Managing Others' Belongings and Boundaries

This episode is just satisfying. I've heard from so many of you about how to deal with accumulated stuff. Not just accumulated linens, or too many hair products, but stuff with emotions attached: stuff that's been directed your way (with great import) from relatives, stuff you're trying to sift through when a parent died unexpectedly, or just artifacts from the last few decades of your life that you feel like you should keep (but definitely don't want to, or have space to). Professional organizer (and Culture Study reader) Tara Bremer joins the pod to grapple with so many of your complicated questions, like:

• What do I do with (very old) photo albums? Like, from the early 1900s?
• We moved into my Grandparents house and now we have to figure out what to do with boxes and BOXES of old history/Catholic theology books
• WTF do I do with my My Little Sisters' Vacuum-Sealed Cabbage Patch Dolls
• WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THE CHINA
• How to subtly tease the messaging between "I don't want this many things in my house" vs. "I don't want this many of YOUR things in my house"
• Will I regret not holding on to more things as I age?

We have such a meaningful discussion about the various forces we encounter when figuring out what to keep and pass on — and, of course, I can't wait to hear your own suggestions (and help with your own conundrums) in the comments.

Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode!

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Show Notes:

• Follow Tara on IG here and her professional account (for House Peace) here
• If you missed our subscriber-only episode about The Pitt, it's here
• That's it, no more show notes!

We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:

WHITE LADY HAIR! Cultural critic Sarah Mesle will be joining us to talk about her new book Tangled: Seven Iconic Moments in White Women's Hair and What They Tell Us About Power, Pleasure, and Complicity. If there's a white lady whose hair interests you, I guarantee you it interests Sarah, too. We can talk about specific celebrity/actress haircuts but also specific styles/trends. I cannot wait for this one.

INTERGENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIP with Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less (and Villa Coco, a new book with an intergenerational friendship at its center). You can ask questions about how to find intergenerational friends, how to sustain those friendships, what people seem to love so much about them, wherever your heart takes you.

Anything you need advice for/want musings about for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment.

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