Uncorking a Story
Conversations that Inspire
I Cancelled God, with Cindy Finch
I Cancelled God, with Cindy Finch “Oh, I cancelled God. I canceled Him many times. I'm like, you're fired. You're done. This is ridiculous.” At thirty-one, Cindy Finch was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Oh, and she was also pregnant. After giving birth to her...
Triumph over Tragedy, with Reggie Reed
"I have my wife as my ultimate support system. But as a man, it feels like you shouldn’t show weakness or talk about things that might make you vulnerable because you worry about what others will think. That’s why I decided to just go for it, to muster the courage to...
The Power of Strength, with Lori Brand
"The day my dance instructor had her jaw wired shut to lose weight was the day I realized how deep the rabbit hole of body image issues really went. It wasn't just about being thin; it was about battling your body at war with societal expectations." - Lori Brand...
From Punk Bands to Bestsellers, with Richard Roper
"I kind of almost became an author by accident. It was a case of rediscovering a love of fiction, and then, on idle weekends, working on things purely to entertain myself. It grew from there." — Richard Roper In this episode, author Richard Roper shares insights into...
Twins and Trails: Peter Malone Elliott’s Journey from Screen to Page
Join us in this intriguing episode as we dive into the creative world of Peter Malone Elliott, an award-nominated screenwriter and author of the captivating novel "Blue Ridge." From the mysterious allure of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the complex dynamics of identical...
Unseen Lists: Discovering Ourselves Beyond the Pages, with Julee Balko
In this episode, we delve into the captivating world of Julee Balko, an author renowned for her intricate portrayal of complex female characters and her bold exploration of themes like grief, personal growth, and the transformative power of storytelling. Julee shares...
Unwritten Rules: Queer Motherhood, Resilience, and the Reckless Pursuit of Storytelling with Gail Marlene Schwartz
"Embracing the reckless part of me, saying 'yes' to what resonates deeply despite insecurities, has been a pivotal part of my journey. It's about integrating every piece of life into a narrative that compels not just me, but also my characters to move forward." - Gail...
You are Braver than you Believe, with Suzette Mullen
Suzette Mullen is a memoir and nonfiction book coach and retreat leader. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times and Today.com, among other outlets. As a book coach, Suzette focuses on amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ writers as she guides them to find their...
Parts of Self, with Boo Trundle
Boo Trundle is a writer, artist, and performer whose work has appeared across various platforms and publications, including The Brooklyn Rail, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and NPR’s The Moth. She has released three albums of original music with Big Deal Records and...
Myth Building, with Jared N. Michaud
Jared N. Michaud is a devoted fiction writer driven by a passion for writing that began before he reached age seven. Influenced by literary giants like C.S. Lewis and Orson Scott Card, he discovered the transformative power of storytelling, and at twelve he began...
Learning from Life’s Disappointments, with E.A. Aymar
"In writing, what’s really crucial is persistence. Every 'no' brings you closer to a 'yes'. And when you infuse your personal experiences into your stories, you're not just writing; you're breathing life into your characters. That's when your stories truly begin to...
A Pearl of Great Price, with Dr. Vilma Luz Caban
Dr. Vilma Luz Cabán is a dedicated educator with over 30 years experience in Westchester County, New York. She serves as an Executive Board member for the One Circle Foundation and her personal passion lies in addressing social and economic inequities. She joins me...
It’s Never too Late, with Iris Yamashita
Iris Yamashita is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the movie Letters from Iwo Jima. She has been working in Hollywood for fifteen years developing material for both film and streaming, has taught screenwriting at UCLA, and is an advocate of women and...
Trauma as a Catalyst, with Carrie Rickert
Carrie Rickert’ life-threatening accident and related complications started her down a path of examining what was, what is, and what could be. Her’s is a story of hope, of possibility, and of embracing the fight to become something new. She joins me today on...
The Healing Power of Writing, with Kendra Petty
Kendra Petty is a woman who has succeeded in an all-male industry, becoming an executive vice president at two firms. She is a dynamic public speaker, powerful negotiator and dealmaker. She loves bouldering and scrambling in the mountains of California, Nevada and...
Fashion vs. Family, with Diane Gilman
Diane Gilman found her greatest success at age sixty, when she sparked a denim revolution by designing blue jeans for real women with real bodies. She’s sold nearly nineteen million pairs of her DG2 jeans on HSN and created a sisterhood of seven hundred thousand women...
Channeling Harper Lee, with Allen Mendenhall
Allen Mendenhall is a lawyer and university administrator in Alabama who edited Southern Literary Review for over a decade. He joined me on Uncorking a Story to discuss his latest book, A Glooming Peace this Morning. Key Themes Allen’s experiences writing both fiction...
Coming of Age, with Don Futterman
Writer, actor and storyteller, Don Futterman has written for a variety of publications including the Daily Beast, The San Francisco Chronicle and the Haaretz, Israel’s newspaper of record. A graduate of Brown University, Futterman is a co-host of TLV1’s The Promised...