What Matters With Alex Reads

Antonio Ferreira is a mental health advocate and campaigner. He speaks to me about his diagnosis of schizophrenia, and what that has meant for him as a young Black man today. I am still on holiday, so looking forward to sharing more about that in the next few weeks. My Book: Time To Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection The Time To Talk Project Gated Community: timetotalk.supercast.com Ask a question. Email: alex@alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I am speaking to Gregory David Roberts. He is a former heroin addict, escaped convict, and now a musician living in Jamaica. His bestselling book, Shantaram, is now a TV series on Apple TV+ and we chat about all things from his experience in a straight jacket to living in India for ten years on the run. I am still on holiday in Jamaica, so looking forward to sharing more about that in the next few weeks. My Book: Time To Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection The Time To Talk Project Gated Community: timetotalk.supercast.com Ask a question. Email: alex@alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the next two weeks, I am away. In these episodes, you will get full conversations with me and a guest. This episode is with a friend of mine, Mark McCartney. He wrote this newsletter called 'What Is A Good Life?' We talk about: Silent retreats in India Starting anew Finding out what a good life is My Book: Time To Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection The Time To Talk Project Gated Community: timetotalk.supercast.com Ask a question. Email: alex@alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I ask, 'Why are men lonely?' Articles referenced today: The Rise of Lonely, Single Men - Greg Matos, PsyD All The Lonely People Are Men - Greg Hurst My Book: Time To Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection The Time To Talk Project Gated Community: timetotalk.supercast.com Ask a question. Email: alex@alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is World Mental Health Day. Is Mental Health a global priority? Dr. Sanah's Guardian Article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/06/psychologist-devastating-lies-mental-health-problems-politics 'What resources are there for men who have therapy on their to-do list'? Ben West talks about writing his book 'This Book Could Save Your Life' Gated Community: timetotalk.supercast.com Men's Groups: MenSpeak - https://www.instagram.com/menspeakmensgroups/ Men's Circle - https://www.menscircle.club/ Ask a question: https://forms.gle/mEA8Meyi2VjCifAA7 Email: alex@alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Time To Talk. New episodes will be back on World Mental Health Day, October 10th. Until then, here's what has been happening! Looking forward to meeting you on October 10th. Ask questions here: https://forms.gle/dd6PT8X3ANJoYZRN6 Join the gated community on Steady: https://steadyhq.com/alexholmes Email: alex@alexholmes.co Socials: instagram.com/byalexholmes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HAPPY NEW YEAR! This episode was recorded at the end of the year. In this episode, I am joined by Simon Thomas, James Espey, Jonny Benjamin, Dr. Az, Adam Shaw, Hope Virgo, and Tom Chapman as we discussed the theme for International Men's Day. Confronting outdated ideas surrounding men’s identity & challenging stereotypes through the power of a shared story will be presented through a series of myths alongside a real-life depiction that busts the myth and creates a continued conversation around 'what it means to 'be a man' in 2021'.  If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode: Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/ Shawmind: www.shawmind.org Mind: www.mind.org.uk Look forward to seeing you next week with a fresh episode to kick-off 2022. CONTACT: Website: alexholmes.co Instagram: instagram.com/byalexholmes Newsletter: alexholmes.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[FROM THE ARCHIVE] - Jan 2020 Public philosopher Roman Krznaric talks to me about what it means to be a good ancestor. He wrote a book called The Good Ancestor, and I have to credit Roman with helping me to think a lot more about legacy, and the way we show up for future generations - especially in these times of Black Lives Matter, Coronavirus, Trump (and a severely divided America) and Brexit - need I say more? His book, The Good Ancestor, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[FROM THE ARCHIVES] - May 2021 Today's guest is Justin Baldoni.  He is an actor, director, producer, and co-founder, and co-chair of both Wayfarer Studios and the Wayfarer Foundation, and the heartthrob star of Jane The Virgin. Over the last ten years, Justin has been on a journey to explore masculinity and reimagine what it means to be a man, and human, in the world today. He has spoken about his journey with masculinity in his wildly popular TED Talk and in his series, Man Enough. His book, Man Enough came out in May 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Alex speaks to Kelechi Okafor. We ask the big questions: What possesses our joy? How do we move through the purpose of relationships? What does it mean to call-in, rather than call out? Kelechi is the founder of Kelechnekkoff Studios, and you can find her here. She is also the host of Say Your Mind Podcast. End of Year Review Form See you on Jan 14th for a brand new episode of Time To Talk. Instagram Liminalities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Alex speaks to Melz Owusu. We ask the big questions: Who has the right to imagine? Who needs to unlearn the responsibility of harm? Does masculinity equal harm? Melz is the founder of Free Black Uni. Instagram Liminalities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I speak to Jack Guinness about his new book, The Queer Bible. We discuss his experiences with homophobia in the modeling industry, growing up in London and we have a great in-depth conversation about identity. Find Jack Guinness here. Go further: instagram.com/byalexholmes alexholmes.substack.com alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special episode of Talk More brought to you in collaboration with Movember.  In Part 2, we are discussing Men and Therapy from a Black man's perspective. It's a hell of a ride! This podcast is in collaboration with Movember. Movember focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer in men, and has since 2003, funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research, and transforming the way health services reach and support men. Find the guys over at: Richard Harris Ryan Nile Nathaniel Oke Connect with me: Don't forget to get your tickets to ManTalk.live to join us on International Men's Day Go Deeper: Heart-To Heart Letters @byalexholmes alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special episode of Talk More brought to you in collaboration with Movember.  Today, I am joined by psychotherapist Nathaniel Oke, and my good friends Richard Harris and Ryan Nile. We are having an in-depth conversation as men today about the past year, filled with pandemic woes, collective racial trauma, and exploring why men need to have better conversations around mental health - especially in 2021. This podcast is in collaboration with Movember. Movember focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer in men, and has since 2003, funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research, and transforming the way health services reach and support men. Find the guys over at: Richard Harris Ryan Nile Nathaniel Oke Connect with me: Don't forget to get your tickets to ManTalk.live to join us on International Men's Day Go Deeper: Heart-To Heart Letters @byalexholmes alexholmes.co Learn more a

This week on Time To Talk, I'm honored to be joined by Sam Delaney. Sam is a writer and podcaster from London who has worked in the British media for 20 years as a print journalist magazine, editor, TV news, reporter, radio, presenter, and creative consultant. He hosts the top flight time machine podcast and writes and hosts a podcast regularly about mental health via his substack blog called The Reset. Connect with me: Don't forget to get your tickets to ManTalk.live to join us on International Men's Day Go Deeper: Heart-To Heart Letters @byalexholmes alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's MOVEMBER! This week on Time To Talk, I speak to psychotherapist James Hawes. We have a powerful discussion about anger, love, and the power of men’s groups. As a therapist, for James, it’s usually men who walk through his door. There, they have a myriad of discussions about sexuality, emotional regulation and learning how to be men of the best possible kind. His book, The Secret Lives Of Men: Ten Keys To Unlocking The Secret is an amazing guide for men and those who love them as a way of discerning the issues that men face. Connect with me: Don't forget to get your tickets to ManTalk.live to join us on International Men's Day Go Deeper: Heart-To Heart Letters @byalexholmes alexholmes.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Time To Talk.  Passing. Fetishisation. Colourism. Mixed race identity. These are the topics I have the pleasure of speaking to my friend Natalie Morris about this week on the show. Her book, Mixed/Other: Explorations of Multiraciality In Modern Britain.  The book comes at an essential time, especially in Black History Month where it can bring up very strong feelings of exclusion for mixed race black people when entering the conversation. Interestingly enough, out in cinemas this week is Passing - the new film written and directed by Rebecca Hall, starring Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson about African-Americans who had skin color light enough to be perceived as "white" - which is known as ‘Passing’. Gemma spoke to Rebecca Hall – who’s own Grandfather ‘passed’ as white - about the movie which is out in cinemas on October 27th and will be on Netflix on November 10th - and is based on the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen. We do have an in depth conversation about what it means to ‘pass’ especially today in

This week, I'm speaking to New York Times Bestselling author, Mateo Askaripour. We talk all things writing, being Black in a corporate setting, and optimism. His book, Black Buck, is an earnest work of satire, hilarious, and razor-sharp skewering of office culture; a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream. Go deeper: • Subscribe to the Heart To Heart Letters • Submit your questions to Anxiety Letters • Join the Time To Talk Book Club. • Join Masteri Academy to join a group of committed readers and self-healers. • Follow me on Instagram and VERO. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. Credits: Website: alexholmes.co Executive Produced: Alex Holmes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robin DiAngelo, Ph.D. is an academic, lecturer, and author working in the fields of critical discourse analysis. She is the affiliate professor of education at the University of Washington, and we speak about her new book: Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm. In this episode we talk about: Defining niceness Wokeness Cancel culture Why Is It Okay To Generalise About White People? White people can still be racist even if they have a level of oppression The role and impact of white women in ‘nice’ racism Go deeper: • Subscribe to the Heart To Heart Letters • Submit your questions to Anxiety Letters • Join the Time To Talk Book Club. • Join Masteri Academy to join a group of committed readers and self-healers. • Follow me on Instagram and VERO. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. Credits: Website: alexholmes.co Executive Produced: Alex Holmes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaking to Dr Alex Lathbridge is a joy. We talk about ghosts and hobbies, but more seriously we ask the questions about genetic and ancestry tests for the Black community, whether they are safe and what we should be looking out for. Also, are you interested in taking a Ph.D.? This might encourage you. Not one to miss! Go deeper: • Subscribe to the Heart To Heart Letters • Follow me on Instagram and VERO. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. Credits: Website: alexholmes.co Executive Produced: Alex Holmes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices