Sylly

Welcome back to Sylly, a podcast for the curious and critical. We’re your hosts, Mbiye Kasonga and Tembe Denton-Hurst. In episode 11, we’re discussing the transactional nature of modern dating. We’ve noticed a trend of women online who post content about finding rich men to date and marry, alongside conversations about how couples split their finances, and we wanted to explore the macro trends that might be informing this behavior. We leveraged two primary texts for this conversation. The first is a journal article by Megan Sawey that explores the reasons why women engage in sugar dating, while the second is, of course, Toni Childs. We use both of these ‘texts’ as a vehicle to discuss the dating market, how women invest in beauty to increase their perceived value, and how, ultimately, the “sprinkle sprinkle” mindset is a class mobility fantasy that could have negative outcomes for women.As always, if there’s anything you want us to talk about on the pod during our office hours, email us at: syllythepod@gmail.com. Thanks for listening, and we’ll be back with a new episode in a couple of weeks!Books We Talked AboutHeartburn by Nora EphronExit Lane by Erica VeurinkThe Wilderness by Angela FlournoyPerfection by Vincenzo Latronico Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Sylly, a podcast for the curious and critical. We’re your hosts, Mbiye Kasonga and Tembe Denton-Hurst. In episode ten, we’re diving deep into our favorite contemporary fiction read of 2025 so far: Dominion. In this spoiler-filled episode, we delve into the book’s intricate characterizations, thematic complexity, and how it offers a rich commentary on patriarchy and gender roles within a tight-knit community. We also touch on Citchen’s compelling depiction of women’s roles in the church and their struggle for autonomy and self-worth. Thank you for listening! As always, if there’s anything you want us to talk about on the pod during our office hours, email us at: syllythepod@gmail.com. Thanks for listening, and we’ll be back with a new episode in a couple of weeks!Books We Talked AboutDominion by Addie CitchensLonely Crowds by Stephanie WambuguGwyneth by Amy OdellAnna: The Biography by Amy OdellThe Power Broker by Robert CaroBabel by R. F. KuangThe Mothers by Brit BennettSula by Toni MorrisonSong of Solomon by Toni MorrisonErasure by Percival EverettMy Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Sylly, a podcast for the curious and critical. We’re your hosts, Mbiye Kasonga and Tembe Denton-Hurst. In episode nine, we’re throwing it back to the very first podcast we ever recorded together. I (Mbiye) interviewed Tembe for my book podcast Unbound last summer. We dove deep into Tembe’s debut novel, Homebodies, her early reading habits, and her writing practice.As always, if there’s anything you want us to talk about on the pod during our office hours, email us at: syllythepod@gmail.com. Thanks for listening, and we’ll be back with a new episode in a couple of weeks! Books We Talked AboutErasure by Percival EverettHere Comes The Sun by Nicole Dennis-BennTheir Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale HurstonThe Color Purple by Alice WalkerNervous Conditions by Tsitsi DangarembgaHomebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Sylly, a podcast for the curious and critical. We’re your hosts, Mbiye Kasonga and Tembe Denton-Hurst. In episode eight, we each share three book recommendations perfect for summer reading in August, emphasizing literature that explores deep relationships, identity, and personal transformation.As always, if there’s anything you want us to talk about on the pod during our office hours, email us at: syllythepod@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.Subscribe on Substack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Sylly, a podcast for the curious and critical. We’re your hosts, Mbiye Kasonga and Tembe Denton-Hurst. This week we’re talking about legibility from a different perspective, thinking through how it protects us. We do this by examining the work of two artists: Simone Leigh and Amy Sherald, thinking of what they’re work is saying and how it impact us. It’s worth mentioning that Amy Sherald has a major show on right now at The Whitney and it’s brilliant. Everyone should see it.As always, if there’s anything you want us to talk about on the pod during our office hours, email at: syllythepod@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.Books We Talked AboutFriends of the Museum by Heather McGowanLong Division by Kiese LaymonMartyr! by Kaveh AkbarErasure by Percival EverettBabel by R.F. KuangYellowface by R.F. KuangThe Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Sylly, a podcast for the curious and critical. We’re your hosts, Mbiye Kasonga and Tembe Denton-Hurst. This week we’re thinking about legibility and what it costs us, as human beings and more specifically, as Black women. To investigate we dove into two primary texts. Tembe brought Sula to the table (again), and Mbiye analyzed a TikTok by kadencecentana, which asks the question—is content creation the new hoop dreams? (yes).As always, if there’s anything you want us to talk about on the pod during our office hours, email at: syllythepod@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.For a full list of the books we discussed, check us out on Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Sylly, a podcast for the curious and critical. We’re your hosts, Mbiye Kasonga and Tembe Denton-Hurst. This week, we talked about community. more specifically, we spent some time with Mbiye’s primary text, What is Community Anyway, an article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review. In a world where community is diluted by the internet and weaponized by brands to get us to buy stuff, it’s important that we come to a shared understanding of community. Tembe’s text, Sula, rounds out our discussion of community and friendship, helping us dive deeper into the question underneath it all: what do we owe each other?As always, if there’s anything you want us to talk about on the pod during our office hours, email at: syllythepod@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.Books We Talked AboutDream State by Eric PuchnerSula by Toni MorrisonPachinko by Min Jin LeeYellowface by R.F. KuangThe Power Broker by Robert CaroIf you loved the episode, please rate, like, and subscribe on your platform of choice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast navigates the complexities of identity and personal growth amidst societal challenges. It humorously critiques young adult literature while addressing representation and diversity. The discussion on the portrayal of race and privilege in literature reflects deeper societal issues. Conversations around the Met Gala highlight the struggles of representation, particularly for Black men. Themes of truth, goodness, and the absurdity of pop culture add depth to the dialogue, providing a thought-provoking blend of humor and seriousness.