Uncorking A Story

My eighty-nine year old mother has a catch phrase. When she doesn’t know what to say, she’ll typically belt on, “It’s all good.” Even though her age has robbed her of her short-term memory, she remains very optimistic and, in general, happy. Growing up, if I was ever anxious about something, she’d frequently say to me, “Things will happen on their own time.” I was reminded of that during my conversation with today’s guest, Sarah McCraw Crow, who talked about having a number of manuscripts “In the jar,” before one was finally selected for publication. Sometimes being in a different stage of life, and the experience that comes with it, infuses our writing with the wisdom and insights that are required to make a manuscript really stand out in the eyes of an agent and/or publisher.  Meet Sarah McCraw Crow: When it comes to fiction writing (and reading), Sarah is obsessed with women's lives and the drama of family life. She also loves the Seventies. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Stanford University, and Vermont

This is going to sound funny coming from the author of eight novels, but there was a time I didn’t consider myself to be creative. Growing up, I dreaded art class because I can’t draw to save my life and I always linked creativity with the ability to draw. On top of that, I was somewhat good at math and science while my twin brother excelled at English (and, aside from being 3 inches taller than me, he could draw!). Why am I bringing this up? Well, my conversation with today’s guest, Steven Kowalski, had me taking a walk down memory lane after hearing how he defines creativity as something that isn’t an ability but rather a process. Meet Steven Kowalski: Steven is a leading voice in the global movement for conscious creativity. He has more than 25 years of experience as an organizational development expert facilitating the creativity of scientists, engineers, business leaders, and professionals across industries to blaze new trails, catalyze creative potential, and deliver real-world innovation. He joined me

Today’s guest on Uncorking a Story, Karen Winnick, reminds me so much of my mother. Both are from Brooklyn and are animal lovers who would rather set a spider free than squish it. But unless my mother has been hiding the fact that she is a successful children’s book author searching to teach children about compassion for animals through her writing, that’s where the similarities may end. Meet Karen Winnick: Karen is the author of more than a dozen picture books for children, most of which she illustrated. An animal lover, she serves on several boards devoted to the well-being of animals. She joins me today to talk about her life and latest book, Can You Spot the Leopard?: An African Safari, which was inspired by a real Safari Karen went on before the pandemic. Key Topics: How a friend’s eccentric pair of shoes inspired her first attempt at writing an animated children’s book entitled Happy Soles. Why she wants to teach children compassion for animals through her picture books. The importance of her work gi

When I was a kid there were a few things I thought would be more of big deal in adulthood including quicksand, killer bees, and satanists. Now I am not saying these things don’t exist, just not at the level we were scared into believing as children. Dr. Richard Gallagher, though, might argue about the last item on my list as he’s spent the past quarter of a century investigating cases of demonic possession from a medical expert’s point of view—but that is his story to share! Meet Richard Gallagher, MD: A board-certified psychiatrist and highly experienced clinician and teacher, Dr. Gallagher  is a professor of psychiatry at NY Medical College and a psychoanalyst on the faculty of Columbia University. In addition, he is the longest-standing member of the International Association of Exorcists since the early 1990's, serving for a time as a scientific adviser on its governing board. He has devoted many years to distinguishing the rare cases of overt demonic attacks from the much more common conditions of medica

My guest today, Nathanael Garret Novosel, was just six years old when he started questioning the meaning of life. When I was younger, I questioned it as well, but we went about it in different ways. For example, Nate asked big existential questions whereas yours truly watched Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. It’s no surprise, then, that Nate grew up to write a book on finding purpose and meaning in life, and I’m on the other side of the microphone asking him questions. Meet Nathanael Garrett Novosel: Nathanael is a professional researcher and advisor with over 20 years of experience studying individual and group behavior. Over that time, he has researched psychology, evolutionary biology, organizational best practices, leadership decision making, business, technology, finance, and philosophy to understand how the world as we know it works and why. He spent much of his career using the insights from this research to help the world’s leading executives solve their most pressing organizational challenges and

I believe that, no matter how old we are, we never stop trying to secure the approval of one or both of our parents. While my twin brother was always searching for our father’s affections, I was always trying to vie for my mother’s approval in everything I did. Today’s guest, Brian O’Hare can relate. Imagine having a larger than life character as a father—someone who casts so wide a shadow, you might lose yourself in it. Well, that’s where Brian’s story begins! Meet Brian O’Hare: Brian  is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and former US Marine Corps officer. His storytelling career began in a Baltimore bar, the legendary Club Charles, where director John Waters cast him to appear in his film Cry Baby. Currently, Brian an award-winning writer and filmmaker living in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in War, Literature and the Arts; Santa Fe Writers Project; Hobart; and other journals, and he has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes. He was named a Writing Fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

Most people who now make their living as authors had a day job at some point. It is common for me to interview former teachers, professors, journalists and, interestingly, lawyers, but today was the first time I got to interview a former theoretical physicist—and there was nothing theoretical about this conversation! Meet Dilani Kahawala: Dilani earned her Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Harvard and began her career by working on extra dimensions. She figured out pretty quickly that there weren’t many people who wanted to read her work as a theoretical physicist, so she began exploring new dimensions in fantasy fiction. Many of the characters in her stories are inspired by the various cultures she grew up in. Born in Sri Lanka, she has lived in New Zealand and Australia and now lives in the United States and joins me today to talk about her debut novel, Blood Moon Prophecy. Key Topics: Why Dilani was attracted to studying theoretical physics and why she ultimately left the field. How growing up on three

For so many of us writers, the actual act of writing is a solitary process. We write alone and maybe, after a while we will share something with a confidant or perhaps our agent. Of course, at the end of the first draft it will go to an editor and, at that point, writing becomes more of a collaborative process. Well, today’s guests do things a little bit differently—Alli Frank and Asha Youmans met while teaching at the same school. One day, Alli approached Asha with the idea to co-write a novel and the rest is history. They joined me on Uncorking a Story to talk about their career and latest novel Never Meant to Meet You. Meet Alli and Asha: Alli Frank has worked in education for more than twenty years, from boisterous public high schools to small, progressive private schools. A graduate of Cornell and Stanford University, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters.  Asha Youmans spent two decades teaching elementary school students. A graduate of University of California, Berkeley,

How well do you remember high school? Chances are you are more likely to remember the big events that happened—prom, the homecoming dance where you spilled spiked fruit punch all over your crisp white shirt*, and graduation, but would you remember something as random as someone coming up to you and saying something off beat? Probably not, right? Well, my guest today not only remembered a random (and creepy) comment in crisp detail, it inspired her to craft a novel about it!  *That totally didn’t happen to me. Meet Lygia Day Peñaflor: Lygia Day Peñaflor is the author of ALL OF THIS IS TRUE, and UNSCRIPTED JOSS BYRD. She also teaches young Hollywood stars on television and movie sets. Her students have included cast members of Gossip Girl, Boardwalk Empire, Spielberg's West Side Story, and others. She recently joined me to talk about her career and latest novel CREEP: A LOVE STORY. Key Topics: How she found her passion for writing and storytelling at a young age. The impact she’s had on the lives of her stu

Parenting is supposed to come naturally to us, right? Especially moms! After the baby (or babies in my case) arrives, those motherhood instincts are supposed to kick in and you are supposed to know exactly what to do, right? Wrong! Postpartum depression is real, and many mothers don’t realize they are living with it. This leads to feelings of shame, guilt, and oftentimes resentment. Now you may be asking yourself, “Mike is not a mother, why is he talking about postpartum depression?” Well, my guest today, Suzanne Yatim Aslam, was living with postpartum depression and turned to writing to help manage her way through it. This ultimately led to a book called Post Pardon Me, which she came on Uncorking a Story to chat about. Meet Suzanne Yatim Aslam: Suzanne is a former actor and Miss Arab USA turned writer. Her personal experience with postpartum depression and anxiety left her feeling alone and confused. In her book Post Pardon Me, she addresses the dark thoughts that so many mothers have but are too scared to

In my opinion, werewolves don’t get enough attention in the horror genre. Vampires are a bit higher on the food chain as are traditional slashers, but when was the last time you could point to a good werewolf character in a horror novel? Well, the wait is over with Rachel Harrison’s Such Sharp Teeth! Meet Rachel Harrison: Rachel Harrison took the horror genre by storm with debut novel The Return, which was praised by readers and reviewers and called marvelous by the New York Times. Then, in her highly anticipated sophomore novel, Cackle, she delivered a clever and splendidly witchy look at women’s relationships and self-empowerment that was hailed a must-read by USA Today, Elle, Bustle, Buzzfeed and more. She’s back with a new novel to get you into the Halloween spirit. SUCH SHARP TEETH is a wild, witty and razor-sharp horror novel about a young woman in need of a transformation who finds herself in touch with the animal inside. Key Topics: Why authors shouldn’t move the goalposts when celebrating their succ

After interviewing almost two hundred authors on Uncorking a Story I’ve come to believe that the real superpower authors wield isn’t their ability to string words together, but to find stories simply by paying attention to everyday occurrences and being very curious about them. I was reminded of this while interviewing the celestial Barbara Linn Probst. Meet Barbara Linn Probst: Barbara Linn Probst is an award-winning author of contemporary women’s fiction living. Her acclaimed novels Queen of the Owls (2020) and The Sound Between the Notes (2021) were gold and silver medalists for prestigious national awards, including the Sarton and Nautilus Book Awards. The Sound Between the Notes was also selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the Best Indie Books of 2021. She joined me on Uncorking a Story to discuss her careers and latest novel, The Color of Ice. Key Topics: The important role the subconscious mind plays in sparking all of Barbra’s story ideas. Barbara’s technique of imagining having a conversation wit

Today’s guest, Clare Pooley, and I share a few things in common. We both have backgrounds in advertising, we were both bloggers before becoming authors, and we both appreciate the music of Abba, which my inner heavy metal loving teenager would never admit. She recently joined me to talk about her latest novel, Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting. Meet Clare Pooley: Clare spent twenty years in the world of advertising before becoming a full-time writer. Her memoir - The Sober Diaries - has helped thousands of people worldwide to quit drinking. Her first novel - The Authenticity Project - was a BBC Radio 2 Bookclub pick, a New York Times Bestseller and the winner of the RNA debut novel award. Her latest book is Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting. Key Topics: How Clare went from advertising executive to blogger to published author. How writing a memoir helped Clare find her voice for writing fiction. Clare’s process of visualizing scenes before writing them. Her belief that movement unsticks creativity. Why

I remember being called home from school during my senior year in High School because my grandmother, who lived with us at the time, had slipped into a coma. When I got home, I wanted to see her but my cousin said not to get my hopes up as she had been unresponsive for some time. Undeterred, I climbed up the stairs and sat by her bedside. As if on cue, her eyes opened and said, “My Michael, I’ve been waiting for you.” I won’t mention what else was said between us, but after our chat, she closed her eyes again and never woke up. She slipped away later that night. I share this personal story because today’s guest, Jeannée Sacken, shared a similar experience with her father—but you will have to listen in for that beautiful story. Meet Jeannée Sacken: A former English professor at Rochester Institute of Technology, Jeannée is now a photojournalist who travels the world documenting the lives of women and children. She also photographs wildlife and is deeply committed to the conservation of endangered species. She

U2’s seminal album Achtung Baby was released during my senior year in high school. At the time, I was a huge fan and didn’t know what to make of this new release as it was so different from their earlier work. Once I heard the song Mysterious Ways, though, I really started to dig what I was hearing. I can honestly say I love that album even more today than I did back then. What’s the connection between U2’s Mysterious Ways and today’s guest Kamila Shamsie, well, you will just have to listen to find out! Meet Kamila Shamsie: Kamila Shamsie is the author of several novels, including Home Fire, which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, was longlisted for the Booker Prize, and was a finalist for the International Dublin Literary Award, among other honors. She recently joined me to talk about her career and latest novel, Best of Friends. Key Topics: How she pursued writing as a career even though it took five books before she could earn a living by being an author. Why she was inspired to write about childhood f

I spent most of my corporate career working in the area of market research. In short, I talk to consumers for a living and then turn their stories into narratives my clients can use for better decision making. When I think about it, Robert Kerbeck did something with the same intentions, but went about it in a completely different manner—and I was delighted to uncork his story. Meet Robert Kerbeck: Robert Kerbeck is the founder of the Malibu Writers Circle and a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee. His essays and short stories have been featured in numerous magazines and literary journals, including Narratively, Los Angeles Magazine, and Shondaland. One of his stories was adapted into the award-winning film, Reconnected, which has appeared at film festivals worldwide. A lifetime member of The Actors Studio, Robert has worked extensively in theater, film, and television, appearing in lead roles in major shows and earning several awards. He joined me on Uncorking a Story to talk about his career and memoir RU$E: L

As writers, we are eager for feedback and validation that something we’ve birthed has value and waiting for it, to paraphrase the late Tom Petty, is sometimes the hardest part. Today’s guest, Ali Michael, Ph.D. echoed that in something she said during our conversation, but make no mistake, this really isn’t a conversation about the writing process. It’s a conversation about her path to working towards racial equity through her writing. I really enjoyed this conversation and learned so much from Ali, and I hope you do too. Meet Ali Michael, Ph.D.: Ali Michael works with schools and organizations across the country to help make research on race, Whiteness, and education more accessible and relevant to educators. She is the author of Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Inquiry and Education, which won the 2017 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award. She recently joined me on Uncorking a Story to talk about her latest book, Our Problem, Our Path: Collective Antiracism for White People, which she

I remember being a kid never rushing away after big holiday dinners as I enjoyed listening to the adults tell stories. My twin brother was always bored by such things, but I loved hearing the stories of my grandmother coming to America from Italy and what it was like not being able to speak the language. She told me how the Italians would mime out the things they needed at the grocery store and my favorite story was how she once saw someone clucking like a chicken in an attempt to locate eggs. Why take this walk down memory lane? Well, my guest today, Ellen Nichols, shared a memory of how, as a little girl, she used to sneak downstairs after her bedtime and hide behind the couch listening to her grandparents tell stories. She was captivated by these tales of old, and that is really where her story as an author began; as a little girl hiding behind a sofa. Meet Ellen Nichols: Ellen grew up in the American Deep South, but with a spirit of adventure, she went up to Toronto, Canada, for graduate school, and staye

I love connecting with fellow marketers. I love it even more when those fellow marketers are also fellow podcasters! I’m not ashamed to admit it, when today’s guest, Sarah Panus, started talking about upper funnel content strategies and how data is one of the three pillars of a brand storytelling framework, my heart started to race a bit more! If you are seeking a successful career in marketing, and don’t smell what Sarah is cooking, you need to listen to this episode! Meet Sarah Panus: Sarah has over 20 years’ experience helping billion-dollar brands attract upper-funnel leads that drive lower-funnel results through storytelling. Sarah is a content strategist, podcast host of Marketing With Empathy®, and owner of Kindred Speak®. She’s on a mission to humanize brands, help content marketers reduce overwhelm/confusion, and raise money to fund child trafficking rescue missions. Listeners to Uncorking a Story can enjoy a freebie from Sarah: 3 Ways to Improve Your Content Strategy This Year https://view.flodesk.c

Way back in 1985, my sister Mia took my twin brother Jimmy and me to see Back to the Future. Shortly after leaving the theater, her car ran out of gas and my brother started balling his eyes out as he thought we’d be left for dead on the side of the road. Fortunately, we were only in Darien, Connecticut and a block away from a gas station so disaster was averted. I bring this up for two reasons; 1. Today’s guest, Kelley Holland, had a similar experience while driving to her first job and 2. I simply can’t resist taking a jab at my brother. Meet Kelley Holland: Kelley is the founder and CEO of Own Your Destiny, which provides financial coaching and empowerment programs to help women gain the confidence and knowledge they need to achieve well-being and live life on their terms. She blends her knowledge of finance with communications expertise developed over two decades as an award-winning business and personal finance journalist with The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and CNBC. She recently joined me on Uncorkin