"I Never Liked The Idea of Looking Like a Mom."

"I Never Liked The Idea of Looking Like a Mom."

From The Burnt Toast Podcast by Virginia Sole-Smith

May 14, 2026 · 41 min · Episode 245

About this episode

Virginia Sole-Smith interviews Jamilah Lemieux about single motherhood, co-parenting, and the social dynamics of dating.

You’re listening to Burnt Toast! Today my conversation is with Jamilah Lemieux . Jamilah is an award-winning writer, cultural critic, and leading voice in digital feminism, known for shaping online conversations around race, gender, and relationship. She writes the Care and Feeding Parenting Advice column for Slate , and her work has appeared in outlets like the Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, and the Washington Post. Jamilah is also the author of the brand new book, Black. Single. Mother. Real Life Tales of Longing and Belonging . I've been a fan of Jamilah from Slate's Care and Feeding Parenting Podcast, where she was a longtime co-host. Today we get into who gets to call themselves a single mom, the kind of social life co-parenting lets you have, the importance of friends, and we ask: Is dating (especially for single moms) a diet? Become a paid subscriber to comment, get episode transcripts, and hear Indulgence Gospel — our new bonus segment, running after every episode! Corinne hops on to debrief with me about my conversation with Jamilah. Indulgence Gospel segments are audio-only so don't miss out! You can listen right here (tap "play" above) or add us to Apple , Spotify…

People in this episode

Host: Virginia Sole-Smith

Guest: Jamilah Lemieux

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Slate, Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, Washington Post

Books & works: Black. Single. Mother. Real Life Tales of Longing and Belonging

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