Here you will find a carefully curated collection of some of Michele Weldon’s ongoing work as a nonfiction author, journalist, essayist, seminar leader and public speaker as well as select work from books, essays, keynotes, workshops, editorial consultation, opeds and more. You can purchase her books here. Contact: micheleweldon@msn.com Twitter: @micheleweldon
Recent audio, video:
CAPSTRAT The Recharge: “Why The Truth Is Worth The Risk,” May 25, 2023
TEDX Wilmette, “Truth is A Dare: The Power of Claiming Your Story,” April 22, 2023
Talk Radio One interview with Steven Spierer, December 17, 2022.
Voicebox Live Story, December 13, 2022.
Interview on Amber Heard Trolled on Social Media After Testimony – YouTube “Inside Edition,” May 17, 2022
Interview with Stephanie Storey, Storey Time, April 7, 2022
Interview with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, on Standing Firm keynote, October 19, 2021. Watch here.
“COVID Calls: A Conversation on Vaccination Culture,” May 17, 2021, with Scott Gabriel-Knowles and Marion Renault. Watch here.
“Our Words Ourselves,” January 14, 2021 a virtual conversation through Women & Children First bookstore with authors Maria Hinojosa, Koa Beck, Deb Douglas, Alicia Elliott and me talking about our new books, the need for all voices to tell important stories. Watch here.
Watch my contribution to “Home For The Holidays” reading a chapter from my latest book for the Museum of Broadcast Communications, December 28, 2020
Listen to my interview with Susan Loubet on KUNM-FM Radio, “Women’s Voices,” December 26, 2020
Watch Take The Lead Book Club Discussion with Lesley Jane Seymour. December 3, 2020
Watch River Forest Public Library Event with Village President Cathy Aducci, Sunday, November 9, 2020
Listen, read Dr. Nancy D O’Reilly’s podcast interview with the author, “Life, Work and Meaning,” October 5, 2020
Watch the latest book discussion with storyteller Arlene Malinowksi and the author at Bookends & Beginnings, October 1, 2020.
Listen to conversation on storytelling and the truth with Deirdre Breckenridge on the Women Worldwide Podcast. August 28, 2020.
Listen to author discussing her new book with Amy Guth on WGN Radio, August 1, 2020
Watch a short video of author discussing her new book, “Act Like You’re Having A Good Time.”
Listen to June 15, 2020 podcast, “Amplifying Your Voice,” on Healio.
Watch author on Take The Lead’s Virtual Happy Hour January 2020
Listen to June 2019 “Airtime” podcast on “Escape Points”
Watch video of presentation to NU Council of 100, November 2017.
See clips from her NU Summer Writers Workshop 2015.
Watch an October 2015 TV interview on Escape Points.
Listen to her presentation and reading from Prairie Lights Bookstore, Iowa City, October 23, 2015
Watch a clip from Journalism & Women Symposium 2014 panel on online harassment with Mary C. Curtis and Susy Schultz.
2024:
“When Ending A Friendship Is The Best Thing,” AARP The Ethel, January 19. 2024.
2023:
“The Simple Power of Martha Stewart’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover,” MSNBC Opinion, May 19, 2023.
2023: “Make These 12 Promises For Your Best Year Yet,” AARP: The Ethel, January 21, 2023
2022:
“Want to Fight Off Stress? Here’s The Key,” AARP: The Ethel, October 31, 2022
“Single by Choice: Why I Am Content to Be Without a Plus-One,” AARP The Ethel, October 17, 2022
“Six Degrees of Separation,” Last Word column, West Suburban Living, September, 2022.
“Resurrecting the Artist Within Is the Best Part of My Life,” AARP The Ethel, May 16, 2022.
“Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Trial Is Horrifying To Domestic Violence Survivors,” USA Today, May 16, 2022
“When Memory Begins To fade,” Last Word column, West Suburban Living May 2022.
“Nurturing Close Friendships From Afar,” Last Word column, West Suburban Living, March 2022.
“The Limits of Goal Setting,” Last Word column, West Suburban Living, February 2022.
2021:
“HBO’s ‘Sex and the City’ Reboot Revives Outdated Marriage Tropes, NBC Think, December 9, 2021
“Not About The Soup: A Sister’s Recipe For Her Brother’s Last Days,” Next Avenue, October 28, 2021,
“Women Whistleblowers Aren’t Always Believed,” MS. Magazine, October 16, 2021.
“I hope Elizabeth Holmes didn’t suffer abuse. As a survivor, I hope she’s not lying about it,” USA TODAY, September 14, 2021
“The Color Blue: Elegy For My Brother Paul,” Medium, August 24, 2021
“How Did I Get Here? When Your Third Act Has an Unexpected Twist,” Covey Club, April 2021
“Americans Travel to Get Vaccinated,” Washington Post, April 11, 2021
“No Shame On You: Is Humiliation Gendered?” Ms. Magazine, March 21, 2021
“My family has used nicknames to express love,” NBC-Think, March 13. 2021
“It’s Time to End The TV Trope of the Needy Empty-Nest Mom,” Washington Post, February 2, 2021
“Why I Refuse To Be Retired From Usefulness,” Next Avenue reprint, February 2, 2021
2020:
“Why I Refuse To Be Retired From Usefulness,” Covey Club December 23, 2020
“I Can’t Forget Those Silver Haired Ladies on The Silver Screen,” USA Today, December 23, 2020
“I Love My Grown Children, But I’m Not Willing To Die Because of Their Pandemic Choices,” November 19, 2020, Huffington Post
“Reading Again: Are books a good alternative distraction?” The Hill, November 7, 2020.
“During Zoom calls, keep your pants on: It’s not prudishness, it’s white male privilege,” USA Today, October 24, 2020
“Power Play: Abbie Hoffman, Pence, Trump & Toxic Male Microaggressions,” Hill Reporter, October 16, 2020
“Full of Yourself,” Chapter excerpt in Better, October 15, 2020
“I Dream Of My Late Mother,” Next Avenue, Excerpt from Act Like You’re Having A Good Time, October 12, 2020
“The Other White Women: Not Buying Into The Hate,” Hill Reporter, September 21, 2020
“COVID-19 Has Made Me Rethink Much Of My Life,” NBC Think, August 30, 2020
Review in Booklist, September, 2020
“Is The Generational Divide Old News?,” Hill Reporter, August 25, 2020.
“Power Outage? A Metaphor For Where Women Stand Today,” Ms. Magazine, August 19, 2020
“Are Women Finally Reclaiming Their Time?” The Hill, August 17, 2020
“The Sounds Have Gone Missing,” Medium, August 6, 2020
“Is Happiness Possible Now?” Better, August 4, 2020
“I Miss The Shoes,” Thrive Global, June 1, 2020
“Can You Write To Save Your Life?” Thrive Global, April 24, 2020
Catch up with her work as editorial director on Take The Lead’s Movement Blog.
Read her monthly columns in West Suburban Living.
2019:
“Not Laughing, Domestic Violence Is No Joke,” The Hill, November 22, 2019
“I Go Swimming To Try To Forget,” NBC Think, October 6, 2019
“The Indelible Memory of Assault,” Pacific Standard, June 27. 2019
“Finding The Positive in Negative Space,” Pacific Standard, May 29, 2019
“The Heroine That Every Woman Over 50 Needs,” Considerable, March 15, 2019.
Read the three weekly columns at Take The Lead’s Movement Blog.
“The Growing Power of Women Over 60,” Considerable, March 19, 2019
Last Word Column Archive, West Suburban Living, March 2019
“Is That All There Is? Finding My Purpose,” Forbes, February 19, 2019
“Do These 5 Things To Be Happier As You Age,” Considerable, January 17, 2019
“Online Dating After 50,” Considerable, February 12, 2019
2018:
“Why Would Women Lie?” USA Today, November 16, 2018
“The Role Of Women’s Anger,” Pacific Standard Magazine, September 2018
“A For Effort, F for Execution: Grading The NYT OpEd,” The Hill, September 2018:
“Stop Telling Women They Are Too Old To Wear Something,” NBC News, August 2018
“Odd Woman Out: Favoritism in The Workplace,” Fairygodboss, June 2018
“Will Silver Hair Help or Hurt Your Career?” Ladders, May 2018
“Ready To Go Viral? Here’s How You Should Dress At Work,” Fairygodboss, May 2018
“The Most Effective Way To Combat Age Discrimination at Work,” Fairygodboss, April 2018
“Rob Porter Shows How Far We’ll Go To Silence Victims” Time Magazine, February 2018
“Find Your Voice: Women Tech Entrepreneurs Speak Out,” Huffington Post, January 2018
Take The Lead Women’s Movement Blog
Read all Michele Weldon’s Fairygodboss articles here
Archived West Suburban Living Monthly Columns 2018 here
2017:
Get Real: Holiday Snapshots of Motherhood Not All They Seem, Los Angeles Review of Books, December 25, 2017.
Huffington Post Columns on Women in Business.
“How I Raised 3 Feminist Sons,” Fairygodboss, December 2017.
“Karaoke in The Kitchen,” Last Word Column, West Suburban Living, November/December 2017.
“Pay Attention,” Last Word Column, West Suburban Living, October 2017.
“Any Volunteers?” Last Word Column, West Suburban Living, September 2017.
Archived Monthly Columns, West Suburban Living, 2017.
“Age Defying: More Older Women in The Workplace,” Medium, August 23, 2017.
Column in Medium, “I Never Apologized For My Father,” June 15, 2017.
Listen to her conversation with Amy Guth on WGN Radio on memoir writing, June 10, 2017.
Column in Fairygodboss: “Joke’s on You,” June 10, 2017.
Column in The Ladders, “Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Being Likeable At Work.” May 9, 2017.
Column in Garnet News, “Single Mothers Balancing Professional Lives,” March 21, 2017.
Column in Women’s E News, “10 Leadership Lessons from Beauty & The Beast,” March 23, 2017.
Writers Resist in Chicago, January 2017.
Read her latest weekly columns on Take The Lead’s Movement Blog.
2016:
Archived collection of weekly Take The Lead columns, February 2, 2016 through present
Column on Thrive Global, “Why Are We Surprised by News Of Domestic Violence?”, December 9, 2016
Column in Motto/Time.com,” Sexism Isn’t A Women’s Issue,” October 10, 2016
Column on Medium, “‘No One Looks Like Me’: Why We Need More Women of Color in Leadership,” September 30, 2016
Column in Huffington Post, “Reframe The Convo: From Having It All to Valuing Care,” September 29, 2016
Column in Washington Post,“Why Are American Mothers Rarely Portrayed as Competent?” May 17, 2016
Column in Huffington Post, “My 5 Best Mother’s Day Gifts and Why,” May 2, 2016
Column in Medium, “Truth Wins: Takedown of Hastert Proves He Can’t Escape Sexual Assault of Minors,” April 27, 2016
Column in USA Today, “Catholic Families Need More From Pope Francis,” April 10, 2016
Column in Pacific Standard Magazine,” How Raising Sons Shapes a Different Kind of Love,” March 28, 2016
Column in OZY.com, “How Does A Single Mom Raise A Good Man?” January 5, 2016
2015:
Column for Books By Women, “Lessons Learned From Writing a Memoir or Two,” November 17, 2015.
Column in Womensenews.org, “Parenting While Single,” October 29, 2015
Column in Medium, “Stand Ins Wanted for 3 Playful Boys,” October 7, 2015
Column in Huffington Post, “7 Things Wrestling Taught My Sons That I Could Not,” September 8, 2015
Quartz, “Yes, Women can have it all, so why can’t Hollywood show working moms with happy families?” August 21, 2015
Excerpt from Escape Points, August 31, 2015, “A Wrestling Mom Tussles With Cauliflower Ear,” Narratively.
Excerpt from Escape Points, August 31, @015, “The Challenges of Dating as A Single Mid-Life Mom,” Next Avenue, PBS.
Starred Review, Booklist, August 27, 2015.
My column in Cosmopolitan, August 17, 2015, Roller Derby.
My column in Cosmopolitan, July 14, 2015, “13 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Had Sons.”
Column in Medium, “Fathers: Lost and Found,” June 15, 2015
Column in TIME.com, “Stop Saying Moms Can’t Be Ambitious”, June 11, 2015
Oped in Chicago Tribune, “Why The Hastert Allegations Are About More Than 1 Man,” June 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews on Escape Points: A Memoir ; Book Launch September 1, 2015
Column in Chicago Tribune,”In Praise of Those Who Stay,” May 6, 2015.
Keynote, Indiana University Northwest, Gender, Justice and The Media Conference, March 12, 2015.
Honoree, Bubble Ball, Between Friends, March 7, 2015.
2014:
Column in Medium, “Is It What It is? A Crisis Year for Discerning The Truth,” December 30, 2014.
Column co-authored with Deborah Douglas in Pacific Standard Magazine, “Two Executions and The Unity of Mourning,” August 22, 2014
Essay on graduation in Medium June 27, 2014.
Mentioned in Soraya Chemaly’s column.
Read Pacific Standard Magazine on Fatherless Doom, 6/12/2014.
Read Talking Points Memo on Jill Abramson’s firing 5/23/2014.
Read “Good Mothers Die” in Medium May 8, 2014.
Read “Your Brain on Story” in Pacific Standard 4/24/2014.
Michele Weldon was co-director of TEDXNorthwesternU 2014 April 12 in the McCormick Tribune Center Forum. Click for the 9 talks plus her intro.
Watch Medill Talks (February 27, 2014) that Weldon directed and also delivered, “Your Brain On Story.”
Read about Tiger Moms in The Guardian on January 9, 2014.
2013:
Weldon on breast cancer awareness and the prevention trap In October 2013.
Discussion on WBEZ on “A call for different voices.” September 2013.
Weldon published a piece on age and gender perceptions Sept. 4, 2013 in Quartz with Diana Nyad as the news hook.
Her oped, “Doctors and teachers deserve more confidentiality than journalists?” ran in the August 21, 2013 Quartz.com
Clearing the dark cloud of mistrust among journalists” was Weldon’s oped in AlJazeera English August 15, 2013.
Read her oped for CNN 7.9.2013: “For working moms, it’s about ‘and,’ not ‘or.’”
Read her Huffington Post Father’s Day piece. Also in HuffPo, a journalist’s thank you note.
Read her CNN piece June 18, 2013 on Nigella Lawson and domestic abuse.
Read Father’s Day piece in New York Times.
Read about take your parents to work, or stay at home for elder care day.
Read her piece in Slate on women who are hot messes, April 5, 2013.
Read her oped in the Christian Science Monitor, ”Fallout from Olympic Wrestling Takedown,” on February 25, 2013, was reprinted in dozens of newspapers and prompted a guest spot on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Read oped on Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and women in media in Al Jazeera on 2/25/2013.
Michele Weldon’s piece in Al Jazeera on January 9, 2013 on the Steubenville, Ohio rape was the lead oped.
2012:
Read about Adam Lanza’s mother in womensnews in December 2012.
Read about the gender gap in Al Jazeera October 24, 2012.
Authors walk the walk. in Huffington Post October 2013.
Read all her Huffington Post columns here.
Read Father’s Day opinion piece in Chicago Tribune, 6.11.2011
Listen to a discussion on WBEZ-Fm’s 848 regarding media bias:
Interview with Weldon about first person narrative journalism in Imagination Publishing:
Read a blog about her work as a journalist and author.
