Janet Topping

Feminist Sense Podcast

A podcast by Janet Topping

Where memory meets language. Where feminism reclaims the story.

Feminist Sense is a storytelling and reflection podcast that weaves memoir, feminist theory, and emotional truth into conversations that matter. Each episode invites you into the spaces where power, identity, and narrative intersect—where what we call things changes everything.

Whether you’re a writer, a survivor, or a seeker of deeper truths, Feminist Sense is your invitation to pause, reflect, and reclaim your story.

Created with the help of NotebookLM, a generative tool that supports deep research and reflective scripting, each episode offers a guided meditation on meaning-making and reclaiming one’s voice.

✨ Latest Episode

Episode Title: The Art of Symbolic Naming

Released: August 2nd, 2025
🎧 Listen now on Spotify
📖 Related Blog Post: “What Would You Call the People in Your Life”

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The Art of Symbolic Naming – Feminist Sense

The blog post, "What Would you call the people in your life," explores the transformative power of symbolic naming within personal narratives. The author, Janet Franklin Topping, explains how she re-names significant figures from her life, like her mother becoming "The Keeper" and her father "The Silent Guardian/Lasher," to reflect her perceived reality of their roles and the power dynamics within those relationships. This practice of assigning evocative titles, such as "The Shapeshifter" or "The Oak," allows the author to reclaim her narrative authority and articulate her experiences more authentically than traditional familial labels would allow. Ultimately, the text encourages readers to engage in their own symbolic naming to uncover hidden truths and assert control over their personal stories.Discover more at janettopping.com
  1. The Art of Symbolic Naming
  2. Religion and Entertainment
  3. Feminism in Media

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  • The Art of Symbolic Naming
    by Janet Topping
    The blog post, "What Would you call the people in your life," explores the transformative power of symbolic naming within personal narratives. The author, Janet Franklin Topping, explains how she re-names significant figures from her life, like her mother becoming "The Keeper" and her father "The Silent Guardian/Lasher," to reflect her perceived reality of their […]
  • Religion and Entertainment
    by Janet Topping
    Personal religious biases can develop from interactions with group members, exposure to intolerance, unacceptable behavior, and fear of rejection from family and friends. A personal experience of indoctrination in a religious family and subsequent rejection of it can also contribute to bias due to feelings of shame, guilt, and fear. Negative messages regarding non-heterosexual identity […]
  • Feminism in Media
    by Janet Topping
    Explore the multifaceted nature of bias, identity, and representation, particularly focusing on gender, religion, and sexual orientation. Examining the development of bias and its impact on LGBTQIA+ individuals, while also exploring ways to overcome these prejudices by promoting inclusivity and challenging societal norms. Addressing gender inequality through the idealization of domesticity, the devaluation of women's […]

📚 About the Podcast Creator

Janet Topping is a writer, educator, and memoirist whose work explores trauma, feminism, narrative healing, and the symbolic language of survival. Her upcoming book Songs of Silence uses mythic storytelling to reframe the legacy of emotional captivity, survival, and the reclamation of self.