Personal Narrative and Liberation w/ Rachel Krantz

by Jen Riley January 15, 2022

Author and award-winning journalist Rachel Krantz has written a truly extraordinary book, Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy. This week, she and Jasmin sit down to discuss this raw, vulnerable, and truly inspirational account of Rachel’s journey into the sometimes complicated world of polyamory and how that journey of self-discovery has interwoven with her veganism and animal rights activism. This wide-ranging conversation between two friends is not only a fascinating exploration of self-discovery, but depicts a story that will resonate with anyone who allows their instincts about the importance of animals and veganism to influence the course of their life.

Rachel Krantz is on the advisory board for Sentient Media, and we are lucky to have her on the board of directors of Our Hen House. She is the recipient of the Peabody Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights International Radio Award, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Radio Award, and the Edward R. Murrow Award for her work as an investigative reporter. Rachel was a Lead Writer for Mercy for Animals and is also one of the three founding editors of Bustle, where she served as Senior Features Editor and before that as Senior News Editor.

“When it comes to veganism, people are so defensive; there’s so much cognitive dissonance. Vegans in pop culture are often the brunt of a joke, but we are understandably trying to advocate for the animals.” – Rachel Krantz

Highlights for Episode 627:

Why Rachel wanted to tell the story of her first open relationship, which was also the relationship that saw her turn vegan
How personal narrative can be an essential ingredient for social change and why it is crucial to put aside our egos in telling our truth
Rachel’s work at Mercy for Animals and why she needed to shift away from mainstream media to focus on animal rights reporting
How Rachel and Jasmin connected based on their shared passion for animal activism
The importance of creating high-quality, well-referenced content when it comes to veganism
How Rachel’s memoir recounts how both veganism and her primary romantic relationship contributed to her personal development
How her disordered eating played out and the impact of veganism on her relationship with food
Why the polyamory community might be open to veganism

Connect with Rachel Krantz:

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Don’t forget to check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

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This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.