythm,” but Selene bristles—she can’t stand when history gets twisted. In this Life in Jest episode, the two unravel how myth, media, and mania turned a bloody crime into a national obsession. From their eerie visit to Lizzie’s home to the sensational trial th...

Follow the yellow brick road with Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest as they skip straight into The Wizard of Oz! From ruby slippers to flying monkeys, they share how this timeless classic shaped their own life stories and writing. Of course, in true Life in Jest fashion, the trip to Oz hits a few detours—think conversational twisters and surprise pit stops—making the journey even more fun. Expect personal confessions, behind-...

Strap on your life vest and prepare to plunge! On this week’s Life in Jest, hosts Selene Castrovilla and Pascale Laforest welcome special guest Lilli McGregor, co-founder and Executive Director of Communications & Operations at the Election Truth Alliance, for a deep dive into the murky waters of American election integrity.

Together, they explore the swirling data anomalies that have surfaced across the country in the wake of t...

What do a shiny new coffee maker, a decades-old Hollywood mystery, and a tragic betrayal have in common? Everything—when Life in Jest’s Pascale and Selene get talking.

In this episode, emotions percolate as the hosts unpack the surprising grief of retiring a faithful coffee machine, then brew up a deeper conversation about the heartbreaking case of Fabio Sementelli. They explore betrayal, the long shadow of murder, and how fame can ...

In this lively and far-reaching episode of Life In Jest, Selene and Pascale take you on a rollercoaster ride through emotional animal partings, poetic inspiration, and the absurdity of politics and pop culture. But things really heat up when their wildly different tastes clash—whether it’s over beloved TV shows, problematic characters, or the ultimate pop battle: Backstreet Boys vs. NSYNC. (Spoiler: someone’s ready to die on the Ju...

This week on Life In Jest, Selene and Pascale serve up a smorgasbord of juicy topics—starting with real-life chaos (technical difficulties, anyone?) and rolling right into some serious truths about our elections. From eyebrow-raising stats in Rockland County to the bigger picture of democracy on shaky ground, they break it all down with their signature sass and smarts.

💥 Expect laughter, fire, and a rallying cry to stand up, speak ...

Less tea, more wine—Selene and Pascale are spilling the polypropylene-laced tea in this delightfully unpredictable episode! First, they open the lid on a grim reality: every twist of a bottle cap or peel of plastic wrap is adding more microplastics to our food and drinks. Even our seemingly innocuous tea bags are seeping the plastic they’re heat-sealed with into our systems. It’s not just pollution—it’s accumulation. These tiny inv...

Karen Read Walks—Now What? The Fallout, the Fury, and the Fight for Justice

In this incendiary bonus episode, Selene Castrovilla dives headfirst into the shockwaves rippling through the Karen Read verdict.

With Karen Read found not guilty at last, the spotlight turns to what’s next: fiery reactions from key players, jaw-dropping truths about investigative blunders, and one burning question—who will get justice for John O’Keefe?

Selen...

When customer service fails, comedy prevails.

🎉 Season Two Premiere! 🎙️

Selene and Pascale are back—and they're serving up piping-hot laughs with a side of sass in the Season Two opener of Life in Jest! This episode dishes out tales from the customer service trenches, dining disasters, and Reddit rabbit holes, all with their signature wit and warmth.

From canceled plans turning into unexpected adventures, to food fumbles and fes...

In this hauntingly hilarious episode, Selene and Pascale crack open the cold cases of relationships gone wrong. From gorgeous but crazy to the mysteriously mediocre, they share stories of romantic run-ins that still make them shudder—or snort-laugh. Along the way, they reflect on what they’ve learned, what they wish they’d seen sooner, and why some “ex”-periences are better left in the rearview... but way too amusing not to revisit...

You never know what you're gonna get when you show up to a potluck—and this episode is no different! Selene and Pascale each bring surprise topics to the table, serving up unexpected stories, spicy opinions, and sweet moments of laughter. From half-baked ideas to fully loaded tangents, it’s a buffet of banter where anything goes and everything’s on the menu. Come hungry—for humor, for heart, and for a heaping helping of the une...

In this searing special episode of Life In Jest, Selene and Pascale take the prosecution to task in the high-stakes Karen Read trial—where one crucial fact remains glaringly unproven: that a collision ever happened at all.

With sharp insight and no-nonsense analysis, they break down the mountain of reasonable doubt meticulously revealed by defense attorney Alan Jackson, whose methodical takedown of the state’s shaky narrative has le...

Selene and Pascale take a heartfelt trip down memory lane, sharing the TV shows that shaped their childhoods—and maybe yours. With laughs, personal stories, and cultural insights, they explore how television reflected (and molded) family life, identity, and humor. From classic sitcoms to reality TV, plus a shoutout to books and libraries, it’s a cozy, thoughtful dive into the screen stories that stayed with us.

Takeaways

The conversa...