Postpartum Production
Novelist and activist Kaitlin Solimine examines the intersection of caregiving and creative work, and what it means to be valued in a capitalist society.
Scope
Strategy, Vocal Repair and Enhancement, Dialogue Editing, Mixing, Show Notes, Distribution
How can we, as parents in early postpartum, reframe and reclaim our work as artists and caregivers to be seen as productive, valued, and meaningful? Postpartum Production explores how postpartum and parenting are not just personal experiences but intellectual, philosophical, and socially impactful pursuits.
When Kaitlin Solimine, a published, award-winning author and mother of three young children, was lying in bed recovering from her third childbirth, she had an epiphany: this time that most have described as “lost” time was, in fact, deeply creatively informative for her (she wrote part of her novel and even launched this podcast from that bed…). Now, she and her guests delve into the intersection of caregiving and creativity, offering insights, inspiration, and real-world strategies for integrating artistic work with parenthood—within the constraints of a capitalist world.
For anyone drawn to the generative tension between making art and raising children, or simply curious about what can emerge from life’s in-between spaces, these conversations offer a place to begin.
Kaitlin Solimine has called China a second home for nearly two decades, as well as Los Angeles, Costa Rica, France, Singapore, and currently, San Francisco.
Her early academic pursuits include a bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies at Harvard University, where she was a Harvard-Yenching scholar at Beijing University, and wrote and edited the travel guide, Let’s Go: China (St. Martin’s Press).
She was a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Creative Arts Fellow in China where she began work on her debut novel, Empire of Glass, completed as her MFA thesis at UC-San Diego. Published in 2017, Empire of Glass was a finalist for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, the Firecracker Awards for Independent Literature, and the Eyelands Book Awards.
She has been the recipient of several awards and residencies for her writing, and has been published in National Geographic News, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and many more publications.
Her written work centers around environmental and sustainability issues, travel and exploration, expatriate culture, US-China relations, childbirth, motherhood, and midwifery.
She launched The Postpartum Production Podcast in 2022.
Postpartum Production landed on our desk through a fellow AIR member (hi Sarah!), who was transitioning off the project and searching for a producer to take over the next season.
Erin, perfectly matching the audience profile, jumped at the chance to join the team and support Kaitlin’s mission to reframe the work of artists and caregivers as valuable, productive, and meaningful. Kula now handles all aspects of technical audio production and editing— a collaborative process with Kaitlin— ensuring each episode delivers a clear and impactful message. In addition to sound design, Kula manages content writing and distribution, helping the podcast reach and resonate with its growing community. As they wrap up their third season together, Erin and Kaitlin continue to refine and expand the show’s impact, one conversation at a time.
You can hear the full story on the origins of Postpartum Production on our blog here, or on the podcast here.
