Hello everyone,

Reema here! We are finally back with a new season of “This is Uncomfortable” – our tenthwhich feels very strange when typing!

The team and I are excited to share with you what we’ve been working on over the past few months. We kick off the season with a conversation with poet, author and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib. Hanif and I talked about his ambivalent relationship with success, the importance of community and his ideas about redistributing his income. Our conversation, one of my favorites on the show, made me think more deeply about how we relate to our communities and what it means to actually invest in them.

Hanif and I also talked a bit about grief, a topic we’ll be devoting three episodes to later this season, specifically the connection between grief and money. I know that can sound like a grim subject, but our reporting has taken us in some unexpected and even joyful directions. It’s about a rare coin collection and the memory of a dog that led to surprising wealth. Also this season, we’ll be diving into the world of alternative medicine and looking at what it can look like to advocate for yourself in the workplace.

Basically, we have a wide range of episodes this season, and I really hope they resonate with all of you in some way. If so, please let us know. Seriously, I know all podcast hosts say this, but we really love hearing from all of you. Which brings me to my next point: We’re planning a special anniversary episode where we look back at the last few years of the show. And we’d like to include: your also reflections!

Let us know how the show affected you — what did you learn from listening to “This Is Uncomfortable”? How has your relationship with money or work changed? It can be something big or small, serious or funny. Maybe it’s something you heard that has stuck with you over the years, or something that helped you change your thinking.

You can call us at 347-RING-TIU (347-746-4848) and leave a message. Or you can record a voice note and email it to regardless of [email protected]. In any case, be sure to include your name and where you are from so we can include you in our episode. I look forward to hearing from you all!

So, happy listening and we’ll be back in your feeds next week with another new episode.

— Reema

📚 Our next selection for the “Uncomfortable Book Club”! 📚

This week’s episode was inspired by one of our favorite current books, Abdurraqib’s newest book, There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension. For the rest of Season 10, we’ll bring you new book club interviews every third Friday of the month!

In four weeks we will speak with Elizabeth Dunn, social psychologist and co-author of “Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending”. The book is from 2013, but Dunn’s advice and her five basic money principles are still relevant.

Defend your spending with Hanif Abdurraqib

Money messes up all of our lives, but sometimes the right purchase at the right time can make everything a little better. Tell us how you’ve been treating yourself recently and we’ll include the best stories in our newsletter!

This week’s edition comes from our guest on the show, Hanif Abdurraqib. This bit about his flower buying routine didn’t make it into the episode, but we thought you’d all enjoy it anyway.

I have a monthly budget for flowers because I buy a bouquet every other week. I go to the flower shop and usually put together a bouquet myself, so it depends on what they have, but I put aside about $110 for flowers every month and I usually stay under that. Every now and then, you know, a bouquet will cost me $55 just because I go overboard a little bit, but generally they’re in the $30 to $35 range.

The comfort zone

What our team is reading, watching and listening to this week.