Alone At Lunch

This week we are joined by Ruby Dubie Doo! You might know her as the woman making unique clothes online, but Ruby Dubie Doo is also Carly’s childhood next door neighbor!In this episode, Ruby Dubie talks about her rise as a viral content creator. She reflects on her internet fame—from a viral mozzarella clip to a massive post about dress colors—and building a community of hundreds of thousands of followers. The conversation also explores her childhood spent feeling like an outsider, navigating creative pursuits purely for joy. Give this episode a listen! Recommendations From This Episode: @couture.to.the.maxProject Runway  Follow Ruby Dubie: @ruby_dubie_dooFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpod Please rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Email us: [email protected]  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we are joined by Tarajia Morrell! Tarajia Morrell is a native New Yorker who grew up at the table. Her food and wine reporting and essays have appeared in WSJ. Magazine, T Magazine, Food & Wine, Departures, and Cherry Bombe, among other publications. Morrell is the co-author of James Beard Award-winner Savor: A Chef’s Hunger for More, with Fatima Ali. Her memoir, Desire Feeds the Feast is out now. In this episode, Tarajia sits down with Carly and Emily to discuss her latest memoir, Desire Feeds the Feast, exploring how storytelling provided clarity through life’s transitions and early motherhood. She reflects on her childhood inside a rent-stabilized Manhattan apartment steeped in her family's culinary and wine pursuits, her deep craving for rural freedom during escapes upstate, and her view of hospitality as an art form rooted in generous care. The conversation covers her experiences feeling like an outsider during her school years, facing the realities of single parenting, discovering solidarity among fellow moms.  Recommendations From This Episode: Somebody Feed PhilCall Me By Your Name Follow Tarajia Morrell: @tarajiamorrellFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpod Please rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Email us: [email protected]  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we are joined by Kennedy Cole! Kennedy Cole is a speculative author with a BFA in Creative Writing and a Certificate in Publishing. Born in North Carolina, she lives by the beach with her partner and enjoys playing games, puzzling, sipping matcha, and collecting tattoos. Her creative portfolio includes an array of published fiction, poetry, and nonfiction with Oakland Arts Review, Carolina Muse, Second Story Journal, and others. There Used to Be People Here is her first novel.In this episode, Kennedy discusses how a college short story grew into a horror-sci-fi book set in 1978 Mississippi, and how writing without an outline helped the story take shape. She reflects on bringing her experiences as a Black and bisexual writer into her work, creating fully human characters, and exploring what it means to feel like an outsider. Kennedy also shares how she landed a book deal before graduating college, navigates publishing and promotion, and finds inspiration in the everyday spaces where she feels most at ease. Recommendations From This Episode:The Bones Beneath My SkinX FilesAll The Sinners Bleed Follow Kennedy: @kennedyreadsandwritesFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpodPlease rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Email us: [email protected]  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we are joined by Cantor Laura Stein! Laura Stein is a cantor, licensed clinical social worker, and PhD candidate in the psychology of religion, blending spiritual care, mental health, and research on how to live a meaningful, whole life. Growing up knowing she was a lesbian gave her an outsider’s view of the world, and after experiencing abuse at her cantorial seminary, she turned from singing in pulpits to studying trauma, reclaiming one’s voice, and how personal healing and collective justice can drive change. She’s now writing a book that weaves that research with her story of overcoming spiritual harm. She stays connected to sacred Jewish music by officiating weddings and lifecycle events, work that landed her in Vogue and on a list of NYC’s Top 20 Wedding Officiants. In this episode, Laura joins Carly and Emily to discuss her work as a cantor, social worker, and PhD researcher studying how justice is taught in clergy training. She reflects on how harm and silencing during her own seminary experience inspired her research and became part of a longer journey toward healing and reclaiming her voice. The conversation also explores queer identity, growing up in the 1990s, and how moments of loneliness can shape who we become. Recommendations From This Episode:Kissing Girls on ShabbatThe Jews of SummerAlone Kissing Girls On Shabbat with Dr. Sara Glass Follow Laura: @cantorlaurasteinFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpodPlease rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Email us: [email protected]  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we are joined by Tanya Grant! Tanya Grant writes twisty thrillers packed with secrets, murder, and gossipy group dynamics. Her essays have appeared in Writer’s Digest and CrimeReads, and she’s spoken about creativity on various podcasts.Tanya lives in Seattle with her family and a herd of cute but messy guinea pigs. When she’s not writing or conducting highly suspicious web searches (for research!), you can find her gardening in her foxglove-filled yard or dreaming up her next plot twist over a cup of cinnamon tea.In this episode,Tanya Grant joins Carly and Emily to discuss her new psychological thriller, *A Beautiful Lie*—a queer story of obsession set in a Newport mansion, where intimacy, trust, and privilege shape the characters’ lives. She shares how her journey from romance writing to thrillers, her love of research, and her hyperfocus influenced the book, alongside reflections on her later-in-life ADHD diagnosis and the role of burnout in understanding herself. The conversation also explores handling reader feedback, motherhood, and taking risks.  Recommendations From This Episode:Count My LiesYou Follow Tanya: @tanyagrantbooksFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpodPlease rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Email us: [email protected]  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.