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In this inspiring episode of Aspire to Lead, Todd Nesloney shares insights from his new online course, Culture Unleashed: Your Guide to Creating a School Kids Deserve. Together, we explore how school culture isn't accidental—it's intentionally built through vision, relationships, and purposeful action. Todd unpacks strategies for creating classrooms and campuses where joy, connection, and growth thrive. Whether you're a teacher seeking to reenergize your classroom or a leader aiming to transform your campus, this conversation provides the tools and encouragement to unleash the culture your students truly deserve. About Todd Nesloney: Todd Nesloney is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). He was previously a Principal/Lead Learner at a PreK-5 school in Texas. He is an award winning author for his work in co-authoring Kids Deserve It! and Sparks in the Dark. He has also written the book Stories from Webb and published a children's book, Spruce & Lucy. Todd has been recognized by John C. Maxwell as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2018 Transformational Leadership Award, by the White House as a Connected Educator “Champion of Change”, the National School Board Association as one of the “20 to Watch” in Education, the Center for Digital Education as one of their “Top 40 Innovators in Education”, the BAMMYs as the “National Elementary Principal of the Year” and the “National Elementary Teacher of the Year”, and the Texas Computer Education Association as their “Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year”. FREE RESOURCE: 4 Simple Steps to Difficult Conversations No one likes to have difficult conversations but they don't have to be…..difficult! When you sign up for Todd's email list you get these 4 easy steps on how to make every difficult conversation a success! Follow Todd Nesloney:  Website: https://www.toddnesloney.com/ Twitter (x): https://twitter.com/TechNinjaTodd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToddNesloney/ — BIG NEWS! I'm speaking at The Thrive Conference on September 4th and I can't contain my excitement! As one of 10 educators sharing real strategies that actually WORK, I'll be joining amazing sessions like "PLC's Against Humanity" and "Art That Makes Kids Better Learners." ✨ September 4th, 3-8pm CST ✨ 100% FREE via Zoom ✨ 5 PD hours for IL & OK educators ✨ No travel needed - join from anywhere! This isn't your typical sit-and-get PD. We're talking game-changing strategies from educators who are in the trenches making magic happen every day! Ready to transform your teaching...

Gail Eisnittz joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about structuring her memoir around her pursuit of answers to a lifelong medical mystery, coming to terms with her own humanness, writing about her career in animal advocacy, exposing the underbelly of the meat industry and effecting change for millions of animals, working on difficult and hard-to-sell material, not sharing a book project with friends and loved ones until it's complete, weathering a difficult submission process, allowing herself to soften emotionally, becoming more in touch with self-compassion, and her new memoir Out of Sightz: An Undercover Investigator's Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival.   Also in this episode: -factory farms -writing what feels right -discovering what holds the book together   Books mentioned in this episode:  The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku The Choice by Dr. Eva Edith Eger The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris Gail A. Eisnitz, winner of the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Medal for outstanding achievement in animal welfare, has been working for decades to document and expose the shocking underbelly of the U.S. meat industry. She is chief investigator for the Humane Farming Association and author of the forthcoming memoir, Out of Sight: An Undercover Investigator's Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival. Eisnitz and her first book, Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment inside the U.S. Meat Industry, were the driving force behind a front-page exposé in the Washington Post that resulted in an annual multimillion dollar Congressional appropriation for enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act – the first funding ever allocated for a law that had been on the books for more than forty years. Eisnitz's work has resulted in exposés by ABC's Good Morning America, PrimeTime Live, and Dateline NBC, has been featured in such newspapers as the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Miami Herald, Detroit Free Press, Texas Monthly, Denver Business Journal, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report, and her interviews have been heard on more than 1,000 radio stations. In her new memoir, Eisnitz takes readers on a journey of self-discovery as she fights to document and expose scandalous animal abuse, all in the face of a rare visual processing disorder that she has grappled with since childhood. The disease, which was only identified in the scientific literature a mere ten years ago – was diagnosed after she began writing her memoir – and is revealed at the book's climax.  Connect with Gail: Website: www.GailEisnitz.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gail.eisnitz Humane Farming Association: www.hfa.org   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Alex DiFrancesco joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about using rituals and tarot as a framework in a manuscript, Italian folk tradition as a spiritual outlet, the sometimes difficult path to publishing, being sued for defamation, finding a publisher brave enough to publish our work, writing about sexual assault, thinking in sections, using books as inspiration, complex PTSD, hiding who we are, alters, saints, and card divination, taking it slow, keeping our body in working order, making our own magic, and their new memoir Breaking the Curse.   Also in this episode: -anti-SLAPP laws -seeking protection -multi-tonal books -Snakes and Acey's Print Shop: https://www.snakesandaceys.com/   Books mentioned in this episode: 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack  The Part That Burns by Jeannine Ouellette Aura by Hillary Leftwich Saint Dymphna's Playbook by Hillary Leftwich  Glory Guitars by Gogo Germaine I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well by James Allen Hall   Alex DiFrancesco is the author of ALL CITY, PSYCHOPOMPS, TRANSMUTATION, and BREAKING THE CURSE. Their work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Electric Literature, Lit Hub, Tim House, and more. They are a 2022 recipient of the Ohio Atts Council's individual excellence awards, as well as the first transgender awards finalist in over 80 years of the Ohioana Book Awards.  Connect with Alex: Website: www.alexdifrancesco.com Get the book: https://www.sevenstories.com/authors/453-alex-difrancesco?srsltid=AfmBOor0TGaH2gWxGoaqEPlv2rNOrjiALa2iEha3b-z1m0s6mFIosnja   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Finalist #8 in the Review Contest [This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] I. The Men Are Not Alright Sometimes I'm convinced there's a note taped to my back that says, “PLEASE SPILL YOUR SOUL UPON THIS WOMAN.” I am not a therapist, nor in any way certified to deal with emotional distress, yet my presence seems to cause people to regurgitate their traumas. This quirk of mine becomes especially obvious when dating. Many of my dates turn into pseudo-therapy sessions, with men sharing emotional traumas they've kept bottled up for years. One moment I'm learning about his cat named Daisy, and then half a latte later, I'm hearing a detailed account of his third suicide attempt, complete with a critique of the food in the psychiatric ward. This repeated pattern in my dating life has taught me three things: I am terrible at small talk. Most men are not accustomed to genuine questions about their well-being, and will often respond with a desperate upwelling of emotion. The men are not alright. This is a review of dating men in the Bay Area. But more than that, it's an attempt to explain those unofficial therapy sessions to people who never get to hear them. It's a review of the various forms of neglect and abuse society inflicts upon men, and the inevitable consequences to their happiness and romantic partnerships. https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-dating-men-in-the-bay

Finalist #9 in the Review Contest [This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] Ollantay is a three-act play written in Quechua, an indigenous language of the South American Andes. It was first performed in Peru around 1775. Since the mid-1800s it's been performed more often, and nowadays it's pretty easy to find some company in Peru doing it. If nothing else, it's popular in Peruvian high schools as a way to get students to connect with Quechua history. It's not a particularly long play; a full performance of Ollantay takes around an hour.1 Also, nobody knows where Ollantay was written, when it was written, or who wrote it. And its first documented performance led directly to upwards of a hundred thousand deaths. Macbeth has killed at most fifty people,2 and yet it routinely tops listicles of “deadliest plays”. I'm here to propose that Ollantay take its place. https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-ollantay

Finalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of ReligionExplores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal waysIn Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022), Rima Vesely-Flad examines the distinctive features of Black-identifying Buddhist practitioners, arguing that Black Buddhists interpret Buddhist teachings in ways that are congruent with Black radical thought. Indeed, the volume makes the case that given their experiences with racism—both in the larger society and also within largely white-oriented Buddhist organizations—Black cultural frameworks are necessary for illuminating the Buddha's wisdom.Drawing on interviews with forty Black Buddhist teachers and practitioners, Vesely-Flad argues that Buddhist teachings, through their focus on healing intergenerational trauma, provide a vitally important foundation for achieving Black liberation. She shows that Buddhist teachings as practiced by Black Americans emphasize different aspects of the religion than do those in white convert Buddhist communities, focusing more on devotional practices to ancestors and community uplift.The book includes discussions of the Black Power movement, the Black feminist movement, and the Black prophetic tradition. It also offers a nuanced discussion of how the Black body, which has historically been reviled, is claimed as a vehicle for liberation. In so doing, the book explores how the experiences of non-binary, gender non-conforming, and transgender practitioners of African descent are validated within the tradition. The book also uplifts the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Black Buddhists. This unique volume shows the importance of Black Buddhist teachers' insights into Buddhist wisdom, and how they align Buddhism with Black radical teachings, helping to pull Buddhism away from dominant white cultural norms. Please also check out her forthcoming book, The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lordre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Finalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of ReligionExplores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal waysIn Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022), Rima Vesely-Flad examines the distinctive features of Black-identifying Buddhist practitioners, arguing that Black Buddhists interpret Buddhist teachings in ways that are congruent with Black radical thought. Indeed, the volume makes the case that given their experiences with racism—both in the larger society and also within largely white-oriented Buddhist organizations—Black cultural frameworks are necessary for illuminating the Buddha's wisdom.Drawing on interviews with forty Black Buddhist teachers and practitioners, Vesely-Flad argues that Buddhist teachings, through their focus on healing intergenerational trauma, provide a vitally important foundation for achieving Black liberation. She shows that Buddhist teachings as practiced by Black Americans emphasize different aspects of the religion than do those in white convert Buddhist communities, focusing more on devotional practices to ancestors and community uplift.The book includes discussions of the Black Power movement, the Black feminist movement, and the Black prophetic tradition. It also offers a nuanced discussion of how the Black body, which has historically been reviled, is claimed as a vehicle for liberation. In so doing, the book explores how the experiences of non-binary, gender non-conforming, and transgender practitioners of African descent are validated within the tradition. The book also uplifts the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Black Buddhists. This unique volume shows the importance of Black Buddhist teachers' insights into Buddhist wisdom, and how they align Buddhism with Black radical teachings, helping to pull Buddhism away from dominant white cultural norms. Please also check out her forthcoming book, The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lordre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Finalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of ReligionExplores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal waysIn Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022), Rima Vesely-Flad examines the distinctive features of Black-identifying Buddhist practitioners, arguing that Black Buddhists interpret Buddhist teachings in ways that are congruent with Black radical thought. Indeed, the volume makes the case that given their experiences with racism—both in the larger society and also within largely white-oriented Buddhist organizations—Black cultural frameworks are necessary for illuminating the Buddha's wisdom.Drawing on interviews with forty Black Buddhist teachers and practitioners, Vesely-Flad argues that Buddhist teachings, through their focus on healing intergenerational trauma, provide a vitally important foundation for achieving Black liberation. She shows that Buddhist teachings as practiced by Black Americans emphasize different aspects of the religion than do those in white convert Buddhist communities, focusing more on devotional practices to ancestors and community uplift.The book includes discussions of the Black Power movement, the Black feminist movement, and the Black prophetic tradition. It also offers a nuanced discussion of how the Black body, which has historically been reviled, is claimed as a vehicle for liberation. In so doing, the book explores how the experiences of non-binary, gender non-conforming, and transgender practitioners of African descent are validated within the tradition. The book also uplifts the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Black Buddhists. This unique volume shows the importance of Black Buddhist teachers' insights into Buddhist wisdom, and how they align Buddhism with Black radical teachings, helping to pull Buddhism away from dominant white cultural norms. Please also check out her forthcoming book, The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lordre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

Nina B. Lichtenstein joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about writing to metabolize, using body parts as portals, pivoting from academic writing to memoir, discovering an authentic writer's voice, finding the right form as a neurodivergent writer, allowing various stories to cross-pollinate, opening doors with exploration, transforming shame into a shared experience, writing about the memories lodged within our bodies, being a Viking Jewess, the body as record keeper, the complex emotions around shame, moving from reactive and blameful writing to discovery, giving ourselves permission to tell our story, and her new memoir Body: My Life in Parts. Also in this episode: -leaning into literary community -publishing shorter pieces first -In a Flash literary magazine    Books mentioned in this episode: Permission: The New Memoirist and the Courage to Create by Elissa Altman Bird by Bird by Anne Lammott Still Writing by Dani Shapiro Safekeeping by Abigail Thomas The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch   Nina B. Lichtenstein is a native of Oslo, Norway, and holds a PhD in French literature from UCONN and an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast program. She is the founder and director of Maine Writers Studio, and the co-founder and co-editor of In a Flash Lit Mag. Her writing has appeared in various journals, magazines, and outlets, as well as in several anthologies. Her book, Sephardic Women's Voices: Out of North Africa, was published by Gaon Books in 2017, and her memoir, Body: My Life in Parts by Vine Leaves Press. She has three adult sons, and lives in Maine with her husband.    Connect with Nina: Website: https://www.ninalichtenstein.com/ Maine Writers Studio: https://www.mainewritersstudio.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninalich/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vikingjewess/ Substack: https://ninablichtenstein.substack.com/ Get the book: https://vineleavespress.myshopify.com/products/body-my-life-in-parts-by-nina-b-lichtenstein   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Award winning filmmaker, Susie Singer-Carter and spokesperson for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE, a nursing home exposé, proudly announced today that the documentary has been named a Finalist in Health Awareness - Film, Video, Television or Show in The 4th Annual Anthem Awards.   No Country for Old People: A filmmaker chronicles the last 6 months of her mother's life in a 5-star nursing home and discovers the system designed to protect our most vulnerable has been flouted by venture capitalists and real estate investment trusts. For decades greed has caused millions of people insufferable consequences and even death, yet most of the public has no idea until it's too late. No Country for Old People is a cautionary tale and a public rally for change.   No Country for Old People is on Amazon now followed by Hoopla, Spectrum, Charter, Cox, Xfinity, Tubi, VA Media, Prime AVOD, Gan Jing World, and Vyre Network (Dates and times TBA)   Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)

Sonita Alizada joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about surviving the Taliban in Afghanistan, speaking up against forced child marriage and racism, finding a voice through music, when we have nothing else to help us survive but art, protesting against an oppressive government, fighting for an education, the lack of meaningful action from NGOs, how much we can live through and endure, survivor's guilt, becoming the subject of a documentary, risking what you have for your dreams, and her new memoir SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom. Speak up against for marriage against racism and around, not just about hardship but about survival resistance and hope it's about celebration what Art can do when we have nothing else to use and no other resources to use to really fight for ourselves to find our voices to chase our dreams Also in this episode; -not putting everything into the book -the fatigue of advocacy work -fighting for those who don't have a voice   Books mentioned in this episode: Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls On Writing by Stephen King   Sonita Alizada is an Afghan rapper and activist and the author of the new book: “SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom." Through her music and advocacy work, Sonita has campaigned for women's rights and against child marriage, partnering with notable NGOS. She has performed at the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Awards and has been recognized with prestigious honors, including TIME Magazine's Next Generation Leader, Forbes 30 Under 30, the Cannes Lions Humanitarian Award, and was included in BBC's 100 Women in 2015. Sonita, who learned English upon coming to the U.S., graduated from Bard College in 2023. In October 2025, she will be pursuing a master's degree at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.    Connect with Sonita: Website: www.sonita.net Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonitalizadeh – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

It is a pleasure to welcome award-winning writer Tim Cummings to The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.  Tim is the author of the multiple-award-winning coming-of-age novel, Alice the Cat, published by Fitzroy Books. It was chosen as an American Book Awards 'Best Book' Finalist for 2023, received a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, and is a Finalist in both the 2024 National Indies Excellence Awards for Teen Fiction and the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year Awards. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts.Since 1984, he has appeared in over 200 projects across theatre, film, television, voice-over, and new media. Recent publications of short fiction, essays, and poetry include F(r)iction, Scare Street, Lunch Ticket, MeowMeow PowPow, From Whispers to Roars, Drunk Monkeys, Hare's Paw, Lit Angels, and Critical Read/RAFT, for which he won the ‘Origins' contest for his essay, “You Have Changed Me Forever.” He teaches writing for UCLA Extension Writers' Program, The Townies Inc. in Ojai, runs private workshops, and coaches authors. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner of 19 years and their dog. Tim grew up with a severely epileptic brother. His name was Matthew. They shared a room growing up. The seizure scenes in The Lightning People Play between Kirby and Baxter are drawn from real life. Matthew succumbed to epilepsy in the summer of 1997 when he died of complications caused by a grand-mal seizure. He was 26. With this story, Tim manifested a different destiny for Matthew–and for his heart. On this episode of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Tim Cummings shared his origin story and how both Alice the Cat and The Lightning People Play teach essential life lessons to its readers.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.

Maura Casey joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the toll longterm illness has on a family, her sister Ellen's kidney disease and researching the history of kidney transplants for her memoir, when alcohol is a member of the family, growing up with a manipulative parent who didn't keep promises, sibling dynamics, being a lifelong diary keeper, her decades in journalism and transitioning to memoir, joining a writer's group, keeping chapters short, deciding on a structure, portraying complicated love, leaving space for forgiveness, and her new memoir Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery.   Also in this episode: -parentified children -medical trauma -supporting independent bookstores   Books mentioned in this episode: -I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou -Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt -The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt -The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr   Maura Casey is a native of Buffalo NY, and is the youngest of six in a big Irish family. She's been a writer since the age of 12 and grew up to have a more than three decade career in journalism, writing opinion for four newspapers- including as a member of The NY Times editorial board. She has won more than 40 awards in journalism. Her book, “Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery,” will be release by Skyhorse Publishing in April of 2025. Connect with Maura: Website: www.caseyink.com Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/maura.casey.57/ BlueSky: @mauracasey.bsky.social Get the book: https://a.co/d/79edoZ3 – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Listen to 11 entrepreneurs from across the United States as they pitch their brands and products as part of the Naturally Rising pitch competition, hosted by Naturally Network, and in partnership with New Hope Network, Cambium Analytica, Beyond Brands, FoodBevy, NIQ, and us, Brands for a Better world! Each of these entrepreneurs won a regional competition for the chance to compete on the national stage Newtopia Now, 2025!Listen to all pitches, then click here to tell us which brand, product, and entrepreneur you'd vote for!https://forms.gle/UKuHfdUjkCxSDdsW9If you want to buy a pitch product's sample box featuring these brands (brought to you by FoodBevy) or register for the live Pitch Competition on August 21st at Newtopia Now in Denver, CO, visit Naturally Networks' event registration page here.Starting from the West Coast and moving our way out east, here's who you'll hear from.Naturally Seattle's Stephanie McGregor pitching Ringa, a canned moringa and apple cider vinegar based, functional beverage. https://drinkringa.com/Naturally NorCal's Brandie Miller pitching Mochi Love, a chewy, cream-filled mochi snack. https://www.mochilove.co/Naturally Los Angeles' Jocelyn Rameriz pitching Todo Verde, a true-to-culture taco seasoning. https://todoverde.org/Naturally San Diego's Sydney Chasin pitching Chasin' Dreams Farm, seed oil free baked puffs made from sorghum and whole grain brown rice. https://chasindreamsfarm.com/Naturally Colorado's Anna Zesbaugh pitching Corpse Reviver, a canned hydration drink with electrolytes and essential elements. https://drinkcorpsereviver.com/Naturally Austin's Ashley Waldman pitching Jubilee's, the only flavored milk with secret veggies. https://drinkjubilees.com/Naturally Minnesota's Simon Solis-Cohen pitching Huxley, a canned superfruit energy drink featuring cascara. https://drinkhuxley.com/Naturally Wisconsin's Deed Ziegler pitching Rec Pak, an ultralight meal replacement for outdoor adventurers. https://recpak.co/Naturally Chicago's Ivan Gutierrez pitching Tierra Negra, a premium dark Mexican salsa. https://www.tierranegrasalsa.com/Naturally New York's Damiano Messineo pitching Loopini, high-protein, healthy frozen pizza handcrafted in Italy. https://eatloopini.com/Naturally New England's Holly Arbuckle pitching Singing Pastures, pasture raised, traditionally crafted meat and salami. https://singingpastures.com/Links:Vote for your favorite brand, product, and entrepreneur here:https://forms.gle/UKuHfdUjkCxSDdsW9…Naturally Network - https://www.naturallynetwork.org/Naturally Rising - https://www.naturallynetwork.org/naturally-rising…Newtopia Now - https://www.newtopianow.com/…Naturally Seattle - https://www.naturallyseattle.org/Ringa - https://drinkringa.com/Stephanie McGregor on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieleemcgregor/…Naturally NorCal - https://naturallynorcal.org/Mochi Love - https://www.mochilove.co/Brandie Miller - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandie-miller-482bab41/…Naturally Los Angeles - https://www.naturallyla.org/Todo Verde - https://todoverde.org/Jocelyn Rameriz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyncramirez77/…Naturally San Diego - https://naturallysandiego.org/Chasin' Dreams Farm - https://chasindreamsfarm.com/Sydney Chasin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-chasin-074a158a/…Naturally Colorado - https://www.naturallycolorado.org/Corpse Reviver - https://drinkcorpsereviver.com/Anna Zesbaugh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-zesbaugh-a79897b9/…Naturally Austin - https://www.naturallyaustin.org/Jubilee's - https://drinkjubilees.com/Ashley Waldman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyverrill/…Naturally Minnesota - https://www.naturallyminnesota.org/Huxley - https://drinkhuxley.com/Simon Solis-Cohen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-solis-cohen/…Naturally Wisconsin - https://www.naturallywisconsin.org/Rec Pak - https://recpak.co/Deed Ziegler - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deed-ziegler-bba39a6/…Naturally Chicago - https://www.naturallychicago.org/Tierra Negra - https://www.tierranegrasalsa.com/Ivan Gutierrez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-m-gutierrez-3b169b69/…Naturally New York - https://www.naturallynewyork.org/Loopini - https://eatloopini.com/Damiano Messineo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/damiano-messineo-53354018a/…Naturally New England - https://www.naturallyne.org/Singing Pastures - https://singingpastures.com/Holly Arbuckle - https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-arbuckle-ba56a61b8/…FoodBevy - https://www.foodbevy.com/FoodBevy Insider's Box - https://insider.foodbevy.com/...Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/…Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/…Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetworkHeritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_RadioHeritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radioSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Linda Trinh joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about her personal spiritual journey, opening a memoir with a question, sparks of creativity even when we're not actively writing, focusing on voice, owning our many identities and communities, making meaning from experience, paying attention to both the external and internal search, memoir as a time capsule, being okay with the version of ourselves as it is on the page, being gentle with ourselves, recognizing we are works in progress, Buddhism and world mythology, becoming comfortable with the unknown, and her new memoir Seeking Spirit.    Also in this episode: -book promotion -owning our identities -paying attention to the nudge   Books mentioned in this episode: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Blue Nights by Joan Didion Embers by Richard Wagamese Body and Soul: Stories for Skeptics and Seeker by Susan Scott Perspehones Children by Rowan McCandless   Linda Trinh is a Vietnamese Canadian author of nonfiction and fiction for adults and children. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in literary magazines such as The Fiddlehead, Room, and Prairie Fire. She has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards. Seeking Spirit: A Vietnamese (Non) Buddhist Memoir is her first book for adults. Her award-winning early chapter book series, The Nguyen Kids, explores Vietnamese culture and identity with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in. She lives with her family in Winnipeg, Canada. Connect with Linda: Website: https://lindaytrinh.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LindaYTrinh Get her book: https://guernicaeditions.com/products/seeking-spirit?srsltid=AfmBOor-knwnqu9qqq7QBvtBJYsWYRYebw3JrIr9cV-rjFzEwe2oP2nL – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Creativity through the lens of an Author and Actor"Creativity feels like a life line, like another vein in my body."Tim Cummings is the author of the multiple-award-winning coming-of-age novel, Alice the Cat, published by Fitzroy Books. It was chosen as an American Book Awards 'Best Book' Finalist for 2023, received a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, and is a Finalist in both the 2024 National Indies Excellence Awards for Teen Fiction and the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year Awards. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. Since 1984, he has appeared in over 200 projects across theatre, film, television, voice-over, and new media. Recent publications of short fiction, essays, and poetry include F(r)iction, Scare Street, Lunch Ticket, MeowMeow PowPow, From Whispers to Roars, Drunk Monkeys, Hare's Paw, Lit Angels, and Critical Read/RAFT, for which he won the ‘Origins' contest for his essay, “You Have Changed Me Forever.” He teaches writing for UCLA Extension Writers' Program, The Townies Inc in Ojai, runs private workshops, and coaches authors. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner of 19 years and their dog. Website: timcummings.ink  InstagramSend us a text

Seth and B-Scott lay out some expectations for tomorrow's preseason opener for the Texans, bring in our PD Parker Hillis for some special news about the station, and see what Lopez and Reggie have for the question of the day.

Seth catches up with his former teammate: Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, Sean talks with Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Seth and B-Scott lay out some expectations for tomorrow's preseason game, our PD Parker Hillis stops by to announce the station as a Marconi Radio Award finalist for Sports Station of the Year, and Reggie and Lopez tell us what the question of the day is.

Amber Rae joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about meeting her soulmate while already married, living a story as you write it, allowing a book to show you what it needs to be, writing for our own growth and delight, slowing scenes down to put readers in our lived experience, holding onto the larger intention of the book, wounds we're afraid to look at, facing both old and new shame, compassionate understanding, learning how to mother ourselves, revealing intimate details of our lives in public forums, authentically inserting our voice into our chosen medium, healing through the process of writing, choosing to be as brave as possible on the page, and her new memoir Loveable: One Woman's Path from Good to Free.   Also in this episode: -setting boundaries -tracing original patterns -bringing readers  into our interior world   Books mentioned in this episode: -Untamed by Glennon Doyle -You Could Make this Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith -Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth GIlbert   Amber is the international bestselling author of Choose Wonder Over Worry (translated into 8 languages), The Answers Are Within You, and The Feelings Journal. Her writing and illustrations reach millions of people per month in nearly 200 countries, and she's been featured in The New York Times, NYMag, TODAY, SELF, Forbes, and Entrepreneur. She's a sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator who's worked with Kate Spade, Meta, Microsoft, Merrill Lynch, Lululemon, Unilever, TED, SAP, and more. A Seth Godin alum, Amber helped launch his publishing company with Amazon and supported authors like Steven Pressfield and Derek Sivers. She's also mentored over 1,000 writers and helped more than a dozen land six-figure book deals. As a creative entrepreneur, Amber has launched global journaling challenges, art movements, life accelerators, and book birthing workshops. Her personal journaling practice spans 30 years, forming the foundation of her inner work and creative clarity. Her new memoir is Loveable: One Woman's Path from Good to Free.   Connect with Amber:  Website: https://www.amberrae.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyamberrae/   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Finalist #6 in the Review Contest [This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] When the prefect of Alexandria's daughter converted to Christianity, nothing in particular happened - it wasn't as though the laws outlawing the cult would be enforced against her. She was smart, she was pretty (beautiful, even) and she had connections. So long as she kept quiet, Catherine could have a comfortable life. She didn't keep quiet. https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-joan-of-arc  

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am proud to welcome Alissa Musto, Recording Artist, Singer, Pianist, Actor, Miss America Finalist. And Alissa performs as a guest entertainer onboard cruise ships. I am as passionate about music and comedy as I am about cruising so when I get a chance to have a conversation with an entertainer who also has performed on cruise ships, I am in my glory. What a resume! Alissa's website describes her as “Retired pageant queen playing piano around the world,”A Musician, Singer-Songwriter, Actor, Miss Massachusetts 2016 & Miss America Finalist, World Traveler, Vanlifer, Sailor, Reality TV Contestant, Harvard 2016, University of Miami (MM?) 2019, and, 30 under 30. Wow, I want to hear about it all. Of course, what we on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, most want to hear about is Alissa being a guest entertainer for Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, MSC and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Alissa has dazzled audiences while sailing through over 50 countries. The song quickly hit 20,000 views on Facebook and Alissa's story was featured in Conde Nast Traveler, GEN (a Medium publication), The Washington Post, the cover page of The Herald News, NBC Boston, Good Morning America and ABC's national lifestyle network, Localish.Do you have a dream car?Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

“The biggest mindset coming off of Paris was that because I had made the biggest final there is, it was a message to me that no matter who's on the track, you deserve a lane. I belong here and I've proven myself. That message was definitely something that I carried into my senior year: just knowing that I belong here. That was very powerful for me.”My guest for today's episode is Savannah Sutherland, a 21 year old Canadian hurdler who just made history in more ways than one, hailing from Borden, Saskatchewan. Savannah was named a finalist for the Bowerman, which is the highest honor in NCAA track and field, awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate athletes in the sport.She's the first Canadian female track athlete to ever reach the finalist status. I recently made an appearance on the CBC's Trackside show where I revealed that as a Bowerman voter, I already casted my vote. Savannah was ranked #1 for me.She put together a jaw-dropping season at Michigan. She didn't just win her second NCAA title in the 400m hurdles, but she obliterated the NCAA record too with a time of 52.46 seconds, becoming the second woman in NCAA history to go under 53 seconds. The record that she broke previously belonged to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.Savannah broke her own Canadian record, climbed to the 9th fastest of all time, and last year she even took 7th place in the Olympic final in Paris. In this episode, we chat about how she got so good at this event, her hopes and expectations for this summer's World Championships in Tokyo, and so much more.Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on InstagramGuest: Savannah Sutherland | @sav.sutherland on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop's limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide. You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that's ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

Amy Mackin joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the disability landscape and advocating for our children, special education and early intervention, struggling to get kids the help they need, parental guilt and shame, mom rage,  flexible education programs, balancing how we write about loved ones, changing names for privacy, showing the parts of us that are really cranky, wondering if we're getting it wrong, beginning a memoir in MFA program, using a hybrid memoir form, placing work in literary journals, trusting our intuition and voice, staying true to our own style and vision, and her new memoir Henry's Classroom: A “Special” Education in American Motherhood.   Also in this episode: -family and gender roles -feeling as if we don't fit in -conflicting feedback from agents   Books mentioned in this episode: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Lit by Mary Karr Mom Rage by Minna Dubin Screaming on the Inside by Jessica Grose books by Barbara Ehrenreich books by Nora Ephron   Amy Mackin writes at the intersection of education, cultural history, public health, and social equity. Her essays have been featured in The Atlantic, Chalkbeat, The Washington Post, Literary Mama, The Writers Chronicle, The Shriver Report, and elsewhere. She earned her MA in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts and her MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her new memoir is Henry's Classroom: A “Special” Education in American Motherhood from Apprentice House/Loyola University Press.    Connect with Amy: Website: www.amymackin.com Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AmyMackinWriter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amymackin/ X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/mackinwriting Get the book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/henry-s-classroom-a-special-education-in-american-motherhood-a-memoir-amy-mackin/22134318?ean=9781627205726&next=t&affiliate=109363   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

In this episode, we speak with Tony Steuer, CLU, LA, CPFFE, an internationally recognized financial fluency advocate, award-winning author, and host of The Get Ready Money Podcast. Financial fluency and planning mirrors much of what individuals experience in their career planning and progression. Think of mindset, personal preferences, emotions, and life goals. Topics in the discussion include: How goal setting can help you choose various paths that align with what you want in life Financial fluency is something people can learn at any point in life Understanding job and financial scams, and things to be on the lookout for if they come to you As the founder of The Get Ready Movement, Tony is leading a shift in how we think about money—not just as numbers, but as a tool for living a more intentional and empowered life. Through his books, podcast, curated recommendations, and expert insights, Tony helps financial professionals, educators, and individuals ask better questions, foster meaningful money conversations, and take purposeful action. He is the Chief Evangelist at Yetworth Collaborative and serves as an advisor to Insurance Nerds and Dingo Technologies. Tony's thought leadership has earned recognition as a Finalist in ThinkAdvisor's LUMINARIES Class of 2022 for Thought Leadership & Education. He has served as a Judge for the MAIA Awards and the 2023 Finder Innovation Awards, and as a longtime member of the California Department of Insurance Curriculum Board. A trusted voice in the media, Tony contributes as an expert content reviewer for Nerdwallet, Bankrate, and Forbes Advisor, and has been featured by ABC's Seven on Your Side, CNBC, Cheddar TV, The New York Times, Washington Post, Fast Company, Chicago Tribune, and Fox Business News. Tony's website is https://www.tonysteuer.com/ The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer and Recruiter Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

Jul 26, 2025 Finalist #5 in the Review Contest [This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] Introduction The Astral Codex Ten (ACX) Commentariat is defined as the 24,485 individuals other than Scott who have contributed to the corpus of work of Scott's blog posts, chiefly by leaving comments at the bottom of those posts. It is well understood (by the Commentariat themselves) that they are the best comments section anywhere on the internet, and have been for some time. This review takes it as a given that the ACX Commentariat outclasses all of its pale imitators across the web, so I won't compare the ACX Commentariat to e.g. reddit. The real question is whether our glory days are behind us – specifically whether the ACX Commentariat of today has lost its edge compared to the SSC Commentariat of pre-2021. A couple of years ago Scott asked, Why Do I Suck?. This was a largely tongue-in-cheek springboard to discuss a substantive criticism he regularly received - that his earlier writing was better than his writing now. How far back do we need to go before his writing was ‘good'? Accounts seemed to differ; Scott said that the feedback he got was of two sorts: “I loved your articles from about 2013 - 2016 so much! Why don't you write articles like that any more?”, which dates the decline to 2016 “Do you feel like you've shifted to less ambitious forms of writing with the new Substack?”, which dates the decline to 2021 Quite a few people responded in the comments that Scott's writing hadn't changed, but it was the experience of being a commentor which had worsened. For example, David Friedman, a prolific commentor on the blog in the SSC-era, writes: A lot of what I liked about SSC was the commenting community, and I find the comments here less interesting than they were on SSC, fewer interesting arguments, which is probably why I spend more time on [an alternative forum] than on ACX. Similarly, kfix seems to be a long-time lurker (from as early as 2016) who has become more active in the ACX-era, writes: I would definitely agree that the commenting community here is 'worse' than at SSC along the lines you describe, along with the also unwelcome hurt feelings post whenever Scott makes an offhand joke about a political/cultural topic. And of course, this position wasn't unanimous. Verbamundi Consulting is a true lurker who has only ever made one post on the blog – this one: Ok, I've been lurking for a while, but I have to say: I don't think you suck… You have a good variety of topics, your commenting community remains excellent, and you're one of the few bloggers I continue to follow. The ACX Commentariat is somewhat unique in that it self-styles itself as a major reason to come and read Scott's writing – Scott offers up some insights on an issue, and then the comments section engages unusually open and unusually respectful discussion of the theme, and the total becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Therefore, if the Commentariat has declined in quality it may disproportionately affect people's experience of Scott's posts. The joint value of each Scott-plus-Commentariat offering declines if the Commentariat are not pulling their weight, even if Scott himself remains just as good as ever. In Why Do I Suck? Scott suggests that there is weak to no evidence of a decline in his writing quality, so I propose this review as something of a companion piece; is the (alleged) problem with the blog, in fact, staring at us in the mirror? My personal view aligns with Verbamundi Consulting and many other commentors - I've enjoyed participating in both the SSC and ACX comments, and I haven't noticed any decline in Commentariat quality. So, I was extremely surprised to find the data totally contradicted my anecdotal experience, and indicated a very clear dropoff in a number of markers of quality at almost exactly the points Scott mentioned in Why Do I Suck? – one in mid-2016 and one in early 2021 during the switch from SSC to ACX. https://readscottalexander.com/posts/acx-your-review-the-astral-codex-ten 

Natasha Williams joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about caring for her schizophrenic father and the jeopardy of being in his life, narcissism and her mother's limited parenting resources, handling misbehaving parents and reckoning with the toll they took on her childhood, precocious and feral kids, getting clarity on family through writing, re-understanding childhood stories and our parents' stories, finding an entry point to our narrative, balancing the character and narrator in memoir, beta readers, staying in relationship with loved ones living with mental illness, and her new memoir The Parts of Him I Kept: The Gifts of My Father's Madness.   Also in this episode: -setting boundaries -the heritability of mental illness -checking in with our kids before writing about them   Books mentioned in this episode: The Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg We the Animals by Justin Torres   Author Bio- Natasha Williams has worked as an adjunct biology professor at SUNY Ulster in the Hudson Valley of New York and as a consultant for the International Public-School Network, coaching science teachers. She has an MA from the University of Pennsylvania. In the summer of 2020, she continued working on the manuscript summers at the Bread Loaf School of English and at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference in 2023. Excerpts of The Parts of Him I Kept, forthcoming April 2025 from Apprentice House Press, have been published in the Bread Loaf Journal, Change Seven, LIT, Memoir Magazine, Onion River Review, Writers Read, Post Road, and South Dakota Review. Connect with Natasha: Website: Natashawilliamswriter.com Get the book: https://www.natashawilliamswriter.com/memoir/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-williams-5998949/ X: https://x.com/NatashaW_writes – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Ed Latimore joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about growing up in an urban warzone and surviving domestic violence, poverty, and limited resources, life in the boxing ring, writing about alcoholism and sobriety, building up the muscle of sharing and being vulnerable, when an agent tells you your approach to your book is all wrong, giving ourselves time to process, sharing our stories to help others, rebalancing the cosmic scales, the difference between gratitude and entitlement, coping with resentment, betting on ourselves, risking ostracism, using our life to teach, forgiving ourselves and forgiving others, and his new memoir Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business: Boxing and the Art of Life.   Also in this episode: -building platforms -making new connection with our connections  -embracing new version of ourselves   Books mentioned in this episode: Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins The Art of Learning by Josh Whiteskin Travels by Michael Crichton   Ed Latimore is an author, former professional American heavyweight boxer, competitive chess player, and the founder of Stoic Street-Smarts. He holds a degree in physics and is a veteran of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Connect with Ed: Website: edlatimore.com X: https://x.com/edlatimore Instagram: https://instagram.com/edlatimoore Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edlatimore/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EdLatimore1   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Today we are talking about Working from home, heading back to the office, and the current state of remote work with guest Kaleem Clarkson. We'll also cover Microsoft 365 Connector as our module of the week. For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/513 Topics Exploring Remote Work with Kaleem Clarkson Trust Issues in Management Employee Red Flags and Data-Driven Decisions Managerial Concerns with Return to Office Policies Respectful Implementation of Return to Office Challenges of Enforcing Office Mandates Benefits of In-Person Work Hybrid Work Models and Their Challenges Variations in Hybrid Work Policies Impact of Seniority on Office Policies Cutting DEI Initiatives: Fear and Legal Risks Employer Brand and Social Contracts Resources Blend Me Inc Guests Kaleem Clarkson - kclarkson Hosts Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Rich Lawson - richlawson.co rklawson MOTW Correspondent Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu Brief description: Have you ever wanted your Drupal site to integrate with Microsoft 365, so users can log in with their Azure AD credentials, and then have direct access to shared files, see recent emails, and more? There's a module for that. Module name/project name: Microsoft 365 Connector Brief history How old: created in July 2019 by immoreel, though the most recent release is by Boris Doesborg (batigolix), both of Finalist, a Dutch Drupal shop Versions available: 5.0.22 and 5.1.0-beta1, the latter of which supports Drupal 9.4, 10, and 11 Maintainership Actively maintained Security coverage Test coverage Two documentation guide available Number of open issues: 18 open issues, 1 of which is a bug, though it is postponed waiting for more info Usage stats: 365 sites Module features and usage This module integrates your Drupal site with the Microsoft Graph API, a unified API that provides a single endpoint for accessing data and intelligence from Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and more Microsoft 365 Connector includes more than a dozen submodules, each of which provide specific capabilities like Single Sign-On, syncing data to Drupal user accounts, sending Teams messages from within Drupal, and more You can also use this module to do things like automatically add an event node to your Outlook calendar, and invite other people at the same time It's worth noting that in the documentation guide the submodules are named “Office 365”, which is probably what the module was named until around 5 years ago when Microsoft retired the Office 365 name Finally, setting up this module requires registering an app in Azure AD, so it's not for the casual user. But if you're working on an intranet or similar collaboration platform for an organization that is heavily invested in the Microsoft 365 suite, this could make for a compelling integration

Mallory McDuff joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about expanding a project from straight memoir to broaden its accessibility and audience, feedback from editors about what's marketable, placing an essay to help sell a book, starting a memoir  in the middle of the story, death and choices we can make that align our final wishes with the values we hold in our life, conversations around burial, making less of an impact on the earth, how detachment from death and dying is relatively new in our culture, allowing scenes to stack upon themselves, how to weave the personal throughout the whole book to take the reader with us, and her new memoir Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love.    Also in this episode: -living with and on the earth -climate justice -mirroring real conversations in memoir   Books mentioned in this episode:  The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl Wild Spectacle by Janisse Ray Soil by Camille Dungy Briefly Perfectly Human by Alua Arthur The Green Burial Guidebook by Elizabeth Fournier From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty   Mallory McDuff writes and teaches environmental education at Warren Wilson College, a liberal arts school that integrates academics with work and community engagement. She lives on campus with her two daughters in a 900-square foot house with an expansive view of a white barn, a herd of cows, and the Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina, an area still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helen. Her writing examines the intersection of people and places for a better world.    She is the author of the books Love Your Mother: 50 States, 50 Stories, and 50 Women United for Climate Justice (Broadleaf Books); Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love (Broadleaf Books); Sacred Acts: How Churches are Working to Protect Earth's Climate (New Society Publishers); Natural Saints: How People of Faith are Working to Save God's Earth (Oxford University Press) and co-author of Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques, 2nd Ed., (Oxford University Press).    In addition, she has published 20 articles in academic journals and more than 50 essays in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, Sojourners, and more. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida, M.S. from the University of South Alabama, and B.S. from Vanderbilt University.  Connect with Mallory: Website: https://mallorymcduff.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mallory.mcduff Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallorymcduff1/ X: https://x.com/malmcduff Link to purchase Our Last Best Act: https://bookshop.org/p/books/our-last-best-act-planning-for-the-end-of-our-lives-to-protect-the-people-and-places-we-love-mallory-mcduff/16147581?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAu8W6BhC-ARIsACEQoDCXXHpQuMQxxUoTaRQmdReLz7lFh-2qI4DYUvze6KyZm6hPclcqrZ4aAkMzEALw_wcB   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

PFL 2025 lightweight finalist Alfie Davis sat down to talk with Sean ahead of his August 15 clash with Gadzhi Rabadanov. “The Axe Man” talked about why he left his longtime gym, his wins over Clay Collard and Brent Primus so far this season, and why he doesn't buy into all the hype over his upcoming opponent.0:00 Why he left London Shootfighters for GB Top Team3:36 What other sports did you play before you found fighting?5:11 What is it like fighting in the PFL tournament format?7:15 On his fights with Clay Collard and Brent Primus so far this season10:32 Is Gadzhi Rabadanov PFL's top fighter?

Katy Grabel joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about a childhood immersed in professional magic, when a parent's dream because ours, wanting to be famous, searching hard for self, trying to understand the allure of our parents' choices, using journals to familiarize ourselves with our emotional life from the past, what drives someone to want to be a magician, seeing the whole person when writing about loved ones and accepting their good and their bad, going deep, not including everything just because it's a true story, waiting to publish a memoir until after loved ones are gone, drawing parents carefully and with love, and her new memoir The Magician's Daughter.    Also in this episode: -being honest with ourselves  -accepting imperfections  -knowing what you want to say   Books mentioned in this episode: -Riding the White Horse Home by Teresa Jordan Katy Grabel lives in Taos, New Mexico, where she fits right in as the daughter of the Human Cannonball. A former newspaper reporter, her stories about professional magic have been published in ZYZYYVA and New Millennium Writings. She shares her time between an old rambling adobe house in Taos with her guitar, fancy dreams and penchant for dancing in her kitchen, and a lovely book-filled casita in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. She has always seen herself as a magician's assistant, taking notes, and believes daughters of magicians—even more than sons—must make their own way: Daughters must decide whether to be the willing assistant, command the spotlight, or turn away with a story untold. And all will be lost unless we recognize the resiliency and strength of our mothers as they lay down on the sawing table. Yet who can deny, late at night, when the dark is crowded by our failures, that every daughter of a magician must find her own magic.   Connect with Katy: www.TheMagiciansDaughter.com www.LeeGrabelMagic.com Facebook.com/KatyGMagic Instagram.com/KatyGMagic   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Bleav Host Robert Land asks Rockets Forward Rodney McCray about playing with Hakeem, Michael Jordan, Darrell Griffith & Ralph Sampson, playing against Larry Bird, the John Lucas suspension & playing for Bill Fitch & Phil Jackson. He talks about the huge upset over Magic's Lakers & playing Phi Slama Jama in '83. (2:22) John Lucas Suspension (4:30) Drafting McCray over Drexler (8:30) Playing with Darrell Griffith (Dr. Dunkenstein) & for Louisville (9:40) Phi Slama Jama vs. Doctors of Dunk (10:45) 1st Year with Rockets & learning from vets (12:14) Twin Towers (14:14) Handling Drexler backlash (14:49) Origin of Freight Train Nickname (16:40) Guarding Alex English, Bernard King, Dr. J, Adrian Dantley (18:50) Beating Lakers in '86 (20:33) Ralph Sampson game winning shot in '86 (24:00) Friendship with Ralph & being drafted by Rockets (25:07) Playing with Hakeem (26:35) Losing to Supersonics in playoffs (27:37) Trying to Stop Larry Bird & Celts in '86 Finals (29:06) John Lucas drug problems & missed opportunity (32:55) Was Houston special? (34:10) Playing with Michael Jordan (37:15) Which Coach did he learn more from? Subscribe on Youtube, Spotify, Apple & iHeart X @HSTPodcast #hakeem #michaeljordan #larrybird

What does it really take to go from quietly helping students behind the scenes… to becoming a finalist for one of the most recognized tutoring awards?In this episode, Joanne sits down to share the inspiring journey of Rose Kurian, an online chemistry tutor who started with handwritten notes and a passion for learning—and ended up capturing the hearts of voters across the globe.You'll hear:How Rose went from agency work to finding her own clientsThe simple (but powerful) teaching style that makes her stand outWhat surprised her most about the award nomination processWhy visibility was the biggest game-changer in her businessHow you can take the next step toward recognition through the World's Greatest Tutor AwardThis episode isn't about chasing fame—it's about recognizing the impact you already make… and learning how to share it with the world.Apply to be voted as the World's Greatest Tutor today.Join the Insider Secrets Club here.

Kaylee Bauchens is a senior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her podcast episode is called “Relief of Getting a Goodbye”. It explores themes of intuition, grief, and acceptance. It's a finalist of this year's NPR College Podcast Challenge.

Mike, Richie and Alec break down the finalists for the AD role, their credentials and their connections to Rutgers (1:00) before diving into the latest Rivals300 of the class of 2026 and 2027, where Rutgers commits stand and where Rutgers top targets checked in on the list (18:00).

The field of contenders to lead the Fort Worth Police Department as its next chief has been narrowed to four finalists. The finalists are Robert Alldredge, the interim chief of the Fort Worth Police Department; Eddie García, assistant city manager in Austin who retired as Dallas police chief last fall; Vernon Hale, a former Dallas deputy chief who now works as an assistant chief in Prince George's County, Md.; and Emada Tingirides, a deputy chief with the Los Angeles Police Department. In other news, the Trump administration's decision to freeze billions of dollars in education funding will leave Dallas schools with a $22 million gap; President Trump on Tuesday described Texas as the centerpiece in a plan to add Republican U.S. House seats by redrawing congressional boundaries in multiple states. Wringing five more Republican congressional seats from Texas would be a significant help to the party as it tries to preserve its razor-thin House majority; nd three quiet pools of water tucked between highways and neighborhoods along the Trinity River will now honor Dallas' Native American history. In a landmark act of cultural restoration, the Dallas City Council unanimously agreed last month to name these lakes with Native terms proposed by a grassroots intertribal committee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this deeply personal and transformational episode, Eve sits down with Britton and Carolee Beckham, a married couple who share their powerful journey of healing, reconnection, and radical redefinition of love, sex, and spirituality. Raised in the Mormon church and bound by purity culture, Britton and Carolee candidly open up about the infidelity that rocked their marriage, the church's damaging response, and how plant medicine, spiritual deconstruction, and sacred sexuality led them to a new foundation—one built on truth, desire, and liberation. From psilocybin journeys to moon rituals, from shame to self-love, this episode dives into: The impact of religious conditioning on sex and identity Why traditional approaches to healing didn't work—and what did The role of plant medicine (including their first mushroom ceremony) in spiritual awakening How moon cycles and ritual baths became a gateway to feminine empowerment The transformative power of sexual reeducation and ISTA training Why radical honesty was the key to saving—and elevating—their marriage Whether you're navigating your own healing, redefining your relationship with sex, or exploring spirituality beyond religion, this episode is a permission slip to do it your way—with love, courage, and full-body liberation. Moon Bath by Dakota Hills and Sierra Brashear How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan ISTA: International School of Temple Arts Carolee & Britton's podcast: The Magical Story of Us Vote for Eve Hall as Best Educator and Best Educator Website at the ASN Awards: If you're enjoying the show and feel it's been helpful, I'd be honored if you could take a moment to vote for me as Best Educator and Best Educator Website in this year's ASN Awards. Your support means so much to me! Vote here:  ⁠2025 TOP 8 FINALIST | 2025 ASN Awards⁠ Connect with Eve: Support the Podcast: Become a ⁠Patreon⁠ member for ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and early access Website: Please Me Online - Reach Eve and stay connected. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation to talk about coaching for health or intimacy, or to explore physical therapy services for sexual health concerns? First, book your appointment here: calendly.com/pleasemebyevecreations/10-min-call-me-on-owwll. Then, download the OWWLL app and use my free call code EH576472 so we can connect directly on the platform. I look forward to supporting you on your personal intimacy journey! Resources Mentioned: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Stacey Hettes joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about therapeutic writing and how she crafted a memoir about childhood sexual abuse without revictimizing herself, metabolizing childhood trauma, inviting readers into our physiological response, the role of our limbic systems, deciding whether to share specifics about abuse in our manuscripts, italicizing difficult material for readers so they can decide, approaching a story of child sexual abuse in a protective way, putting therapy into our memoirs, demonstrating our character's progress in our narrative, remembering we can write beautifully about hard things, and her new memoir Dispatches from the Couch.   Also in this episode: -sharing a memoir with family -the amygdala and child trauma victims -deciding whether to share specifics about abuse   Books mentioned in this episode: -Bodywork by Melissa Febos -Wintering by Catherine May -Writing a Woman's Life by Caroline G. Heilbrun -Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor   Professor Stacey Hettes teaches biology and neuroscience to undergraduates eager to enter the worlds of science and medicine at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. She holds a PhD from the University of California, Riverside, and is the youngest winner to date of the Milliken Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Science. Her classes are difficult because life is difficult. They are also full of wonder, joy, and triumph because, like her students, she is a hard-working seeker. She relishes in shared struggle and shared discovery, even when the topic is long-buried child sexual abuse. Reemerging from the shadows of her past was only possible once she resolved to carry the story found in her Debut memoir, Dispatches from the Couch, into the light. Connect with Stacey: Website: https://www.staceyhettes.com/ Facebook: Stacey Hettes, https://www.facebook.com/stacey.hettes Instagram: @staceyhetteswrites, https://www.instagram.com/staceyhetteswrites/ If you'd like to know more about Wofford College: https://www.wofford.edu/ Books may be purchased from all major outlets   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

In this powerful continuation of our conversation with Shawn and Amanda from the Touchy Subjects podcast, we dive deeper into the often-overlooked tactics of emotional and social abuse. While physical violence is more visible, the wounds caused by coercion, control, isolation, and emotional manipulation can be just as damaging—and harder to identify. We break down the Power & Control Wheel, exploring the eight key tactics used by abusers to dominate their partners, including economic control, intimidation, emotional abuse, and using children or privilege as leverage. Shawn and Amanda offer expert insight, lived experiences, and practical tools to help listeners identify red flags in their own or loved ones' relationships. This episode also features a compelling role-play to model what supportive conversations can sound like when someone discloses abuse, reminding us all how vital empathy, safety, and non-judgment are in these moments.  What You'll Learn: The difference between emotional and physical abuse—and why both matter The 8 spokes of the Power & Control Wheel and what they look like in real life How abusers use privilege, isolation, and economic dependency to maintain control Why consent must be enthusiastic—and how coercion shows up in relationships The importance of recognizing patterns early and having a support system What to say (and not say) when someone opens up about abuse Vote for Eve Hall as Best Educator and Best Educator Website at the ASN Awards: If you're enjoying the show and feel it's been helpful, I'd be honored if you could take a moment to vote for me as Best Educator and Best Educator Website in this year's ASN Awards. Your support means so much to me! Vote here:  ⁠2025 TOP 8 FINALIST | 2025 ASN Awards⁠ Connect with Eve: Support the Podcast: Become a ⁠Patreon⁠ member for ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and early access Website: Please Me Online - Reach Eve and stay connected. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation to talk about coaching for health or intimacy, or to explore physical therapy services for sexual health concerns? First, book your appointment here: calendly.com/pleasemebyevecreations/10-min-call-me-on-owwll. Then, download the OWWLL app and use my free call code EH576472 so we can connect directly on the platform. I look forward to supporting you on your personal intimacy journey!  Resources Mentioned: National Domestic Violence Hotline Touchy Subjects Podcast Website Shawn & Amanda's contact: touchysubjectspodcast@gmail.com Content Warning:This episode contains discussions of emotional, sexual, and domestic abuse that may be triggering to some listeners. Please take care while listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Deb Miller joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about how her memoir began as a family project, being surprised to have become an author, discovering and latching onto a framework, using an “e” structure, what we recognize during the process of writing, focusing on our behavior and patterns, leaning into generational shifts, the women's movement and breaking society's norms, connecting with readers on a personal level, innovative ways to market and launch a book, promoting a message not ourselves, becoming the hero of our own story, and her new memoir Forget the Fairy Tale & Find Your Happiness.   Also in this episode:  -finding a marketing hook -creating new relationships and working them -living your own fairy tale   Books mentioned in this episode: -Wild by Cheryl Strayed -High Hopes: A  Memoir by Anne Abel   Deb Miller is the author of Forget the Fairy Tale & Find Your Happiness, a memoir that explores her personal journey toward self-reliance and strength, using the evolution of Disney princesses as a metaphor for her own transformation. A passionate advocate for personal empowerment, Deb's writing encourages readers to question societal expectations and discover their own path to happiness.Having visited nearly 50 countries as a corporate executive, she is now on a mission to visit all of our national parks. A part-time marketing professor, Dr. Miller lives in Redmond, Washington, and can be found outside landscaping, walking her energetic Auggie, or hanging out with her three kids and grandchildren. Degrees: BS Purdue University, MBA University of Dayton, DBA City University of Seattle. Also a CPA. She is former VP of marketing and communication for several Fortune 500 companies.    Connect with Deb: Website: https://forgetthefairytale.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-deb-miller-acc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forget_the_fairy_tale/ Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Forget-Fairytale-Find-Your-Happiness/dp/1647429226/ Simon and Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Forget-the-Fairy-Tale-and-Find-Your-Happiness/Deb-Miller/9781647429225   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Waverly Deutsch doesn't just coach entrepreneurs—she translates English to English, reframes stories with strategy, and helps even the most logic-trained professionals tap into their conviction. In this three-part series, we walk through her unusual path from consulting to Chicago Booth to founding WyseHeart, her pitch strategy firm.Each episode reveals a new dimension of her journey: the personal (Part 1), the academic and instructional (Part 2), and the entrepreneurial, including her bold take on how to co-exist with AI (Part 3). Across every chapter, Waverly models what it means to coach with both love and logic—bringing clear frameworks to messy human dreams.Key Highlights of Our Interview:What Investors Actually Want“Good ideas are everywhere. I invest in people who know how to execute.”Lessons from both sides of the table: raising capital and writing checks.You Are Not Your Company“When a startup fails, it doesn't mean you failed.”Helping founders detach identity from outcome.The Metrics That Really Matter“Sometimes traction isn't revenue—it's retention, referrals, or even the right kind of no.”How she helps founders track the right signals.Managing the Urge to Please“Women, especially, are taught to be agreeable. That doesn't work in fundraising.”Teaching confidence without arrogance.Love and Logic, Always“Lead with empathy. Decide with data. And know which one to use when.”Her golden rule for founders—and herself._______________________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Waverly Deutsch --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.20 Million+ All-Time Downloads.80+ Countries Reached Daily.Global Top 1% Podcast.Top 5 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>200,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.

Waverly Deutsch doesn't just coach entrepreneurs—she translates English to English, reframes stories with strategy, and helps even the most logic-trained professionals tap into their conviction. In this three-part series, we walk through her unusual path from consulting to Chicago Booth to founding WyseHeart, her pitch strategy firm.Each episode reveals a new dimension of her journey: the personal (Part 1), the academic and instructional (Part 2), and the entrepreneurial, including her bold take on how to co-exist with AI (Part 3). Across every chapter, Waverly models what it means to coach with both love and logic—bringing clear frameworks to messy human dreams.Key Highlights of Our Interview:From Book Smarts to Business Savvy“Entrepreneurship is a process—whether you're 20 or 50.”At Booth, Waverly coached a wildly diverse mix: undergrads with unchecked imagination, MBAs with ideas but risk aversion, and execs who played it too safe. Her role? Adjusting the dials between wild dreams and grounded strategy—always pushing people to think just a little bigger (or a little sharper).Love for the Logical Skeptics“If you, the entrepreneur, don't believe you're building a $50M company, why should the investor?”Her job wasn't to sugarcoat—it was to stretch minds. She shares how she helped overly rational MBAs move from “safe” ideas to bold, fundable visions—and overly optimistic young founders get real about execution. Her coaching mantra? Meet them where they are—and nudge from there.The Muffin That Grew a Billion Dollars“This could be the Betty Crocker of the 21st century.”A standout case: Simple Mills founder Caitlin Smith. What began as a gluten-free side hustle turned into a billion-dollar brand—thanks in part to Waverly's nudge to imagine bigger. It's a masterclass in how one coach reframed a story and sparked a scale-worthy vision.Coaching in the Wild“I'm an English-to-English translator.”Post-Booth, Waverly now works with a broader crowd: from seasoned pros to small business owners without MBAs. Her key lesson? Listen deeply, strip away jargon, and tailor advice to meet people where they are—because real coaching starts with trust, not templates.Can AI Be Your Coach? Nope.“If marriage is ‘til death do us part, investment is ‘til exit do us part.”Waverly doesn't see AI as competition—yet. A pitch deck might be AI-generated, but building investor trust, interpreting nuance, and navigating founder doubt? That's strictly human territory. Coaching is about relationships, not just logic—and for that, love still wins._______________________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Waverly Deutsch --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.20 Million+ All-Time Downloads.80+ Countries Reached Daily.Global Top 1% Podcast.Top 5 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>200,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.

In this powerful and eye-opening episode of Please Me, we're diving into the uncomfortable but critical topic of how abuse often hides behind the mask of love, jealousy, and control. Host Eve sits down with Shawn Schutt and Amanda Courier, co-hosts of the Touchy Subjects podcast, to unpack the hidden layers of domestic violence and sexual assault—and how abusers manipulate relationships long before physical violence ever occurs. Shawn and Amanda specialize in breaking the silence around topics most people avoid—and today, they're exposing the subtle yet dangerous tactics abusers use to gain power and control, from isolation and jealousy to phone surveillance and emotional manipulation.  In this episode, we discuss: The true definitions of domestic violence and sexual assault How jealousy is often the first red flag—and why society normalizes it The role of identity and how marginalized communities face unique risks Abuse tactics like isolation, phone control, and manipulation disguised as "love" Why leaving an abusive relationship is far more complex—and dangerous—than it seems Steps to safely leave an abusive situation and how to seek support Whether you're navigating a relationship, supporting a friend, or just want to be more informed—this is an essential conversation everyone should hear.  Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions about domestic violence, sexual assault, and manipulation, which may be distressing for some listeners.  Resources & Support: Vote for Eve Hall as Best Educator and Best Educator Website at the ASN Awards: If you're enjoying the show and feel it's been helpful, I'd be honored if you could take a moment to vote for me as Best Educator and Best Educator Website in this year's ASN Awards. Your support means so much to me! Vote here:  ⁠2025 TOP 8 FINALIST | 2025 ASN Awards⁠ Connect with Eve: Support the Podcast: Become a ⁠Patreon⁠ member for ad-free episodes, exclusive content, and early access Website: Please Me Online - Reach Eve and stay connected. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation to talk about coaching for health or intimacy, or to explore physical therapy services for sexual health concerns? First, book your appointment here: calendly.com/pleasemebyevecreations/10-min-call-me-on-owwll. Then, download the OWWLL app and use my free call code EH576472 so we can connect directly on the platform. I look forward to supporting you on your personal intimacy journey! If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org.  Additional Episodes Mentioned:Diddy Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kate Gies joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the lasting effects of trauma on the body and mind, taking care of ourselves while writing by remembering our purpose, allowing early drafts to be angry and raw and finding meaning later, body shame and body acceptance, coming of age later in life, weaving together a medical narrative, protecting ourselves from reinjury by focusing on the larger message, writing where the energy is, finding boundaries, practicing self-compassion, and her memoir It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished: A Memoir of My Body.   Also in this episode: -writing where the energy is -giving yourself time - writing in vignettes   Books mentioned in this episode: Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealey The Two Kinds of Decay by Sarah Manguso Bluets by Maggie Nelson In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado The Sucide Index by Joan Wickersham   Kate Gies is a writer and educator living in Toronto. She teaches creative nonfiction and expressive arts at George Brown College. Her fiction, non-fiction, and poetry have been published in The Malahat Review, The Humber Literary Review, Hobart, the Best Canadian Essays 2024 Anthology, and other places.She is the author of It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished: A Memoir of My Body, which details her childhood medical experiences related to a missing ear. It was published by Simon & Schuster in February of 2025.   Connect with Kate: Website: kategies.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katygies Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kategies.bsky.social Get the Book: US: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/It-Must-Be-Beautiful-to-Be-Finished/Kate-Gies/9781668051054 Get the Book: Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Must-Be-Beautiful-Finished-Memoir/dp/1668051052 – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Waverly Deutsch doesn't just coach entrepreneurs—she translates English to English, reframes stories with strategy, and helps even the most logic-trained professionals tap into their conviction. In this three-part series, we walk through her unusual path from consulting to Chicago Booth to founding WyseHeart, her pitch strategy firm.Each episode reveals a new dimension of her journey: the personal (Part 1), the academic and instructional (Part 2), and the entrepreneurial, including her bold take on how to co-exist with AI (Part 3). Across every chapter, Waverly models what it means to coach with both love and logic—bringing clear frameworks to messy human dreams.Key Highlights of Our Interview:The Computer Scientist Who Loved Shakespeare“I've always had a foot in both worlds—logic and emotion, code and creativity.”How Waverly's dual passions for computer science and theatre shaped her approach to business.The Pivot Into Entrepreneurship“I didn't want to write code anymore. I wanted to solve problems worth solving.”Why she left tech to help build a startup—and never looked back.Real Lessons, Not Just Case Studies“Harvard cases are great, but I wanted to teach with my own stories.”How she built her curriculum at Booth from lived experience.Founders Aren't Born“They're shaped by experience, community, and the right mindset.”What makes someone capable of starting—and sustaining—a business.Emotion Belongs in the Room“Business is about people. If you're not teaching that, you're missing the point.”Why she teaches soft skills just as seriously as finance and ops._______________________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Waverly Deutsch --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.20 Million+ All-Time Downloads.80+ Countries Reached Daily.Global Top 1% Podcast.Top 5 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>200,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.

In Part Two, Brian opens up about what it really cost him to tell the truth inside a political system built on avoidance. From surviving misinformation attacks to refusing to play nice for the sake of power, he reflects on the risks and responsibilities that come with using your platform when it might backfire. We also hear how he rebuilt after the storm—why starting over matters, and what he's doing differently this time around.Key Highlights of Our Interview:The Price of Authenticity“I didn't lose because I lacked support—I lost because I refused to lie.”What really happened during his run for lieutenant governor.Party Loyalty vs. Personal Truth“I wasn't going to smile and play along just to move up.”When doing the right thing means going against your own team.Retaliation Isn't Always Loud“It's the silence. The meetings you stop getting invited to.”How quiet resistance can be louder than shouting.Redefining Leadership“I don't want to lead the way they taught us. I want to lead in a way that reflects my truth.”Why he's rebuilding his leadership from the ground up.The Work Continues—But Differently“My goal now isn't to win office. It's to win trust.”From political power to public service, on his own terms._______________________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Brian Sims --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.20 Million+ All-Time Downloads.80+ Countries Reached Daily.Global Top 1% Podcast.Top 5 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>200,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.

This week, we're spotlighting two incredible TV writers whose journeys were meaningfully shaped by the Austin Film Festival. Sylvia Batey Alcalá (A MAN ON THE INSIDE, PRIMO) and Mac Smullen (SOUVENIR, ALASKA) share how AFF helped get their names out there —building momentum, sparking connections, and opening doors that had long felt closed. But a festival isn't the finish line — it's the starting gate. Sylvia and Mac walk us through the real (and rewarding) work it takes after recognition: rewriting, building reps, pitching, and staying ready for the moment when things start to move. It's a candid, thoughtful, and energizing conversation about what breaking in looks like today — and how festivals like AFF can help writers get in the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Friends Like Us... Ever wondered about the impact of AI on media or the hidden history of our college institutions?  Listen to my conversation with Kenice Mobley and Kimberly Clark, as we tackle topics and give our guests their flowers!  Give it a listen and spread the word!   Kimberly Clark - Originally from Syracuse, NY. She's been seen on Netflix's Tiffany Haddish presents: They Ready, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Last Comic Standing. She was named one of Time Out L.A.'s Comics To Watch. Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the StandUp NBC Competition. She was named to Vulture's 2021 list of Comedians You Should and Will Know. Kenice's debut comedy album Follow Up Question, filmed at Union Hall in New York, was released in December 2022. Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf. Writer for HBO's 'Divorce' and the new Tracy Morgan show on Paramount Plus: 'Crutch'.          

Today we continue the Summer Echoes Series with a story by Kimberly Elkins. Kimberly is the author of the novel, WHAT IS VISIBLE, which was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and named to several Best of 2014 lists. She's written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Iowa Review, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Glamour, Slice, The Cincinnati Review, and Best New American Voices. She was a Finalist for the National Magazine Award, and has also won a New York Moth StorySlam. You can find her on X @GoodWordGirl. Kimberly's story was originally published in The Cincinnati Review and is the most unique essay I think we've ever gotten. It uses second person point of view and still, it's vulnerable. It's short. It's mighty. It's amazing.Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski, Chloe Emond-Lane, and Aiden Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music is by Justina Shandler.There's more writing class on our website including stories we study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classes. Join our writing community by following us on Patreon. A transcript of this episode is available here.Check out all the classes we offer on our website, writingclassradio.com.Join the community that comes together for instruction, an excuse to write, and the support from other writers. To learn more, go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio. Or sign up HERE for First Draft for a FREE Zoom link.There's no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What's yours?

LaVar is joined this week by two finalist for the Campbell Trophy, Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser and UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard. LaVar chats with each about their play on the field, the achievements in the classroom and what the Campbell Trophy means to them. Named in honor of the late William V. Campbell, the former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, The William V. Campbell Trophy® has become the most prestigious and desirable "academic" award in college football. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Takeaways: Playing at Notre Dame is a prestigious honor. The Campbell Trophy recognizes academic and athletic excellence. Handling success is crucial for team growth. Academic performance directly impacts athletic performance. Identity beyond football is essential for personal development. Football provides unique life experiences and opportunities. Community service is a vital part of being a student-athlete. Education is key for future aspirations beyond football. The evolution of linebacker play requires adaptability and skill. Football represents a way of life and personal fulfillment. #upongame #fsrweekends #2ProsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.