Episode Description:

This week, Arielle and Karissa talk about two powerful wins for compassion and creativity. New York’s new law makes scalp cooling treatments more accessible for cancer patients, while a D.C. author reimagines book access with her “LitBox” vending machine. Together, they remind us that healing and storytelling thrive when communities care.

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Transcript:

Theme music 

Karissa 

Hello, and welcome to the Optimist Daily’s weekly roundup. I’m Karissa. 

Arielle 

And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement. 

Karissa 

Welcome back! We’re here with another episode of the pod to share the solutions from The Optimist Daily this week. 

Arielle 

Yes, we are! And if you haven’t already, then maybe consider signing up for our free daily newsletter. That way you can get all of these solutions right to your inbox. 

Karissa 

Yeah, and if you don’t want another newsletter in your inbox, you can follow us on our social media channels. We are @OptimistDaily on just about everything except on X, where we are @OdeToOptimism. 

Arielle 

We would also love to thank our Emissaries, who are our financial supporters. We can’t do this work without you guys, so thank you so much. If you would also like to find out how you can donate, then please click the link in our show notes. 

Karissa 

Yeah, and of course we appreciate any and all non-financial support. Just sharing this podcast, forwarding our daily newsletter to a friend, sending or re-sharing a social post on your channels would be such a big help in spreading our mission of optimism into the world. 

Arielle 

All right, well, with all that said and done, Karissa, how are you doing this week? 

Karissa 

I’m doing okay. October is just flying by, and I know the rest of the year is going to fly by as well. But I just am really excited to hear more about all the solutions that were on The Optimist Daily this week. 

Arielle 

Yeah, we had some cool ones. I was really, really encouraged by one in particular, which is what I’m going to talk about, because it kind of helped me get out of this little rut I was in. 

Karissa 

Yeah. 

Arielle 

I guess this leads me to my I’m An Optimist, But… 

Karissa 

What is it this week? 

Arielle 

I’m an optimist, but it’s hard not to feel crappy when we see how often the arts gets deprioritized, especially when funding cuts come from the very, very top. So, I know we’ve talked about it before, but under this current administration, the US has suffered major, major blows to arts and culture. Funding was slashed from programs that support libraries and community theaters and local museums, even the National Endowment for the Arts.  

Karissa 

Yeah.  

Arielle 

There’s been a lot of budget cuts, but this one I feel like is really worth reiterating because these arts and culture cuts are sending a really scary message… The message that creative expression, especially when it doesn’t fit neatly into a commercial box, is just not worth protecting.  

And yeah, we can see that this obviously affects the big institutions. There have been museums shutting down and libraries closing, but it trickles down to real people in our neighborhoods. Just the regular independent playwright whose grant disappears, or poetry readings that don’t get city support, or a local author whose work never gets shelf space.  

So yeah, when indie publishing and all of these kinds of arts and culture initiatives are overlooked, we lose that whole ecosystem of storytelling that gives voice to diverse perspectives and communities.  

And, yeah, I mean, it’s those smaller, braver works that often capture the truth of a people and a culture or a moment in history. And otherwise, they just kind of go unseen. So when I see these budget cuts happening, it feels like stealth, or actually not-so-stealth, censorship. And it feels like narratives are being silenced and certain identities are deemed to not belong, which is pretty dangerous at the end of the day. 

Karissa 

Yeah. 

Arielle 

So that’s my, I’m An Optimist, But… do you have one? 

Karissa 

Yeah! Health insurance in the United States is just outrageously priced, and there’s a lot to do with that in the news right now. Lots of struggle. It’s kind of the reason why the government is shut down in the United States at the moment too. And with health insurance, we still have to pay so much out of pocket for things.  

And so many people have private insurance, which is a little, like lawless in a sense. I know for me, I got in the mail yesterday my health insurance renewal information for 2026, and it’s going up by 25%.  

I mean, I knew it was going to go up from everything that’s been discussed lately, but it’s just so disheartening. So many times, health insurance doesn’t even cover what we need completely. We still have to pay so much out of pocket.  

Luckily, I don’t really need my health insurance at the moment for many things. I usually just go to the doctor like once a year, but it’s just, you know, outrageous.  

Arielle 

Yeah.  

Karissa 

So yeah, my frustration with health insurance brings me to my solution, if you don’t mind me sharing. 

Arielle 

Yes, go for it. I’m curious. 

Karissa 

So, I was excited to see this one because it was actually some good news about health insurance. And it’s over in New York. It’s called New York’s hair saving law offers comfort for cancer patients.  

I know for me, my hair is such an important part of my identity. It’s really just like the crown on top of my head, I would say. And when I don’t like how my hair feels, I feel down. But not having my hair, I can’t really even imagine that. And that’s just the reality for a lot of people who are going through cancer treatments. 

Arielle 

Yeah, I was just talking to my hairdresser about how long or short I’ve had my hair has become intertwined in my mind with, like, an emotional state of being or a certain era of my life. 

Karissa 

Yeah, exactly. I mean, hair is just… it’s so much more than just, you know, something cosmetic to us. It really means a lot, and it really intertwines with our own personal stories.  

For many cancer patients, as we know, losing hair is a possibility that makes a really tough time even tougher. This solution featured some insight from Maureen Green, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, and one of her major concerns was losing her hair. She said, “I was really afraid I would look in the mirror and really not know who I was.” 

Arielle 

Yeah, my heart really goes out to her and all others out there who are dealing with similar hardships. 

Karissa 

Yeah. 

Arielle 

A cancer diagnosis already upends your life in so many ways, and I can only imagine that the added pain of not being able to recognize yourself in these moments is just unbearable. 

Karissa 

Absolutely. So, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, she has decided to try scalp cooling, which is a method to reduce chemotherapy-related hair loss, despite the hefty price tag. 

Arielle 

Oh, I’ve never heard of scalp cooling. I’m assuming that it cools a scalp, but how and why would that minimize the chances of hair loss? 

Karissa 

Yeah, so it’s… along those lines (laughs), it cools the scalp. But scalp cooling, which is also known as cold capping, lowers the temperature of the scalp before and during chemotherapy. So, this slows the activity of hair follicle cells and reduces blood flow to the scalp, which limits how much chemotherapy reaches the follicles. The FDA has cleared several devices for this use, and some studies report success rates as high as 65% for preserving the hair. 

Arielle 

Okay, 65% is pretty good. But it is very far from a guarantee that your full head of hair will be spared. I can imagine that paying a hefty price for a procedure that may not work would be a difficult choice for a lot of people who are already dealing with other financial burdens, not just for regular life, but also for cancer treatments. 

Karissa 

Yeah. 

Arielle 

How much of a dent does scalp cooling make exactly? 

Karissa 

Well, we’re talking from $1,500 to $5,000 per patient, according to the National Cancer Institute. 

Arielle 

Wow. 

Karissa 

And of course, it is one of those items often not covered by health insurance, since it’s usually considered to be a cosmetic procedure. 

Arielle 

Well, that just makes a hard choice even more difficult for people like Maureen. 

Karissa 

Yeah, exactly. And like Maureen pointed out, you can buy wigs and scarves, but it just isn’t the same as looking like yourself. 

Arielle 

Yeah, everyone’s experience with cancer is different. I don’t know anyone who didn’t struggle or wrestle with the physical changes, but I do know of some people who found it in them to kind of accept that new look as part of their healing journey. But others, like Maureen, evidently would understandably want to feel and look as much like themselves as possible. 

Karissa 

Hair loss is so much more than a cosmetic issue, and like we said, in an already difficult time, it’s really hard to go through that, and so emotionally taxing. 

Arielle 

Is this procedure risky at all to someone who is already putting their body through a lot of strain for cancer treatment? 

Karissa 

So as Andrea Smith, who is a nurse leader at Memorial Sloan Kettering, acknowledges, scalp cooling can cause side effects like headaches or nausea, but the benefit is definitely psychological. And she actually said that we’ve seen patients choose a less optimal treatment just because they didn’t want to lose their hair. 

Arielle 

Wow, that is such a heavy decision to make. I guess when your life feels like it’s spiraling out of control, one thing you might feel like you want to exercise some agency over is how you look, which is something that was so much easier to do before the cancer diagnosis.  

The fact that people might be inclined to take on more risk by choosing a less optimal treatment really shows us how the psychological and mental health of patients can and will have a tangible impact on the physical end result. 

Karissa 

Yeah, exactly. I mean, that’s what Smith really emphasized. 

Arielle 

With all this information available, surely New York’s new law will make sure this procedure is more accessible. 

Karissa 

Yeah, so that’s the good news, because starting at the beginning of 2026, New York will become the first US state to mandate private insurers to cover scalp cooling treatments for chemotherapy patients. And this is key because about 66% of Americans with health insurance have private health insurance, including me. And I mean, private health insurance likes to cut corners and make things really confusing. 

Arielle 

Well, this is amazing news for New York, but what about the rest of the country? 

Karissa 

Well, the rest of the country is a little behind. And it’s notoriously hard to get healthcare-related policy changes at a federal level or even just a state level like in New York, because this new law is actually the result of six years of work by Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal and State Senator Toby Ann Stavinsky. 

Arielle 

Wow, huge shout out to both of them. Six years of effort have finally paid off. 

Karissa 

I mean, Rosenthal added that pushing for new insurance coverage is never easy, but making life easier for cancer patients is worth everything. And in a statement from Senator Stavinsky’s office, she said cancer treatment should be about healing, not hardship. This new law is a promising step towards more compassionate, equitable care for cancer patients. So, it’s great news. 

Arielle 

Yes, let’s get rid of these financial barriers so patients can have more control and comfort during one of the most vulnerable and trying times in their lives. 

Karissa 

Yeah, 100%. And I hope to see more states across the US adopt a similar policy because this is something that’s super important and probably really looked over because, we don’t really think about it. We just think it’s a given that you may have to lose your hair in chemotherapy treatment. But I was glad to see an actual win for health insurance policy, and it comes at perfect timing because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Arielle 

Yeah, well, that’s really uplifting and it’s nice to see some positive change when it comes to policy making. 

Karissa 

Yeah, I know, especially with health insurance, it just feels like so hopeless sometimes. 

Arielle 

Yeah, okay! Well, as I was saying before in my, I’m An Optimist, But… I am feeling really down about the budget cuts that are being experienced in pretty much every department, but also especially in the arts and culture departments. The solution I have today has been a little bit of a remedy to all the sadness I feel about the continued assault on American artists. And it takes place just a few minutes from the White House, actually.  

Today I’m talking about an author in DC who decided to push back against artistic erasure in the most delightfully analog way. The title of the article is A novel idea: how one DC book vending machine is uplifting local authors. 

Karissa 

Real books inside a vending machine? 

Arielle 

Yes, exactly. It’s called LitBox, and it’s the brainchild of author Lauren Woods. For those listeners who are local to Washington or just might be passing through for a visit, you’ll find this very special vending machine nestled beside the Western Market Food Hall. 

Karissa 

Nice. I like the name LitBox. Very, very cool. 

Arielle 

It’s cute and it’s such a quirky idea. And it actually reminded me of one of the solutions you, Karissa, highlighted a few weeks ago about that underground library in one of Warsaw’s metro stations. 

Karissa 

Yeah, that one was cool, making literature more accessible. 

Arielle 

Yeah, that solution was a response to the fact that in Poland, adults didn’t read as much. LitBox is a response to another frustrating reality, but more in the publishing world: how it’s so hard for smaller, independent authors, especially those working with small presses, to get their work into readers’ hands. 

Karissa 

Okay, so what inspired this vending machine idea? 

Arielle 

It was actually inspired by a similar machine Lauren saw in Europe, probably not the Netherlands because I haven’t seen it around here (laughs). But the driving force was definitely her frustration.  

Despite having friends who’d written award-winning books, they couldn’t get shelf space in DC bookstores. Why, you might ask? Because their work came from smaller presses or lacked “mass appeal”. As she put it, that always felt wrong. 

Karissa 

Yeah, there’s definitely a sort of gatekeeping in traditional publishing that says only certain voices are profitable. And if you’re not part of the “Big Five” in the publishing world, you’re basically invisible. 

Arielle 

Yes, exactly. And Lauren’s not just an observer. She’s part of that world as well. Her own book, The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe, won the Autumn House Press Fiction Prize. Her husband is a writer too, so she knows firsthand what it means to try to break through. 

Karissa 

All right, so how does LitBox work? 

Arielle 

It’s pretty simple. The machine is stocked with books from DC area authors, everything from poetry to children’s stories. There are titles like Let’s Get Back to the Party by Zak Salih, Little Witch’s To-Do List by Helen Kemp Zax, and Be With Me Always by Randon Billings Noble. You pop in your card, pick a book, and then there you go. Instant literary nourishment. It’s like brain goodies, but they’ll be way more satisfying than a candy bar. 

Karissa 

(Laughs). This is such a cool way to make literature more accessible and personal as well. 

Arielle 

Yeah, that’s actually how one featured poet, Majda Gama, described it. She said it feels immediate and tactile, just like those old-school newspaper boxes. And it’s more than just a novelty. People are buying small press books from LitBox at nearly the same rate as books from major publishers. It’s proving the point that when given equal exposure, smaller voices sell just as well. 

Karissa 

This isn’t just about access. It’s also a response to something deeper that you mentioned, like the impact of slashed federal arts funding. 

Arielle 

Yes, Lauren calls it incredibly dispiriting, all of these budget cuts. She says, “Everyone is telling you that your words and your voice don’t matter, that they’re not worth putting money behind.” LitBox is her counter to that message. It’s her way of saying your voice does matter.  

Karissa 

Yeah.  

Arielle 

And I love that this isn’t just like one machine. Lauren’s already hosted events at the site, like a book crawl and other literary affairs, and she crowdfunded nearly $7,000 to get the whole thing going. Now she’s looking to expand to more neighborhoods across DC, especially where books might not be as easy to come by. 

Karissa 

That’s beautiful. And it sounds like it’s a real grassroots movement, reshaping how readers connect with local stories. So, there’s a lot of potential here. 

Arielle 

Yes. And like Lauren said, “I’m so proud to live in the city and it doesn’t get enough good attention.” LitBox is her way of celebrating her neighbors and making their words more visible. 

Karissa 

If you’re curious about what’s in the machine right now or if you want to support the project, we’ll link some resources in the show notes. And definitely it’s something to keep an eye on or to seek out the next time you’re in DC. 

Arielle 

LitBox might be a small machine, but it’s a big idea, and it’s one that challenges how we define literary success and who gets to be heard. 

Karissa 

Yeah, exactly. This is super cool. And it kind of reminds me too; I’ve seen this pop up across the years of little quarter machines that have artists’, like, tiny work prints. So, you can, you know, pop in like a dollar or whatever, and you get one of their little prints. And that’s a similar thing to get their art out there because they’re smaller artists as well. 

Arielle 

Oh, I love that. Yeah, you can try to silence artists and writers, but they’re usually pretty creative and they adapt, and they’re resilient, and they just find all these unexpected ways to share their stories. 

Karissa 

Yeah, this is a cool one and one I definitely have not heard of. 

Arielle 

We also had a bunch of really positive, uplifting, heartwarming stories to check out on The Optimist Daily this week. And they include… 

Karissa 

The living buildings of tomorrow: how fungi may transform the future of construction. 3 supplements you may want to skip in the morning, according to dietitians. Expert tips to keep your microbiome happy yhis Halloween. And A new path for Alzheimer’s: scientists reverse cognitive decline in mice by repairing the brain’s natural defenses. 

Arielle 

We also have, A step toward healing, Church of Norway says sorry for decades of LGBTQ+ discrimination. Scotland moves to criminalize ecocide with bold new legislation. Ireland makes basic income for artists permanent, signaling support for creative economy. All right, that’s what we like to hear! 

Karissa 

Yes! 

Arielle 

And 5 fall lawn care mistakes to avoid and what to do instead, according to an expert. 

Karissa 

Nice. So many good solutions this week. I hope you are all feeling inspired. 

Arielle 

We hope we all carry this positive energy into the weekend. And we will be back next week with more solutions! 

Karissa 

Yep, until then, bye!