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The Rest of Us with Dana Tenille Weekes
The Rest of Us podcast explores rest as self-liberation for advocates and professionals who are losing themselves to the demands of work, loved ones, friends, strangers, and this dizzying world. The Rest of Us cultivates a community through honest reflections, conversations, and laughter for people willing to embrace rest differently.
Episodes
53 episodes
Poetic Interlude - Malik Thompson reading "Overture"
What practices of care do I offer to, and receive from, those I love? In this Poetic Interlude, Malik Thompson reads “Overture,” first published in Hayden’s Ferry Review.Creatives, including poets, show us h...
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Poetic Interlude - Tatiana Johnson-Boria reading "The Daughter Becomes Her Mother's Body"
What is something happening (or not happening) in your life, where you are rushing the pace to force fruition? In this Poetic Interlude, Tatiana Johnson-Boria reads her poem “The Daughter Becomes Her Mother’s Body,” first published in
Ep. 34: Don't Deny Your Genius for People's Performative Insecurities
Do you live alive? What if you navigated the world knowing you have a genius?In this episode of The Rest of Us, host Dana Tenille Weekes holds space for listeners to (1) let them know they have a genius; and ...
Poetic Interlude - Benin Lemus reading "The Fifth City"
What are the qualities, obvious and subtle, that show up for you? This Poetic Interlude features Benin Lemus and also celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Torch Literary Arts, an organization established to publish and promote ...
Poetic Interlude - Amanda Johnston reading "For Loud Women Like Me"
How do you find honey in the marrow of the night and pass the cup around? This Poetic Interlude features Amanda Johnston and also celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Torch Literary Arts, an organization established to publish ...
Ep. 33: Systems Won't Save You, So Know When to Leave
Have you felt you’ve met milestones in your life that, as a child, people implied were supposed to be mountaintops, but they aren't? If you’re not saying, “No,” then this episode is for you.In this episode of The Rest of Us, ho...
Poetic Interlude - Mary McAfoose reading "Just because you can"
What do you want to do with your life that has been given breath? In this Poetic Interlude, Mary McAfoose reads her poem “Just because you can.”Creatives, including poets, show us how to embrace our humanity and act on...
Poetic Interlude - Rosa Castellano reading "A GIRL THE COLOR OF A CRACKED WINDSHIELD WAITS WITH HER SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN A TUB—"
Think of a time when you wanted or needed to disappear into the waiting, to collapse time, and in the “genderless dark,” dream. What do you become?In this Poetic Interlude, Rosa Castellano reads her poem “A GIRL THE COLOR OF A CRACKED...
Ep. 32: What is Familiar to You Isn't Serving You
When your good is right in front of you, do you see it as a threat? In this episode of The Rest of Us, host Dana Tenille Weekes explores how the word “familiar” shapes our mindset, likening it to carbon dioxide. <...
Poetic Interlude - Elizabeth Spenst reading "I Am"
Who are you and the people you come from? In this Poetic Interlude, Elizabeth Spenst reads her poem “I Am.”Creatives, including poets, show us how to embrace our humanity and act on our truths. We in The Rest of Us community view ...
Poetic Interlude - Nicole J. Evans reading "Strategies of a Savior"
How else can we stay grounded in our knowing amid turmoil? In this Poetic Interlude, Nicole J. Evans reads her poem "Strategies of a Savior.”Creatives, including poets, show us how to embrace our humanity and act on our truths. We...
Ep. 31: A Love Letter to Your Possibilities
What possibilities were you created to make real?In this episode, Dana reads a love letter she wrote for The Rest of Us community, calling us to settle into the unfamiliar parts of ourselves. Because Dana believes that's where our greate...
Poetic Interlude - Omavi Shukur reading "thingafication of a soul"
How would you describe the difference between liberatory rest and predatory leisure? In this Poetic Interlude, Omavi Shukur shares his poem "thingafication of a soul" (originally published in Hanging Loose magazine, Iss...
Poetic Interlude - Gauri Awasthi reading "Prayer from a Non-Believer"
How is liberation possible in life and death? In this Poetic Interlude, Gauri Awasthi reads her poem "Prayer from a Non-Believer" in her debut poetry collection Mother Wound (Trio House Press, October 2026)....
Ep. 30: Calling All Leaders: Let Your Workplace Hero Identity Go with Guest Robb King
“When you take on being the hero, you’re willing to sacrifice relationships and social connections because your worth is tied to producing. There’s pride attached to it.” What resonates when you read this?In this episode of The Rest of U...
Poetic Interlude - Jae Nichelle reading "Sci-fi Black Lead"
What are some simple things we overlook with each blink? How do we share apples with no urgency? In this Poetic Interlude, Jae Nichelle shares her poem “Sci-fi with Black Lead."Creatives, including poets, show us how to embrace ou...
Poetic Interlude - Derrick Weston Brown reading "Pool"
What bodily sensations can you recall that signify rest should be near? In this Poetic Interlude, Derrick Weston Brown shares his poem “Pool” (previously published in Narrative Northeast Journal).Creative expression is a ...
Ep. 29: Calling All Leaders: Shifting from Reactive Tendencies to Purposeful Action with Guest Farah Hussain
As a follow-up to our last episode, Farah Hussain, Leadership Advisor & Executive Coach, joins host Dana Tenille Weekes to talk about how workplace leaders adopt and normalize reactive tendencies as part of a “cost of doing business”...
Poetic Interlude - Remica Bingham-Risher reading "In My Best Dreams They Are On the Water"
How do you let stillness into your body as we live in an infinitely difficult world? In this Poetic Interlude, Remica Bingham-Risher shares her poem "In My Best Dreams They Are On The Water" (from her latest poetry collection, Room S...
Poetic Interlude - Mai-Linh Hong reading "Harvest Moon with Wildfire"
How do you deeply care for the land to ground your living self within the collective of all living things? In this Poetic Interlude, Mai-Linh Hong shares her poem "Harvest Moon with Wildfire" (from her forthcoming debut collection, C...
Ep. 28: Calling All Leaders: Yes, It's You. You're Causing Your Team (and You) Unrest
In this episode, "Calling All Leaders: Yes, It's You. You're Causing Your Team (and You) Unrest," host Dana Tenille Weekes talks about how work environments are breeding grounds for burnout and performative practices.Dana calls in...
Poetic Interlude - Jasmine Vallejo-Love reading “My Response When the Instructor Prompted Us to Craft a Poem About Flowers at a Time Like This”
How has your lineage influenced how you rest? In this Poetic Interlude, Jasmine Vallejo-Love shares her poem “My Response When the Instructor Prompted Us to Craft a Poem About Flowers at a Time Like This” and a reflection prompt on rest.&nbs...
Poetic Interlude - Kira Tucker reading "Off on Holiday"
What happens when our rest is tied up in someone else’s oppression? In this Poetic Interlude, Kira Tucker shares her poem “Off on Holiday” and a reflection prompt on rest. Creative expression is a portal to rest as liberation...
Ep. 27: Let the World Catch Up: Part 2 of 2
In Part 2 of our "Let the World Catch Up" episode, host Dana Tenille Weekes dives into the remaining three of five mindsets to meet those moments in life when you feel like you’re onto something that you can see (but most people can’t see) or y...
Poetic Interlude - Susan L. Leary Reading "Idle"
The Rest of Us is doing something different for Season Two! Every other week, we will feature two of over 30 poets in a segment we call “Poetic Interlude,” launching during National Poetry Month. In this Poetic Interlude, Susan L. Leary shar...