Friendship Finds: Early April

 

– Loved Benjamin Percy’s essay “Man Camp” in Guernica about male friendship and the nature of “friends” (social media) versus friends.

-I really liked Christine Organ’s post at Scary Mommy “Why I Won’t Write Another What-Not-to-Say List.” I found her take so refreshing. I try hard in my friendship column to encourage people to give their friends the benefit of the doubt as I find that most questions boil down to someone feeling unnecessarily offended. Christine rightfully points out that those lists posts, while funny a times, also seem to celebrate oversensitivity and make it harder for people to communicate without over-thinking everything they say or over-analyzing everything they hear.

– Speaking of my friendship column, I have all the topics organized and listed here now. (*pats self on back*)

 

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

12 Responses

  1. I had to laugh about your “Shut Up and Dance” comment. The song is so catchy and fun that I have it on constant repeat. It won’t be long before I am sick of it and never want to hear it again. 🙂

    Two new favorite podcasts: Happier with Gretchen Rubin and Dear Sugars. Interesting to hear Steve Almond and Cheryl Strayed banter over the advice to the letter writer.

    I loved Christine Organ’s post. I think you’ve made similar points in your friendship column about the culture of taking offense. As I’m getting older I find that I have little desire to hang around people who are easily offended.

    Happy Passover to you!
    Jackie Cangro recently posted..The One With the MacaronMy Profile

  2. I can never have to much Listen/Read from you Nina – if I could only pick one source for all my info, it would be you! I don’t know how you find the time to read and write as much as you do. I know you get up before dawn, but still! Thank you as always for your suggestions, and happy Passover to you and your family.
    Dana recently posted..A name tag and a uniformMy Profile

  3. Congratulations on getting all your friendship posts on one page! Maybe it gets easier when you do it a lot, but I did a “published elsewhere” list both for my blog and a grant I applied for, and found it to be rather time consuming. So I have some sympathy for you there.

    Also, now I need to go back and catch up on a few columns I hadn’t seen! 🙂
    Dakota Nyght recently posted..Where Self Care BeginsMy Profile

  4. We have no homework in our lives yet, but I’m petrified of helping my kids with their homework. So that was nice to read!
    And now to read about submissions.
    And Happy Passover to you!
    Tamara recently posted..Over The Borderline.My Profile

  5. I love these posts. And btw I am dissatisfied with Newsblur and thinking I need a new reader so I will check out Bloglovin. I’ve always been very anti helping with homework so am glad to hear that that’s the current thinking! Must read that post. xox

  6. I too am loving the “happier” podcasts! I’m also listening to Better than Before. Now off to read the Christine Organ post – sounds like a good one.

  7. I have thought the same thing about “Shut up and dance”! I have worked so hard to make sure they know “shut up” isn’t a nice phrase, and now I crank it up and sing (so badly and off tune) with the words “shut up” in the song a million times 🙂
    angela recently posted..Books!My Profile

  8. I love love love Shut Up and Dance With Me for reasons too numerous to list but thank you for being the one who introduced me to the adorable video version with the dance clips from movies.

    It was a smile when I needed it most.

    As the mother of high school students whose homework is now too complicated for me to help with (besides English which they have never let me touch!) I can say letting them be independent and figure out how to self-advocate with their teachers is invaluable. The earlier the better because inevitably (or hopefully?) they will outpace our skills and also we can’t go with them to college. Or their jobs. In life, they must learn how to cope without our constant rescue.

    Anyway.

    I’m off to read Christina Organ’s article because that post I haven’t seen and I trust your recommendations.

    Hooray for do/listen/read!

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

DEAR NINA: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast and newsletter about the ups and downs of adult friendship. I’m the host, Nina Badzin, a Minneapolis-based writer who accepted a position as a friendship advice columnist in 2014 and never stopped. DEAR NINA, the podcast, started in 2021, and has been referenced in The Wall Street JournalThe Washington PostTime Magazine, The GuardianThe Chicago TribuneThe Minneapolis Star Tribune, and elsewhere

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