Exponent II: The Podcast

Welcome to the spring issue of Exponent II! I am writing to you from a warm, early spring day, with sun and birdsong and squirrels in my trees. I am surrounded by evidence that my very short-lived winter (a result of global warming and living in the south) is turning over, that long daylight and green trees are returning to my yard. I am thinking again about renewal.Exponent II is renewing work for me. I marvel at the beautiful connections that form across these pages, between word and art, between one voice and another. I love watching how individual experiences, feelings, and thoughts weave together to form each issue, reflecting some of the beautiful, collective work of Mormon feminism.This open-themed issue of the magazine is full of organic connections and recurring themes. “Whose Body is This?” and “Undoing the Ideal: Stitched, Scarred, and Sacred” center women’s bodies, examining autonomy, agency, and the impact of harsh beauty standards. In Ocean Blue Taber’s work, My Body is a Temple, painted body parts are fragmented onto Deseret Industry-thrifted lampshades “as a way to take ownership of the vessel that gives me life.” Our featured artist, Anna Ream, discusses gendered expectations in her photograph series, Mormon BSAds. Here the BS stands for “benevolent sexism, the subtle, often well-intentioned ways patriarchal systems constrain women under the guise of protection and reverence.” Ream creates her own versions of the Mormonads that began in the 1970s. She explains, “Co-opting this visual language feels like standing up, naming it openly, and stripping it of its power.”In “Rumpspringa,” “Dear Mormon Parents,” and “Jane Mormons,” three writers unpick some of the complexities of carving out a life off the “straight and narrow;” they find peace, pain, and honesty, living in the “messy middle” and the margins of orthodox Mormonism. Creating and claiming space is also a key theme in the “Women’s Work” feature, where Natasha Rogers interviews Tamu Smith, co-founder of Sistas in Zion, a social media platform amplifying the lives and faith of Black Latter-day Saints. Tamue Smith describes the origins of Sistas in Zion: “So we created this space where we could be ourselves. . . . We gave ourselves permission to be who we are . . . ” In this interview, she also discusses her current and recent projects, passions, joy, and faith.Sorrow and depression also appear across many of these pieces. “Moving through Sorrow” by Tesia Tsai turns an honest eye to the ways depression can impact spirituality. In “Crossing the Finish Line: Why Our Sisters Need a Different Race,” Meg Rittmanic shares the brutal impact serving a mission had on her body and calls for a mission that honors menstruating bodies and mental health. “Come Jesus,” a poem by Elaine Turner, also wrestles with sorrow — the sorrow of observing “submission before a government that has become a god,” as the speaker examines photographs of the victims of mass deportation.As you move through the essays, poems, interviews, talks, paintings, collages, textile arts, and photographs that make up this issue, I hope you will find something new, maybe something you need this spring. May these pages surprise, comfort, teach, and expand us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tamu Smith is a writer, activist, and co-founder of @sistasinzion, a social media platform amplifying the voices and lived experiences of Black Latter-day Saint women. Her work creates space for honest conversations about faith, history, race, and autonomy within the Church. In this Women's Work interview, the power of her voice  — shaped by friendship, faith, and gospel hip hop — calls us toward a more honest and unapologetic way of being. Read the interview in the Exponent II Spring 2026 issue! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear GayLynn talk about her striking coverart, Lovebirds, portions of the Letter from the Editor, and many writers, poets, and artists talk about their pieces published in the Winter 2026 "aging" issue. Witness the Exponent II community connect and make the Winter 2026 issue come alive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features a conversation led by Caroline Kline and Daniel Foster Smith, Dialogue Unbound hosts, with guests Katie Ludlow Rich and Liz Johnson from Exponent II. The title is: Unpacking Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Feminism, Influence, and LDS Culture Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear reader,I am thrilled to picture you holding this issue of Exponent II in your hands. As the new editor in chief, this issue has taught me so much — about listening and about community. I am grateful to the community that built this magazine over 50 years ago, the community of writers that contributed their voices to this issue, and the community of volunteers and editors who continually put it all together.My managing editor, Natasha Rogers, and I are especially grateful to Rachel Rueckert and Carol Ann Litster Young, the former editor in chief and managing editor. We are grateful for the love and labor they poured into Exponent II over these past four years. We are grateful for their kind support throughout this editorial transition. Carol Ann and Rachel are generous listeners, leaders, and friends. We’re honored to continue the work.In this fall issue, we asked our writers and community to tell us about listening. As I write this letter in September of 2025, I am struck by how crucial listening is, how desperately we need generous listeners and bold truth-tellers, right now, in all of our communities. There is so much work to do, and this issue is one step towards deeper listening. In this issue, you will find many perspectives, stories, and accounts of listening — from moments of meaningful connection to advice on growing as a listener to examples of the damage poor listening can do.These voices take on many forms — poems, essays, clay, paint, a sacrament meeting talk, stained glass, portraits, interviews, and letters. In Sarah King’s “Open Letter,” a young feminist addresses Prophet Russell M. Nelson directly and requests that he hear her. Many writers find a deeper spirituality and connection through listening — to classical music, to the divine, to our bodies, to our intuition, to ourselves.Several pieces take on listening as a skill; a skill that we can nurture and grow, and a skill that we must use to connect across difficulties and differences. Nicole Sbitani advocates for listening that is radical and reciprocal. Leticia Storrs shows how Mormonism’s roots teach us to celebrate difference. Becca Kearl, a professional in creating connection through conversation, offers practical advice on forming our ability to listen deeply, especially when we disagree.Inability to communicate about the powerful dangers in our culture — racism, abuse, and misogyny — is closely examined in these pages. Ragan Fry’s short story centers on a toxic marriage and the lingering effects of hearing loss. Elaine Turner describes the experience of recognizing her own racial privilege as the white mother of Black sons. Lori LeVar Pierce’s “The Ward Librarian” and Ruth Ann Snow’s “Women Hearken, Men Listen — Sometimes” reveal the painful limitations for mutual understanding between all genders in a deeply patriarchal Church. Brooke Palmer’s poem, “The Silencing of Ophelia,” hauntingly concludes: “Being silenced hurts more // Than drowning.”As with every issue of Exponent II, this collection of voices are doing the work of feminism in and out of Mormon communities, homes, gardens, and church buildings. The magazine you hold in your hands is a testimony to the power that is generated when we exercise our voices to bridge understanding, to reach others, and see ourselves.Grateful, and listening,Millie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The audio from the Exponent II Magazine Launch Party Zoom Call for the Summer 2025 Edition, on the theme of Pride. Contributing writers and artists for the Summer issue of the magazine share their backstories and inspiration for their work. Carol Ann Litster Young (managing editor of the magazine) as MC and Rachel Rueckert (editor-in-chief of the magazine) as co-MC. Subscribe to the magazine, write or make art for the magazine, read the digital issue, read the blog, submit a guest post for the blog, subscribe to the newsletter, donate (we're a 501C3), join us on Patreon, Instagram and learn more at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The audio from the Exponent II Magazine Launch Party Zoom Call for the Spring 2025 Edition, the theme of Radical Kindness. Contributing writers and artists for the Spring issue of the magazine share their backstories and inspiration for their work. Carol Ann Litster Young (managing editor of the magazine) as MC and Rachel Rueckert (editor-in-chief of the magazine) as co-MC. Subscribe to the magazine, write or make art for the magazine, read the digital issue, read the blog, submit a guest post for the blog, subscribe to the newsletter, donate (we're a 501C3), join us on Patreon, Instagram and learn more at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The audio from the Exponent II Magazine Launch Party Zoom Call for the Winter 2025 Edition, the theme of What if you said the Quiet Thing Out Loud? This magazine issue is in collaboration with At Last She Said It, with Cynthia Winward and Susan M. Hinckley. Contributing writers and artists for the Winter issue of the magazine share their backstories and inspiration for their work. Carol Ann Litster Young (managing editor of the magazine) as MC and Rachel Rueckert (editor-in-chief of the magazine) as co-MC. Subscribe to the magazine, write or make art for the magazine, read the digital issue, read the blog, submit a guest post for the blog, subscribe to the newsletter, donate (we're a 501C3), join us on Patreon, Instagram and learn more at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The audio from the Exponent II Magazine Launch Party Zoom Call for the Fall 2024 Edition, the theme of Stranger than Fiction. Contributing writers and artists for the Fall issue of the magazine share their backstories and inspiration for their work. Carol Ann Litster Young (managing editor of the magazine) as MC and Rachel Rueckert (editor-in-chief of the magazine) as co-MC. Subscribe to the magazine, write or make art for the magazine, read the digital issue, read the blog, submit a guest post for the blog, subscribe to the newsletter, donate (we're a 501C3), join us on Patreon, Instagram and learn more at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The audio from the Exponent II Magazine Launch Party Zoom Call for the Summer Edition, an open-themed issue. Contributing writers and artists for the Summer issue of the magazine share their backstories and inspiration for their work. Carol Ann Litster Young (managing editor of the magazine) as MC and Rachel Rueckert (editor-in-chief of the magazine) as co-MC. Note: I forgot to press record at the beginning of the Zoom call, so the audio introducing the launch party was recorded at a different time. Subscribe to the magazine, write or make art for the magazine, read the digital issue, read the blog, submit a guest post for the blog, subscribe to the newsletter, donate (we're a 501C3), join us on Patreon, Instagram and learn more at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The audio from the Launch Party Zoom Call for the Spring Edition, 50th Anniversary Issue of the Exponent II Magazine! Hear from the authors and artists for the Spring 2024 magazine issue centered on, the 50th Anniversary of Exponent II. Note: I forgot to press record at the beginning of the Zoom call, so the cover reveal with Page Turner and letter from the Editor by Rachel Rueckert were recorded separately and the audio begins partway through Judy Dushku's storytelling. Subscribe to the magazine, write or make art for the magazine, read the digital issue, read the blog, submit a guest post for the blog, subscribe to the newsletter, donate (we're a 501C3), join us on Patreon, Instagram and learn more at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blogger Em joins Ramona, Heather, and Carol Ann to read her Exponent II blog piece Nineteenth-Century Abortion in Early Utah, Part 1 and then we discuss some of the ramifications of then and now. Subscribe to the magazine, write or make art for the magazine, read the digital issue, read the blog, submit a guest post for the blog, subscribe to the newsletter, donate (we're a 501C3), join us on Patreon, Instagram and learn more at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come listen to Retreat Director Andee Bowden (she/they) as they announce they keynote speaker for the retreat celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Exponent II (drumroll please...). Ramona, Heather, and Carol Ann join the conversation with Andee with retreat highlights and retreat questions answered. We hope you can join this year--September 20-22 in New Hampshire. Remember to subscribe to the magazine by April 15 for the Spring 2024 issue (the 50th Anniversary Issue!!)Subscribe to the magazine, write or make art for the magazine, read the digital issue, read the blog, submit a guest post for the blog, subscribe to the newsletter, donate (we're a 501C3), join us on Patreon, Instagram and learn more at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recording from the Exponent II Craft Workshop Series session with Darlene Young on March 5.You are a writer of faith. You want to write honestly about the whole human experience, which includes faith. But faith is messy, evolving, and nuanced. How do you tell the truth as you see it, including sharing spiritual experiences, without lapsing into cheesiness or propaganda? We will discuss principles and techniques to describe brushes with the divine in poetry and prose in ways that respect the reader’s agency, ways that retain a sense of both humility and artistry.Bio:DARLENE YOUNG is the author of three poetry collections (Count Me In, Signature 2024; Here, BCC Press 2023; and Homespun and Angel Feathers, BCC, 2019). A recipient of the Smith-Pettit Foundation Award for Outstanding Contribution to Mormon Letters, she teaches writing at Brigham Young University and has served as poetry editor for Dialogue and Segullah journals. Her work has been noted in Best American Essays and nominated for Pushcart Prizes. She lives in South Jordan, Utah.For more information about the writing workshop series, see https://exponentii.org/writing-workshop-series/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Ramona, Heather, and Carol Ann as we explore of our favorite pop culture, including excitement for the new season of Bridgerton and favorite music and concerts that spoke to us. Exponent II is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year! https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ramona, Carol Ann, and Heather are back again--likely twice a month going forward. We catch up after the holidays and explore the BYU-Hawaii + locks hairstyle controversy. [[We are looking for a sound editor--reach out if you are interested! podcast at exponentii.org]] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The audio from the Launch Party Zoom Call for the Winter Edition of the Exponent II Magazine! Hear from the authors and artists for the Winter 2024 magazine issue centered on, "The Road Not Taken." Subscribe to the magazine, read the digital issue, and read the blog at: https://exponentii.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Heather and Ramona interview Dr. Colleen Peterson and the spaces and ways for healing after trauma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Carol Ann, Heather, and Ramona explore some of the gender roles around motherhood, earning money, and childcare with the lens of Mormonism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." This podcast crossover episode is with James Jones and Derek Knox from the Beyond the Block podcast, where we discuss the origin story of their podcast, where they went, and where they are now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Stop People Pleasing life coach extraordinaire Sara Bybee Fisk shares useful skills in recognizing and stopping people pleasing for more wholeness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." We interview Dr. Roni Jo Draper and the ways she builds community with students and films as an indigenous and LGBTQ+ ally and mentor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The audio from the Launch Party Zoom Call for the Fall Edition of the Exponent II Magazine! Hear from the authors and artists for the Fall 2023 magazine issue centered on, "Celebrating the Everyday." The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carol Ann, Ramona, Heather, and Natasha discuss their BODIES?! Exploring periods, bodies, and more with our Mormon and feminists lenses.The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gang talks the good and [some of the] bad of Taylor Swift with Millie Sundahl and Megan Story Chavez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heather, Ramona, and Carol Ann, chat with Lyndsi Pace (of the Singled In podcast) about expectations, marriage, family, kiddos, and how all of that jives (or doesn't) with the scripts that the white hetero patriarchy of some churches tries to get us to follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ramona, Heather, and Carol Ann talk their feminist beginnings! Tip for beginners: It's not just for women!The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ramona, Heather, and Carol Ann talk about the stories and media that they manage to fit into their busy lives!The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carol Ann and Heather talk with Dr. Lacey Bagley about church, gender, patriarchy, etc.The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blogger and professor Dr. Nancy Ross joins Ramona, Heather, and Carol Ann as we bring together the Barbie movie and Mormonism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crew sits down with Dr. Andrea Radke-Moss to talk about secular and Mormon feminists during the suffragette movement.The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline Kline joins Carol Ann and Ramona to review, discuss, and adore the television comedy show "Derry Girls". (Derry Girls is available on Netflix; Netflix is a struck company.)The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl."Engineering and Editing by Steve Young Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us this week as Heather, Carol Ann "Bücherwurm" Litster Young, and Mona Morris discuss the many books they're reading, and some of their recent favorite shows and music.RIP Prince.The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heather and 'Mona in conversation with Liz Johnson, about her experiences as a mormon and an expat, living in Mexico City, and Saudi Arabia, and how Saudi Arabian patriarchy is different from Red, White, and Blue patriarchy.The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Gang Chats with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Rachel Rueckert.The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear from the authors and the artists who contributed to the Summer 2023 issue of Exponent titled "The Art of Losing."The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heather and Carol Ann discuss the latest goings on, and writings, of the MHA (Mormon History Association) with Nancy Ross.https://mormonhistoryassociation.org/The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen in on Exponent II's monthly Writing Series. For June, Exponent II Editor-in-Chief, Rachel Rueckert asked Dayna Patterson (and she very kindly obliged) to lead "The Art of Revision": a discussion followed by a Q&A by, about, and for writers.The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl."Join the Exponent II Community's Discord Channel (a somewhat-walled garden of social media) where we discuss podcast episodes, magazine articles, blog posts, and whatever else we deem worthy! Please be nice!Engineering and Editing by Steve Young Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carol Ann, Ramona, and Heather discuss romance novels, horniness, and shame.The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl."Join the Exponent II Community's Discord Channel (a somewhat-walled garden of social media) where we discuss podcast episodes, magazine articles, blog posts, and whatever else we deem worthy! Please be nice! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carol Ann, Ramona, and Heather discuss some of the herstory of --and their herstory with-- the Women's Exponent, how to recognize other feminists (especially at church), and how powerful and liberating "righteous anger" can be!The great music of this episode is from and by Emily Brown. The album is called "Bee Eater" and the song: "Unseen Girl." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.