Podcasts about brien

The Trump administration’s new nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia is raising alarms. Timothy Gardner of Reuters explains what’s missing and why Congress, Israel, and nonproliferation experts are worried. Trump is again threatening to strike Iranian civilian infrastructure if the Islamic Republic continues targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Hill reports. The Associated Press’s Matt O’Brien explains how an OpenAI model hacked another AI company without being given instructions to do so. Plus, a record number of people were placed in ICE detention last month, festivities to celebrate a new U.S.-Canada bridge were canceled amid new tariffs, and the Louvre reopened a gallery without its jewels nine months after a heist. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

On this episode of WTH Live! Stephen Hadley, Robert O'Brien, and Michèle Flournoy join Marc on the Aspen Security Forum stage to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of Trump's foreign policy scorecard. In a frank and bipartisan discussion on what should come next, especially in Ukraine, Iran, and Venezuela, and what the Trump Doctrine has evolved to represent, Marc asks the panelists to fairly reflect on the second Trump Administration. The resolution of the conflicts above hinge on intentional American leadership and clear-eyed peace through strength. So where are we now, and where do we have to go?Stephen J. Hadley, 20th U.S. National Security Advisor; Founding Principal, Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC.Robert O'Brien, 27th U.S. National Security Advisor; Chairman, American Global Strategies.Michèle Flournoy, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Co-Founder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors.Read the transcript here.Subscribe to our Substack here.

We find out why Conan O'Brien changed his signature hairstyle.

Most leaders spot rudeness or a toxic workplace and rush to shut the behavior down. But incivility is often a symptom of stress, burnout, and something deeper nobody names.Dr. Mira Brancu sat down as a guest on Dr. John O'Brien's show, Civility Matters, and this is the full conversation. They get into why punishing rude behavior usually backfires, and how to tell the difference between the symptom you can see and the root cause you cannot. Mira breaks down organizational grief, the quiet loss people carry after layoffs and reorgs that shows up as disengagement, quiet quitting, and cynicism instead of tears.You will also hear her simple two by two office politics matrix that reveals whether your influence at work has turned self-serving, whether ambition and civility can actually coexist, and real advice for anyone stuck in a toxic job right now. The point they both keep coming back to is this: Leaders have to deal with their own stress first, because you cannot steady anyone else while you are running on empty.Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, burnout, and workplace mental health.Connect with Dr. John O'Brien : www.activatesuccess.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmobrienphd/Host: Civility Matters Podcast: https://civilitymatters.buzzsprout.comRudeness Rehab Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1957651911?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RudenessRehab Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribeWork with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultationConnect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancuLearn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.comGet practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/booksGet my free Strategic Clarity and Leadership Resilience assessment: https://mailchi.mp/e1ebf8505764/slr-assessment Get my Free Burnout Root Cause Assessment: https://mailchi.mp/29d7d18fae4a/burnout-root-cause-assessmentGet my Workplace Grief Guide: https://mailchi.mp/46873b910380/workplace-grief-field-guide Find other free resources to support your leadership growth: https://gotowerscope.com/other-free-stuff Join the next Towerscope leadership workshop or fellowship: https://gotowerscope.com/fellowship 

Welcome back from the All-Star Break! First, we chat our late All-Star adds Riley O'Brien and Munetaka Murakami, Rintaro Sasaki and Kenny Ishikawa are drafted, and the Dodgers are going back to the White House (ugh).In position player news, Jahmai Jones is off to the red hot Red Sox and JJ Wetherholt signs a massive extension, Masataka Yoshida and Hao Yu Lee have big games, and Steven Kwan is back to his rightful throne in the leadoff spot.The Ohtani report shows he's still hitting as well as ever...but what's going on with Ohtani the pitcher??In pitching news, we have the Good (Yamamoto, Imanaga, Woo, Go), the Bad (the Mets and with them Senga and Manaea), and the Weird (Roki Sasaki and his gigantic yellow glove). And finally, our hot take for the week: Have the Yankees actually...done right by Volpe?

In this college football podcast episode, we finish our three-part preview of the ACC by turning our attention to the defending conference champions and several of the league’s most difficult teams to project. Can Duke keep finding ways to win after another major quarterback change? Does Clemson have a real plan for getting back into the College Football Playoff conversation? And can Louisville once again rebuild its offense around a new transfer quarterback without losing ground near the top of the conference? We also dig into James Franklin’s full-scale reboot at Virginia Tech, Ty’s increasingly dangerous belief in NC State, and a pivotal season for Brent Key at Georgia Tech. With new quarterbacks, rebuilt offensive lines, coordinator changes and transfer portal additions everywhere, how much confidence should we place in recognizable coaches and favorable schedules? Plus, we examine why Cal could become one of the most entertaining teams in college football, whether Syracuse can recover with Steve Angeli back under center, and what Bill O’Brien can realistically build at Boston College. Elsewhere, Dan experiments with performance-enhancing inhalers, Ty launches Bros for Brohm, the Calgorithm gains strength, and we issue another annual warning about hiring Ted Roof. Timecodes:0:00 - Intro4:01 - Duke Blue Devils Preview14:26 - Clemson Tigers Preview25:00 - NC State Wolfpack Preview32:29 - Louisville Cardinals Preview40:22 - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Preview50:36 - Virginia Tech Hokies Preview1:06:02 - Cal Golden Bears Preview1:12:53 - Syracuse Orange Preview1:18:03 - Boston College Eagles Preview1:22:33 - Parting ShotsSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend edition of The KE Report explores the contrasting dynamics within the commodities sector. In the first segment, Brien Lundin, editor of the Gold Newsletter, breaks down the current correction in the precious metals market. In the second segment, energy experts Josef Schachter and Nathan Richie analyze recent volatility in crude oil and natural gas.    Segment 1 & 2 - Brien Lundin, editor of the Gold Newsletter, discusses the recent downward correction and volatility in the precious metals market. Drawing from investor sentiment at the recent Rick Rule conference, Brien highlights that despite near-term headwinds from a strong U.S. dollar and Federal Reserve policies, fundamental macroeconomic drivers like national debt and deficits will ultimately sustain a long-term bull market.  Click here to learn more about the Gold Newsletter. - https://goldnewsletter.com/   Segment 3 & 4 - Introducing Nathan Ritchie, VP of Energy Research and founder Josef Schachter of the Schachter Energy Report to discuss corporate modeling, price forecasting, and current stock opportunities within the oil and gas sectors. The duo highlighted critical growth catalysts, supply and demand metrics, and the strategic balance between shareholder returns and long-term capital reinvestment.  Click here to learn more about The Schachter Energy Report - https://schachterenergyreport.ca/ Click here to follow Josef on Substack at his Eye One Energy Report. - https://josefschachter.substack.com/    If you enjoy the show, be sure to subscribe to our podcast feed (KER Podcast), YouTube channel, and follow us on X for more market commentary and company interviews. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review!   For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks: The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/ Shad's resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/   Investment disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or investment product. Investing in equities, commodities, really everything involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned.  

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Serious Privacy podcast, where Paul Breitbarth, Ralph O'Brien, and  Dr. K Royal, discuss a week in privacy. And we discuss some of the hot topics including an European Data Protection Board (EDPB) we also look at the EDPB guidelines on anonymisation, and Web scraping, including data dimensionality - which we looked up live! We also discussed Prince Harry's privacy lawsuit in the UK - spoiler alert, he lost. And Meta up so some shenanigans. Come join the fun!As we enter the summer months, the world of data protection and privacy legislation continues to evolve, especially in the UK and EU. In this post, we'll explore the latest updates surrounding the UKs Information Commission and the ongoing changes affecting its governance.  If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Arj Barker has been a fixture on the local comedy scene for decades, headlining our comedy festivals and turning up on shows including Thank God You’re Here and Spicks and Specks. But the San Francisco-born stand-up began telling jokes at open mic nights in 1989, before appearances on American late night TV for Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and David Letterman - not to mention a memorable turn on the hit sitcom Flight of the Conchords. Barker joins us to talk about consciousness, comedy, and the furore that erupted two years ago after he asked a breastfeeding mother and baby to leave his show. This episode is hosted by Good Weekend deputy editor Konrad Marshall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All-Star Game Junior Caminero was hit on the hand by ex-Rays prospect Riley O'Brien during the exhibition. Scans came back relatively positive and Junior was gracious about the incident. Debate on whether star players should risk injury in exhibition games. Mat proposed moving the All-Star Game to Las Vegas after the World Series, bundled with the Hall of Fame ceremony and GM meetings to create a marquee baseball event. Where is the Brotherly love -  Philly crowd booing non-Phillies players Longo Weekend The Rays honored Evan Longoria in a retirement weekend that drew 23,000-plus fans on Sunday, requiring the upper deck to open. Both hosts praised the tribute as long overdue and speculated on his future in coaching or front office roles.Grady Emerson & the Draft Mat called top pick Grady Emerson a potential franchise cornerstone, comparing him to a Longoria/Taylor Walls hybrid at shortstop. Paired with Junior Caminero long-term, Mat sees a legitimate dynasty window. The Rays also selected shortstop Taj Marchand and went heavy on high school pitching, signaling confidence in their current system depth.Junior Caminero Extension Junior publicly stated he wants to stay in Tampa Bay. Both hosts stressed locking him up now. Mat credited Stu Sternberg for building the culture that makes players want to stay.Trade Deadline rumor of Rays-Tigers talks around Tarik Skubal. With only roughly 12 million left on his contract.  A potential package could include Jacob Melton, Brody Hopkins, Xavier Isaac, and pitching prospects.  A playoff rotation of McClanahan, Skubal, and Rasmussen, plus Manuel Rodriguez returning to close, would make the Rays serious contenders.Women in Baseball The Women's Baseball World Cup group stage runs July 22-26 in Rockford, Illinois at the historic Rockford Peaches field (iwbc.org). Special thanks to Ryan Woodward, Kat Williams & Leslie Heaphy for bringing this to Rockford The Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) launches soon with four teams: Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights, and San Francisco FireBelles, each named after a historical female trailblazer. MLB.com is covering the league. Mark honored the late Sue Zipay, whose American Girls Baseball initiative laid the groundwork for the WPBL.Season Outlook The Rays head into an 11-game road trip (Boston, Toronto, Cleveland) starting July 17. Both hosts admitted their preseason predictions were off and couldn't be happier about it  

Send us Fan MailOn this episode, we discuss the wildfires in Canada. No, really. We did. We talked about playing music at church, upcoming shows, the upcoming new Def Leppard album, and some guy the Beatles tried to erase, allegedly. We also play Poorly Explained Movies, MixTape, and Wall of Tunes: Smash or Trash. This is the last episode for two weeks as we will both be away on vacation….separately. I mean, geez. #canada #beatles #simplyred #defleppardhttps://www.facebook.com/obrienanddoug/ https://instagram.com/obrien_and_doug

The funeral Mass for Jamie Carney took place yesterday in St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney. The 43-year-old American was murdered in her home last week. Yesterday’s funeral remembered not how she died but the love and joy she brought to her family and friends’ lives. Fr Kieran O’Brien was the celebrant. Breda Forrest reports.

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Serious Privacy podcast, where Paul Breitbarth, Ralph O'Brien, and Dr. K Royal, discuss a week in privacy. Let's be honest though - it's really the US Supreme Court reent decisions in Slaughter and Chatrie. Tune in for a lievely discussion. Oh - and we're also on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@seriousprivacypodcastChatrie v. United States (25-112): Police officers conducted a Fourth Amendment search when they acquired Okello Chatrie's location data from Google because an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his cell-phone location information. Trump v. Slaughter (25-332): The Federal Trade Commission's for-cause removal provision, 15 U. S. C. §41, is contrary to the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Recorded on site at the ASGCT 2026 Annual Meeting in Boston, host Sanjay D’Souza, PhD, talks with Fyodor Urnov, PhD, about the evolution and future of gene editing. One of the 2026 ASGCT Catalyst Award co-recipients, Dr. Urnov, talks about his work in gene editing and discusses the need for collaboration in the field to bring more cell and gene therapies to patients. Music: ‘Bright New Morning’ by Steven O’Brien – released under CC-BY 4.0. https://www.steven-obrien.net/Show your support for ASGCT!: https://asgct.org/membership/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Building PA Podcast, co-hosts Chris Martin and Jon O'Brien welcome Ben Connors, the president of the General Building Contractors Association (GBCA), to discuss the current trends and challenges in the construction industry, particularly in the Philadelphia market.We kick off the episode with a warm introduction, highlighting the exciting atmosphere in Philadelphia as the city prepares for the World Cup and celebrates its 250th anniversary of democracy. Ben shares his insights on how these events are energizing the local economy and influencing construction trends.Diving into the construction landscape, Ben notes that the market is experiencing a downtrend, marking the third consecutive year of decreased activity. He explains that historical patterns suggest a potential bottoming out by 2026, with hopes for a rebound in 2027-2028. A significant focus of the conversation is on the rising demand for data centers in the region, which are driving construction activity, particularly in areas surrounding Philadelphia. Ben discusses the challenges posed by the overwhelming demand for power to support these data centers, which has doubled in recent years.As we explore the current projects and market trends, Ben highlights the shift away from commercial office space construction, largely due to the rise of remote work. He emphasizes the importance of specialized work in the industry, noting that contractors with expertise in this area are finding more opportunities. Exciting developments on the horizon include a new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers, a major investment from a Korean shipbuilder at the Navy Yard, and the transformation of the old Philadelphia gas refinery into the Bellwether District, an industrial park.We also discuss the challenges facing GBCA members, including increased competition and thin profit margins in a down market. Ben points out the ongoing struggle against commoditization in construction, particularly in the residential sector, where out-of-town developers are cutting costs.The conversation shifts to technology and the impact of AI on the construction industry. Ben shares how GBCA is embracing AI to enhance member engagement and improve safety outcomes. He highlights the growing interest in AI applications, from estimating to safety chatbots, and the potential for these technologies to revolutionize the industry.As we wrap up the episode, Ben provides insights into ongoing projects in healthcare and education, including the expansion of Children's Hospital and the conversion of the historic Wanamaker building into mixed-use space. He emphasizes the importance of safety in construction and the value of union contractors in delivering high-quality work.This episode is packed with valuable information and insights into the evolving construction landscape in Philadelphia. We thank Ben for joining us and look forward to having him back in the future to continue the conversation.

Diving into the story of a handful of women who broke the social norms in aviation during the 1920s and 1930s-----Sources: Fly Girls - Keith O'Brien-----:30 - Make Yourself Proud10:30 - Ruth Nichols: Relinquish yourself from the world16:30 - Capacity for criticism18:20 - "Make your atom count."19:36 - Frances Grayson transatlantic attempt: Risk vs consequence25:30 - Amelia Earhart: her first attempt, the importance of self-satisfaction30:20 - The national air races + the battle for opportunity35:10 - Be a thorn36:20 - The cost/burden of challenging 41:40 - Prepare for a long fight42:40 - Ruth Nichols - overlooking the small details45:02 - The grudge flight47:20 - More breakthroughs, more battles. 55:45 - Louise Thaden: speed with safety58:38 - Plant some trees

Brien Lundin joins Mining Stock Daily from the Rule Symposium in Boca Raton for a wide-ranging discussion on the current state of the precious metals bull market and why volatility should be expected after gold's powerful run. Trevor and Brien explore the relationship between rising bond yields, mounting government debt, central bank policy, and the long-term case for owning gold, silver, and mining equities. They also discuss where capital could begin flowing next in the mining sector, the outlook for M&A, royalty companies, and why Brien believes the strongest opportunities remain further down the food chain. Finally, Brien shares a preview of this year's New Orleans Investment Conference and the themes he expects will shape investor sentiment heading into the end of 2026.

Morningstar Wealth's William Kerwin and Futurum's Dan O'Brien talk all about the state of the AI chip trade, from memory volatility to semiconductor consolidation. William says we are still in the early innings in terms of timing, and we will see an acceleration in the months to come. Dan says he views this as a structural sector trend versus a cyclical one we're seeing right now. They also discuss how far the memory rally can run and analyze margins in the memory industry.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Most success stories start with an unimaginable backstory.  Larry Bird’s journey to NBA immortality involved one of the most hardscrabble roads to success.  In the fall of 1974, Bird-one of the greatest players ever to pick up a basketball-was lost and in danger of slipping away.  This self-proclaimed ‘hick from French Link’ was recruited to play for Bobby Knight’s vaunted Indiana University Hoosiers’ team, but his discomfort with the fit at the University saw Bird never play a minute for the team.  It all could have ended right there, but for the determination of Bob King and Bill Hodges to bring him to Indiana State University in Terre Haute, a school whose basketball team couldn’t even fill its arena.  I’m old enough to recall the March 1979 NCAA Tournament finals game that pitted Larry Bird against Magic Johnson.  The rest of the story involved these two men, very different in so many ways, bringing the NBA back from a perilous moment when the league was at risk of never achieving comparability with football and baseball.  Keith O’Brien, author of “Heartland: A Forgotten Place, An Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird,” is a great storyteller and he joined us recently for a virtual book talk for my town’s library, which is now available as a podcast.

Denis Brien is a pioneer of sport in South Australia. Listen live on the FIVEAA Player. Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. Subscribe on YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition spokesman on roads and road safety Danny O’Brien told Tom Elliott they would eliminate 1 million potholes and re-establish a proper, planned system of preventive road maintenance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve O'Brien actually came on the show to talk to Doug and Strick live? Wow, I didn't think he would stoop that low; he must have had a cancellation in his schedule. If you want your very own "Steve O'Brien, take us outta here" shirt, mug, or other swag, you can actually get one here- https://niceguysmerch.printify.me/product/8779571Or check out his podcast here- https://thevoiceoverhustle.com/And you can actually hire him here- https://steveobrienvo.com/Do you want some cool merch? Check out the store here: https://www.niceguysonbusiness.com/merch Need podcast production? We've got your back. https://turnkeypodcast.com/contact Your Voice, your message, fully produced. Leave a voicemail for the Nice Guys: 424-2DJ-DOUG – (424) 235-3684Join our Nice Guys Community. http://www.NiceShortCut.com No time to get to this, but you can read the blog here: 12 Worries Every Entrepreneur Has (or they are lying) Show notes written lovingly by the most anonymous man (or woman) in the world. Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

My guest is Kurt Johnson Co-author of The Moon Tavern, A Culinary Love Story With Recipes. The Moon Tavern takes the reader on a romantic and culinary journey through the Islands of Croatia, where dark family secrets are revealed, quirky friends and relatives are found, and love is discovered.Vesna, or Ves, is a cookbook writer from Minneapolis who travels to the remote, exotic island of Lastovo off Croatia's Mediterranean coast to reconnect with her biological grandmother. She'd been adopted as a young child after her parents died in the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. Ves is also fleeing a frayed relationship with her live-in partner, Reed.In Lastovo, she meets Dinko, a single, handsome, and wealthy vineyard owner, and his cute daughter Mia. With his help with the translation, Ves discovers her biological family's history and the dark secrets of what happened during the war. Romance, travel, and cooking ensue. She ultimately learns what matters most to her: simplicity in life, closeness with family, and someone to share love with. And, of course, food!Stephanie [00:00:00]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space and other spaces. All the spaces of all the fun things. Kurt is my spouse, Kurt Johnson, and also the co author of the Moon Tavern, a culinary romance with recipes. It is a fiction book that is available on your bookshelf now. Welcome to the podcast, Kurt.Kurt Johnson [00:00:22]:Hi, thanks for having me.Stephanie [00:00:24]:Thanks for having us. The idea that we should work on a book together. I am, as many of you listening know, a cookbook writer and my husband is a fiction writer. And somewhere along the way, we decided that maybe it would be good to collaborate together. Kurt, was it you or me that had the idea first? I think it was you.Kurt Johnson [00:00:42]:Yeah, probably. I was kind of done with my past book writing about Las Vegas and looking for something different. And we'd been traveling a lot, so going to Croatia, going to Italy, going out west, going to Turkey. So I wanted to incorporate travel with a novel, and I also wanted to incorporate food. And so I thought this would be a lot of fun. Since we're traveling together, we have those shared experiences and you have the food experience and the food writing experience. So I thought it'd be a fun collaboration. And I've always liked the idea of love stories.Kurt Johnson [00:01:18]:Even my thriller books in Las Vegas had kind of a love story element. And it adds a dimension to a novel that, I don't know, makes it cohesive, makes it pull together in an emotional arc that's kind of fulfilling in the end.Stephanie [00:01:33]:Do you think you're a romantic at heart, or what is it about romances that are fun to write for you?Kurt Johnson [00:01:39]:Maybe I'm a romance at heart. I may be more stoic than that, though. I just. I like the idea of seeing people get together, seeing people enjoy the same interests and finding people that can fall in love. Of course, that's always the fun part. The hard part is once you get married and move on from there and have to deal with kids and daily life and work and all the other things that go with living life. And that's not that much fun to write.Stephanie [00:02:07]:Yeah, exactly. We as a couple, I think I can speak for me and you maybe on this one. We've always had great experiences traveling. We are good traveling companions. We like the spirit of adventure. Did you know that Croatia would be the spot for the first fiction endeavor?Kurt Johnson [00:02:24]:Yeah, that was a given since we'd been there five times and four times running a sailboat and visiting the islands. And as you know, Stephanie, I'm just enamored with those islands, I think they're so beautiful. And there was one island we discovered out there, Lastovo, which is the furthest island out. So a lot of the sailors and tourists just never get there. They stay closer to shore. So, you know, going out there the first time, this beautiful bay of Zachlopedia, where, you know, it's a, it's a protective cove which is beautiful turquoise water. And then taking the dinghy in, and then you walk up this path, I think it's about a two mile hike. And then you go over this ridge and this 16th, 15th century town opens up.Kurt Johnson [00:03:10]:You know, at one point maybe it had 10,000 residents. And, and it, it, when we first saw it, I don't know, 10, 15 years ago, it was abandoned. So it was a ghost town of 15th century buildings and churches and apartments in this beautiful valley of lush green foliage. So that's very picturesque. We had an incredible meal there of just simple anchovies and blitfa. And for you, for you people out there that don't know, blitfa is ubiquitous in Croatia. And it's, it's just spring potatoes with Swiss chard, but it's served with everything.Stephanie [00:03:52]:It is served with everything. And they sometimes have spinach, sometimes have like another type of green, but it's sort of like the potatoes are cooked till they're pretty soft, and then it's kind of mashed in a little bit. So it's not fully a mashed potato and it's not fully a roasted potato. It's sort of a combination of both. But it is good.Kurt Johnson [00:04:12]:Yeah, so, yeah, that's so, you know, it seemed such an exotic place, the island of Lastovo in Croatia, that it was a natural to place it there.Stephanie [00:04:23]:Can you tell a little bit of just an introduction of the story, like what people will find when they crack open the book?Kurt Johnson [00:04:30]:Sure. It's about Vesna, who is. Has a breakup with her live in boyfriend, and they'd had a restaurant. She was a chef, a cookbook authority, and had a restaurant, not unlike my dear wife Stephanie. And she has a breakup and she leaves Minneapolis to go to Croatia to uncover her. Her heritage. She had been adopted from Croatia, specifically Dubrovnik, when her parents died in the Serb bombing of Dubrovnik in 1991. So she was adopted out of there and raised in Minnesota.Kurt Johnson [00:05:05]:So then she goes to Croatia and rediscovers her dark family secrets and meets Dinko Radek, who is a winery owner, and, you know, romance ensues. But she has a life still back in Minneapolis that she has to go back to and resolve.Stephanie [00:05:24]:When we talked about putting this first concept together, you know, I see the world through food. Like, literally everything in sort of my life is framed by a meal, an experience, just the way that I see the world. It's always around food, celebrations. And so did you know that that would work for this Croatia book? Because I didn't. When you first brought it up, I was like, I can't be a Croatian grandma here. And writing recipes about what at the time I perceived as, like, dumplings.Kurt Johnson [00:05:53]:Yeah, I wasn't sure either, frankly. You know, so each chapter, there's 25 chapters, and each chapter in it has a description of cooking. And it's all Croatia cooking, Croatia recipes. You know, all food we at over the years where we were there. And then the idea of tagging on recipes was just kind of bringing it home. Like, here's the Croatia experience. Now here's how Stephanie would bring that back to the real world, which is here in the United States.Stephanie [00:06:21]:We have talked about doing a series of books. What is it about this genre that you think lends itself to other titles and other characters?Kurt Johnson [00:06:29]:Well, you know, it's an adventure book on one level, and there's always new places to visit. So the next book is based in Panza, Italy, where we've been a couple times. And it's this beautiful island off the coast of Italy in the Mediterranean. And, you know, Italian food. You go to Italy and what you remember is the pizza in Naples or the. The pasta in Rome and. And the busteca up in the hills. So, you know, a way to experience a place is.Kurt Johnson [00:07:04]:Is through food. And I like writing about new settings. You know, it. It's not as interesting writing about Minnesota,Stephanie [00:07:11]:but you've written a lot about Las Vegas. You've had how many books about Las Vegas? Three.Kurt Johnson [00:07:16]:Yeah, three. You know, two of the. Of kind of a thriller in. Two thrillers in a series, and then a book about RVing that ends up in. In Las Vegas. And Las Vegas is a interesting place, and I lived there for five years running nightclubs and restaurants. And so two of the books are Underbelly of Las Vegas, which I was a part of in the nightclub scene back in the late 80s. So that's just flat out fun to write about.Kurt Johnson [00:07:39]:And Las Vegas is such a weirdo place that it's fun to bring that to life.Stephanie [00:07:45]:It's interesting to hear you talk about that. The way you choose your stories is about place, because the first book, the Barrens, that you wrote with our Daughter Ellie, inspired by her experiences as a canoe camper in the tundra. That's also based in Place, too. Place is sort of what starts you on these journeys. It seems like, yeah, you know something,Kurt Johnson [00:08:07]:you threw me a curveball because I never really thought about it. But you're exactly right.Stephanie [00:08:12]:All.Kurt Johnson [00:08:12]:All these books start off with a setting, with a place, and then, you know, the plots revolve around. Around that. And there's just so many. So many different. There's a finite number of, really, plots you can choose from. It's kind of like a piano keyboard has all the. The notes that you want to make up a. A music piece the same way with plot structures.Kurt Johnson [00:08:34]:And so to take it to the next level, you really have to search out characters, and the characters are in a setting, so those two are inexplicably, Inextricably. Inextricably linked. Yeah, exactly. So, you know, the two go hand in hand. So character and place really can set a novel apart.Stephanie [00:08:59]:Can you think of other books that you've written or. Excuse me. No, not that you've written, that you've read. Where Place sort of started you off on this adventure?Kurt Johnson [00:09:07]:Yeah, probably. I really love Beautiful Ruins.Stephanie [00:09:11]:Jess Walters.Kurt Johnson [00:09:13]:Walters, yeah. And that starts off in Italy, kind of near Cinque de Terre. And it's kind of the poor version of Cinque de Terre, where the tourists don't go. And it was such a fascinating story. And then they bring that all back to Hollywood in America, and it just works so well. But what really captures your imagination is the description of this little seaside community. Before the whole plot takes over, IStephanie [00:09:41]:kind of think about that book. The Embarrassment of Mangoes.Kurt Johnson [00:09:44]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:09:44]:When you and I first started sailing and going on these adventures, we read that book. It was about a couple that buys a boat and sails through the Caribbean, and she is discovering spices and fruits and vegetables and things that she's never eaten before. And I just loved that book. It was really what got me into sailing and thinking about how to make that our life and whether or not, you know, we could buy a boat and do that. And that boat really had a huge setting of place. Can you think of, like. I don't know. When I think of other books, there's very few books that I think about character first.Stephanie [00:10:19]:I usually always think about the place. Maybe that's just something.Kurt Johnson [00:10:22]:Or the plot, too. Yeah, they're all just linked together. And you don't think about. Well, you were saying you don't think about character as much.Stephanie [00:10:31]:Not really.Kurt Johnson [00:10:32]:Yeah, it's funny. I think, you know, the best books people say are character driven, but they're inexplicable. What's the word again?Stephanie [00:10:41]:Inextricably.Kurt Johnson [00:10:43]:Inextricably. Trouble with that. Linked. So, you know, you pick a place and you pick a plot and then you build these characters. The characters have to build around that plot and so they kind of naturally flow. And, and I, I think they, if they're well written and honest, you shouldn't think of them. You know, they're interesting characters and you'll say, you know, this is Rabbit and the Rabbit series. And you'll know, but you won't say, oh, that's just a great character.Kurt Johnson [00:11:10]:I, I, I don't know that I certainly, you know, I'm probably deep into it and I look at the craft a lot so I can see where somebody has really spent some time to develop an honest character or where, you know, the narrative voice comes through and, and a character comes to life through this first person narrative voice. So I see that a lot moreStephanie [00:11:30]:people have a real, like they can't believe you can write a book. Like the idea of the literal act of sitting down and writing and how that works. People fantasize about writing it, but then very few people do. What was it that got you over the hump from thinking about writing it to actually sitting down and doing it?Kurt Johnson [00:11:47]:Well, selling our business and all of a sudden being able to free up time. Because for me, novel writing and I think was it Chrisham talked about, you know, writing at 5 in the morning before he goes to work at 7. I just couldn't do that. You know, I just, I'm very focused on one thing and, and so I needed to free up my time from work in order to get going. And then it was, can you put together, you know, a thousand or fifteen hundred words every day so that it links up into a novel and have that, not only that, that discipline, but also have the creative juices to produce scenes almost every day because, you know, like a, a good novel is created from 50 scenes. So I went from, you know, writing a memoir that I probably won't publish just to see if I can get, you know, a thousand words every day and put this together to then writing Las Vegas turnaround. And there I, I, I really just copied a lot of plot structures that I saw that I liked. And so it was easier for me to set up main characters, set up tertiary characters, subplots, because I had a blueprint from somebody else.Kurt Johnson [00:12:56]:And then, and then once, you know, you Keep writing. You get muscle memory for it and it becomes more, more natural and actually more fun because it becomes more organic. You'll follow characters through a town and they'll meet somebody and all of a sudden that person becomes a character in their universe and they say something and all of a sudden that takes off and you have to follow it. Now, you know, the woman's gonna fall in love with a guy at the end. But getting there is the fun part. And now I can do that a lot more organically.Stephanie [00:13:27]:If you are talking to any aspiring novel writers, what kind of advice do you have for them to get started?Kurt Johnson [00:13:34]:Well, you know, you gotta lower your expectations just because publishing is so hard, you know.Stephanie [00:13:39]:Can you elaborate on that?Kurt Johnson [00:13:41]:Well, you know, there's maybe two or three or 400 agents, most of them in New York City and they're all trying to make a buck. And it's hard to make a buck off a debut writer. It helps if you're MFA and you're writing in a genre because, you know, let's say 70% of the books are read by women and 70% of those are romances. And then men, the other 30%, probably 80% of what they read are, you know, thrillers or mysteries. So if you can pick a genre, that always helps. But yeah, it, you have to be more thoughtful about it. And I think, I think so many first time writers, you know, once they get the discipline and put, put the, the words on a page, they write that first personal novel, you know, and I wrote my memoir and it's, it's really 90% of those, they, you know, people have the, they aspire for the great American novel and it's too personal, it's too close to home. They can't break out from the reality of their lives to have fun with the plot and make things happen.Kurt Johnson [00:14:45]:So a lot of times these books, nothing happens. They're deeply emotional books where nothing happens and they're, they're excruciatingly boring. So you gotta get past that phase and then you gotta look at it as a, as a craft. And, you know, a big chunk of it's art, of course, whatever you wanna call that, you know, shedding light on the human experience. But a big chunk is craft. And I don't think you can get to the craft for most people in that first book. So you gotta keep writing, you know, and realize that the first couple books may not get published. So, you know, the barons got published.Kurt Johnson [00:15:21]:That was one, two, that was my third, fourth book, you know, and the, and two, the, the first three, two of them were duds that will never be published.Stephanie [00:15:31]:Yeah. Yeah. All right, well, it's good to chat with you about the book. We are in the marketing process of the book. I feel like books come in three waves. One is the idea that you're thinking about it. The second, the actual writing of it. And then the third is actual the marketing of it.Stephanie [00:15:48]:What do you think's the hardest part?Kurt Johnson [00:15:49]:Well, I mean, it's. The hardest part's finding an agent and finding a publisher. Then if you self publish, the hardest part is marketing. And at least it is for me because writing is so natural and fun for me. But I think for most people, you know, the writing's a hard part. And, and you know, like the Minnesota writer o', Brien, he hates writing, so he forces himself. Tim o'. Brien.Kurt Johnson [00:16:12]:So he forces himself to get those books out there. So probably that's the hardest part for him.Stephanie [00:16:17]:We had, I had a cookbook, two cookbooks out and I had a publisher, but they didn't publish this book because it was a fiction book. I think some people just assume like, oh, well, they've already had books out, but we self published this book. Why did we make that decision from your standpoint?Kurt Johnson [00:16:33]:Well, we couldn't get an A list agent or a New York publisher. There's just not, it comes off as almost a debut book and it's hard for them to make any money. So if you can't get an A lister, then you're, you know, stuck with boutique publishing companies and others and, and they just don't support the marketing of your book. And I've self published books in the past, so I know how to do it. I know how to put a professional product out there. And, and we can, you know, both of us are marketers and, and Stephanie has a large platform, so we can do a lot of our own marketing or, or outsource it, you know, but still we retain most of the profits. So when we do the marketing, we can reinvested or keep those profits.Stephanie [00:17:17]:Yeah, I, when you say profits, it sounds like there's a lot there. I'd like to, I mean, I mean,Kurt Johnson [00:17:22]:maybe, maybe we broke it even at this point, but then now we're looking at a marketing PR firm that's going to set us back another $5,000. But you know, if, if these books succeed and somebody makes a lot of money, it's the, it's the third, you know, book that's going to put them over the top. It's not the first.Stephanie [00:17:40]:I have this idea too that we're going to write these books and then sooner or later someone's going to turn them into a T series because it's going to be like the White Lotus where each season is a different location and a different cast of characters, but sort of the general premise is sort of the same.Kurt Johnson [00:17:56]:I hope so. You know, I hope an A list agent comes along and, and frees us from our servitude or whatever. And, but, and yeah, you know, there's, there's plenty of stories of self published authors that, that get deals or even boutique. Boutique authors that get deals. So you know, we can dream.Stephanie [00:18:16]:One thing that I'd like the listener to hear is what their part is in this because we've. I was leaving the coffee shop today. We're in Ely. That is the vacation backgrounds. But.Kurt Johnson [00:18:25]:Right.Stephanie [00:18:25]:I was leaving the coffee shop today and a woman stopped me and said, Stephanie, I had the opportunity to read the Moon Tavern. It's so good. I loved it so much. And she's telling me about it and telling her friend. And I have that experience a lot where people have really, really enjoyed this book. And I just want the listener to know that leaving reviews on Goodreads or Amazon or Barnes and Noble or wherever you bought the book or if you can' find a book, asking for it at your local bookseller. Cause they can always order it when you're self published. The more buzz you can create about these books, the better chance that someone will hear about it, someone will buy it and eventually a publisher, if they hear about a book and they like it, then they may pick it up.Stephanie [00:19:03]:So I think if you like what you're reading and you want to see more of this type of work in the world and books that you like, that's something that you can do to help us out.Kurt Johnson [00:19:13]:Yes, a 5 on Amazon or top rating on any other Goodreads is good too. Yeah, it's, it's all, it's all good. So yes, those, those help a lot. Just because the more reviews you can get and the more five star reviews you get, the more people will pick up the book, the more buzz you'll get. So yeah, so it helps us immeasurably.Stephanie [00:19:35]:Another thing before we wrap up here, someone asked me about the Cover of the book. Do you want to talk about how you picked the artwork?Kurt Johnson [00:19:41]:Yeah, I was pretty much online Xee Reider, she's in St. Paul and she's a muralist mostly. And I really liked the look that she had. So I reached out to her, and she did the original artwork, and then each chapter ends with a recipe, and there's a pen and ink drawing, and she did those. And I really think that adds another level to the book. And I love a beautiful cover.Stephanie [00:20:10]:Yeah, the cover is really nice. She did a great job. All right, well, that is it for this episode of the podcast. Just want to chat with you and give people a little background. Thanks for being a guest. Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

My guest is Kurt Johnson Co-author of The Moon Tavern, A Culinary Love Story With Recipes. The Moon Tavern takes the reader on a romantic and culinary journey through the Islands of Croatia, where dark family secrets are revealed, quirky friends and relatives are found, and love is discovered.Vesna, or Ves, is a cookbook writer from Minneapolis who travels to the remote, exotic island of Lastovo off Croatia's Mediterranean coast to reconnect with her biological grandmother. She'd been adopted as a young child after her parents died in the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. Ves is also fleeing a frayed relationship with her live-in partner, Reed.In Lastovo, she meets Dinko, a single, handsome, and wealthy vineyard owner, and his cute daughter Mia. With his help with the translation, Ves discovers her biological family's history and the dark secrets of what happened during the war. Romance, travel, and cooking ensue. She ultimately learns what matters most to her: simplicity in life, closeness with family, and someone to share love with. And, of course, food!Stephanie [00:00:00]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space and other spaces. All the spaces of all the fun things. Kurt is my spouse, Kurt Johnson, and also the co author of the Moon Tavern, a culinary romance with recipes. It is a fiction book that is available on your bookshelf now. Welcome to the podcast, Kurt.Kurt Johnson [00:00:22]:Hi, thanks for having me.Stephanie [00:00:24]:Thanks for having us. The idea that we should work on a book together. I am, as many of you listening know, a cookbook writer and my husband is a fiction writer. And somewhere along the way, we decided that maybe it would be good to collaborate together. Kurt, was it you or me that had the idea first? I think it was you.Kurt Johnson [00:00:42]:Yeah, probably. I was kind of done with my past book writing about Las Vegas and looking for something different. And we'd been traveling a lot, so going to Croatia, going to Italy, going out west, going to Turkey. So I wanted to incorporate travel with a novel, and I also wanted to incorporate food. And so I thought this would be a lot of fun. Since we're traveling together, we have those shared experiences and you have the food experience and the food writing experience. So I thought it'd be a fun collaboration. And I've always liked the idea of love stories.Kurt Johnson [00:01:18]:Even my thriller books in Las Vegas had kind of a love story element. And it adds a dimension to a novel that, I don't know, makes it cohesive, makes it pull together in an emotional arc that's kind of fulfilling in the end.Stephanie [00:01:33]:Do you think you're a romantic at heart, or what is it about romances that are fun to write for you?Kurt Johnson [00:01:39]:Maybe I'm a romance at heart. I may be more stoic than that, though. I just. I like the idea of seeing people get together, seeing people enjoy the same interests and finding people that can fall in love. Of course, that's always the fun part. The hard part is once you get married and move on from there and have to deal with kids and daily life and work and all the other things that go with living life. And that's not that much fun to write.Stephanie [00:02:07]:Yeah, exactly. We as a couple, I think I can speak for me and you maybe on this one. We've always had great experiences traveling. We are good traveling companions. We like the spirit of adventure. Did you know that Croatia would be the spot for the first fiction endeavor?Kurt Johnson [00:02:24]:Yeah, that was a given since we'd been there five times and four times running a sailboat and visiting the islands. And as you know, Stephanie, I'm just enamored with those islands, I think they're so beautiful. And there was one island we discovered out there, Lastovo, which is the furthest island out. So a lot of the sailors and tourists just never get there. They stay closer to shore. So, you know, going out there the first time, this beautiful bay of Zachlopedia, where, you know, it's a, it's a protective cove which is beautiful turquoise water. And then taking the dinghy in, and then you walk up this path, I think it's about a two mile hike. And then you go over this ridge and this 16th, 15th century town opens up.Kurt Johnson [00:03:10]:You know, at one point maybe it had 10,000 residents. And, and it, it, when we first saw it, I don't know, 10, 15 years ago, it was abandoned. So it was a ghost town of 15th century buildings and churches and apartments in this beautiful valley of lush green foliage. So that's very picturesque. We had an incredible meal there of just simple anchovies and blitfa. And for you, for you people out there that don't know, blitfa is ubiquitous in Croatia. And it's, it's just spring potatoes with Swiss chard, but it's served with everything.Stephanie [00:03:52]:It is served with everything. And they sometimes have spinach, sometimes have like another type of green, but it's sort of like the potatoes are cooked till they're pretty soft, and then it's kind of mashed in a little bit. So it's not fully a mashed potato and it's not fully a roasted potato. It's sort of a combination of both. But it is good.Kurt Johnson [00:04:12]:Yeah, so, yeah, that's so, you know, it seemed such an exotic place, the island of Lastovo in Croatia, that it was a natural to place it there.Stephanie [00:04:23]:Can you tell a little bit of just an introduction of the story, like what people will find when they crack open the book?Kurt Johnson [00:04:30]:Sure. It's about Vesna, who is. Has a breakup with her live in boyfriend, and they'd had a restaurant. She was a chef, a cookbook authority, and had a restaurant, not unlike my dear wife Stephanie. And she has a breakup and she leaves Minneapolis to go to Croatia to uncover her. Her heritage. She had been adopted from Croatia, specifically Dubrovnik, when her parents died in the Serb bombing of Dubrovnik in 1991. So she was adopted out of there and raised in Minnesota.Kurt Johnson [00:05:05]:So then she goes to Croatia and rediscovers her dark family secrets and meets Dinko Radek, who is a winery owner, and, you know, romance ensues. But she has a life still back in Minneapolis that she has to go back to and resolve.Stephanie [00:05:24]:When we talked about putting this first concept together, you know, I see the world through food. Like, literally everything in sort of my life is framed by a meal, an experience, just the way that I see the world. It's always around food, celebrations. And so did you know that that would work for this Croatia book? Because I didn't. When you first brought it up, I was like, I can't be a Croatian grandma here. And writing recipes about what at the time I perceived as, like, dumplings.Kurt Johnson [00:05:53]:Yeah, I wasn't sure either, frankly. You know, so each chapter, there's 25 chapters, and each chapter in it has a description of cooking. And it's all Croatia cooking, Croatia recipes. You know, all food we at over the years where we were there. And then the idea of tagging on recipes was just kind of bringing it home. Like, here's the Croatia experience. Now here's how Stephanie would bring that back to the real world, which is here in the United States.Stephanie [00:06:21]:We have talked about doing a series of books. What is it about this genre that you think lends itself to other titles and other characters?Kurt Johnson [00:06:29]:Well, you know, it's an adventure book on one level, and there's always new places to visit. So the next book is based in Panza, Italy, where we've been a couple times. And it's this beautiful island off the coast of Italy in the Mediterranean. And, you know, Italian food. You go to Italy and what you remember is the pizza in Naples or the. The pasta in Rome and. And the busteca up in the hills. So, you know, a way to experience a place is.Kurt Johnson [00:07:04]:Is through food. And I like writing about new settings. You know, it. It's not as interesting writing about Minnesota,Stephanie [00:07:11]:but you've written a lot about Las Vegas. You've had how many books about Las Vegas? Three.Kurt Johnson [00:07:16]:Yeah, three. You know, two of the. Of kind of a thriller in. Two thrillers in a series, and then a book about RVing that ends up in. In Las Vegas. And Las Vegas is a interesting place, and I lived there for five years running nightclubs and restaurants. And so two of the books are Underbelly of Las Vegas, which I was a part of in the nightclub scene back in the late 80s. So that's just flat out fun to write about.Kurt Johnson [00:07:39]:And Las Vegas is such a weirdo place that it's fun to bring that to life.Stephanie [00:07:45]:It's interesting to hear you talk about that. The way you choose your stories is about place, because the first book, the Barrens, that you wrote with our Daughter Ellie, inspired by her experiences as a canoe camper in the tundra. That's also based in Place, too. Place is sort of what starts you on these journeys. It seems like, yeah, you know something,Kurt Johnson [00:08:07]:you threw me a curveball because I never really thought about it. But you're exactly right.Stephanie [00:08:12]:All.Kurt Johnson [00:08:12]:All these books start off with a setting, with a place, and then, you know, the plots revolve around. Around that. And there's just so many. So many different. There's a finite number of, really, plots you can choose from. It's kind of like a piano keyboard has all the. The notes that you want to make up a. A music piece the same way with plot structures.Kurt Johnson [00:08:34]:And so to take it to the next level, you really have to search out characters, and the characters are in a setting, so those two are inexplicably, Inextricably. Inextricably linked. Yeah, exactly. So, you know, the two go hand in hand. So character and place really can set a novel apart.Stephanie [00:08:59]:Can you think of other books that you've written or. Excuse me. No, not that you've written, that you've read. Where Place sort of started you off on this adventure?Kurt Johnson [00:09:07]:Yeah, probably. I really love Beautiful Ruins.Stephanie [00:09:11]:Jess Walters.Kurt Johnson [00:09:13]:Walters, yeah. And that starts off in Italy, kind of near Cinque de Terre. And it's kind of the poor version of Cinque de Terre, where the tourists don't go. And it was such a fascinating story. And then they bring that all back to Hollywood in America, and it just works so well. But what really captures your imagination is the description of this little seaside community. Before the whole plot takes over, IStephanie [00:09:41]:kind of think about that book. The Embarrassment of Mangoes.Kurt Johnson [00:09:44]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:09:44]:When you and I first started sailing and going on these adventures, we read that book. It was about a couple that buys a boat and sails through the Caribbean, and she is discovering spices and fruits and vegetables and things that she's never eaten before. And I just loved that book. It was really what got me into sailing and thinking about how to make that our life and whether or not, you know, we could buy a boat and do that. And that boat really had a huge setting of place. Can you think of, like. I don't know. When I think of other books, there's very few books that I think about character first.Stephanie [00:10:19]:I usually always think about the place. Maybe that's just something.Kurt Johnson [00:10:22]:Or the plot, too. Yeah, they're all just linked together. And you don't think about. Well, you were saying you don't think about character as much.Stephanie [00:10:31]:Not really.Kurt Johnson [00:10:32]:Yeah, it's funny. I think, you know, the best books people say are character driven, but they're inexplicable. What's the word again?Stephanie [00:10:41]:Inextricably.Kurt Johnson [00:10:43]:Inextricably. Trouble with that. Linked. So, you know, you pick a place and you pick a plot and then you build these characters. The characters have to build around that plot and so they kind of naturally flow. And, and I, I think they, if they're well written and honest, you shouldn't think of them. You know, they're interesting characters and you'll say, you know, this is Rabbit and the Rabbit series. And you'll know, but you won't say, oh, that's just a great character.Kurt Johnson [00:11:10]:I, I, I don't know that I certainly, you know, I'm probably deep into it and I look at the craft a lot so I can see where somebody has really spent some time to develop an honest character or where, you know, the narrative voice comes through and, and a character comes to life through this first person narrative voice. So I see that a lot moreStephanie [00:11:30]:people have a real, like they can't believe you can write a book. Like the idea of the literal act of sitting down and writing and how that works. People fantasize about writing it, but then very few people do. What was it that got you over the hump from thinking about writing it to actually sitting down and doing it?Kurt Johnson [00:11:47]:Well, selling our business and all of a sudden being able to free up time. Because for me, novel writing and I think was it Chrisham talked about, you know, writing at 5 in the morning before he goes to work at 7. I just couldn't do that. You know, I just, I'm very focused on one thing and, and so I needed to free up my time from work in order to get going. And then it was, can you put together, you know, a thousand or fifteen hundred words every day so that it links up into a novel and have that, not only that, that discipline, but also have the creative juices to produce scenes almost every day because, you know, like a, a good novel is created from 50 scenes. So I went from, you know, writing a memoir that I probably won't publish just to see if I can get, you know, a thousand words every day and put this together to then writing Las Vegas turnaround. And there I, I, I really just copied a lot of plot structures that I saw that I liked. And so it was easier for me to set up main characters, set up tertiary characters, subplots, because I had a blueprint from somebody else.Kurt Johnson [00:12:56]:And then, and then once, you know, you Keep writing. You get muscle memory for it and it becomes more, more natural and actually more fun because it becomes more organic. You'll follow characters through a town and they'll meet somebody and all of a sudden that person becomes a character in their universe and they say something and all of a sudden that takes off and you have to follow it. Now, you know, the woman's gonna fall in love with a guy at the end. But getting there is the fun part. And now I can do that a lot more organically.Stephanie [00:13:27]:If you are talking to any aspiring novel writers, what kind of advice do you have for them to get started?Kurt Johnson [00:13:34]:Well, you know, you gotta lower your expectations just because publishing is so hard, you know.Stephanie [00:13:39]:Can you elaborate on that?Kurt Johnson [00:13:41]:Well, you know, there's maybe two or three or 400 agents, most of them in New York City and they're all trying to make a buck. And it's hard to make a buck off a debut writer. It helps if you're MFA and you're writing in a genre because, you know, let's say 70% of the books are read by women and 70% of those are romances. And then men, the other 30%, probably 80% of what they read are, you know, thrillers or mysteries. So if you can pick a genre, that always helps. But yeah, it, you have to be more thoughtful about it. And I think, I think so many first time writers, you know, once they get the discipline and put, put the, the words on a page, they write that first personal novel, you know, and I wrote my memoir and it's, it's really 90% of those, they, you know, people have the, they aspire for the great American novel and it's too personal, it's too close to home. They can't break out from the reality of their lives to have fun with the plot and make things happen.Kurt Johnson [00:14:45]:So a lot of times these books, nothing happens. They're deeply emotional books where nothing happens and they're, they're excruciatingly boring. So you gotta get past that phase and then you gotta look at it as a, as a craft. And, you know, a big chunk of it's art, of course, whatever you wanna call that, you know, shedding light on the human experience. But a big chunk is craft. And I don't think you can get to the craft for most people in that first book. So you gotta keep writing, you know, and realize that the first couple books may not get published. So, you know, the barons got published.Kurt Johnson [00:15:21]:That was one, two, that was my third, fourth book, you know, and the, and two, the, the first three, two of them were duds that will never be published.Stephanie [00:15:31]:Yeah. Yeah. All right, well, it's good to chat with you about the book. We are in the marketing process of the book. I feel like books come in three waves. One is the idea that you're thinking about it. The second, the actual writing of it. And then the third is actual the marketing of it.Stephanie [00:15:48]:What do you think's the hardest part?Kurt Johnson [00:15:49]:Well, I mean, it's. The hardest part's finding an agent and finding a publisher. Then if you self publish, the hardest part is marketing. And at least it is for me because writing is so natural and fun for me. But I think for most people, you know, the writing's a hard part. And, and you know, like the Minnesota writer o', Brien, he hates writing, so he forces himself. Tim o'. Brien.Kurt Johnson [00:16:12]:So he forces himself to get those books out there. So probably that's the hardest part for him.Stephanie [00:16:17]:We had, I had a cookbook, two cookbooks out and I had a publisher, but they didn't publish this book because it was a fiction book. I think some people just assume like, oh, well, they've already had books out, but we self published this book. Why did we make that decision from your standpoint?Kurt Johnson [00:16:33]:Well, we couldn't get an A list agent or a New York publisher. There's just not, it comes off as almost a debut book and it's hard for them to make any money. So if you can't get an A lister, then you're, you know, stuck with boutique publishing companies and others and, and they just don't support the marketing of your book. And I've self published books in the past, so I know how to do it. I know how to put a professional product out there. And, and we can, you know, both of us are marketers and, and Stephanie has a large platform, so we can do a lot of our own marketing or, or outsource it, you know, but still we retain most of the profits. So when we do the marketing, we can reinvested or keep those profits.Stephanie [00:17:17]:Yeah, I, when you say profits, it sounds like there's a lot there. I'd like to, I mean, I mean,Kurt Johnson [00:17:22]:maybe, maybe we broke it even at this point, but then now we're looking at a marketing PR firm that's going to set us back another $5,000. But you know, if, if these books succeed and somebody makes a lot of money, it's the, it's the third, you know, book that's going to put them over the top. It's not the first.Stephanie [00:17:40]:I have this idea too that we're going to write these books and then sooner or later someone's going to turn them into a T series because it's going to be like the White Lotus where each season is a different location and a different cast of characters, but sort of the general premise is sort of the same.Kurt Johnson [00:17:56]:I hope so. You know, I hope an A list agent comes along and, and frees us from our servitude or whatever. And, but, and yeah, you know, there's, there's plenty of stories of self published authors that, that get deals or even boutique. Boutique authors that get deals. So you know, we can dream.Stephanie [00:18:16]:One thing that I'd like the listener to hear is what their part is in this because we've. I was leaving the coffee shop today. We're in Ely. That is the vacation backgrounds. But.Kurt Johnson [00:18:25]:Right.Stephanie [00:18:25]:I was leaving the coffee shop today and a woman stopped me and said, Stephanie, I had the opportunity to read the Moon Tavern. It's so good. I loved it so much. And she's telling me about it and telling her friend. And I have that experience a lot where people have really, really enjoyed this book. And I just want the listener to know that leaving reviews on Goodreads or Amazon or Barnes and Noble or wherever you bought the book or if you can' find a book, asking for it at your local bookseller. Cause they can always order it when you're self published. The more buzz you can create about these books, the better chance that someone will hear about it, someone will buy it and eventually a publisher, if they hear about a book and they like it, then they may pick it up.Stephanie [00:19:03]:So I think if you like what you're reading and you want to see more of this type of work in the world and books that you like, that's something that you can do to help us out.Kurt Johnson [00:19:13]:Yes, a 5 on Amazon or top rating on any other Goodreads is good too. Yeah, it's, it's all, it's all good. So yes, those, those help a lot. Just because the more reviews you can get and the more five star reviews you get, the more people will pick up the book, the more buzz you'll get. So yeah, so it helps us immeasurably.Stephanie [00:19:35]:Another thing before we wrap up here, someone asked me about the Cover of the book. Do you want to talk about how you picked the artwork?Kurt Johnson [00:19:41]:Yeah, I was pretty much online Xee Reider, she's in St. Paul and she's a muralist mostly. And I really liked the look that she had. So I reached out to her, and she did the original artwork, and then each chapter ends with a recipe, and there's a pen and ink drawing, and she did those. And I really think that adds another level to the book. And I love a beautiful cover.Stephanie [00:20:10]:Yeah, the cover is really nice. She did a great job. All right, well, that is it for this episode of the podcast. Just want to chat with you and give people a little background. Thanks for being a guest. Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

On the latest Sports Media Watch Podcast, Jon Lewis discusses the World Cup ratings success with co-host Armand Broady and producer Derek Futterman, and then the crew is joined by 2006 World Cup voice Dave O'Brien for a discussion about that assignment and much more from his nearly 40-year sports broadcasting career.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's something of a "mega" episode this week, with two Seattle Kraken prospect interviews - featuring Jake O'Brien and Hawke Huff - plus lots of discussion about the news from the last week that Shane Wright requested a trade. Also, takeaways from Kraken development camp, and plenty of nonsense, like Get Off My Lawn and Food for Thought. Segments this week include Weekly One-Timers and What's Good.SUBSCRIBE! ENJOY! REVIEW!

BaseballBiz On Deck: Rays Up EditionMark Corbett and Mat GermainThe Rays Are RollingTampa Bay leads the AL East by four games over New York, sits 17+ games above .500, and has essentially locked up a playoff spot. Their Low-A and High-A affiliates have already clinched. The system ranks top 10 in baseball. Four players are headed to the All-Star Game: Brian Baker, Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, and Drew Rasmussen.Game Night: Rays 3, Yankees 0Recorded live during a dominant Wednesday night win. Shane McClanahan: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 ER. Yandy Diaz: 3-for-3, including an inside pitch he turned on that had no business being a hit. Brian Baker closed it with trademark intensity. Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected in the process.Players to WatchTaylor Walls has quietly become a legitimate two-way contributor after hip surgery. Feduccia is delivering from the nine hole. Richie Palacios is on a tear. Johnny DeLuca is back. The bottom of the lineup is producing when it counts.Trade Deadline TargetsThree names Mat would pursue before the deadline:Zach Neto (Angels) as a shortstop upgrade with power and speed. Cost: Carson Williams and pieces.Hunter Goodman (Rockies) as a power catcher whose away numbers are actually better than his Coors numbers. Could be the playoff bat they lack.Freddy Peralta (Mets) as a reclamation starter who needs a change of scenery and would benefit from Kyle Snyder's coaching.Drew Anderson (Tigers) as a multi-inning reliever with swing-and-miss stuff, built for October.Playoff-Ready Depth at AAAThe Rays have assembled a rare Triple-A roster of MLB-tested veterans: Gavin Lux, Carson Williams, Jake Fraley, Jake Cave, Jacob Melton, Nick Madrigal, Homer Bush Jr., Oliver Dunn, and Austin Slater. It functions like an expansion team safety net heading into September.MLB Draft: Second Overall PickTop candidates: Roch Cholowsky (SS, UCLA), Grady Emerson (SS, high school), Vahn Lackey (C, Georgia Tech). If the White Sox take Emerson first, Cholowsky may fall to Tampa. A college-ready shortstop who could slot next to Caminero for a decade is hard to pass on.Evan Longoria WeekendUpper deck tickets available on StubHub from $30-44. Lower bowl sections reaching $900. Mat and Mark urge fans to show up. Longoria was crushed when he was dealt, gave everything to this city, and deserves a full house.The Only Missing PieceA stadium deal. Everything else is in place: the manager locked for five years, the GM, the pitching coach, money to spend at the deadline, a loaded system, and a team winning right now. Get it done.Also discussed: Dylan Cease's near no-hitter for Toronto, ex-Rays All-Stars (Arozarena, Wacha, Christopher Sanchez, Riley O'Brien, Joe Ryan), attending minor league and college games, and the Durham Bulls leading their division.

Today we're having a fascinating conversation with the woman who pioneered the role of intimacy co-ordinator in TV, film, opera and theatre. Ita O'Brien has worked on numerous high-profile productions including Sex Education on Netflix, and I May Destroy You on the BBC, and is the founder of the Intimacy on Set guidelines which have been widely adopted across the industry, advocating for safe, fair and dignified work.Ita recently took all of her learnings and experience, and she's shared them in her brilliant book, Intimacy: A field guide to finding connection and feeling your deep desires. Today we explore the vital role that an intimacy co-ordinator plays, and why safe, honouring and real-life depictions of sex on screen are so vital. We also draw on Ita's wisdom around listening to our bodies in order to create deeper intimacy with ourselves and others, the need for all of us to understand the cyclical anatomy of female arousal and why we need more women writers creating truthful intimate scenes for women and people who menstruate.We explore:Ita's experience of being an intimacy co-ordinator on trailblazing scenes involving period sex in Michaela Coel's I May Destroy You.The importance of true consent, and how to access the power of no in intimacy, so that we can find our true yes. The archetype of the enchantress and how she can support our intimacy explorations as we approach, move through and enter our third act post menopause.---Receive our free video training: Love Your Cycle, Discover the Power of Menstrual Cycle Awareness to Revolutionise Your Life - www.redschool.net/love---The Menstruality Podcast is hosted by Red School. We love hearing from you. To contact us, email info@redschool.net---Social media:Red School: @redschool - https://www.instagram.com/red.schoolSophie Jane Hardy: @sophie.jane.hardy - https://www.instagram.com/sophie.jane.hardyIta O'Brien: @itaobrien_intimacycoordinator: https://www.instagram.com/itaobrien_intimacycoordinator/

Send us Fan MailOn this episode, we complain about a certain wedding, hear new music from Stryper, Asia, the “Seeds of KISS, er…we mean Stanley Simmons, plus we hear old music from Foreigner that should stay old. We play “Poorly Explained Movies”, MixTape, and Wall of Tunes: Smash or Trash. #stryper #robertpalmer #womenhttps://www.facebook.com/obrienanddoug/ https://instagram.com/obrien_and_doug

Keith O'Brien joins JD to talk about his book "Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird"Follow us on Substack

Ben Avery joined the Bee Man on a livestream this week and we added some bells and whistles for your listening and viewing pleasure. CLASSIC CALLS, GOOFS, AND BITS from THE BONE ZONE, DO YOU KNOW WHO JASON SEGEL IS and of course THE WRP with The A-Train.Join the Patreon for the full 2+ hour version plus unedited episodes of Off The Records and livestreams: https://www.patreon.com/worldrecordpodcastSubscribe to the YouTube channel for LIVESTREAMS and videos: https://www.youtube.com/@WorldRecordPodcastAlso on TWITCH: https://www.twitch.tv/worldrecordpodcast

Andy Burnham has laid out his plans to 'level up the North'. Something we have heard with almost every Prime Minister pledge to do – but with very little clarity over how this will be achieved and what success looks like. It's true there is a clear divide when it comes to economic outcomes between London and the North. Michael Simmons takes a look at the data and discusses a left-wing levelling up agenda with Ed Shackle Head of Qualitative Research at Public First and Neil O'Brien, Conservative MP and former minister for Levelling up.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever stopped and wondered, Who am I now? Midlife has a way of prompting those questions. As our lives, priorities and responsibilities change, many of us begin to realise that the identities we've carried for years no longer feel like the right fit.In this week's episode of Take a Breath, I'm joined by Jen O'Brien, who shares her inspiring journey from aeronautical engineer to founder of Music Broth, Scotland's musical instrument library. But this conversation goes far beyond changing careers. Together, we explore identity, intuition, creativity and what it really means to live in alignment with yourself. We talk about learning to trust your inner voice, letting go of old labels, embracing change, and giving yourself permission to create a life that feels authentic and deeply fulfilling.In this episode, you'll discover:Why midlife can be the perfect opportunity to question old identities and reconnect with who you really are.How learning to pause and listen to your intuition can help you make decisions with greater confidence and clarity.Why creativity isn't just for artists or musicians, but a powerful way to regulate your nervous system, express yourself and experience more joy.How to let go of the expectations, labels and self-beliefs that may be keeping you stuck.Why it's never too late to make meaningful changes and create a life that feels more aligned with the person you're becoming.To connect with Jen go to: https://www.musicbroth.org/https://jenobrien.net/https://linktr.ee/steeljoyDownload 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time.Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now.Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible.To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspaceEmail me at:  info@pollywarren.comhttps://www.pollywarren.com/https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

Stage 4 was run in genuinely brutal conditions — 44 degrees on the road, no heat protocol in effect, and a peloton that paid for it. Alex and Max break down a day where the tactics mattered as much as the legs.In this episode:How hot was it really, and why there's still no UCI heat policy in playTrek's perfectly played hand — sending their lead-out men up the road instead of controlling the bunchThe GC gift that handed a brand new team their first-ever Tour de France race leadNorway's incredible week continues — on the bike and at the World CupTudor and Astana's rough day missing the moves that matteredKelland O'Brien's tough day and missing the time cutThe UCI celebration rule, sticky bidons, and where the fine pool sits so far this TourLast night's Café du Cycliste kit winner revealed

Dan and Martin jump right in talking about the US mens team in the World Cup and the controversy surrounding Balogun’s red card. How does FIFA justify suspending it? How will it play into tonight’s game against Belgium? Also, a look at Jordan Walker’s appointment to the MLB All-Star team. How drastic will the Cardinals decisions be at the trade deadline? Will Riley O’Brien be swapped for pitching help? Thoughts on Mozeliak taking an interim job with the Angels and what may happen with that position going forward. Plus talk on Steen as St. Louis Blues GM, Sports Final and more. Listen here thanks to Lou Fusz Automotive group:

Tucker O'Brien & Jacob McLaughlin

Send us Fan MailOn this episode, we get moon music from Peter Gabriel and the Rolling Stones, discuss a few bands from the hair metal era who should have been bigger, and wah-wahs. We play “Poorly Explained Movies”, MixTape, and Wall of Tunes: Smash or Trash. #rollingstones #cherhttps://www.facebook.com/obrienanddoug/ https://instagram.com/obrien_and_doug

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Serious Privacy podcast, where Ralph O'Brien and Dr. K Royal, ( Paul Breitbarth was out) meet with the phenomenal Samantha Simms. We had the best time going deep on some really substantive issues, even starting with Samantha's answer on the unexpected question. Join us as we discuss key issues and the digital colonization. If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Mark Simon (Sports Info Solutions) is here to discuss Carlos' firing, how "Run Prevention" is going, a move that should be made to improve the defense, and more. We then go back to 1986 to discuss Sid Fernandez's greatness. Jose Valentin, Charlie O'Brien, and Roy Staiger are also mentioned. Join us! #Mets #LGMYou can contribute to "The Kyra Fund" here: https://fundraise.gbmresearch.org/campaign/812889/donateYou can subscribe to "Like It Oughta Be: A 1986 Mets Rewatch Newsletter" here:https://1986-mets-rewatch.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Fr. John O'Brien, S.J.

Send us Fan MailThe "Tardy Memorial" has quickly become one of the premier dirt track racing events in the Upper Midwest, and this week we're joined by one of the men helping make it happen — Ryan Aho from "The One To Go Show"Ryan joins the Built2 Media Podcast to preview the massive Tardy Memorial coming to Hibbing Speedway on July 10th. We break down the incredible payout structure, bonus prizes, special awards, and everything racers and fans can expect from what could be the highest-paying Super Stock race ever held. We also discuss the addition of the Fast Lane Super Stock Series, the tremendous amount of work that goes into organizing an event of this magnitude, and why the Tardy Memorial is one of the most prestigious races on the Iron Range.Beyond the event itself, Ryan reflects on his legendary racing career, including his four consecutive national championships, the keys to sustained success, and some of the memories that stand out most from his time behind the wheel.We also dive into all the action from Rice Lake Speedway this past weekend, including:

Henry chats with regular guest, Trevor Cobbold, National Convenor of Save Our Schools (SOS). Trevor was recently named as the 13th most influential educationalist in Australia by Susie o'Brien, columnist & journalist at the Herald Sun newspaper. In this interview Trevor focuses on the impact on social cohesion caused by the inequitable funding between public and private schools in Australia. This issue was raised jointly by Trevor and Professor Pasi Sahlberg in a recent edition of The Saturday paper.Audio production by Rob Kelly.

The college football season is getting closer and closer and with that comes a lot of delusional fanbases. Which fanbase in the state are the most delusional? The WNBA is under a lot of fire for the treatment of superstar Caitlin Clark. How does Darryn Peterson feel about being in Utah find out on Mic'd Up! Jags Insider Mia O'Brien returns to Game On!

In this episode of the HR Like a Boss podcast, John Bernatovicz interviews Aoife O'Brien, an HR expert and author, discussing the impact of work on individuals, the purpose of human resources, and the challenges faced in creating a positive workplace culture. Aoife shares her experiences and insights on how to improve work environments and the importance of leadership in fostering employee engagement. They discuss the importance of psychological safety, the costs associated with toxic leadership, and the framework outlined in Aoife's book, Thriving Talent.ABOUT AOIFE O'BRIENAoife O'Brien is the founder of Happier at Work and host of the award-winning Happier at Work podcast, ranked in the top 2% globally. A culture and leadership expert with over 20 years' corporate experience, she works with global organisations to create the conditions where people can perform, grow, and stay. Her work focuses on aligning culture, drivers, and capabilities so employees feel valued, clear, and equipped to do their best work and organisations see sustainable gains in performance, engagement, and retention. Her debut book, Thriving Talent, was published in March 2026, was featured by Forbes, and is an Irish Times bestseller.

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Serious Privacy podcast, where Ralph O'Brien , Dr. K Royal, and Paul Breitbarth explores the implications of proposed social media age restrictions in the UK to under 16s, through the insights of university student (and our editor!) Fey O'Brien, emphasising the importance of digital literacy and open communications.As the debate surrounding social media age restrictions continues, it is vital to consider the implications for minors and their rights. Engaging with younger voices like Fey's adds depth to the discussion, illustrating the importance of balancing safety and freedom in the digital landscape. Instead of imposing blanket bans, fostering digital literacy and open communication can pave the way for a more informed generation of social media users. If you have comments or questions, find us on LinkedIn and Instagram @seriousprivacy, and on BlueSky under @seriousprivacy.eu, @europaulb.seriousprivacy.eu, @heartofprivacy.bsky.app and @igrobrien.seriousprivacy.eu, and email podcast@seriousprivacy.eu. Rate and Review us! From Season 6, our episodes are edited by Fey O'Brien. Our intro and exit music is Channel Intro 24 by Sascha Ende, licensed under CC BY 4.0. with the voiceover by Tim Foley.

Fr. John O'Brien, S.J.

Are you ready to learn more about the theology of the body? Where to even begin? Who is the theology of the body actually for? What terms do we need to know in order to understand it?Today's episode is part IV of a series on the theology of the body with guests Chris O'Neill, Director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and Trey Weaver, Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. With Jillian, they'll suggest some resources, texts, and videos to start with or use on your journey of diving deeper into the theology of the body!And don't forget to email your questions to info@springsinthedesert.org!Links:Part I: Getting Started With Theology of the BodyPart II: What does "Theology of the Body" even mean?Part III: What Jesus' Body Teaches Us About Our SufferingJohn Paul II, Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body Theology of the Body ExplainedPaul VI, Humanae VitaeKarol Wojtyła, Love and Responsibility John Paul II, Familiaris ConsortioJohn Paul II, Mulieris DignitatemJohn Paul II, Dives in MisericordiaPaul VI, Gaudium et SpesPaul VI, Lumen GentiumEdward Sri, Men, Women, & The Mystery of LovePatricia Polacco, Luba and The WrenMichael O'Brien, Island of the WorldSigrid Undset, Kristin LavransdatterSheldon Vanauken, A Severe MercyOther resources: The Passion of Christ in the GospelsMoana (2016)Lion KingLife is Beautiful (1997)Babette's Feast (1987)

Day 4 of Royal Ascot is here and Dave Yates joins Nick on the pod this morning ahead of the Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes. William Haggas is on FaceTime reflecting on his two winners this week and his runners left to come. Joseph O'Brien also goes through his stellar week and remaining chances, before we get the Timeform view and Total Performance Data insight from the Ascot Gold Cup.

Welcome to the Following Films Podcast. I'm Chris Maynard.This Friday, a chilling new nightmare arrives on Shudder, and it explores the dark, complicated, and sometimes supernatural bonds of family. The film is TheVoices of our Mother, and it follows Harriet Scaflen after the death of her 95-year-old mother. When Harriet suffers an unexplainable health scare, her four estranged children return to the ancestral family home to care for her. But as old animosities and long-buried secrets come to light, they quickly realize their mother's illness is anything but medical. There is a supernatural evil awoken inside her—one seeking revenge on her own children just to survive.Joining me today to discuss this tense, 93-minute psychological horror film is its writer, director, and co-star, Mark O'Brien.You know Mark from his incredible work in front of the camera on shows like Perry Mason, Your Honor, and Halt and Catch Fire, as well as his recent role opposite Simu Liu in Peacock's The Copenhagen Test. But he is also one of the most exciting filmmaking voices in modern horror. His debut feature, The Righteous, was ranked one of the top 100 horror movies of 2022 by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is back behind the camera with this incredible cast, including Sheila McCarthy and Georgina Reilly.We're going to talk about building tension, balancing family drama with supernatural terror, and bringing this eerie vision to life.Before we dive into the interview, if you enjoy the show, please take a quick moment to support us by leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform and telling a friend about the episode. Word of mouth means everything to an independent show like ours.Now, let's welcome Mark O'Brien to the Following Films Podcast.