The ROAR Podcast30 Jun 2025

Joy Is a Rebellion: Why Love Stories Matter with Katherine Center

In a world that tells women to tone it down, Katherine Center writes stories that turn the volume up on joy, love, and emotional truth. In this episode of Roar, host Danielle Davies chats with the New York Times bestselling author about why romantic comedies aren't fluff—they’re fuel.

Together, they unpack:

· How reclaiming joy can be an act of defiance

· The deeper meaning behind writing “happy endings”

· Why it’s radical to believe women deserve pleasure, hope, and love

· How storytelling helps us process pain and possibility

· And what it means to keep choosing optimism, even when the world makes it hard

This isn’t just a conversation about books.

It’s about how we see ourselves — and what we give ourselves permission to want.

Mentioned in this episode:

· The Rom-Commers, Katherine’s 2nd most recent novel

· The cultural dismissiveness around "women’s fiction"

· Letting characters — and readers — feel deeply

00:00 Introduction to Roar Podcast

00:23 Empowering Reproductive Healthcare

00:51 Welcoming Katherine Center

01:06 Katherine's Journey and Impact

01:26 The Power of Joy and Storytelling

01:59 Personal Anecdotes and Connections

03:28 The Joy of Reading and Writing

09:10 The Importance of Love Stories

25:14 Stories as Activism

32:10 Empowering Women Through Stories

33:37 The Dual Nature of Women's Fiction

34:55 Balancing Hardship with Humor

37:16 The Value of Comedy in Tragedy

43:20 Creating Relatable Characters

52:51 The Writing Process and Its Rewards

01:02:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🔗 Want more stories like this? Head to listentoroar.comand subscribe to the newsletter for behind-the-scenes stories and powerful women-led conversations.

To learn more and/or get in touch with or follow Katherine:

www.KatherineCenter.com

Instagram: @katherinecenter

Katherine’s Books:

The Love Haters (Brand new, so good!)

The Rom-Commers (Read it twice! Back to back! Might be myfave!)

Hello Stranger (swoon)

The Bodyguard

What You Wish For

Things You Save in a Fire

The Girl in the Plane

How to Walk Away

Happiness for beginners (also a movie!)

The Lost Husband (also a movie!)

Get Lucky

Everyone is Beautiful

The Bright Side of Disaster

Also Mentioned:

Mom 2.0 video: https://katherinecenter.com/defining-a-movement/

Lucky Star Art Camp: www.luckystarartcamp.com

Duran Duran: www.duranduran.com

Vassar College: www.vassar.edu

University of Houston Creative Writing Program: https://www.uh.edu/class/english/programs/graduate-studies/mfa-creative-writing/index.php

Nate Bargatze: https://nateland.com/pages/nate

🔔 Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations with women breaking barriers, raising their voices, and rewriting the rules.

🎧 Roar is a podcast hosted by Danielle Davies. New episodes drop every Monday.

#RoarPodcast #KatherineCenter #TheRomCommers

#WomenWhoWrite #JoyIsRebellion #LoveStoriesMatter #ChooseJoy #EmotionalTruth #StorytellingHeals #RadicalJoy #FeministFiction #BookLovers #AuthorInterview #ReclaimingJoy #WomenSupportingWomen

Want to support The Roar Podcast by wearing our merch?Head to the ROAR STORE at https://www.redbubble.com/people/roarpodcast/shop?asc=u&ref=account-nav-dropdown

Want to be a guest on Roar?

We're always interested in talking with inspiring women who are doing work that inspires, engages, advocates and elevates other women. Fill out our interest form and if you're a good fit, we'll be in touch!

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