This week I have a conversation with clinical psychologist Dr. Noelle Santorelli about belonging vs. (forced) inclusion, “mean mom” culture, and relational aggression. And guess
My mom is back for her 6th visit to the Dear Nina studio! For the first episode of 2026, I have my mom, Kathy Sackheim,
End of Year Wrap-up: The Episodes You Loved, The Cities You’re Listening From, and What We Learned About Friendship (with Rebekah Jacobs) It’s our annual
Why college friendships aren’t as automatic as we’ve been led to believe Finding your people in college takes longer than you think. At some schools
Divorce & Friendship: Who Shows Up, Who Fades, and What Comes Next I’m finally tackling a topic I’ve been wanting to cover for a long
December Friendship Challenge The final friendship challenge of the year is to write one friend a real letter. This was inspired by the novel I’m
DEAR NINA: Conversations About Friendship is a top 1% podcast and newsletter about being a better friend and having better friends.
I’m the host, Nina Badzin, a writer who accepted a position as a friendship advice columnist in 2014 and never stopped discussing the topic.
DEAR NINA, the podcast, started in 2021, and has been referenced in NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, The Skimm, and many other media outlets.
Take a look around! With almost 200 episodes and years of articles, your friendship dilemma is probably covered here. Welcome!
I send emails through Substack with the latest anonymous friendship letters, podcast episodes, book reviews, and more.
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!
I send an email once or twice a month with the latest friendship letters, podcast episodes, book reviews, recipes, and more.
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 Journal, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, The Guardian, The Chicago Tribune, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, and elsewhere!
I send emails through Substack with the latest anonymous friendship letters, podcast episodes, book reviews, and more.