Notes From The Midwest is a podcast created by two friends who grew up in different parts of the Midwest. Committed to community, connection, and love, Katelyn Richey and Nic Cable aim to offer critical conversations that help people to imagine and foster a Midwest where all can live, learn, grow, and thrive. In times of political and social unrest, they hope to encourage deeper connection and empower listeners to help create the communities we know are possible.
The final episode of the first season of Notes from the Midwest focuses on listeners' reflections on lessons they are contemplating as the year draws to an end. Katelyn and Nic share those lessons along with their own as they say goodbye to a hard year that was 2025. The meditation that begins the episode can be read here: https://pathwriter.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/all-fall-down-mark-nepo/
10 Dec 2025
Parenting Without Notes
On this episode, Katelyn and Nic reflect on their own experiences of parenting little humans and recall similarities and differences to their childhoods. Nic ends the episode with this reading from Khalil Gibran titled "On Children": https://poets.org/poem/children-1
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have thoughts, questions, or feedback (notesfromthemidwest@gmail.com). We are glad you are a part of this community :)
18 Nov 2025
Since Our Last Episode
After a week off due to professional commitments, we discuss some of the recent work conferences we've attended. Katelyn shares about her recent trip to learn and present at the Kentucky Counseling Association (https://www.kyca.org) and Nic shares about a ministers conference he attends called Prairie Group, in which he delivered a paper this year (https://prairiegroup.org).
Thank you for your continued support and listening. If you'd like to reach out to us please do so by leaving a comment or writing to us at notesfromthemidwest@gmail.com.
Here are some resources mentioned in this episode:
https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/healthcare/youth_medical_care_bans
https://viewpointbooks.com/book/9781683738268
https://viewpointbooks.com/book/9780063424623
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-539/370703/20250826102657442_24-539%20tsac%20American%20Psychological%20Assn.pdf
3 Nov 2025
Love vs Ownership, Part 2
In this episode Katelyn and Nic recap the previous episode, where we covered topics such as seeing love as expansive and not transactional, metrics of success according to society and whether we should adopt them, understanding divorce as sometimes pro-relationship and not a failure, and arbitrary rules for partners/spouses.
We then talk about the now what— What do we do with/about this? Some of the things we discuss include friendships and intimacy and intentionally making choices about who gets our energy (and love might be an abundant resource but time and energy are not).
27 Oct 2025
Love vs Ownership, Part 1
In this episode, Katelyn and Nic start with a check-in to discuss:
1. How are we feeling so far
2. Feedback and how to get it to us (notesfromthemidwest@gmail.com)
3. A bit of a new structure: what, so what, and now what
We then move into discussing a topic that has been of high interest and importance to Katelyn for quite some time: Love vs Ownership.
In this conversation, we cover topics such as seeing love as expansive and not transactional, metrics of success according to society and whether we should adopt them, understanding divorce as sometimes pro-relationship and not a failure, and arbitrary rules for partners/spouses.
20 Oct 2025
The Middle
“‘Meet me in the middle,’ says the unjust man. You take a step toward him. He takes a step back. ‘Meet me in the middle,” says the unjust man. Beware of requests for compromise when you’re asking for justice and the other side is asking for consent to continue.” A. R. Moxon
In this episode Katelyn and Nic discuss how it feels to be in the Midwest— in the middle of corn, of big cities, of where big life events are happening. We discuss roots and a line from a book by Scott Russel Sanders where he asks his dad why he would eat dirt. We wonder if we’re forgotten here or if we want this.
We also take the discussion wider and consider whether it’s ever reasonable or possible to “leave politics out of it.” How to honor and not appropriate culture. And what it must feel like to be “in the middle” for Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples.
13 Oct 2025
Comedy in the Middle: A Prelude
A queer counselor and a minister make a podcast in a red state.
In this episode, Nic and Katelyn discuss comedy and its role within our lives and discussions.
How can we work joy and hope into a world that feels the opposite sometimes? Can laughing be revolutionary? Can comedy help us deal with hard things, and how much is appropriate?
We discuss the comment section of this Chris Olsen reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO3l-blDJME/?igsh=bXlsa2gwbGtldzF0
And this Jimmy Kimmel monologue: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/167eDevHkw/?mibextid=wwXIfr
We believe this episode is a prelude to the next episode, “The Middle,” where we really get to the meat of the issues.
This quote by Black comedian Dick Gregory leads us out, as it marries the topic of this episode with a teaser for next week:
“What I’ve come to learn in my long life is that ignorance is not bliss; it is time consuming and costly as hell.”
6 Oct 2025
What, Why, and How
The first episode of Notes From The Midwest tackles the What, Why, and How behind our starting this podcast. As we begin to share our perspectives from our notes and lived experiences in the Midwest, we hope you will share your thoughts with us. In these difficult times, we hope this episode will be the first of many to foster critical conversation and connection as we make sense and find our way forward together.
Please consider following, commenting, sharing with a friend or family member, and stay in touch! You can also send us a message via email at notesfromthemidwest@gmail.com.
3 Oct 2025
Welcome!
We are excited and looking forward to begin releasing episodes weekly starting this Monday. Here's just a short clip that introduces you to the what, why, and how we hope will follow.
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