GRACE | Kimberly "KJ" Nasrul

In this fascinating conversation, Suzanne and Mara go all out to discuss the Yiddish word “Chutzpah” and all its connotations and the ways it is used in everyday life, for both Jews and non-Jews. They also discuss, in provocative detail, other Yiddish words that we know and love.

Feel free to tell us what YOUR favorite Yiddish words are. Are there any you would like to see on the podcast? Let us know!

About Mara Jill Herman:
Mara Jill Herman is a multidisciplinary Jewish artist who endeavors to abolish anti-Semitism, advocates for gender equity, and protects human rights. She performed leading roles all over the country and recently made her Carnegie Hall debut in We Are Here: Songs From The Holocaust. International Tours include Disney On Classic (Mother Gothel) and Jesus Christ Superstar. Mara also produces benefit concerts for various causes.

Mara received NYFA’s City Artist Corps Grant and YoungArts’ Creative Grant for generating original work. She was featured on CBS Mornings with the Queens Theatre Senior Ensemble for Storytelling and Devised Theatre work. For the past decade, she engaged thousands of students, parents, and teachers for YoungArts as a Program Presenter, Adjudicator, and Head Resident Advisor. Currently, Mara teaches for City Center and New York Theatre Workshop.

Mara is a 2023 nominee for the Barbara Whitman Award (Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation).

Connect with Mara Jill Herman

• Mara Jill Herman

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

Suzanne sits down with Broadway actor, Michael Andreaus, who explores his connection to the word, “Legacy”. We are thrilled that Michael agreed to chat with us during Black History Month and share his experiences as a black man in this current political climate. “Legacy” is a powerful and explorative episode that everyone should listen to. We hope you are moved and inspired by Michael’s journey.

About Michael Andreaus:

Michael Andreaus is an actor, born in Atlanta, GA. He grew up in Atlanta and Oklahoma City, and he graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma. Upon moving to New York, he was cast in the Netflix limited series "When They See Us" and Off-Broadway, before being cast in "A Soldier's Play" on Broadway. He is currently playing Otis Williams in the First National Tour of "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations".

Connect with Michael Andreaus

• Facebook
• Instagram

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

Suzanne sits down with seasoned author and writer, Cathy Hiller. Cathy is passionate about all things related to “pleasure” whether it’s intimacy, eating her favorite fruit, or going to Burning Man alone for the first time. In this episode, we dive into her new book, “Cybill Unbound.” This is a novel about a heroine who discovers romance, adventure, her own wild side, and all sorts of pleasure from the ages of 42-72!

If you’ve ever thought that love has passed you by, that you were too “old” to try something daring or new, or if you think your inner flame has extinguished, we urge you to listen to this episode and order your copy of “Cybill Unbound.” She doesn’t disappoint.

Connect with Catherine Hiller

• Catherine Hiller Website
• Catherine Hiller Substack Website
• Catherine Hiller's Cybill Unbound
• Instagram
• Twitter

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

Zina Bethea Dawson served as a combat medic. She spent the majority of her adult life caring for others; fellow service members while on active duty and family upon separation from duty. Every form of textile artistry piques her interest to the point of formal training and execution. Whether it's a quilt, hand tooled leather accessory, or a custom piece of jewelry, seeing a smile is the elixir that energizes her passion. Give her a needle and thread; magic will happen. Joy is a mission for Zina as she uses humor in her written work with Women Veterans Empowered @ Thriving, where experiential expression is the medium of camaraderie and healing.

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

The word “Alzheimer’s” connotes many different meanings for us; many know someone who has or had this disease. Others are terrified of the word, not knowing anything about its treatment or habilitation process. While it is a very scary and tragic (in many ways) diagnosis, there is another side to the disease. World-renowned Dementia expert, Dr. Trinh, comes on TAWFT to share his insights, helpful methods for dealing with Alzheimer's and its ramifications, and even shares new and cutting-edge treatments that have the potential to alter the future of dementia as we know it. 

About the Guest:

Dr. Trinh is the Chief Medical Officer for Irvine Clinical Research, Astiva Health, and Co-Founder of MdDAO. He is the host of HealthTalksOC.com which can be heard weekly on OC Talk Radio. His passion is to translate medical research into everyday language to promote preventive health and wellness.

Connect with Dr. Trinh

• HealthTalks OC Website
• Tongue Out
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Youtube

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

Natalie Buster began her yoga path during theatrical studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  After living as a professional actress in NYC for 12 years, she discovered yoga therapy through Sundara Yoga Therapy in Austin, TX and began weaving her experience and education in theatre with yoga practices in 2011. She received her 500-hour yoga therapy certification from Niroga Yoga Therapy in Oakland, CA, and her Trauma-Informed Yoga training in Austin, TX and Tulsa, OK. She is currently a yoga therapy intern through Inner Peace Yoga Therapy and serves as Co-Founder/Programming Director for Lacuna Community, a San Antonio-based nonprofit organization with the mission of fostering connection through wellness, creative expression, and personal growth.

Lacuna Community: https://www.lacunacommunity.org/

My Personal Website: https://www.nataliebuster.com/

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

What does the word “burnout” mean to you? It seems that we are all suffering some level of burnout and trauma from the pandemic the past two years, regardless of our situations. For each of us, burnout means something unique. For some, it’s work-related. Others may be related to parenting. It could even be from dating, auditioning, or sometimes, just having to get up and face another day in an extremely tenuous era.

In this episode, Suzanne chats with Vinnie Elizabeth about her interpretation and relationship with the word burnout. VE is neurodivergent and listening to her story and how she relates to the world on a daily basis is nothing short of fascinating. MOREOVER, she was our VERY FIRST GUEST on the first episode “COMMUNITY”!

You should all listen if you haven’t.

We hope you admire her and appreciate her generosity in sharing the “mic” with us!

About the Guest:

Vinnie Elizabeth is an Autistic PDA'er with ADHD who went undiagnosed and masked for 38 of the 39 years of her life.  She is a writer and producer with several projects in the works.  And also, she is resting.

Autistic Visionary, Speaker, and Creative Storyteller

AEA Performing Artist in NYC

Mentioned on the Show:

Currently listening to Breath by James Nestor:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly..."

-Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

QUOTES:

• "Everything about dieting that we've been told is essentially a lie."
• "Dieting is the language of the oppressor."

About the Guest:
M is a trans/non-binary art therapist, fat activist and artist whose work focuses on body justice, intersectional social justice, and eating disorder treatment equity access.

They are the Director for Walden Behavioral Care’s Rainbow Road, the country’s first virtual Eating Disorder 2slgbtqia+ IOP, which is proud to announce having over 90% Queer Staffing. They also co-own and operate Rainbow Recovery where they support people through the gender affirmation process, complex trauma recovery, eating disorder recovery, and body image issues. M serves as part of the board of directors for Project HEAL and is chair of their Development Committee and is committed to the mission that all bodies deserve recovery and that marginalized bodies need to be amplified in the eating disorder landscape to eradicate the stereotypes surrounding eating disorders. When M isn’t working they enjoy raising many animals including Pinball Wizard, their blind dog, watching all things Horror on repeat, obsessing over all things Elton John, and enjoying time with their family.

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

In our opinion, the word “grace” is underrated. And, we don’t mean grace in the sense of being “graceful” (though, that is lovely, as well). We mean to GIVE ourselves “grace.” To bestow COMPASSION upon ourselves. To allow us to FORGIVE ourselves. To let our own self-hate and flagellation be replaced with one word. 

Grace can mean many things, but this is a POWERFUL and USEFUL way to interpret the word. Next time you are mad at yourself, beating yourself up, worried about repercussions at work or with family members or friends, remember– give yourself “GRACE.” You are human. 

KJ Nasrul is back for a third time on TAWFT! (We LOVE her) discussing the beauty and transformative power of this word.

Allow yourselves grace from your busy schedules and listen!

QUOTES: 

• I didn’t realize what GRACE was until I truly had to dig down and find it for myself.
• Grace means compassion, space, kindness, and willingness.
• I gave myself permission to feel whatever came to the surface.

About the Guest:

Kimberly "KJ" Nasrul is a licensed psychotherapist and musician nursing an obsession with words, and a gift for making grilled cheese sandwiches. She helps healers and essential frontline workers recover their resilient stories via music, art, and compassionate conversations so that they can continue to uplift and heal their communities. 

When she's not planning her next traveling adventure, KJ can be found on her podcast, Stories of Astonishing Light, jamming with musicians, artists, and trailblazers about creativity and mental wellness accessibility for all communities. 

She is a Disaster Mental Health Responder (Psychological First Aid) and Quality Improvement Specialist for health privacy.

She is also an avid roller skater. And, LOVELY human.

Where to Find KJ:

• Instagram
• Website

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

What is CBD? How does it differ from Marijuana? Is it safe? Does it work to cure our ills, mentally and physically? What is its purpose? Why does it seem to be EVERYWHERE? Can anyone use it? SHOULD anyone use it? What are its ties to social justice issues? 

These are questions we tackle in this episode of TAWFT!, aptly titled, “CBD.” Jaime Lubin, Editor-At-Large of Honeysuckle Media, Inc., breaks down all you ever wanted to know about CBD and its place in society and our own homes. 

This is a highly informative and educational interview on so number of levels-we know you will find Jaime’s insight truly enlightening. 

Mentioned in the Show:

• Honeysuckle: 
  • Website
  • Instagram
  • Podcast
  • Holiday Gifting Guide for CBD
  • Green Wednesday CBD & Cannabis Guide
• Herbas: Accessibility & Cannabis in the Latinx Community
• Last Prisoner Project
• Drug Policy Alliance
• Marijuana Policy Project
• National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
• On the Need for Health Justice in the Prison System - Article helped release DaReta Gail Steverson
• Racial Bias Could Send an Innocent Man to Death Row - Matthew Baker case
• False Convictions Show Major Flaws in Michigan Justice System - Michigan's wrongful convictions exposed

About the Guest:

Jaime Lubin is a writer, content creator, performer and media professional. She serves as Editor-At-Large of Honeysuckle Media, Inc., an award-winning woman-owned media company that amplifies diverse voices and social impact.

Jaime helps oversee and implement content and development strategy for the brand's print and digital arms, coordinating daily content for an audience of 100K+ and working on landmark policy-changing campaigns.

Jaime has created promotional campaigns for Penguin Random House, Screen Media Ventures, the Scripps-Howard Foundation and more. She wrote, co-produced and starred in the Oscar and Cannes-nominated short film, In the Cards.

Where to Find Jaime:

• Instagram
• Twitter

About the Show:

There’s a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression for each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.

Where to Find Me:

• Instagram
• Twitter