When my mind tries to protect me from things that cause me pain, I have to redirect my sadness onto something else. I won’t cry about the lack of clarity in my professional life so I’ll listen to my “Sad White Boys” playlist and let a tear go for the ache in Chet Baker’s voice as he sings “My Funny Valentine.” Ashley C. Ford does something similar, and I’m so glad I got to talk to her about the catharsis that happens when you make yourself sad on purpose.

Indulgence

Nichole recommends a painting kit!

Guest

Ashley C. Ford’s New York Times best-selling memoir, Somebody’s Daughter, was published by Flatiron Books in June 2021. Ford is the former host of The Chronicles of Now podcast, co-host of The HBO companion podcast Lovecraft Country Radio. Ford has written or guest-edited for ELLE Magazine, Slate, Teen Vogue, New York Magazine, The New York Times, Domino, Cup of Jo, and various other web and print publications. She currently lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband, poet and fiction writer Kelly Stacy, and their chocolate lab Astro Renegade Ford-Stacy.

Find Us Online

- Twitter: @ThisIsGoodPod

- Instagram: @ThisIsGoodPod

- Merch: thisisgoodpod.com/merch

- Patreon: thisisgoodpod.com/patreon

- Nichole: @tnwhiskeywoman

- Multitude: @MultitudeShows

- Email: thisisgoodpod@gmail.com

Production

- Producer: Eric Silver

- Editor: Brandon Grugle

- Executive Producers: Amanda McLoughlin and Nichole Perkins

- Theme Music: Donwill

- Artwork: Jessica E. Boyd

About The Show

Nichole Perkins wants people to stop feeling bad about feeling good, and This Is Good For You lets you know you are never alone in what you like. Every episode, Nichole explores something that people love—whether it’s needlepoint, watching bad movies with friends, or cowgirl exercise classes—and asks experts and devotees why it makes them happy. She ends each show with an Indulgence: a recommendation that listeners can enjoy with no remorse. There’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure when you learn to love it freely! To find out what’s good for you, listen to new episodes every other Friday.