Slate's Dear Prudence

Prudence is joined this week Kelly Anneken, an Oakland-based funny person and all-around swell gal who performs standup comedy. She’s best known as the host of The Handmaid’s Tale recap podcast Red All Over. Together they tackle letters about how to handle an opportunity to report a former teacher who sexually abused you decades ago, what to do when your partner’s sleep schedule is the opposite of yours, what to do when you’re turned off by your partner who promises sexy time that never happens, what to consider when the bride and groom don’t thank you for spending all year planning their wedding, how to decide if you should go to your father’s birthday when you know that an abusive aunt you haven’t seen in years will be there. Slate Plus members will hear Prudie and Anneken discuss a letter writer who’s wondering how to decide if she should stay with her porn addicted boyfriend. Not yet a member? Sign up at

Prudence is joined this week by author and activist, Aya de León, who teaches creative writing at UC Berkeley. She is the author of the Justice Hustlers feminist heist series, including Side Chick Nation , the first novel published about Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Together they tackle letters about what to do when a hiring manager calls your husband about a job that you applied to, how to handle nosy coworkers who question when you leave work to care for your son, what to do when your fat shaming, homophobic colleagues chastise you for not wanting to socialize, what to do when you suspect your Jewish faith is keeping your girlfriend’s Mormon family at a distance, what to know about planning on permanently staying “in the closet”, should you say something to your friend who is spending a lot of money on a mutual friend that already has a boyfriend. Slate Plus members will hear Prudie and de León discuss a letter writer who’s wondering how to tell her mother that she’s moving to her country of origin, despite her mom’s attempts to “erase” that part of her life due to a bitter divorce. Not yet a member? Sign up at

Prudence is joined this week by Chrissy Macken, who runs a career coaching consultancy in Washington, DC with a focus on helping professionals break free from toxic work environments. Together they dig into letters about how to move past the embarrassment of your drunken behavior on your daughter’s wedding day, how to set boundaries with a business partner you also have a searing crush on, what to do about coworkers who constantly interrupt your private headphone time, how to get out of carpooling with a coworker who dumps her woes on you every morning, what actions to take when you discover coworkers making fun of your disability in social media. Also, Prudie plays a voicemail from a listener who feels her friend “over apologizes” in most situations. Slate Plus members will hear Prudie and Macken discuss a letter writer who’s disappointed that her friends aren’t celebrating her home purchase in the same way she celebrated their major life events. Not yet a member? Sign up at

Prudence is joined this week by Marianne R. Williams, the Librarian-in-Residence and Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas. Together they tackle letters about what to do when your absentee father wants back into your life, how to handle a friend who often slips into racist accents, what to consider when your husband admits he’s a sex addict, what to consider when your cancer stricken boyfriend wants to break up, what to do when you find your husband’s secret stash of sexy barbie dolls, how to decide whether to reveal a devastating truth to breakup the marriage of a woman responsible for breaking up your relationship. Slate Plus members will hear Prudie and Williams discuss a letter writer who’s mother’s connection to estranged family members on social media is causing a bigger family rift. Not yet a member? Sign up at

Prudence is joined this week by Tonya Mosley is the host of KQED's (NPR's San Francisco station) new podcast