When Erika J. Simpson’s essay found its way into Roxane Gay’s newsletter, The Audacity, it set in motion the origins of what would become a beautifully layered memoir about Sallie Carol, a mother who stood so tall and shone so bright that one could be mesmerized by her ability to feel as if she were godlike. In This is Your Mother, Simpson would soon become aware of her mother’s humanness, as she sat at the edge of death during her fifth bout of cancer, and how her mother's endless reaching towards building a legacy came at the sacrifice of her daughters’ childhoods.

In this episode, Simpson speaks with us about her love for her mother, processing grief through her writing, and how shows like The X-Files and Sliders provided a necessary means of escapism. We also talk about Simpson’s special kinship with her sister and a unique birthday tradition that has lasted well over two decades.