Jaimie sits down with Hilde Festerling—queer mom, children’s writer, and the creator of the all-ages “barnyard gothic” audio drama podcast The Goat American Novel. Hilde shares the story of coming out later in life, navigating an amicable divorce, and building a creative partnership with her girlfriend. The heart of the episode is how Hilde’s family used storytelling as a literal lifeline: writing and producing a full podcast with her kids (and extended family!) became a sacred space through adolescence, transition, and big family change—while also creating queer representation that can still feel accessible for kids in conservative environments.
🏳️🌈 Key Takeaways
- Creative projects can be relationship glue. Hilde describes the podcast as a refuge—an art space where family conflict didn’t enter, even during hard parenting seasons.
- Kids can be your best collaborators. Hilde’s children didn’t just listen—they became the “writer’s room,” tracking plot threads, character arcs, and story logic.
- Queer joy + safety can coexist in kids’ media. Hilde talks about balancing being proudly out with creating art that can still reach kids living in conservative homes where “queer” content is policed.
- Representation isn’t always loud. Sometimes queerness that unfolds slowly (and isn’t “on the cover”) is exactly what helps certain kids find themselves safely.
- Family can stay family after divorce. Hilde emphasizes an amicable separation and a “split but still connected” family model that includes her ex as family.
🏳️🌈 About the guest(s) Hilde Festering is a children’s writer and storyteller, and the creator of the all-ages “barnyard gothic” podcast The Goat American Novel. Built with an ensemble of family voice actors—including her kids, siblings, ex-husband, girlfriend, and more—the project became both an epic storytelling experiment and a creative family tradition that supported connection through major transitions.
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