Read. Talk. Grow. Welcome Page
Read. Talk. Grow.
A podcast where we talk about books — especially fiction, memoir and narrative nonfiction — that deal with important health topics. In each episode, host Dr. Denise Millstine invites an author and a medical expert into conversation on subjects like miscarriage, cancer, relationships, mental health and more. In the same way that books can transport us to a different time, place, or culture, Read. Talk. Grow. demonstrates that books can also give a new appreciation for health experiences.
Meet Our Host: Denise Millstine
"I am always reading and I love discussing books with my patients, my friends, my professional colleagues — and now with you.”
Denise Millstine, M.D.
Women's Health Internist and Integrative Medicine Specialist
Mayo Clinic in Arizona
Dr. Millstine is an avid reader and will talk books with anyone, anytime. As a general internist, Dr. Millstine's practice focuses on women's health and integrative medicine. She is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, UMass Memorial Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency and the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine fellowship. She lives in Arizona with her husband, twin teenage boys and a surly basset hound surrounded by more books than she will ever read, with more arriving weekly.
Featured Authors
Susan Wiggs is a New York Times bestselling author who spoke with us in episode 1, "It's Complicated: Making Decisions About Your Reproductive Health," about reproductive rights and her romance novel Sugar and Salt.
Holly Whitaker joined us in episode 11, "What You Stand to Gain When You Give Up Drinking," to discuss her New York Times bestselling book Quit Like a Woman.
Laurie Frankel, a New York Times-bestselling author, joined us in episode 45, "Not Your Typical Adoption Story," to discuss her book Family Family, offering a unique take on adoption. She also appeared in episode 16, "Imagining a More Inclusive World for People with Autism," to talk about her book One Two Three, exploring autism and imagining a more inclusive world for those on the spectrum.
Linda Villarosa joined us in episode 3, "Uprooting Racism in Healthcare," to discuss racism in healthcare and her book Under the Skin, a Pulitzer Prize Finalist.
Nicole Chung is an award-winning memoirist who joined us in episode 27, "The Challenges and Costs of Chronic Illness in the U.S.," to discuss healthcare, chronic conditions, and her book A Living Remedy.
Dolen Perkins-Valdez, a New York Times-bestselling author of historical fiction, joined us for episode 8, titled "Based on a True Story: The Sad Reality of Forced Sterilization in the U.S.," to discuss the issue of forced sterilization and her book Take My Hand.
Catherine Newman, a New York Times-bestselling author, joined us in episode 37, "Menopause: Surprising Symptoms and Mixed Emotions and Autism," to discuss her book Sandwich. She also appeared in episode 14, "Discovering the Loss, Pain, and Beauty at the End of Life," where she talked about her book We All Want Impossible Things and explored themes of end-of-life care and palliative care.
Abby Jimenez is a New York Times bestselling author who joined us in episode 10, "Chronic Kidney Disease and the Transformative Power of Transplant," to discuss kidney disease and her book Yours Truly.
Beth Macy, author of the New York Times-bestselling book Dopesick, which was adapted into a Hulu series, joined us in episode 4, "We Need Everyone's Help to End the Opioid Crisis," to discuss the opioid epidemic and her book Raising Lazarus.
Amy Bloom joined us in episode 22, "The weighty decisions around dementia and accompanied death," to discuss her New York Times-bestselling memoir In Love, as well as the emotional complexities surrounding dementia and accompanied death.
Discover the Power of Storytelling for Women's Health
Episode Highlights: Our Favorites
3. Uprooting racism in health care
Racism has been firmly embedded in medicine for centuries — so uprooting it is no small task. In this episode, author and journalist Linda Villarosa and Dr. Amaal Starling join Dr. Millstine for a conversation on the ways racism prevents Black and brown people from getting the care they need — and what can be done about it.
6. Is it cheating? Challenging assumptions about infidelity
Let's talk about affairs! Dig into Stacey Swann's messy family novel and get a professional perspective from sex therapist Dr. Jennifer Vencill. Our guests push back on some of the common ideas about what infidelity is, what it means to stay after infidelity, and what type of person becomes "the other woman."
11. What you stand to gain when you give up drinking
If you're considering giving up drinking, you've probably been deterred by all you would be, well, giving up. Author Holly Whitaker and addiction psychiatrist Kristen Schmidt, M.D., flip the script on this discouraging outlook as they talk about everything you stand to gain.
14. Discovering the loss, pain and beauty at the end of life
Most of us try not to think about death. But in her novel "We All Want Impossible Things," author Catherine Newman won't let us look away. She takes us by the hand and guides us into the story of two friends as one enters hospice care. There is grief, loss and pain. But as she and Mayo Clinic Dr. Maisha Robinson can also attest, there is also beauty, friendship — and often, laughter — to be found at the end of life.
16. Imagining a more inclusive world for people with autism
Laurie Frankel’s novel “One Two Three” features Monday, a character with autism spectrum disorder. But in Monday's world, she's accepted and gets the accommodations she needs to thrive. Autism expert Dr. Andrea Huebner and Laurie reflect on the many ways autism can manifest — and how we might create a world that more closely resembles Laurie's fiction.
27. The challenges and costs of chronic illness in the U.S.
Navigating chronic illness is a challenge. Doing so without healthcare coverage heaps on more stress. Watching your parents go through this kind of challenge — Well, memoirist Nicole Chung wrote a whole book about the complexity involved. Mayo Clinic's Dr. Brenda Ernst joins Nicole to talk about the challenges and identity shifts that occur between parents and children when parents get sick.
29. Mysteries and missing memories: Living with dementia
In mystery novels, the detective often has special abilities: an exacting eye for detail, a talent for getting people talking, or a mind for puzzles. In Emily Critchley’s book “One Puzzling Afternoon,” the protagonist trying to solve the murder has dementia. Emily and Mayo Clinic dementia expert Dr. Dixie Woolston join us to explore how Emily’s realistic portrayal of the disease helps illustrate the humanity, capabilities and challenges of those with cognitive decline.
34. What you weren’t expecting: The weird, painful and surreal sides of pregnancy and fertility
Author Danielle Valentine joins us to discuss her book “Delicate Condition,” a pregnancy horror book that depicts the darker sides to fertility, pregnancy and healthcare. Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Ali Ainsworth joins to help us understand more about the logistical and emotional challenges of fertility journeys and assisted reproductive technology.
36. Searching for answers after a fatal surgery
In this episode, author Susan Lieu discusses her memoir, “The Manicurist’s Daughter,” which explores her mother’s death during an elective surgical procedure. Mayo Clinic physician Dr. Alyssa Janousek provides her anesthesiology expertise to help listeners navigate and make sense of surgical procedures. This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
43. Sitting with the fear of death
While most people avoid talking or even thinking about death, Clover, the protagonist in Mikki Brammer’s novel “The Collected Regrets of Clover,” is a death doula. She sits with people as they die, offering them conversation, company and compassion. Mikki and hospice and palliative care expert Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson join us to consider how we approach the deaths of our loved ones – and ourselves.