Podcasts about Writing

The Divine has something big in store for you...MAGNETIC AFFIRMATIONS (1HR+): https://21-day-break-up-glow-up-challenge.teachable.com/p/making-mind-magnetic-affirmations-all-eyes-will-be-on-you-793498

In this episode, host Ken Fong sits down with New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, and Silicon Valley tech leader Abigail Hing Wen. Famous for her hit Loveboat, Taipei trilogy (and the feature film adaptation Love in Taipei), Abigail expands her storytelling universe into artificial intelligence and virtual reality with her novel The Vale and its short film prequel The Vale — Origins. Amazon: Purchase The Vale Barnes & Noble: Purchase The Vale   And here is the Ambassador Book Club Link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pHmm56EPG-re4EoWa42sRHtQDvT8zvmHnl2v29izxVk/edit?usp=drivesdk

"My career is not a straight path; it's a lot of happenstance where I just sort of somehow get a job and then figure out how to do it once I'm there," says Rachel Hartigan, author of Lost: Amelia Earhart's Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life.Today we have Rachel Hartigan, who, yes, is dignified and reputable. She's the author of Lost: Amelia Earhart's Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life. It's published by Nat Geo.We share an agent, so that was how her book got on my radar. If you're a relative newb to the Amelia Earhart story, Rachel's book is a riveting take on the three main theories of Earhart's tragic death either by castaway, captive, or having sunk at sea in her beautiful Lockheed Electra. Rachel weaves together all these theories with a lean, propulsive biography of a woman far ahead of her time.She's written about everything from the genetics of persimmon trees to the long road to women's suffrage for National Geographic. She is the former editor of the Washington Post's Book World and she has also covered education and culture for U.S News & World Report. You can learn more about her at rachelhartiganauthor.com. Had a lot of fun with this as we talk about: Happenstance Hard-earned experience Breaking down David Grann's The Lost City of Z Modeling a text Focusing on clarity Being in partnership with the reader Being a minimalist interviewer Saying yes to things Finding something new to say about Earhart Why Earhart is still appealing to this day Cave Day And learning how to sell your story as if you're telling it at a cocktail party (this echoes Alex Ronan's quip)Pair this episode with David Grann's two appearances, Nick Davidson's appearances, as well Cassidy Randall's appearances.

Mission drift, the wrong measure, the trade-in trap—and a little fresh-squeezed freedom. Plus, Malcolm Guite on writing poetry one walk at a time, Daniel Suhr on election integrity, and the Thursday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from Ambassadors Impact Network. Christian entrepreneurs scaling their companies often struggle to find capital sources that respect, and even celebrate, their redemptive mission. Ambassadors Impact Network connects these founders with angel investors seeking both financial outcomes and spiritual fruit. If you're an investor wanting to steward your capital toward gospel-advancing companies, learn about membership at ambassadorsimpact.comFrom Cedarville University. Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is committed to biblical faithfulness and academic excellence, preparing students to serve Christ with conviction in every profession. Every one of its 175+ undergraduate and graduate programs are grounded in a biblical worldview, equipping graduates with the knowledge, skill, and conviction to serve wherever God leads. New online undergraduate degrees through Cedarville Online offer flexible, affordable education rooted in biblical truth and designed for today's learners. Learn more at cedarville.edu, and explore online programs at cedarville.edu/online.And from Equip by Unbound. Launching high schoolers through coaching, skills training, and interest-led projects. More at BeUnbound.us/world

1205. In the bonus discussion this week, we continue discussing AI em dashes with Sean Goedecke, software engineer for GitHub. We talk about why AI detectors are often unreliable and how they can disproportionately flag non-native English speakers. We also look at the controversial idea of "writing for AI" to ensure your ideas are represented in future machine learning models. This episode ran for Grammarpaloozians in February 2026. To get more bonus content, visit Patreon.com/GrammarGirl.Find Sean at www.SeanGoedecke.com

DJ DiDonna makes the case for why taking more extended time off helps professionals get further in their careers–and shares tricks for actually snagging that time. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) How to convince your boss to let you take a sabbatical 2) How sabbaticals act as “regret insurance”3) How to plan a truly fulfilling sabbaticalSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1169 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT DJ — DJ DiDonna is a senior lecturer of business administration at Harvard Business School, where he teaches MBA courses on entrepreneurship and building meaningful professional and personal lives. He has spent his career translating social science research into real-world tools for positive change. In 2019, DiDonna founded The Sabbatical Project to define, explore, and research the role of sabbaticals in modern life. He has helped organizations around the world—from nonprofits to Fortune 50 companies—design and implement sabbatical policies.His work has been featured in The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, Time, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Previously, DiDonna cofounded EFL Global, a fintech company that enabled more than $2 billion in capital to underbanked businesses and individuals across twenty countries before its acquisition in 2018. DiDonna earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. On his sabbatical, DiDonna walked nine hundred miles on pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan, helped lead the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at his undergraduate alma mater, Notre Dame, and unskillfully remodeled his kitchen. Outside work, you can find him plotting how to be in the Big Outdoors.• Book: Big Time Off: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One by DJ DiDonna• LinkedIn: DJ DiDonna• Website: TheSabbaticalProject.org• Website: djdidonna.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Tool: Voice Dream Reader• Book: The Three-Body Problem (The Three-Body Problem Series, 1) by Cixin Liu• Book: Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia Ibarra— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Shopify. Sign up for your free trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod• Monarch. Get 50% off your first year with code AWESOME at Monarch.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

RESOURCES- Step into your next level of growth and join me inside Lotus Rising Premium Coaching at danettecoaching.com- Fuel your day with Rootz Nutrition Protein Superfood: a clean protein plus greens blend designed to support energy, curb cravings, and nourish your body with real superfoods.Click this link to get your exclusive discount and try it for yourself.CONNECT WITH DANETTEInstagram: @thedanettemayFacebook: Danette MayTikTok: @thedanettemayNEW TV Show on Youtube: @TheDanetteMayListen to The Danette May ShowRead my book: danettemay.com/embraceabundancebookGet The Rise book: therisebook.comWork with Danette: danettemay.comIn this vulnerable episode of The Danette May Show, I'm sharing what it feels like when your biggest dreams begin manifesting at the same time you are navigating one of the hardest seasons of your life. After holding the vision for more than 10 years, I officially signed on to create a new show centered around soul writing, spiritual connection, and helping people access the wisdom already within them.I also open up about trust, friendship, fear, divine timing, and the emotional shifts that can come with personal expansion. We explore what soul writing is, how it can bring clarity to relationships, health, business, motherhood, and major life decisions, and why you do not have to keep outsourcing your answers. This episode is a reminder that manifestation and healing can unfold together, and even your hardest moments can lead you back to prayer, intuition, and your deepest inner truth.IN THIS EPISODE:(0:00) Putting yourself first again(3:29) When dreams manifest and the past resurfaces(4:19) The new show announcement(6:47) What soul writing is(7:48) Testing soul writing on camera(8:28) Why this new show matters(9:24) Visibility, trust, and friendship fears(11:46) Spiritual tools for hard seasons(13:38) Returning to your inner truth

In this episode of The GaryVee Audio Experience, the team takes you behind the scenes of writing an article that gets published on Substack, X, etc. I talk about why every single item sold in e-commerce will eventually be sold on live shopping — from steak to Rolexes to $13 million apartments. I share why nostalgia is underpriced and how live shopping opportunity is one of the biggest business plays for the next decade. I also discuss how documenting the journey of getting better at something is the easiest content pillar for anyone, especially the 59-year-old set.You'll learn about:• The Future of Live Shopping• Why Nostalgia Is Underpriced

Subscribe to Greg Fitzsimmons: https://bit.ly/subGregFitz Comedian Des Bishop joins Greg for a wide-ranging conversation about growing up Irish American, being sent to boarding school in Ireland, Catholic shame, sobriety, and the difference between guilt and shame. Des also talks about learning Mandarin to perform stand-up in China, navigating life between different cultures, and why great comedians never stop hustling for the audience. Plus, Greg remembers writing a romance novel in Ireland, the guys revisit childhood television before remote controls, and Des explains the fine line between being a comedian and being an entertainer. See Des Bishop's special Bridge and Tunnel on YouTube and find tour dates at DesBishop.net. Find Greg's tour dates at FitzDog.com. This show is produced by Gotham Production Studios and part of the Gotham Network. https://www.gothamproductionstudios.com/studios/ Follow Greg Fitzsimmons: Facebook: https://facebook.com/FitzdogRadio Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregfitzsimmons Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregfitzshow Official Website: http://gregfitzsimmons.com Tour Dates: https://bit.ly/GregFitzTour Merch: https://bit.ly/GregFitzMerch “Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons” Book: https://amzn.to/2Z2bB82 “Life on Stage” Comedy Special: https://bit.ly/GregFitzSpecial Listen to Greg Fitzsimmons: Fitzdog Radio: https://bit.ly/FitzdogRadio Sunday Papers: http://bit.ly/SundayPapersPod Childish: http://childishpod.com Watch more Greg Fitzsimmons: Latest Uploads: https://bit.ly/latestGregFitz Fitzdog Radio: https://bit.ly/radioGregFitz Sunday Papers: https://bit.ly/sundayGregFitz Stand Up Comedy: https://bit.ly/comedyGregFitz Popular Videos: https://bit.ly/popGregFitz About Greg Fitzsimmons: Mixing an incisive wit with scathing sarcasm, Greg Fitzsimmons is an accomplished stand-up, an Emmy Award winning writer, and a host on TV, radio and his own podcasts. Greg is host of the popular “FitzDog Radio” podcast (https://bit.ly/FitzdogRadio), as well as “Sunday Papers” with co-host Mike Gibbons (http://bit.ly/SundayPapersPod) and “Childish” with co-host Alison Rosen (http://childishpod.com). A regular with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, Greg also frequents “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Lights Out with David Spade,” and has made more than 50 visits to “The Howard Stern Show.” Howard gave Greg his own show on Sirius/XM which lasted more than 10 years. Greg's one-hour standup special, “Life On Stage,” was named a Top 10 Comedy Release by LA Weekly. The special premiered on Comedy Central and is now available on Amazon Prime, as a DVD, or a download (https://bit.ly/GregFitzSpecial). Greg's 2011 book, Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons (https://amzn.to/2Z2bB82), climbed the best-seller charts and garnered outstanding reviews from NPR and Vanity Fair. Greg appeared in the Netflix series “Santa Clarita Diet,” the Emmy-winning FX series “Louie,” spent five years as a panelist on VH1's “Best Week Ever,” was a reoccurring panelist on “Chelsea Lately,” and starred in two half-hour stand-up specials on Comedy Central. Greg wrote and appeared on the Judd Apatow HBO series “Crashing.” Writing credits include HBO's “Lucky Louie,” “Cedric the Entertainer Presents,” “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher,” “The Man Show” and many others. On his mantle beside the four Daytime Emmys he won as a writer and producer on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” sit “The Jury Award for Best Comedian” from The HBO Comedy Arts Festival and a Cable Ace Award for hosting the MTV game show "Idiot Savants." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting your first school-based OT job can feel overwhelming. Between IEP meetings, evaluations, accommodations, and the endless acronyms, it can be hard to know where to start.In this episode, we break down the basics of school-based occupational therapy. Amanda shares what she wishes every new school-based OT knew before walking into their first IEP meeting, explains the differences between IEPs, 504 plans, and MTSS, and offers practical tips for collaborating with teachers, administrators, and the rest of the educational team.We'll also discuss how school-based OT differs from clinic-based practice, why goals need to be educationally relevant, what consultative services actually look like, and how to feel more confident advocating for students while working as part of a multidisciplinary team.Whether you're a new graduate, transitioning into the schools, or just curious about how school-based OT works, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you feel more prepared.LinksWe'd love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form - https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3 Sensory Strategies for the Classroom Coursehttps://harkla.co/products/classroom-sensory-training?srsltid=AfmBOoqG8NnYkiSWB_T-oxJNV3RI0lYd5-kUy9draacDoX5fsnDIxqvtClassroom Sensory Kitshttps://harkla.co/products/classroom-sensory-kit?srsltid=AfmBOopRCtKs2HeI1HXt-Iw30p0DTLiFkRgc2SyW7PUyCSGW8Zd5e__HSlant Board for Writing https://amzn.to/44GU0mILoop Scissorshttps://amzn.to/4pv9x2qAll Things Sensory Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allthingssensorypodcast/ Harkla Website https://harkla.co/ Harkla YouTube​​https://www.youtube.com/c/HarklaFamily Harkla Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/harkla_family/ Harkla Digital Courseshttps://harkla.co/collections/courses 

Well, he said it. Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham opens up about his formative relationships as he teaches the reader what great writing looks like. I read his unforgettable novel The Hours for a now-defunct book club years ago. I couldn't wait to discuss! A professor, Michael shares in the book and on the podcast, what his secrets are. By including sample paragraphs throughout, we pick up his vast knowledge. He then intersperses his own story including a chapter that . . . you never would have guessed. Loved this conversation! ** Want more? Become a part of my community! Sign up for Zibby's Highlights, which includes a free weekly newsletter, event livestreams, most anticipated book lists, personal essays, and a new essay platform with stories from all of you about what chapters you're in (inspired by my upcoming book Between Chapters: How I Started Over, Took Some Chances, and Found the Plot, 9/22/26). And follow me on Instagram @zibbyowens. But really, keep listening here. If you love my show, please tell a friend! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Share Shed – Sober Awkward Writing Competition Specials - I didn't realise it was a funeral - By SarahA huge congratulations to Sarah who was one of this years winners!!Every Thursday, we're handing the story telling over to you.Over the next few months, Vic will be reading some of the incredible entries from this year's Sober Awkward Writing Competition. Honest, funny, heartbreaking, hopeful, awkward and beautifully human, these stories come from people all over the world who have experienced the ups and downs of changing their relationship with alcohol.Whether you're sober curious, newly alcohol-free, years into recovery, or simply wondering if life might feel better without booze, we hope these stories remind you that you're not alone.Writing has a powerful way of helping us make sense of our lives. It can shine a light on things we've hidden away, help us process difficult experiences, and remind us just how resilient we really are. Plus, it's considerably cheaper than therapy and doesn't require you to wear pants.So grab a cuppa, get comfortable, and join us for this week's Share Shed as Vic tells another story from our amazing community.

So here's the thing. I know I talk a lot about reading. It's pretty important to me. But all week I've been trying to prepare a different podcast, one NOT about the uncrackable justification for choice reading. But recently I heard from several teachers over in CHSE about thriving reading programs they had going, only to get shut down by folks who felt like reading in class was a waste of time. And then I kind of ended up in a rabbit hole, as I am wont to do. It's like researching the justification for choice reading became my guilty pleasure, sucking up all my time. I listened to audiobooks on my walks, pored over research roundups and articles at the coffee shop, hit up the hammock with my Penny Kittle, and stared and stared and stared at the growing evidence mounting in my endless Google doc of notes. The evidence is clear. The need for help for kids who don't read, don't like reading, and don't want to read is great. And yet STILL we are prioritizing reading snippets and drilling for tests to "improve" our readers' reading. I want you to have the information you need to fight. So here I am. Again. Despite my efforts to focus on something else this week. Let's dig deep. Illustration for The Cycles I share in this episode: The Infographic I mentioned: Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Launch your choice reading program with all my favorite tools and recs, and grab the free toolkit. Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the 'gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!  Sources: Amato, Jarred. (2024). Just Read It. Corwin. Atwell, Nancie. (2007). The Reading Zone. Scholastic. Aukerman, M. & Schuldt, L. (2021). "What Matters Most? Toward a Robust and Socially Just Science of Reading." Reading Research Quarterly, 56(S1) pp. S85–S103 | doi:10.1002/rrq.40 Bains, A., Spaulding, C., Ricketts, J., & Krishnan, S. (2026). Providing choice enhances reading motivation. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006), 79(4), 959–970. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218251370916 Bishop, Rudine Sims. "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors." Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom. Vo. 6, No. 3, Summer 1990. https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Mirrors-Windows-and-Sliding-Glass-Doors.pdf Accessed November 2, 2025. Briceño, Allison and Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica. (2022). Conscious Classrooms. PD Essentials. Bridges, Lois. (2018). The Joy and Power of Reading: A Summary of Research and Expert Opinion. Scholastic. Chavez, Felicia. (2021) The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop. Haymarket Books. Elley, W. B. (2000). The Potential of Book Floods for Raising Literary Levels. International Review of Education, 46(3–4), 233–255. Gallagher, Kelly. (2009). Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It. Routledge. Kerkhoff, Shea. (2026). Adolescent Literacy: Integrating the Sciences of Reading and Writing in Grades 4-12. Bloomsbury Academic. Kittle, Penny. (2013). Book Love. Heinneman. Miller, Donalyn and Susan Kelley. (2013). Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits. Jossey-Bass. Morgan, Denise N., & Wagner, Christopher W. (2013). "What's the Catch?" Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(8), 659–667 doi: 10.1002/JAAL.193 National Endowment for the Arts. (2007, November). To Read or Not to Read. O'Grady, R. J. (2025). The reading renaissance: Reimagining literacy practices in secondary English education. ENGLISH IN EDUCATION. https://doi.org/10.1080/04250494.2025.2567939 Wilhelm, J. D. (2016). Recognising the power of pleasure: What engaged adolescent readers get from their free-choice reading, and how teachers can leverage this for all. Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 39(1), 30. Willingham, Daniel. (2021). Why Don't Kids Like School? Jossey-Bass. 2nd Ed. (Audiobook)  

St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) was a man known for his generosity. He was also well known for his writings on topics of spirituality, which were widely popular and were read by both Catholics and Protestants.  Links Article "St. Robert Bellarmine's Influence on the Writing of the Declaration of Independence":  https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=6607 Article: "St. Robert Bellarmine, Galileo and Heliocentricity":  https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-robert-bellarmine-galileo-and-heliocentricity/ Pope Benedict XVI General Address on St. Robert Bellarmine (2011):  https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=9554 Robert Bellarmine: Spiritual Writings - https://www.paulistpress.com/Products/2875-6/robert-bellarmine.aspx Way of the Fathers Podcast episode 4.13 - "Pelagianism and the Seeds of Calvinism" - https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/413-heresiespelagianism-and-seeds-calvinism/ SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's Newsletter:  https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters/ DONATE at:  http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio Dr. Papandrea's Homepage:  https://jimpapandrea.wordpress.com/ Dr. Papandrea's latest book - Praying the Wisdom: Inspired Prayers for Lectio Divina and Contemplative Prayer: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/praying-the-wisdom/ Dr. Papandrea's YouTube channel, The Original Church: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalChurch Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:  https://www.ccwatershed.org/  

Today we're sharing a conversation with an author who has been discussed often here on the podcast: William Kent Krueger.  We originally held this author talk over in Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, and which we're sharing with you today as we explore Krueger's book This Tender Land. This conversation feels especially timely and has been on our minds and on our tongues, as This Tender Land was inspired by Homer's The Odyssey, a timeless story that many of you tell us you're looking forward to seeing on screen this summer in the new blockbuster adaptation film. Today's conversation and your enjoyment of it does not hang on whether you know anything at all about The Odyssey, or whether you've read anything by Kent Krueger yet. Join us as we explore the power of a good story well told, how authors make creative decisions, and the backstories behind Krueger's beloved series and his decidedly different standalone novels. You'll also hear the story behind his favorite pair of boots.  Let us know if you're looking forward to seeing (or reading) The Odyssey this summer in the comments section. Find that along with the list of titles discussed on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/534. For more conversations like this one, join us over in the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, where we're excited about our upcoming annual observance of Austen in August, followed by our Fall Book Preview in mid-September. We'd love to have you join us for our live events. Members also enjoy our robust community featuring dedicated book forums, buddy reads, classes, and more happenings. We hope you'll find your book people in Book Club. Find out more and join us at modernmrsdarcy.com/club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Liberty and Danika discuss The New People, Cool Machine, The Princess Trap, and more great books! Subscribe to All the Books! using RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and never miss a book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. Keep track of new releases with Book Riot's New Release Index, now included with an All Access membership. Click here to get started today! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Books Discussed On the Show: The New People by Andrea Uptmor The Masala Chai Mystery Club by MJ Soni The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert Yes, Chef by Grace Reilly Lord of the Wood by E.M. Anderson Funerals are for the Living by Sami Ellis Cool Machine (The Harlem Trilogy) by Colson Whitehead The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld  Vera Stein Is Fine by Julie Murphy Yellow Pine by Claire Vaye Watkins Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero by Eliot Schrefer, Erin Entrada Kelly Unsayable: A Life in Writing by Michael Cunningham What We're Reading: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell The Talking Bone by Rene Denfeld Serious Music by Percival Everett Life Beyond Measure: Nature's Hidden Wonders at Every Scale by Ed Yong Paperbacks: An Oral History of Atlantis: Stories by Ed Park  Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. Morris  Necessary Fiction by Eloghosa Osunde Links: Jamie Smart and the rise of Bunny vs. Monkey Bestsellers: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi   Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan   Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke   Whistler by Ann Patchett   Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman   The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett Tempting Venom by Rina Kent Communion: The Female Search for Love by bell hooks Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1 by Kamome Shirahama The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building a great team doesn't have to mean you're competing for talent. This week, I'm sharing the story of how a simple conversation with a friend led Of the West to build a college internship program from the ground up for an agricultural business. What started as a solution to a seasonal hiring problem turned into a strategy that can help businesses attract top talent, develop future leaders, and strengthen their workforce for years to come.In this episode, we talk about why internship programs are often overlooked in agriculture and Western industries, what it actually takes to build one that qualifies for academic credit, and how shifting your mindset from "How do I stop this?" to "How do I make this work for me?" can create opportunities. If you're a business owner looking for better hiring solutions or thinking about the future of your operation, this episode is full of practical ideas you can put into action.Be sure to subscribe/follow the show so you never miss an episode!Connect with Jessie:Follow on Instagram @ofthewest.co and @mrsjjarvFollow on Facebook @jobsofthewestCheck out the Of The West websiteResources & Links:Email us at hello@ofthewest.coJoin The Directory Of The WestGet our FREE resource for Writing a Strong Job DescriptionGet our FREE resource for Making the Most of Your InternshipGet our FREE resource: 10 Resume Mistakes (and how to fix them)Get our FREE resource: How to Avoid the 7 Biggest Hiring Mistakes Employers MakeEmail us at hello@ofthewest.coSubscribe to Of The West's ⁠NewslettersList your jobs on ⁠Of The West

In this episode of Productivity Smarts, host Gerald J. Leonard welcomes Dr. Deane Waldman, a pediatric cardiologist turned healthcare reform advocate and author of Become an Empowered Patient. Drawing on nearly 40 years of clinical experience, Dr. Waldman explains why today's healthcare system often places bureaucracy ahead of patients and what individuals can do to navigate it more effectively. Together, they discuss how administrative complexity, insurance policies, and outdated systems create unnecessary barriers for both doctors and patients. Dr. Waldman shares powerful stories from his medical career, including how he helped a critically ill infant receive lifesaving treatment despite insurance restrictions, illustrating why patient advocacy is more important than ever. Gerald and Dr. Waldman also explore healthcare through the lens of productivity, examining how waste, excessive bureaucracy, and disconnected incentives reduce efficiency and patient outcomes. Gerald shares his own journey recovering from a severe vestibular disorder and explains how self-advocacy played a critical role in his healing. Whether you're managing your own healthcare, supporting a loved one, or simply want to become a more informed patient, this episode offers practical insights on asking better questions, making informed decisions, and building stronger partnerships with your healthcare providers. Ready to take charge of your healthcare? Listen now and discover how becoming an empowered patient can lead to better outcomes and greater peace of mind.   What We Discuss [00:00] Productivity Smarts introduction [02:02] Meet Dr. Deane Waldman [04:45] From soprano to bass [06:35] Why healthcare is broken [08:11] Losing the joy of medicine [10:47] Saving a life beyond the rules [14:11] Who controls healthcare decisions? [16:03] The origins of employer-sponsored insurance [18:27] The direct-pay surgery story [21:22] Putting patients in control [22:01] Productivity through patient choice [23:40] The rise of healthcare bureaucracy [25:37] Lean thinking and healthcare waste [27:13] Fighting healthcare fraud [27:51] Why patients must advocate for themselves [30:48] Music's role in recovery [34:14] Restoring the doctor-patient relationship [37:37] Writing for everyday Americans [39:31] Where to find the book [41:19] Jazz, music, and final thoughts [42:09] Subscribe and leave a review    Notable Quotes [08:14] "The system has taken away what is known as the psychic reward." - Dr. Deane Waldman [15:37] "He who has the gold makes the rules." - Dr. Deane Waldman [22:01] "As soon as we get the patients in control of the money, productivity goes up." - Dr. Deane Waldman [25:38] "In management circles, we call that value non-adding steps. It's waste in a process." - Gerald J. Leonard [29:31] "People need to advocate for themselves." - Dr. Deane Waldman [33:07] "I am responsible for me, not the doctor." - Dr. Deane Waldman [33:53] "It's really a two-way street between you, the patient, and the doctor working together." - Gerald J. Leonard   Resource and Links Dr. Deane Waldman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-Deanee-waldman Website:https://empowerpatients.info/ Book: Become an Empowered Patient   Productivity Smarts Podcast Website - productivitysmartspodcast.com   Gerald J. Leonard Website - geraldjleonard.com Turnberry Premiere website - turnberrypremiere.com Scheduler - vcita.com/v/geraldjleonard   Kiva is a loan, not a donation, allowing you to cycle your money and create a personal impact worldwide. https://www.kiva.org/lender/topmindshelpingtopminds

What happens once a society finds a way to turn a human body into an energy source, and decides that's a good deal? Podcaster and TruStory FM co-founder Pete Wright joins Matthew and Paul to talk about “Lattice,” his debut science fiction novella, and the death penalty, corporate power, and family loyalty questions Wright built into its plot from the very first chapter.Wright talks about writing the book's bones as a teenager and only now finishing it, while Matthew and Paul push on why the story never lets its villains twirl a mustache, they just sign off in a procurement meeting. They get into the Kobayashi Maru, the Batman choice, and a death penalty scene with no last-second rescue. What does it cost a person to have power and refuse to use it?Full show notes and resourcesConnect with Pete Wright: Website**************************************************************************This episode is a production of Superhero Ethics, an Ethical Panda podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network. Check out our website to find out more about this show and our sister podcast Star Wars Generations.We want to hear from you! Keep up with our latest news and send us feedback, questions, or comments via social media or email.TikTok · Twitter/X · Instagram · Facebook · EmailJoin the conversation in the Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics channels on the TruStory FM Discord.Want even more content while supporting the podcast? Become a member! For $5 a month or $55 a year you get access to bonus episodes and bonus content at the end of most episodes — and you can even give membership as a gift. Sign up here.You can also support us through our sponsors:Purchase a lightsaber from Level Up Sabers, run by friend of the podcast Neighborhood Master Alan.Use Audible for audiobooks. Sign up for a one-year membership or gift one through this link.Purchase any media discussed this week through our sponsored links.

Writing an impact letter can feel overwhelming, emotional, and even re-traumatizing.So why do it?Amie and Alana unpack the purpose behind this powerful recovery tool, explain how it fits into therapeutic disclosure, and discuss why the greatest healing often comes from validating your own experience—not trying to convince your partner to understand.Chapters02:17 Where It Fits in Disclosure03:41 Timing and Personalization07:19 Grief and Ongoing Healing09:03 Your Story and Shared Grief16:44 Writing Makes It Real18:10 Stop Minimizing20:55 Write For You, Not ThemWe'd love to hear from you!Fill out this brief survey to let us know your feedback about the podcast!Register Now!***Use code PODCAST150 to get $150 off any Choose intensive or retreat in 2026!***Courage to Thrive - Join us for this healing retreat for women who have experienced betrayal trauma. It offers a safe, supportive space to process pain, reconnect with yourself, and begin moving forward with strength and hope. Through guided workshops, therapeutic support, and restorative experiences, women leave feeling seen, empowered, and less alone. August 25-28, 2026 in Spanish Fork, Utah. Reclaimed: A Men's Parts-Work Intensive - A transformative 4-day intensive for men in recovery from problematic sexual behaviors, using the Internal Family Systems model to help participants deepen emotional healing, reduce shame, understand their inner world, and live with greater authenticity and wholeness. August 18-21 in Spanish Fork, UT. Housing accommodations available here.

Talk to KimIn this lively interview, Jo Blackwell shares her journey through menopause, overcoming self-ageism, and embracing aging with confidence. Discover practical insights on challenging societal narratives, nurturing connection, and thriving in midlife.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:45 Jo Blackwell's Personal Menopause Journey01:54 Challenging Medical Advice and Toxic Positivity02:49 Learning to Focus on What Can Be Done04:04 Understanding Perimenopause and Emotional Impact05:48 Writing as a Tool for Connection and Healing07:40 Creating the Midlife Community and Support09:01 Discovering Photography and Self-Expression11:08 The Power of Seeing Through the Lens12:49 Understanding Self-Ageism and Its Roots16:28 Challenging Ageist Narratives and Media Influence20:43 Normalizing Aging and Celebrating Older Faces23:19 Body Image and Embracing Physical Changes26:49 Jo Blackwell's New Book: Aging Wonderfully Well28:15 The Science of Happiness and Brain Health in Aging29:30 The Value of Experience and Intergenerational Learning30:27 Challenging Self-Ageism and Societal Expectations31:22 Living with Purpose and Embracing Growth31:53 Final Words of Inspiration and Hope33:30 Where to Find Jo Blackwell and Connect34:13 Closing Remarks and Final MessageFind Jo here:Website - https://www.joblackwell.co.uk/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/MidlifeandBeyondJoBlackwellSupport the showHave you been listening to Midlife with Courage™ and thinking, "That's me"?Now it's time to take the next step.It's Not J.U.S.T. You™ is a transformational 4-week workshop designed for women who are ready to stop shrinking themselves, take up space, and live more boldly. Together, we'll uncover the subtle ways we make ourselves smaller, explore why those patterns exist, and practice the tools to communicate with confidence, set healthy boundaries, and step fully into the life we deserve.If you're ready to move from inspiration to transformation, I'd love to have you join us this September.Click HERE for Priority Access. The podcast starts the conversation. The workshop is where the transformation begins.*****************************************************Want to be a guest on Midlife with Courage™-Bold Women Thriving After Forty with Kim Benoy? Send Kim Benoy a message on PodMatch, here: Podmatch Link NEWSLETTER WEBSITEFACEBOOK

Teddy Wayne is the author of the novels The Au Pair, The Winner, The Great Man Theory, Apartment, Loner, The Love Song of Jonny Valentine, and Kapitoil. He is the winner of a Whiting Writers' Award and an NEA Creative Writing Fellowship as well as a finalist for the Young Lions Fiction Award, PEN/Bingham Prize, and Dayton Literary Peace Prize. A former columnist for the New York Times and McSweeney's and a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, he has taught at Columbia University and Washington University in St. Louis. Teddy joins Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to talk about what he needs to know before he begins writing, voice, fiction that makes a big statement, stakes, plotting via character relationships, the midpoint, finding sources, theme, and much more. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. You can help out the show and indie bookstores by buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. It's stocked with titles by our guest authors, as well as our personal favorites. And on Spotify, you'll find an album's worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. It's perfect for writing. Look for the artist, Just My Type. You can find hundreds of past interviews on our website. (Recorded on June 19, 2026) Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Host: Marrie Stone Music: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)  

In Part Two of our series "Writing The Vision" Bill Gruhlkey teaches that when you ask God to bless, heal, or provide, you can be praying from the wrong place because Scripture says He has already given you "all things" (2 Peter 1:3) and has already "blessed us with every spiritual blessing" (Ephesians 1:3). They explain that what you see manifested depends on what you believe and how you act, so you must participate by gaining knowledge of Him, using spiritual authority, and speaking to your body and circumstances rather than just telling God about the problem. Using the cross and "by His stripes we were healed/were healed" (Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:24), Bill compares healing to salvation by faith. This episode will encourage you to read Ephesians, write your vision down, and trust the Father's love through the example of the prodigal son.  This episode concludes with an invitation for you to pray to receive Jesus and connect at billandroger.com.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:   00:00 Stop Asking for Blessing 00:26 All Things Already Given 01:37 Speak Healing Authority 03:01 When Healing Delays 05:09 Knowledge Unlocks Faith 06:35 Denali Keys Illustration 09:09 Every Spiritual Blessing 10:43 Believe and Act It Out 14:49 Write the Vision Down 15:54 Prodigal Father Love 25:44 Salvation Prayer Invitation 26:45 Connect and Partner Outro   Connect with Bill & Roger Ministries: www.billandroger.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064668460680

Send us Fan MailOn this Episode Tom and Bert continue "The Spotlight Series" on entertainment influencers thru the decades!There are Stories to tell and the Guys will cover and discuss the beginnings and the careers of some of the greatest influencers throughout ALL of the entertainment industry.Today's Podcast will cover 2 musical influencers.Back in the 1950's and early 1960's when Rock and Roll was just in its infancy there was a famous NYC location that housed some of the best up and coming talent in the Music Industry.These people were songwriters, publishers, arrangers, producers and Record Label A&R personnel along with aspiring artists.The location off Broadway in Manhattan was called The "Brill Building" and featured many music legends in the making. On today's Podcast we introduce you to 2 of the best ever singer songwriters of all time........Welcome Neil Sedaka & Neil Diamond!Sedaka & Diamond  were accomplished writers at the time and they were responsible for countless Pop hits that made many an artist music stars. Listen in as we cover and discuss these "Brill Building" geniuses and their impact on the Music Business as singer songwriters with HOF Careers in Writing and Performing.CHAPTERS:(1:52) We discuss some of the most noteworthy "Brill Building" written songs (23:12) Here is Neil Sedaka!!  ---with 500 songs and 40 Million of his Records  sold that he wrote and co-wrote and his fantastic award winning solo artist career, Sedaka blazed a trail in the Music Biz for almost 6 decades, here is his story(37:50) Here is Neil Diamond!! ---with numerous songwriting credits and a jam packed  5+ decades career as a top performing Solo Artist with 38 Top 40 hits and 16 Top 10 Albums with over 130 Million Records Sold worldwide...here is his story and then it's a wrap!Enjoy the Show!You can email us at reeldealzmoviesandmusic@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page, Reel Dealz Podcast: Movies & Music Thru The Decades to leave comments and/or TEXT us at 843-855-1704 as well

The Stoics understood that the wealthiest person can still be a pauper—poor in peace, poor in contentment, poor in perspective.

I start the episode with gratitude for the love of my life, Ethel Mertz my dog, my mother, and the opportunities I have. I acknowledge the sadness of loss but cherish the happiness I have experienced. Missing Ethel's stinky breath, her spot on the velvet couch, and the way she refused to eat out of a normal dog bowl.

Simone Stolzoff shows you that it's possible to turn uncertainty into your advantage. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) How to build your uncertainty tolerance 2) What to ask when you face indecision3) Why curiosity is the antidote to fearSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1168 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT SIMONE — Simone Stolzoff is an author and journalist who explores big questions about work, meaning, and identity. A former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO, he is the author of two books: The Good Enough Job and How To Not Know. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and on the TED stage. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.• Book: How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers• Book: The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work• Book site: HowToNotKnow.com• Substack: The Article Book Club• Website: SimoneStolzoff.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Tool: Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS)• Study: World Uncertainty Index• Study: "Is the Pain Worth the Gain? The Advantages and Liabilities of Agreeing With Socially Distinct Newcomers" by Katherine W. Phillips, Katie A. Liljenquist, and Margaret A. Neale• Study: "Increasing intolerance of uncertainty over time: the potential influence of increasing connectivity" by R Nicholas Carleton, Gabrielle Desgagné, Rachel Krakauer, and Ryan Y. Hong• Figure: Annie Duke• Book: Flex Your Feelings: Train Your Brain to Develop the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness by Dr. Emily Anhalt• Book: London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe• Book: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Shopify. Sign up for your free trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod• Monarch. Get 50% off your first year with code AWESOME at Monarch.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Coach Blu Robinson sits down with Jim Logan for a powerful Attitude Athlete conversation about transformation through adversity. Jim's journey, from hearing the words "you have cancer" to crossing the finish line as an Ironman, is a testament to what can happen when faith, perseverance, and purpose become stronger than fear. Listen as Jim shares the physical, emotional, and spiritual reality of confronting a cancer diagnosis. Rather than allowing that moment to define the limits of his life, he began rebuilding it, one decision, one workout, one act of faith, and one day at a time. His path to becoming an Ironman was never simply about endurance sports. Training became a vehicle for healing, discipline, gratitude, and rediscovering what his life could mean after survival. The miles represented more than fitness; they reflected a commitment to keep showing up, even when the road was difficult. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Journey 03:00 Facing Adversity and Finding Faith 06:01 The Power of Service and Community 08:59 Acceptance and the Importance of Perspective 12:01 Training and Preparation for Life's Challenges 15:06 The Ironman Experience and Personal Growth 20:38 Empowering Youth Through Swimming 21:08 Endurance and Overcoming Adversity 22:54 The Role of Support Systems 23:51 Humility and Personal Growth 24:19 The Journey of an Ironman 26:11 The Philosophy of Persistence 27:29 Writing as a Legacy 29:39 Transforming Pain into Strength 31:15 Conquering Doubt and Fear 33:33 Daily Renewal of Faith and Discipline 35:35 Inspiration from the Ironman Community 37:33 Living with Purpose and Meaning 38:24 Connecting Through Social Media and Charity Jim's Social Media https://www.instagram.com/stage42025/ Jim's Book "Just Keep Tri-Ing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX3JNLF7?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Join Coach Blu and Team Addict II Athlete and begin your recovery with a team behind you! Our online addiction and mental health program provides live group sessions with Coach Blu, our weekly Home Base recovery meeting, therapeutic assignments, and educational information at a fraction of what a therapeutic treatment program would require. Take You Mark, Get Set, Let's Go, and click the link below. https://www.skool.com/addict-ii-athlete-5988/about?ref=9090e81114674311874340c02b1095d0 Please join Addict to Athlete's Patreon support page and help us turn the mess of addiction into the message of sobriety! https://www.patreon.com/addicttoathlete Please visit our website for more information on Team Addict to Athlete and Addiction Recovery Podcasts. https://www.AddictToAthlete.org      

Garza sits down in-person with Texas death metal band DEVOURMENT. Their new EP "Pious Impiety” out now! https://instagram.com/devourmentofficialWant more!? Support the podcast here: https://patreon.com/garzapodcast 00:00 - Pious Impiety EP06:00 - Serial Killers & Death Metal Connection09:46 - Behind the Lyrics11:06 - 30 Years of Devourment, Impact & Deep History13:39 - 89.3 KNON // Dave Chaos20:16 - Marvin Getting Into Guitar22:02 - Give Me Pinch Harmonics25:23 - Catalina Wine Mixer27:28 - Dave's Bass Rig30:14 - Where Brad Was Really Born37:28 - Ruben Loves School41:20 - Advice for Vocalists46:00 - Best Death Metal Album Covers48:46 - Glen Benton & Deicide53:20 - Summer Slaughter59:12 - Marvin's Solar Guitar1:04:46 - Amps, Tone & Settings1:12:27 - Ruben's Microphone1:15:22 - Devourment's 4 Albums to Check Out1:20:48 - Writing for Devourment

Want more exclusive content?! http://prometheuslens.supercast.com to sign up for the "All Access Pass" and get early access to episodes, private community, members only episodes, private Q & A's, and coming documentaries. We also have a $4 dollar a month package that gets you early access and an ad free listening experience!====================In this episode of The Prometheus Lens Podcast, Doc Brown sits down with Ryan Pelton of The Ryan Files to talk about his upcoming book, his journey from entertainment to podcasting, and why the “alien” conversation keeps circling back to something deeper: theology, truth, and the nature of reality.Ryan shares how a childhood fascination with UFOs, years in the entertainment world, and a turning-point trip to Peru helped shape the direction of his work. The conversation explores soft disclosure, Genesis 6, the spiritual framework behind the phenomenon, and why so many modern alien narratives raise questions about the gospel, deception, and the end times.Doc and Ryan also dig into how Christians can engage these topics without fear, why open dialogue matters more than outrage, and how curiosity can become a doorway to meaningful conversations about faith.If you're interested in UFOs, biblical worldview, disclosure, ancient mysteries, or the intersection of theology and modern culture, this episode is for you.Timestamps:0:00 Intro1:45 Welcome to The Prometheus Lens Podcast3:22 Ryan Pelton's story5:13 The journey into podcasting and Genesis 614:31 Writing a book on aliens and occult themes17:53 A 12-point test for evaluating alien theories25:48 Fallen angels, interdimensional beings, and more33:14 Lou Elizondo, disclosure, and biblical framing55:30 Why disclosure may be happening now66:44 Ryan's book, The Ryan Files, and where to find him====================Find Ryan Pelton:YouTube: youtube.com/@theRyanFilesWebsite: theryanfiles.com====================

On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Dave McClure and Aman Verjee of Practical VC to talk about the evolution of startup investing — from the PayPal mafia and Founders Fund era to 500 Startups, YC-style scale, and today's secondary market.—SPONSORS:Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer cut their close in half, took audit findings from seven to zero, and cut back-office costs by 70% in six months. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtnRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.comPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuests:https://www.linkedin.com/in/davemcclure/https://www.linkedin.com/in/aman-verjee/Company:https://practicalvc.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro3:00 Writing as a distribution strategy5:17 How Dave's blog led to Founders Fund7:24 Aman: writing at PayPal and law school9:29 PayPal: the red pen of David Sacks11:44 Sponsors — Rillet | Maximor | Brex14:59 500 Startups: the original thesis16:22 The volume strategy: more shots on goal18:44 Twilio, Lyft, Sendgrid, Credit Karma20:15 60x returns: right place, right time23:07 Sponsors — Anrok | RightRev | Pulley25:58 Accelerator ecosystem evolution28:42 500 vs. YC: scale as a weapon32:52 Globalizing the accelerator model35:04 Seed to secondaries: how it happened37:00 Scratching their own itch for liquidity38:10 The secondary market explained40:50 Types of secondaries43:29 Why would a VC sell a winner?46:07 Managing DPI as a late-stage manager47:02 The five horse framework49:15 Skipping the J curve51:44 Imperfect information as a feature55:22 Landmines: fraud, mismarked valuations57:00 VCs lie about valuations three ways57:58 Forward contracts and counterparty risk1:00:29 Credits

Show Notes: Maya Browne recounts her senior year at Harvard, including writing her thesis "Idealizing Vision" which was about how magazine editors, photographers, and designers had shaped the ideal female form in the 20th century, and additionally another was an article for Essence magazine about eating disorders. It was the first article of its kind that drew data from women of color, and it won an award called the Excellence in Media Merit Award (EMMA).   Writing, Modeling, and Playing Violin Maya describes her first job at Details magazine under James Truman, where she handled reader mail and sometimes made-up stories. She shares how she got her job at Conde Nast through a letter from Professor Martin Perez and a meeting with Andre Leon Talley in Paris. Maya describes her side job as a fit model and her transition to working for James Truman at Details. She recounts a call from Jonathan Newhouse offering her a job in London in sales, which she declined to pursue a career in editorial. She shares her involvement in the music industry, playing the violin in music videos and with various artists like James Brown and BB King. Missed Opportunities and Film Experience  Maya discusses her move to Heart & Soul magazine, a fitness and beauty magazine for women of color. She describes her transition to the advertising business in San Francisco and her marriage to Peter Brattander. Maya recounts a missed opportunity to play with Nine Inch Nails at the MTV Awards and her later involvement in the film Ray. She shares her experience of fame and the attention she received after Ray won six Oscars. She talks about her involvement in the film industry and why she left it to go back to business school.  Philanthropy and Transitioning to Business School Maya describes her mentorship at The Robin Hood Foundation, leading to her involvement in philanthropy and with Quogue Chamber Music.  She talks about her work on the board of The Door, a nonprofit for runaway and homeless youth. Maya shares her current work as an educational consultant and her plans to help kids at The Door in the future. She discusses her involvement in the film Brother Versus Brother and her ongoing interest in supporting various projects.  Rituals, Relationships, and Resources Maya updates on her current activities, including playing the violin, writing, and fitness. She shares her experience of meditating and journaling as part of her daily routine. Maya talks about interviewing the rising king of Hip Hop, Puffy Combs, and she recounts a recent experience at Bergdorf Goodman during the Knicks parade and the unexpected encounter with Basketball Wives. She reflects on the importance of rituals, relationships, and resources in her life. Harvard Reflections Maya found the majority of her courses and professors at Harvard hugely influential. She mentions Professor Martin Peretz and shares a memorable experience from a design class where she made up a story to avoid an F and played the violin instead. Maya talks about her current work with Brownstone as an educational consultant and her approach to helping students with college applications. She emphasizes the importance of early conversations about college goals and the sacrifices required for success. Timestamps: 03:59: Early Career in Media and Music  34:43: Transition to Advertising and Film 35:08: Involvement in Philanthropy and Education  35:26: Current Activities and Reflections 38:32: Impact of Harvard and Career Highlights Links: Instagram: @iammayabrowne  Maya's Podcast, Stories from the Brink: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-the-brink/id1552888806 D'Angelo "Cruisin'" Video: https://youtu.be/JAfuUZRou7g?si=TmizL6CpKE1Ub3Lk  Brownstone Tutors: http://www.brownstonetutors.com/ Quogue Chamber Music: https://quoguechambermusic.org/ The Door: https://www.door.org/ Interview on Sean Combs: https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/new-again-sean-puffy-p-diddy-puff-daddy-combs James Brown Video: https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/all-in-the-family/umc.cmc.4knzr9b4kg7gvg0r8zl4dc57w?showId=umc.cmc.30wl2femq05e35uf85r3eks06   *AI generated transcript and show notes.  

Summary In this sermon from 1 Peter 1:3–5, Dr. Michael Easley reminds believers that their confidence rests not in their circumstances but in God's finished work. Writing to Christians scattered by persecution, Peter calls them to remember two unshakable truths: what God has done and what God has given. God, according to His great mercy, caused believers to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not something we achieve or earn. It begins with God's initiative, His mercy, and His sovereign grace. Because Christ conquered death, Christians possess a hope that is certain, alive, and anchored in eternity. Peter then points to the believer's inheritance. Unlike earthly possessions that rust, fade, or lose value, the inheritance waiting for God's children is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven and guarded by God's own power. Nothing can diminish what God has prepared for those who belong to Him. While life in this world often includes suffering, uncertainty, and disappointment, believers can live with confidence because their future is secure. Christians are not defined by temporary trials but by an eternal inheritance purchased through Christ. Remembering God's mercy, living hope, and promised inheritance produces gratitude, perseverance, and unwavering confidence in every season. Takeaways Salvation begins with God's mercy, not human effort or personal achievement. Because Christ rose from the dead, believers have a living hope that cannot be shaken. The Christian's inheritance is eternal, imperishable, undefiled, and reserved in heaven. God not only secures our salvation but also guards our future by His power. Earthly possessions lose value, but the inheritance found in Christ lasts forever. Remembering what God has done and what He has promised gives believers confidence to endure suffering. To read 1 Peter, click here. Click here for other Michael Easley Sermons.

Hannah Richell (The Search Party, The River Home) and Michelle Prak (The Rush) have a laugh and talk about their books One Dark Night and The Rush. Learn more about the two authors, how Prak's sons have helped her edit her books, Richell's favourite phase when writing, and as always, the publishing industry in this new episode of "Authors on Authors". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Beautiful Work Beautiful Life, cohosts Laurel Holland and Laurel Boivin explore the connection between inner work and finances. Together, they examine how our earliest experiences with money shape our sense of abundance, scarcity, worth, generosity, and possibility. Through thoughtful questions and personal stories, they invite listeners to become curious about the beliefs they've inherited and whether those beliefs still serve the life they want to create.The conversation reminds us that our relationship with money is deeply connected to our relationships, our professional lives, our values, and our sense of self. When we begin to examine our money story with compassion and awareness, we create space for new beliefs, greater alignment, and a more abundant way of living.Episode Highlights:Explore how childhood experiences and family dynamics shape your relationship with money.Identify inherited money beliefs and consider whether they still serve you today.Examine the difference between scarcity and abundance as internal ways of experiencing life.Discover how money stories are often connected to worthiness, identity, value, and spirituality.Learn how finding new role models can help rewrite limiting beliefs about wealth and generosity.Reflect on how your values—not money itself—can become the foundation for creating a beautiful life.Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration. What did you learn growing up about money?What did you watch in your household about how your parents dealt with money?What are ten beliefs or messages you've heard about money? For each one, ask: When did I first hear this? Who taught me this?If you had more than enough money, what would you do with it? What does your answer reveal about your values?What is your story around money? What belief have you carried for years that may no longer be true?In your heart of hearts, what is the life you truly want to live—and what does money have to do with that vision?Host/Cohost/Guest Info:Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love's 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel's great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel, her books, and work she does at www.liveyourinnerpower.com.Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment, helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive.  A Reiki master and yoga practitioner, collector of sea glass and antiques, she lives in New Hampshire and summers in Maine. You can learn more about Laurel and the work she does at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is laurel@fluxflowcoaching.com and for Laurel Holland, laurel@liveyourinnerpower.com.

The Right has power & money to destroy our worldNick Cohen talks to academic Emma L.Briant about a neglected threat: right-wing attacks on free speech. While acknowledging that left-wing censoriousness has damaged liberal politics, he argues that conservatives who claimed to defend open debate are now adopting authoritarian methods. The central example is the Trump administration's attempt, through Marco Rubio and the State Department, to revoke or threaten visas and immigration status for foreign researchers who study misinformation, disinformation, platform harms, and technology policy. Emma L Briant explains that the Coalition for Independent Technology Research, of which she is a member, advocates for independent access to platform data so researchers can assess harms without depending on tech companies' permission.Emma argues that the real target is not “censorship” but transparency. Researchers, she says, are being punished for measuring and exposing uncomfortable facts about social-media platforms, algorithmic harms, propaganda, and failures of accountability. Tech companies and their political allies frame this research as censorship because governments may use it to inform regulation, but Emma stresses that researchers do not make policy: they analyse evidence. She connects this to a wider alliance between the political Right and powerful technology executives, especially in the United States, who oppose European-style regulation such as the Digital Services Act because it threatens their control over data, platform design, verification systems, and public scrutiny.The interview broadens into a critique of oligarchic power over media and democracy. Briant and Cohen discuss wealthy figures and tech elites using immense resources to shape politics, weaken regulation, influence media institutions, and promote far-right agendas. Emma warns that extreme wealth creates unprecedented political power and a sense of entitlement among billionaire and trillionaire elites, whose interests are increasingly aligned with authoritarian right-wing politics. Her proposed response is tougher, more targeted accountability: not merely media literacy or content moderation, but laws andenforcement aimed at the actors behind disinformation, whether states, platforms, PR firms, or political funders.Read all about it! Dr Emma L. Briant is a leading expert on misinformation and propaganda and a published author. She is Visiting Associate Professor (Research) at University of Notre Dame. She is a Fellow in the Human Rights Program at Bard College, an Associate at the Center for Financial Reporting and Accountability, University of Cambridge and a Fellow of the Media and Journalism Research Centre Previously she held faculty positions.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe to Greg Fitzsimmons: https://bit.ly/subGregFitz Greg and Mike muster up the energy for another Sunday Papers and dive into the World Cup, festival plans, permanent daylight saving time, Trump's pay-to-play policy announcements, a White House teleprompter operator allegedly betting on presidential speeches, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, an unfortunate Florida license plate, a racist dog, and the New Jersey meteorite that may contain clues about the origins of life. Plus, Cadillac vanity plates, Disneyland history, John Glenn, Jane Austen, Mad Men, listener corrections, and another round of headlines that make the country look completely normal. Kalshi: Sign up at Kalshi.com/SOCCER10 and use promo code SOCCER10. Zocdoc: Find and book a top-rated doctor today at Zocdoc.com/PAPERS. This show is produced by Gotham Production Studios and part of the Gotham Network. https://www.gothamproductionstudios.com/studios/ Follow Greg Fitzsimmons: Facebook: https://facebook.com/FitzdogRadio Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregfitzsimmons Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregfitzshow Official Website: http://gregfitzsimmons.com Tour Dates: https://bit.ly/GregFitzTour Merch: https://bit.ly/GregFitzMerch “Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons” Book: https://amzn.to/2Z2bB82 “Life on Stage” Comedy Special: https://bit.ly/GregFitzSpecial Listen to Greg Fitzsimmons: Fitzdog Radio: https://bit.ly/FitzdogRadio Sunday Papers: http://bit.ly/SundayPapersPod Childish: http://childishpod.com Watch more Greg Fitzsimmons: Latest Uploads: https://bit.ly/latestGregFitz Fitzdog Radio: https://bit.ly/radioGregFitz Sunday Papers: https://bit.ly/sundayGregFitz Stand Up Comedy: https://bit.ly/comedyGregFitz Popular Videos: https://bit.ly/popGregFitz About Greg Fitzsimmons: Mixing an incisive wit with scathing sarcasm, Greg Fitzsimmons is an accomplished stand-up, an Emmy Award winning writer, and a host on TV, radio and his own podcasts. Greg is host of the popular “FitzDog Radio” podcast (https://bit.ly/FitzdogRadio), as well as “Sunday Papers” with co-host Mike Gibbons (http://bit.ly/SundayPapersPod) and “Childish” with co-host Alison Rosen (http://childishpod.com). A regular with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, Greg also frequents “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Lights Out with David Spade,” and has made more than 50 visits to “The Howard Stern Show.” Howard gave Greg his own show on Sirius/XM which lasted more than 10 years. Greg's one-hour standup special, “Life On Stage,” was named a Top 10 Comedy Release by LA Weekly. The special premiered on Comedy Central and is now available on Amazon Prime, as a DVD, or a download (https://bit.ly/GregFitzSpecial). Greg's 2011 book, Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons (https://amzn.to/2Z2bB82), climbed the best-seller charts and garnered outstanding reviews from NPR and Vanity Fair. Greg appeared in the Netflix series “Santa Clarita Diet,” the Emmy-winning FX series “Louie,” spent five years as a panelist on VH1's “Best Week Ever,” was a reoccurring panelist on “Chelsea Lately,” and starred in two half-hour stand-up specials on Comedy Central. Greg wrote and appeared on the Judd Apatow HBO series “Crashing.” Writing credits include HBO's “Lucky Louie,” “Cedric the Entertainer Presents,” “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher,” “The Man Show” and many others. On his mantle beside the four Daytime Emmys he won as a writer and producer on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” sit “The Jury Award for Best Comedian” from The HBO Comedy Arts Festival and a Cable Ace Award for hosting the MTV game show "Idiot Savants." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we sit down with human rights lawyer and national bestselling author Eve J. Chung to discuss her powerful sophomore novel, The Young Will Remember . Following her acclaimed debut, Daughters of Shandong, Chung returns with a gripping historical fiction thriller that centers on Ellie Chang, a Chinese American war correspondent who becomes stranded behind enemy lines during the freezing winter of the Korean War in 1950. Chung shares insights into the extensive historical research that brought this narrative to life, the forgotten stories of female wartime journalists, and the profound, enduring strength of mothers and women navigating the catastrophic human toll of the "Forgotten War."

Send us Fan MailToday on the show, I have with me former New York City Police Officer, bestselling and award-winning Author, Ghost Writer, Editor, Author Coach, and CEO of Storehouse Media Group, Sherrie Price Clark. Sherrie started her career with the NYPD in the early 90s while the city was at war with itself. She spent nearly a decade on the street and hung up her Sam Browne Belt to form a nonprofit, helping domestic violence victims. She moved to Florida and worked with the Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Task Force. Sherrie never turned her back on the publishing business, following her passion for helping authors and being of service. She is now the CEO of Storehouse Media Group. This was a fun interview talking about the old-school NYPD and the business of being an author. Please enjoy this wide-ranging interview with Sherrie Price Clark. In today's episode, we discuss:·      Growing up in a small town and winding up being a cop in New York.·      Her mother teaching her that she needed to make her own luck.·      From working for Disney to the NYPD.·      Why the NYPD?·      What was New York like in 1991 when she joined the NYPD? ·      Sherrie helping victims of domestic violence through her nonprofit. ·      Foster programs being the breeding grounds for human trafficking.·      The Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Task Force. What is it, and what do we need to do to help combat human trafficking? ·      Writing, how and when did she get involved in the publishing business?·      What are some of the best practices we as writers can do to sell our books?·      Storehouse Media Group. All of this and more on today's episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.Visit Sherrie at her website! Head on over to my website! What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click thSupport the show

What makes Terminator 2: Judgment Day one of the greatest films ever made?We're excited to have Becky D'Anna join us! Becky is a podcaster, a movie historian, and a lifelong cinephile with a 26-year career in movie marketing. We'll dive into an engaging chat about The Terminator, Comic-Con, the works of Ingmar Bergman, and much more!Becky shares how watching Terminator 2 on opening day in 1991 inspired her Hollywood career and ultimately led to a 26-year career in movie marketing, working on blockbuster franchises including X-Men, Spider-Man, and Terminator Salvation.The conversation also explores Quentin Tarantino's revival of historic movie theaters.In This EpisodeWhy Terminator 2 remains one of the greatest action and science fiction films ever made.How James Cameron blended spectacular action with an emotional story about hope and humanity.The evolution of the Terminator franchise and Becky's ranking of every film.The magic of seeing classic movies with an audience on the big screen.Quentin Tarantino's preservation of the New Beverly Cinema and the Vista Theatre.Becky's lifelong love of Comic-Con and what first-time attendees should expect.What it's like to work in movie marketing and how studios promote blockbuster films.How movie tie-ins with brands and restaurants help launch major releases.Why Ingmar Bergman's films continue to inspire generations of filmmakers.Connect with Becky D'AnnaHanging with Beckyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hanging-with-becky/id1896866617Director's Take: A Sony Pictures Podcasthttps://directorstakepodcast.comT2 episode just dropped from Film 89 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-154-terminator-2-judgment-day-1991/id1332493155?i=1000777367810

Hello Writers,I'm back with a solo episode this week and I'm giving you my top 4 Easy Tips To Make Writing A Daily Habit. It's time to level up your creativity and storytelling!If you're listening on spotify, comment and let me know what daily tip you're going to start implementing and don't forget to share with your friends!THE WRITING PROMPT CARD DECK⁠⁠⁠Get your copy of the Limited-Edition WRITERS JOURNAL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JOIN THE WRITERS ADVICE FACEBOOK GROUP⁠⁠⁠Join us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠@writersadvicepodcast⁠⁠⁠Contact Me:Website: oliviahillier.comInstagram:⁠⁠⁠ @oliviahillierauthor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your copy of the Limited-Edition WRITERS JOURNAL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JOIN THE WRITERS ADVICE FACEBOOK GROUP⁠⁠⁠Join us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠@writersadvicepodcast⁠⁠⁠Contact Me:Website: oliviahillier.comInstagram:⁠⁠⁠ @oliviahillierauthor⁠⁠

The podcast is on summer break, so please enjoy this vault favorite! And don't forget to submit a Courage File for a chance to be featured on the show and win a free editorial assessment and book coaching session in Fall 2026!SUBMIT TO THE COURAGE FILESDownload Your Free Novel Planning Guide! In this episode of Write It Scared, I'm sharing my interview from the Be a Bestseller 6.0 Back to Basics Summit hosted by Emma Dhesi and we discuss practical strategies for planning and outlining your novel in a way that works for you. The highlights:

What happens when you start writing, producing, and mixing like the forest, not the trees, and you leave your worries behind?My guest today is Micah Tawlks - producer, mixer, songwriter, and artist based in Nashville, working out of his home studio in Whites Creek. Micah first joined us back on RSR324, and he's back to go even deeper into the intersection of writing, recording, and mixing. He's known for work with COIN, Hayley Williams, Louis Prince, Judah & the Lion, The Lone Bellow, Stephen Day, Ben Rector, and many more, including immersive Atmos mixes with Matt Wallace.In this episode, we dig into how writing sessions actually unfold when they happen in your studio - the unexpected ways a simple co-write can turn into full production, vocal sessions weeks later, or a finished track if the artist or publisher decides to cut it. Micah describes the different roles he shifts between: offering lyric help when invited, contributing chords and melody, arranging on the fly, or simply running a fast demo session when that's what the artist wants.We also talk about the balance between paid studio work and free co-writes, how he and his manager evaluate opportunities, and why some ideas need months to find their artist, while others get cut immediately. He explains what co-writing in pairs vs. groups actually feels like, why some writers don't want lyrical collaboration at all, and how recording the first 20 minutes of small talk often captures the best emotional ideas of the day.Micah walks us through his recent engineering day at Blackbird, choosing from huge mic lockers (multiple U47s, C12s, 67s on toms, etc.), working quickly on the console, and how “fast in a big studio” still relies on the same preparation habits as working fast at home.In the writing room, we get into why clicks can kill a session, how he builds musical rhythmic loops as “human clicks,” when he performs his own time feel into a mic so the grid follows a human instead of the other way around, and how artists respond differently to tempo when the groove feels alive.Finally, we talk mixing: keeping rough mix intent intact, charging a flat rate, when to recommend another mixer, and how honoring an artist's stylistic world guides the whole process. Micah's advice to his younger self? Be a better listener - in the room, at the console, everywhere.Get access to FREE mixing mini-course: https://MixMasterBundle.comTHANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!http://UltimateMixingMasterclass.comhttps://usa.sae.edu/ https://www.izotope.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!https://www.native-instruments.com Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!https://www.spectra1964.comhttps://gracedesign.com/https://RecordingStudioRockstars.com/Academyhttps://www.thetoyboxstudio.com/Listen to the podcast theme song “Skadoosh!” https://solo.to/lijshawmusicListen to this guest's discography on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rj5j9yzADbW3n5JEBEGB1?si=f5uo4BpbSmOHkSD9_0VgEAIf you love the podcast, then please leave a review: https://RSRockstars.com/ReviewCLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AT: https://RSRockstars.com/567

He didn't just popularize the video sales letter. He invented it. The format that now generates over $14 billion a year in revenue, that was Jon Benson. But the thing he's most obsessed with has nothing to do with tactics. It's this: you never have to lie in your copy. You just have to be brave enough to tell the entire truth. Jon Benson is a copywriter, AI pioneer, and the inventor of the Video Sales Letter. In this conversation, he and George unpack what it actually means to write from your values, why compelling always beats convincing, how to use AI without losing your human voice, and why the businesses that last are the ones built on genuine connection, not persuasion tricks. What You'll Learn In This Episode: Why selling to everyone is a scarcity mindset and what to do instead The difference between compelling and convincing (and why one is manipulation) How to turn any feature into a benefit with two words: "so you can" Why your values, embedded in your copy, attract the exact buyers you want How Jon uses AI to write copy that sounds exactly like him, on his best day The human element Jon insists on inside every AI-powered product he builds What the rise of AI is actually doing to buyer demand for connection The free tool Jon built to help you find your buyer profile and value language Key Takeaways: ✔️If you have to convince someone, you're manipulating them. If you compel them, you're leveraging what they already hold to be true. One builds trust. One erodes it. ✔️Selling to everyone means resonating with no one. Narrow your avatar to one person, their values will seep into your copy naturally. ✔️The "so you can" formula: add it to any feature and your brain has to complete the benefit. That's where emotion lives. ✔️Values embedded in copy aren't obvious to the reader, they're felt. The right person can't explain why your copy speaks to them. They just know it does. ✔️AI gives you leverage, but it gives back exactly the quality of knowledge you put in. You still have to know what good copy feels like to direct it. ✔️The human component isn't optional. Jon does live coaching every Friday with Benson members because without it, a tool is just a tool. ✔️As AI automates more, buyer demand for genuine human connection increases. Buying cycles are getting longer, relationship is the difference. ✔️The telltale signs of bad AI copy: em dashes everywhere, three rhetorical questions in a row, and no tension. Learn to spot them. Then fix them. Timestamps & Highlights: [00:00] — The man who invented the VSL and the copy philosophy behind it [01:20] — Welcome: decades at the forefront of copy, marketing, and now AI [03:52] — Why this AI moment is not a phase and what it means for your business [07:00] — Compelling vs. convincing: the distinction that changes everything [08:00] — Writing to one person: how Agora does it and why it works [12:35] — Values in copy: how they attract ideal buyers without being obvious [14:00] — The "so you can" framework: turning features into emotional benefits [18:00] — Copy audit: the questions to ask before anything goes live [30:00] — Why Jon still writes manually despite building the best AI copy tool [39:00] — AI and knowledge: why what you put in determines what you get out [42:00] — Humanized AI and why live coaching is non-negotiable inside BNSN [46:00] — Buying cycles are expanding and human connection is why [52:00] — How Jon trained his AI clone Isaac on 20 years of his own emails [58:00] — Em dashes, rhetorical questions, and the telltale signs of bad AI copy [1:02:00] — Free buyer profile tool and where to find Jon [1:04:00] — George's closing: communication is a required life skill, keep the muscle sharp Connect with Jon Benson: Jon Benson is the inventor of the Video Sales Letter, a copywriter, entrepreneur, and AI pioneer. His platform BNSN (bnsn.ai) is trained exclusively on high-converting copy and built for small business owners who sell good things to good people. He runs weekly live coaching inside The Conversion Lab with his wife Olya, a psychologist and success coach. Website: jonbenson.com/subscribe  Instagram: instagram.com/itsjonbenson  Platform: bnsn.ai  Free Buyer Profile Tool: freebuyerprofile.com Your Challenge This Week: Start with the free tool: freebuyerprofile.com, pull your values, find your tone, and see what shifts in how you write. Then connect with Jon at jonbenson.com or follow him on Instagram. Follow George: @itsgeorgebryant Work with George:The Alliance: Community for entrepreneurs who know relationships beat algorithms.  1:1 Coaching: Limited spots. Apply at mindofgeorge.com/coaching-consultingLive Retreats — In-person experiences for entrepreneurs ready to communicate with clarity and conviction.

On the #amwriting podcast's Margin Notes, host Jennie Nash talks with Caroline Bicks, Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine and co-host of the Everyday Shakespeare podcast, about her book Monsters in the Archives: A Year of Fear with Stephen King. Bicks describes how she became the first invited into King's Bangor archives after King called to meet her, and how her sabbatical became a year of researching five formative works (including Carrie, Night Shift, The Shining, Salem's Lot, and Pet Sematary) to understand how horror language creates lasting fear. She explains choosing a first-person narrative that blends literary criticism, archival discovery, and her own anxiety, including eerie moments in the archive and insights into King's word-level edits, literary influences, and Shakespearean foundations, especially The Shining's ties to Hamlet.#AmWriting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Read the Book* Monsters in the Archives by Caroline BicksTranscriptJennie: [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Jennie Nash, and you're listening to the #amwriting podcast, the place where we help writers of all kinds play big in your writing life, love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most. Welcome, everyone. This is Margin Notes, the part of the podcast where we're talking about the big decisions writers face in their work and creative lives.I'm here today with a super special guest. I'm so excited to speak with Caroline Bicks. She is the Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine, where she teaches courses in Shakespeare, early modern culture, and horror fiction. And she's the author of all kinds of very cool books ... about Shakespeare, including one on cocktails.Um, and, uh, is the co-host of the Everyday Shakespeare podcast, and we are here today to talk with her about her new book called [00:01:00] Monsters in the Archives: A Year of Fear with Stephen King. Welcome.Caroline: Thank you. Thanks for having me.Jennie: So this is gonna be the strangest interview you've probably ever done. ICaroline: don't know.Because- I've talked to a lot of people around the world about this Stephen King book.Jennie: I couldn't read your book. I, I couldn't read it. I can't read horror. Yeah. Which listeners of this podcast are gonna laugh about, ‘cause I'm actually coaching someone live and they're writing gothic horror, and they're probably like, “All you talk about is horror, Jennie.”But, um, it's actually the reason why I wanted to talk to you, because you made a decision in the writing of this book that I thought was super cool. Mm. Which was you put yourself in it.Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: And you're a scholar.Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: And you've written scholarly books, and you approach this with a scholarly perspective, but you, you really put yourself in it.And, and so [00:02:00] I was reading it for that part of the story and I had to skip over huge chunks of, of the, of the work. Because what you're doing in this book is you're getting at this question of- W- what, what is scary in writing? Like, how does it actually work? How does it act- what is the magic or the function that makes us feel this thing?And you actually feel it yourself while you're going through it, and I found it quite terrifying actually. So, um, that's kinda what I wanted to talk about is how did you make the decision? Well, first of all, you were the first person, I wanna make sure I get this right, ‘cause this is very cool. Yeah. You were the first person who was invited to the archives, the Stephen King archives.Caroline: Yeah. I mean, it's, it's a bit of a story, so I won't spend too much time on it, but just the mo- Oh, no, do. It's good ... when I ch- when I took this position... So I've been a Shakespeare professor my whole adult life, ba- as soon as I graduated from grad school in the late ‘90s, [00:03:00] and I was at Boston College for 15 years.I took this position at University of Maine nine years ago as a Shakespearean. Um, so it is an endowed chair in Stephen King's name because he's our most famous alum. So when I took the position, I, it was because I'm a Shakespearean, not because I'm a horror specialist. Um, I had always been a Stephen King fan since I read him when I was 12, and he scared the beje- Jesus out of me, um, with The Boogeyman story.Jennie: Right.Caroline: Um, so when I took this position though I was told, “You're never gonna meet Stephen King. Don't even make contact with him.” I'm like, “Fine, you know, this is still a great job. I'm excited.” Um- ThanksJennie: for the money. Yeah.Caroline: Thanks for... You know, no, it's a wonderful fund. It was funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation, and it's to support the public humanities, which is an incredible mission.So, um, I get to give money away to people. You know, it's a great, great position, but I was not a horror specialist. And particu- a- and as an adult, I actually wasn't reading horror because it scares me too much. You know? Yeah, yeah. Um, but it had grabbed me when I was a teenager. So it was about four years into the [00:04:00] job when I got a call at home from Stephen King, which just, uh, uh, my jaw hit the floor.And he said, “You know, I think it's time we meet.” I'm like, you know, I, I really fan-girled because I really, I have so much admiration for him and respect. Um, I invited him to come talk to our students. He was brilliant, generous, funny, kind, and I felt so at ease that I felt like I could ask... You know, and I got to know him professionally.We had a good professional relationship that developed from there. When I had a sabbatical year coming up the next year- I could have written another Shakespeare book. I had another one in my head. I've written a bunch of them but I knew that he and Tabitha had just collected all of his manuscripts and put them in a climate-controlled space attached to their home in Bangor, and I thought, “You know, this is an incredible opportunity.I would love to dig in there and be the first one in there, and just read those early drafts of the books that scared me so much when I was a teenager, and try to just explore why. Why were they sticking in my head still?” Um, again, I am not a specialist in... I'm not a cognitive scientist. I'm not a [00:05:00] specialist in horror literature, but I'm obviously highly trained in how to do literary analysis and how to do archival work, not Shakespeare, because we don't have any of his works, but, you know, I, I understand what that process is.So back to your question about why I wanted to bring myself into it, which was, you know, I had been experimenting with first-person storytelling after I got tenure. You know, ‘cause it's a long process, Kate. Right. And most of my writing had been academic writing, but I really had always loved storytelling And I got a piece into the Modern Love column.I started to have some success with publishing my first-person stories, and I was like, “You know, I love this.” So when I had this opportunity to go into his archives, they generously said yes, was amazing. I thought, “You know, I really wanna tell this story. I don't wanna write an academic book. I want this to be the story of a literature scholar, but really the story about a scared kid.”Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: You know, you, you never lose that scare, you know, I don't... This is the thing. Fear has stuck with me with those stories [00:06:00] for 40 years. So I was fascinated, and I just wanted to understand how he had crafted the language so that it was sticking in my head still. Because when I was talking to people around, you know, whenever you mention Stephen King to people, you know, if they've read him, they remember specific lines and specific words, and I was like, “That's an extraordinary, um, 50 years on to have that power.”So, um- Well- Anyway. Yeah. Go ahead. I, I could talk about this forever, so you tell me- Oh, no, it's- ... where you wanted to pick up from this.Jennie: It's so good. Well, I have to tell you this funny anecdote, which is that my college roommate was from Bangor, Maine, and babysat his kids in that house.Caroline: Oh, that's insane.Jennie: So when I went to visit her, she drove me by that house.There you go. And I was like, “Oh, hell no- Yeah ... would I ever babysit in that house.” Like, it's-Caroline: It's ‘cause it's like a gothic, it's like straight out of Haunting of Hill House ...Jennie: actually, and like these spiderweb gates that, and you describe that in the [00:07:00] book and, and the- Yeah ... archives are in that house. They'reCaroline: in the house.They're attached to the back. I know. And it, it was so, it was, it was insane. It was like a full-on 360 experience writing this book. Um, and I, I knew, like, so I did the research for a year. I didn't even know if this would be a book. I just knew I wanted to have the opportunity to be in there because it, I knew it was a great opportunity, and I was so curious, you know?Yeah. So I, I came out of the year with just tons of notes and observations, but I didn't have a book, you know? Yeah. And then I started experimenting with writing a chapter, and I just, the storytelling just came forward and then when I got an agent and she, you know, s- I, I, I was able to get a contract based on a proposal and that one chapter I had written and I was really fortunate to have a fabulous editor, David Ebershoff, at Hogarth, who is just such a wonderful writer himself, and he really encouraged me to bring my voice in and bring my story in even [00:08:00] more.Um, so that's- And- ... that's the story of that.Jennie: Was it hard for you as a scholar to do that?Caroline: You know what? It was so freeing and so fun that it actually wasn't, you know? Because I, I knew this wasn't going to be an academic book, so once I let go of that- Yeah ... um, I was like, wow, I have the, and yet I have this skill set I can bring forward, and I knew that's what would make this unique.Um, but I can combine my two favorite ways of writing, ‘cause I do actually love writing literary criticism. Like it's, I get a thrill out of it. I wouldn't be doing it this long if I didn't get a thrill out of it, but I also love telling my own stories and drawing a reader in. And so for me it was like just a circus carnival.Like it was so fun to be able to do it. Once I had the permission and I had a contract, I was like, fine, you know? I, I, who am I writing this book for? I'm writing it for me, you know? Like this is just something I wanna do because I'm so passionate [00:09:00] about it and I, and I love Stephen King. And, um, once I got into it that way and wasn't thinking about who's gonna criticize me for this, like how will academics view this, I was like, I don't care.I just don't care. I know I've got a great story to tell that people are gonna love to read because there's so many people that love not just Stephen King, but people who love reading about how great books get written, you know? Yeah. And so that was the audience I had in my mind when I, when I was crafting it.It was really, in my mind, anybody who cares about books and writing. It doesn't have to be... So when you say, you're not the first person who's said to me, “I can't read your book,” or, “I can't read-” Oh, I'm so glad. “... Stephen King books,” you know, and I'm like, “That's okay. You can skip, you know, the parts that really scare you,” because there's plenty about just like that first chapter I wrote about Pet Sematary, just his sticky notes back and forth with his copy editor, which is so fun I think.You know, it's just like, wow.Jennie: Totally. Yeah. But the thing that you do is you- Allow yourself to confront that fear-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: [00:10:00] that, that I feel that the people can't, that can't read horror feel. You know, anybody that even allows themselves to be scared feels. And-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: and you, you do some very specific things, um, which I, I found fascinating, including tracking down on eBay the original copy of that book you read as a- Yeah, I wanted-as a teenager.Caroline: Yeah, that was part of the process for me, was I wanted to make sure I was reading... So before I would go into the archives for each work, and I'd spent like two... I only picked five, because I wanted to... First of all, I knew I wanted to make this personal. Um, and those were the five that scared me the most when I was a teenager.So I grew up in the ‘70s and the ‘80s as a teenager, so for me, it was in real time when the books were coming out practically. So it was- Yeah ... Carrie, Night Shift, The Shining, Salem's Lot, Pet Sematary. Um, I'm forgetting one of course. Uh, but I went -Jennie: The other one.Caroline: The other one. Had a huge impact on me. [00:11:00] So it was those five, and I, I knew those were the ones I was gonna do a deep dive into, and that I wanted to really re-engage with, and bring my whole self to.So I wanted to find the copies that I had read in the ‘70s and the early ‘80s. And fortunately, it's pretty easy to find them. Uh, so yeah, but eBay sometimes I had to go on, or go into a used bookstore and, you know, find the like actual 1979 paperback, you know.Jennie: Um- I mean, that- Um ... I just, there's some, there's so much to say about that because-Caroline: YeahJennie: like, I just, um- We, we just had a new bookcase built, um, which is something I've wanted to do well for eight years in this house. But it's a thing I've always wanted to have, which is like a grand bookcase, and it just was finished last week, and we had all the books packed up in storage, and we brought all the books back.Then we went through this discernment process of what goes [00:12:00] on those shelves. And I, you know, I had all those books from when I was a kid, even when I was a kid-kid, and they're yellow, and moldy and falling apart, and the covers aren't on, and they're taped and-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: eh, but I cannot let them go-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: because those...that was the object.Caroline: That's the object. This is what I feel sad for kids now, because they're not gonna have those same memories, um, of books. Yes. You know? And I don't think they stick in your head the same way if you don't have the full sensory embodied experience with a book.Jennie: Right. You know? Even when you open...I read on Kindle, which I love for so many reasons. Yeah. But you don't even see the cover.Caroline: You don't see the cover, right. And for me, it's so much. Like, I remember going to the Scholastic Book Fair and being like- Yes ... “I'm getting Summer of My German S- Soldier because Christy McNichol's on the cover,” you know?Yes. Yes. So yeah, that was part of the journey for me was I did wanna just [00:13:00] reconnect with those books again, try to h- and as much as you can, you know, reexperience the feelings of f- like The Shining, I actually... the only one I still have from 1977 is the actual Shining that I read. Um, and that's, for me, that woman in room 217.Well, I know you haven't read it ‘cause you're probably... What? But, um, it, that particular one I still have from, from when I was growing up. Um, and I love that I still have it, and it still has the photo... You know, it's the version that has the photo inserts that includes the Kubrick film photos. Oh, okay.Jennie: Okay.Yeah, yeah.Caroline: And I read it before I saw the film, so I remember being- 15 reading it and then seeing the pictures and being like you know? And that's part of the experience, but it wasn't, it's different than seeing the film, you know? And I really, I wanted to write this book as a love letter to language and to books, and not to film.Like, there's, that's a whole other category I think that enters people's brains in totally different ways. It's a very different experience. For me it's about, like going back to your original question [00:14:00] about like why, why, why do stories cause fear, and like what's the value perhaps in that? Yeah. That was something I came to after this long journey really, and talking to people and thinking about why.And also by understanding and reading more about Stephen King's books and talking to him about them, and realizing for him how much these stories are rooted in personal experiences or fears of grief and loss. And- Yes ... that was really profound for me. And like The Night Shift, which is the ur-text that I start with, ‘cause that's the one I read when I was 12, and that's his first collection of short stories.It came out in 1978. It's 20 short stories. But he ends it with a story about his mother dying, and it's, I mean, it's thinly veiled autobiography. It's about a man who's watching his mother die in the hospital. Um, but it's clearly a mirror of his own experience losing his mother when he was 26. And I'm like, wow, what's that doing in a collection of horror stories?[00:15:00] And it's like, what? ‘Cause that is of course, at least for me and I think for a lot of people, that's the core fear we first have, is that where's mommy, right? Yeah. Right? You lose the person who's in charge of taking care of you, and if you're lucky, does it well and with care. Um, but even if it's not, like Carrie, you know, the more I was looking through the Carrie drafts, I was like, right, he's really homing in on Carrie calling out for her mother even though her mother's terrible and abusive to her, right?So it's, there's just this, I don't know. It's a long way around to say I think horror, and he writes about this really eloquently, is a way for us to metabolize our deepest fears. Um, and to look at trauma not head-on but sideways. Um, and he writes about that, um, a number of different places in a really powerful way.He's just such an extraordinary human. You know, he's been thinking about this and for so long.Jennie: Yeah. Yeah. So, so your willingness to [00:16:00] confront that, those particular fear, fears in your own self and on behalf of the reader, really puts you in it. I mean, like you, there's a really lovely moment where you are reading I think it's, I think it's Pet Sematary, reading the actual book, and you have to turn it over so you- Yeahdon't see, like on your nightstand so you don't see the cover. I'mCaroline: scared, I'm scared of the cover, right, still.Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: And then there's moments, se- several where you're driving And you're sort of holding your breath while you drive past a place that he writes about or, or- Mm-hmm ... you know, um, well you have to tell the story, I'm sure every interviewer asks you about the, um, the doorknob in the archive.You have to, like, I was-Caroline: Yeah, not too many people have asked me about that, but I'm like, that to me was the scary moment-Jennie: Wait, shut up ... the most, theCaroline: most sturdy. I'm like, wh- uh, why did that happen? But of course, I mean, there's a reason why it happened. It's, it's, it [00:17:00] automatically locks if, you know, the, if you- Okaydon't lock it So let's, let's play- So but it just happened that we were inside the archive room. It was me and, and Julie Ugli, who is their assistant, who was helping me through this whole process. And I know, and I was, like, literally holding the first page of the first draft of The Boogeyman, the story that had scared me so badly when I was 12, about a monster that comes out of closets, and we're like in this room.And the, the archive room, it actually, it almost feels like a closet. It's not huge at all. You know, it's just-Jennie: Yeah ...Caroline: top to bottom, ceiling to floor stacked shelving with, you know, boxes of materials. And yeah, and we were in there, and I'm holding the first page, and the lock closes on its own. It just goes...And I'm like, I'm looking at Julie, I'm like, “What is, what's happening?” We don't have our cell phones with us. I'm like, “Are we stuck in here? Like, what's gonna happen?”Jennie: In the scary archive- In this, I was terrified ... in the back of the scary house. Like-Caroline: I know, I know. It was like, you can't make this stuff up.That's why I was like, I [00:18:00] couldn't wait, when I finally got a chance to write the book and sit down and write, I was like, I can't wait to tell these stories, because they just... I, I'm not a fiction writer. Like, I, I have such mad respect for- I don't know about that ... well, I've m- We'll see I don't know. I have mad respect for people who can write fiction.For me, I only can write what I know and exper- So I'm like, ah. But these stories were just so amazing. Or like when I was reading The Shining, like the first draft of The Shining, which is crazy. I mean, it's so different from the published version. And like getting to the woman in room 217, and like reading th- and literally my head w- like I thought I was having a stroke.Like it was like, like... And it's like, and then I find an interview where Stephen King writes about how he was scared to go back to that scene when he was revising it, the book, because he was dreading it. And I was like, oh, my God, have I just like had some kind of telepathic experience with Stephen King?Like- Right ... across time, space, and yeah, it was amazing.Jennie: Well, yeah. I mean, [00:19:00] it's just, um, uh, I actually made myself go through the whole book skipping giant chunks.Caroline: I feel so badly I put you through this.Jennie: I know. I, I feel like why, I kept saying, “Why? Why did I think this was a good idea?” Um, and it- I mean, even just tangentially, I, I don't know.It's interesting. I have, I'm sure you have this too, anybody who reads a lot or spends a lot of time with words, you have a capacity to sort of pay half attention, if that makes sense.Caroline: Mm-hmm.Jennie: Um, like you c- could sort of look at it without letting it all the way in. Yeah. But I, I just was, I just was riveted by the thread of, of your story and your putting yourself through that as a scholar and a human.But, but then some really cool things happen, and I, and I have flagged, um... Do you, [00:20:00] w- would you mind reading a tiny piece? It's- No, not at all ... it's on page 82, and it's the p- the paragraph that starts, “These manuscripts.”Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: That would be amazing.Caroline: Absolutely. So this is actually the moment I just described to you, where my head was like, I got...Oh, actually, I had just discovered the last 150 pages of the original Shining manuscript in a random folder in the archives, and I was like, “What is this doing here?” And I was getting obsessive about the manuscripts at this point, clearly- Yeah. Yeah ... just like the main character in The Shining, Jack Torrance, who gets obsessed with the manu- with the papers in the basement of the Overlook Hotel.But here we go. “These manuscripts are definitely getting into my head, and not just its rational part. In his memoir, when King describes books as being a uniquely portable magic, he doesn't specify what kind of magic. What if manuscripts can absorb and store more than just ink and words? [00:21:00] What if their pages can pass on dark energy along with dark stories?Ghosts have more than one way of making sure their stories are heard, of ensuring that the past is not forgotten, but rather pressed into our minds, even if we wrench our heads off the pillow and refuse to listen.” And that last is a reference to my, I used to see a ghost when I was five, and I write about that in the book too.Jennie: I mean, when I read that, I was like, “That's, that's me.” Like, these ghosts and horrors are pressing themselves into my mind, and I'm refusing to listen, and they still, they still do. And, um, King's stories in particular are so iconic, you can't really escape them. Like, you, you know the scenarios, you know the characters, you know-Caroline: YeahJennie: you know. And, and so it was interesting for me reading this book that that described my [00:22:00] experience where I was both repelled and magnetized at the same time.Caroline: That's beautiful the way you just put that. I mean, I think that is exactly our relationship also, of course, to our own fears. You know, again, what makes these stories endure, and I didn't go into this book thinking like, “This is a book about promoting Stephen King,” and, you know- Rightlike, I don't work for Stephen King. I just want to put that out there. Right. He, you know, he graciously agreed to let me go into the archives. He's been very generous about answering all my questions I had about the manuscripts, but he never at any point was like, “You can't say this,” or, “This is how you're supposed to say this.”So, but what I came away with after this process was exactly what you're describing, why we need these stories, why they endure, actually, is because they tap into our very real human fears. It's not about the monsters. It's about the grief and loss that's coming for all of us if we live long enough, you know?So you, and you have to at some point confront that, you know? So if it's- Yeah ... you can [00:23:00] try to run away from it, but it's coming, and that's part of being human. That's the human experience, obviously. Not to be glib, but it's like-Jennie: Yeah ...Caroline: you will experience loss. You will experience grief. And if these stories help you metabolize that or have a cathartic experience with that feeling without having to actually experience your worst fear, right?Um, like Aristotle says, it's cathartic, right? It's you watch a play, a, a tragedy because you experience a catharsis.Jennie: And did you, did you get to that in your own process?Caroline: That's a really good question. Um- You know, I, I think I became more aware of it. You know, I am, you know, and I write about this very openly in the book, that I was an extremely anxious little kid, um, which is part of why I think the boogeyman triggered me in the particular way it did, you know.Um, and that I grew into a pretty [00:24:00] anxious adult, you know? Yeah. I think anxiety is one of those things that, you know, I... Again, I was born in the ‘60s, so we didn't have this language for this back then. Like, my parents wouldn't have known to call me an anxious child, you know? Right. They probably would've said, “Oh, she's shy,” or, “She's whatever.”Um, so I think I, you know, like, and I as an adult, I think I've, I've found ways to manage it pretty well, but I am definitely a control freak. Like, that's part of how I manage it. I shouldn't use that language, but you know, it's like I, I like to just control what I can control, and that makes me feel that I can put the anxiety at bay.So I will say I think it's been interesting for me, Nick, now when I have those moments that are my worst fear moments that sometimes still will creep up on me just even though when I think I've figured it out, like doom s- doom scenarios. I tend to go to doom scenarios. So, like, if I can't reach... Uh, I will say Life360 has been, like, the best invention on the planet for me-with my two kids [00:25:00] and my husband. I'm like, “I know exactly where everyone is.” Yeah. It has saved me a lot of worry. Sometimes Life360 doesn't work, or sometimes a person still doesn't answer the phone, and then I have to manage my anxie- And then it's like... So I will say it's been interesting going through this process and having to confront or revisit the core of what scares me and, like, why that impacts, you know, why certain moments come forward for me still.So I think, yeah, I think it has helped me to a degree. Like, I can recognize it more clearly now. I'm like, “Oh, right, that's why I'm scared of that,” you know? Um-Jennie: That's so cool.Caroline: Yeah.Jennie: And it feels like that's the, the, um, the transformation in the book is you're exploring how that actually works and the language and the stories.Mm-hmm. But you're, you're also exploring how it works in your own self, how it did when you were young, how it does now- Yeah ... these moments when you're scared. So it- Mm-hmm ... there's such [00:26:00] a depth to it and, I mean, I just, uh, even in my half reading of it, I just loved it. Thank you. And, um, there's something that happens That's kind of crazy, which is, so you're a Shakespeare scholarCaroline: Mm-hmmJennie: And I ha- I, I know from reading Steve, a- about Stephen King, from reading his book On Writing, of course, and, um, interviews and such that, uh, I'm, I'm probably gonna say this in a disrespectful way, and I don't mean it to be so, but the, the easiest way I can describe it is that he's always had sort of a chip on his shoulder that he's just a popular writer and not taken seriously in a literary way.Mm. I don't know if that's, if that is fair to say, but that's how I'm saying it. Uh,Caroline: yeah.Jennie: And, um, what, what I found incredible was that [00:27:00] here comes this Shakespeare scholar into his archives doing proper scholarly archiver, arch- archival work, and there's this moment when you begin to see Shakespearean themes in his, in his work, and you can't ignore it, and particularly in, in Carrie and- Yeahparticularly around exactly the thing you were wrestling with, which is like a young girl's- I don't know, sense of, of not being fitting in the world or, um-Caroline: Yeah ...Jennie: right? And so that, um, there's, on page, since you have the book in your hand, um, I think it's pageCaroline: 202. Mm-hmm.Jennie: And it refers back to that passage you just read about portable magic.It's the one that's I remembered.Caroline: [00:28:00] Right. Okay. So this is going back to when I first was, um, I was in the final round of the job for the Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, and I was working on a book about Shakespeare's, the girls in Shakespeare's plays and world and teenage girls and their cognition.Like, the how were people during Shakespeare's day thinking about girls' brains? Yeah. So I'd been working on this for 10 years. Um, and then I was getting ready to give my job talk. This was the first time Stephen King and Shakespeare came together for me, and it was getting ready, and this, again, this is an authentic story, like write what you know.So I was getting ready for the job talk. I remembered that King's 1974 novel, Carrie, featured a 16-year-old girl whose telekinetic powers are unleashed when she gets her first period in the school shower. I started rereading it, and within a few pages came across an uncanny phrase. When she's walking home after being dismissed early, Carrie feels her brain flexing in a new way, [00:29:00] as if her powers have been waiting below the surface for her to reach, quote, “mental puberty.”I couldn't have wordsmithed this dynamic cognitive change better myself. In the last part of my job talk, I used the phrase to connect the brain work of Juliet Capulet, who's described as being two weeks away from seeing the change of 14 years, to Carrie's newly activated adolescent mind. It felt like a moment of pure portable magic between Stephen King, Shakespeare, and me.Jennie: Ugh, so beautiful.Caroline: Oh, thank you. Yeah. I mean, that was just so gobsmacking. Like, when that happened, I was like, I ca- I can't believe it, but yeah.Jennie: And then, now I may be getting some of the things wrong here, but then you- You realize, is it Carrie that, that you realize he was, you thought he was emulating a play, a Shakespeare play?Caroline: I think you're thinking of Shining. I mean, definitely at the end of the Carrie [00:30:00] chapter I return to, I did notice echoes of Macbeth, and I was convinced that that must have been what he was thinking about. And, and what's funny is, so one of the conversations I got to have with him, I mean, he's so generous with his time, one of my last conversations with him was about the end of Carrie, and that's a book that he actually doesn't like very much.You know, it was his first published novel, he was 26, and he's like, “I think that was written by a young man who thought he knew more than he did.” So he's, it's not a book that he goes back to. He recognizes it's important, and it's important to him, but, ‘cause it started his whole career, his whole trajectory.Um, but he didn't particularly, he hasn't returned to it. Yeah. So that was a fun chance for me to sort of talk to him and say, “Hey, you know what? I think you should maybe go back,” ‘cause it's it's, there's a lot of Shakespeare in there. Anyway, but the Shining chapter, what was fascinating, so there's this first draft, which I, I write a lot about, called The Shine, that's in the archives, with a totally different ending.Um, and when I looked at it, [00:31:00] he'd also divided it into acts and scenes, like Roman numeral acts and little- Mm ... Roman numeral scenes. And I was like, “This, what is this? This is like a Shakespeare play.” Like, that's what it looked like. And then sure enough, I found out he was imagining, he was thinking of a Shakespeare tragedy when he wrote The Shining.And that was the first moment where I was like, “What? This is insane.” Like, this- Yeah ... like, ob- obviously that became, for me, the story I wanted to tell about that particular set of manuscripts, was sort of uncovering, like, what's the Shakespeare play? Like, what's the tragedy? And I didn't wanna ask him because I didn't want- I wanted to go in with my mind clear, like, of any outside influence.I just wanted to see what my Shakespeare brain, because I'm so embedded in Shakespeare. I also have a Shakespeare podcast I do with my best friend. Like, we're, I'm always thinking about Shakespeare and how it relates to everyday life. You know, and so I'm like, “Well, how does it relate to The Shining?” Which is, like, an ur-American text.Like, this, like, say what you want about horror, [00:32:00] like- I'd be shocked if people don't know what The Shining's about, even if they haven't read it even if they haven't seen the film. Like, you probably know something about The Shining, right? Right. So I was like, if there's a Shakespeare tragedy at the foundation of this, you know.And here's the thing about Stephen King that I came to learn, again, reading all of his notes and finding these edits, and I did find traces of Macbeth in the first draft of The Shine, um, that he ended up taking out. So I was like, “Oh, is it Macbeth? It feels like it could be Macbeth.” There's so many things it has in common with it, with hallucinations and with baby bashing.And, you know, all of these horrible things that are in Macbeth are certainly in that book. Um, but I really wanted to go in, like, just on an adventure, like, see what I saw. So I didn't ask him which chi- tragedy until I was fully done with all my research and I felt like I had it all done. And that's when he drops that he was thinking of Hamlet.And once he said that, of course, it became so ... I mean, I [00:33:00] had seen traces, there were references to Ophelia that also didn't make it into the final published draft. So you wouldn't know this. This is the beauty of archival work, like you're gonna see things that other people will never know about unless you tell the story.That's why I felt so passionate about this. Like, “I need to tell people-” Yeah ... “that Ophelia was in the first draft, that he was thinking of Ophelia.” ‘Cause of course, you know, again, even if you don't know The Shining, the woman in the tub, the woman in the bathtub, like a drowned woman in a tub, like ah, Ophelia.Yeah. Like Ophelia's another one of those ur, like she's so, she's such a part of our cultural air, right? I mean, like no matter what country you're in. Right. There's a reason Taylor Swift has a whole, you know, song The Fate of Ophelia. Like people know what that means. Um, so I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is, this is incredible.This is even deeper than I thought it was gonna be.” Um, but also it made me appreciate how much that book is about intergenerational trauma. Um, and it's not ... So he doesn't like the Kubrick film [00:34:00] for reasons that, you know, a couple different reasons. One is that it flattens out the character of Jack Torrance, and Jack Torrance is an abused child himself, and he passes on that abuse to his son, Danny, right?Um, but you wouldn't know that from Kubrick's film. While Hamlet, of course, is about a father's ghost coming forward. Like, “The past is a ghost,” King writes, which is so f- powerful, right? Um, here's this ghost saying, “You need to kill for me.”Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: Yeah. And that's what happens to Jack. Yeah, so anyway, that's a long way to say that wasEach chapter was my favorite in different ways, but that one I loved being able to do the deep Shakespeare dive.Jennie: And was that ... You know, so I started that question by saying I, I had heard or understood or maybe inferred that, um, you know, King himself had this sort of desire- Okay ... to be taken more seriously.Was that, that must have been, I don't know, powerful for both you and him, uh, to [00:35:00] come to that? Not like, “Oh, you're the only person that's ever made him feel that way” or-Caroline: Yeah,Jennie: no,Caroline: I agree ... or agree with that, but. Like I, yeah. And, um, I mean, I will say I think part of the reason he was always really ... I mean, first of all, he's just so generous, and any writer who's ever worked with him has the same experience.Like he just gives his time. He just loves writing and writers so much that he will just, he'll just t- like any email I would send him, he'd write back in like an hour with a response. The part about how he feels about academia, you know, and I never directly asked him that because I didn't wanna ... You know, if he wanted to bring it up, great.But I think- Yeah ... my, after going on this journey with him, he clearly loves talking about- literature. He's the most well-read person I've ever met. I'm just gonna say that hands down. Like, the guy reads- Really? ... cons- constantly and if you read his early works, like even when he was 17, he wrote The Long Walk, okay, which just came out as a film, [00:36:00] and in that, he's citing T.S.Eliot, he's cit- he's citing Poe at 17. Okay? So he's, he, he, this, he comes by this honestly. He's not just trying to seem smart. Like, he literally is constantly reading and it's clear when you read his manuscripts or when you read his published books, he's making references to all, whether it's Shirley Jackson or Wallace Stevens or, you know, uh, he's so capacious in his knowledge of literature.And, like, just a couple months ago, he sent me an email, I don't, I can't remember, we were talking about something about Salem's Lot, and he was like, “Yeah, when I was writing Salem's Lot,” which again, this is 1975 when he's writing Salem's Lot, so that's a long time ago. He's like, “I was really into James Dickey's poetry.”Jennie: Whoa.Caroline: You know, who was an American no, you know, poet laureate. Uh, he's like, “And I was reading everything I could read of, of his and then I read Deliverance, and then I went back to his poetry, and that really impacted how I wrote the chapters [00:37:00] about the Lot,” which if you've read Salem's Lot, has some very lyrical, poetic chapters about the town, like, “The town knew about darkness.The town had its secrets and knew how to kept it.” And then he, like, sends me the entire poem that he was thinking about that James Dickey wrote. So I mean, it's, he's, and it's not performative. He's not, like, he has nothing. He doesn't need to prove anything to me, you know?Jennie: Right, to anyone, yeah.Caroline: He just literally loves, he loves literature.Like, this guy, he loves poetry. I mean, he actually writes poetry. He wrote poetry as an undergraduate. Uh, it was actually the core start for him of The Stand, was a poem he wrote called The Dark Man one day when he was, like, hungover in the school, like, cafeteria. Like, so it's like he, he's been thinking about literature and living with literature and, uh, since he was a teenager, if not earlier.His mom brought him, uh, Bram Stoker out of the public library when he was nine, so I mean, the guy- Whoa ... ‘cause he asked for it. He asked for Dracula. [00:38:00] I wasn't reading Dracula when I was nine. Were you? I mean-Jennie: No,Caroline: no. I was reading Little House on the Prairie. I mean-Jennie: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Wow. Wow. So- I mean, this book, again, it's called Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Carolyn Bicks.It's just incredible, whether you're a King fan, whether you're a horror fan, um, but for sure for all writers, which are all our listeners. If you can, if you can bear it.It's very specific, um, a very specific- specific exploration of, of how good writing works really. Yeah. Right. And, and how you... You know, there's always that perennial question of how do you get emotion on the page? How do you make your reader feel something? And you, you show it very specifically, and I wanted so badly [00:39:00] to, to get into the details, and I, and I, I just, I just couldn't.Um, maybe someday, but, um, I just, I just can't recommend it enough for, for, um, this audience and, um, you know, anyone who's interested in any of these things we've talked about.Caroline: Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. And I will say, like, the Pet Sematary chapter, which is the first one, that was the first day I was in the archives.One of the things I discovered about him day one was how much attention he pays to word sounds. So I think for any writer interested in sort of doing a deep dive into, like, how one word change, right- Yeah ... can make a difference, you know? Yeah. And I didn't appreciate that about his writing until I went in there and saw his notes to the copy editor where he's like, “Nope, the word's clitter, not clatter.This is why.” You know? Like,Jennie: he's- There's a, um- Yeah ... yeah, there's a book I love, it's probably right behind me, um, called The Artful Edit by Susan Bell, in which she [00:40:00] shows examples of that kind of very careful change in, um, The Gre- The Great Gatsby and The English Patient and various works of, of literature, and your, your whole book is like that.It's, it's just amazing. Um- Thank you ... so is the next book gonna be the Shakespeare one you had thought of before? Or are you gonna- ... go in the, in the personal direction?Caroline: You know, it's such a good question. I think right now I'm just taking a break, you know, because I'm the kind... Like, I immerse myself in a project, and this has been so all-consuming.Um, and I'm back to doing my Everyday Shakespeare podcast, which I love and I missed. Um, so I'm doing that. And I, I really don't like to think too far ahead about what I'm going to write. I like to have it come organically.Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: Um, so I could go back into the archives. I could write another one of these kinds of books, but I don't know if that's the [00:41:00] right thing for me right now.Jennie: Yeah.Caroline: Um, I want to make sure whatever I write next- You know, I loved writing this book so much. It's my favorite... I mean, it's, it was such a powerful experience for me, um, because I could bring my personal experiences into it and my scholarly self into it. I don't... You know, it's gonna be hard to recreate that.Yeah. I think it can be done, but I don't wanna force it. Yeah. So I'm gonna wait and see what the next, what the next oneJennie: is. Don't you, don't you love the interviewer who's like, “Hey, congratulations. You wrote a book. What, what's your nextCaroline: one?” What are you working on now? What are you doing now? I know. And I get that.I'm like-Jennie: So mean ...Caroline: I'm just, I'm just reading books I wanna read. I'm doing my laundry. I'm getting to know my dog again. You know?Jennie: Oh, wow. Well, thankCaroline: you. But, you know, it's a fair question. Yeah.Jennie: Yeah, yeah. Thank you for coming and chatting about this, and for writing such a cool book. And- Thank you ... um, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next.Caroline: Thank you, Jennie. It was a [00:42:00] pleasure.Jennie: Well, for our listeners, until next time, stop playing small and write like it matters.The #amwriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perilla. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output because everyone deserves to be paid for their work This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

"I feel like before I have the confidence to write in the way that I want to write, where I really own the material, I have to spend so much time with people. I will say at the outset, once I walk someone through what it's going to involve after they say yes to talking to me, I'll say I'm going to be around a lot and you're going to get sick of me," says Pamela Colloff, author of Catch the Devil.Today's guest, I mean, wow, from the bottom of the diaphragm up, wow. It's Pamela Colloff. You know her from her National Magazine Award winning work for Texas Monthly and ProPublica/The New York Times Magazine. She's THE premier investigative reporter in the country and she's now the author of Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast. It's published by Knopf.This book upends what you think a true crime story is about where the true villain isn't a person at all. It chronicles, among others, Paul Skalnik, a jailhouse snitch, whose non-credible testimony places numerous men on death row, Jim Dailey, in particular, and Pamela takes us through this riveting narrative and punishing commentary on capital punishment and why Florida seems hellbent on being No. 1 in executions.Here's just a slice of what Pam is about: She is a two-time National Magazine Award winner, once for reporting and once for feature writing. Her work has been adapted for narrative and documentary films including Tower, which was short-listed in 2016 for an Oscar. Her work has been anthologized in Best American Magazine Writing, Best American Crime Reporting, and Next Wave: America's New Generation of Great Literary Journalists. She joined ProPublica/The New York Times Magazine in 2017 after many years at Texas Monthly. Listen, I could go on. You get the gist.In this episode, we talk about: What drew her to Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson Speaking with Tom Junod The Boys Club of longform writing Her start at Texas Monthly Being a journalism dork The elation and despair How every story is a Rubix cube The Skip Hollandsworth Method Owning the material Knowing when to quote and when not to Idea generation Writing is hard How magazine writing and book writing are different animals Why Catch the Devil is her now-or-never moment Beginnings are the worst Being more disciplined with a book vs. magazine writing Writing in this attention economyPair this episode with Ep. 255 with Maddy Crowell and Ep. 414 with John Rosengren, and many other Atavist true crimey pods, too many to mention here. I'd also chuck in Ep. 224 with Patrick Radden Keefe. He'll be back on the show for the paperback run of London Calling.

In this episode the guys sit down with Nick Hexum, lead singer and co-founder of 311, just hours before a live show. Nick opens up about how the band has stayed together for 35 years, his path to sobriety in 2005-06 and how the band stuck by him through it, bringing weights on the road since 1993 and having a full gym dressing room on every tour, and why exercise was his earliest tool for managing anxiety and depression. He covers the study showing dance and exercise outperform SSRIs for depression by one and a half times, how he syncs his workouts to BPM-specific playlists, working with a vocal coach who saved his career, losing his youngest brother to an overdose and finally writing a song about it, Shaq showing up to their music video during the NBA playoffs with two left shoes and a siren on his SUV, meeting Joe Strummer of The Clash and finding a 311 sticker on his boom box, the Rick Rubin creativity principle of audience coming last, and his new Americana solo project with mandolin and fiddle. He also shares his thoughts on AI in the music industry, how the Grateful Dead touring model saved them from the Napster collapse, and why he surfed ten-foot Santa Cruz waves the day before this interview. MAPS Upper Lower: https://mapsupperlower.comCode: LAUNCH for 40% off. Includes male and female programs, workout videos, exercise demos, coaching videos and live coaching with Cole. SPONSORS Seed Daily Synbiotic: https://seed.com/mindpumpCode: 25MINDPUMP for 25% off your first month. GUEST LINKS Nick Hexum: https://www.instagram.com/nickhexum 311 Official: https://www.311.comWater Tower Band: https://www.watertowerband.com LINKS Mind Pump Store: https://mindpumpstore.comMaps Fitness Products: https://mapsfitnessproducts.com Instagram: @mindpumpmedia 0:00 - Intro 1:59 - How 311 has stayed together for 35 years — democracy, gratitude and knowing you're better together 9:06 - Nick's sobriety journey in 2005-06 and how the band helped him get there 11:17 - Bringing weights on the road since 1993 — gym dressing room on every 311 tour 13:09 - Why outliers and creative people are more drawn to self-medicating 16:32 - How the music industry changed through CDs, Napster, Spotify and now AI 20:57 - Why the Grateful Dead live touring model protected 311 from the Napster collapse 25:47 - The inspiration behind Amber and how it was written in one hour on a Saturday morning 29:58 - Writing a song about losing his youngest brother to an overdose 36:41 - Exercise 1.5x more effective than SSRIs for depression — the meta-analysis 43:16 - How Nick syncs his workouts to BPM-specific playlists for different exercises 47:17 - Breaking through fear as the key to growth — busking and surfing ten-foot waves before this interview 51:21 - How Nick warms up before a show and why working out 90 minutes before performs better 54:05 - Working with a vocal coach who saved his voice 57:42 - Three teenage daughters and the 90s resurgence making him the cool dad again 59:27 - First big purchase after getting signed: a 1969 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors that caught fire 1:01:23 - The Shaq story — two left shoes, an illegal siren through LA traffic and the NBA playoffs secret 1:04:36 - Nick's current fitness routine — F45, trail running in Topanga Canyon and tour prep  

Struggling to get traction on LinkedIn despite posting consistently? I interview Kasey Brown to discover a three-part framework for writing LinkedIn posts that capture attention, hold readers through to the end, and drive meaningful shares.Making the LinkedIn Content Gap Work for YouThe Triple S Framework for LinkedIn Content: StopThe Triple S Framework for LinkedIn Content: StayThe Triple S Framework for LinkedIn Content: ShareGuest: Kasey Brown | Show Notes: socialmediaexaminer.com/727Review our show on Apple PodcastsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Olivia Fox Cabane reveals the behaviors and practices that help develop your personal charisma.— YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The number one myth surrounding charisma 2) How to amplify your presence in just a few seconds3) The master key to looking and feeling more powerfulSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1167 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT IAN — Olivia Fox Cabane is a leading authority on the science of charisma and the bestselling author of The Charisma Myth and The Net And The Butterfly, translated into 36 languages. Formerly Director of Innovative Leadership for Stanford StartX, she has lectured on charisma, leadership, and innovation at Harvard, Yale, MIT, the Marine War College, and the United Nations. As cofounder of the KindEarth.Tech Foundation, she supports foodtech companies advancing environmental sustainability. Her clients include the leadership of Apple, Google, TikTok, Deloitte, UBS, and JP Morgan as well as founders of Airbnb, Brex, Paradigm, and Presight. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal. • Book: The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism• Meditation: The Charisma Myth Exercises: Metta• Website: AskOlivia.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: “Case Report: Women, Be Aware that Your Vocal Charisma can Dwindle in Remote Meetings” by Ingo Siegert and Oliver Niebuhr• Study: “Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes” by Jane M. Howell and Peter J. Frost• Study: “Predictors of leadership: The usual suspects and the suspect traits” by John Antonakis• Researcher: Dr. Oliver Niebuhr• Microphone: Maono HD300T• YouTube: Podcastage• Book: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini• Book: Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Shopify. Sign up for your free trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod• Monarch. Get 50% off your first year with code AWESOME at Monarch.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Subscribe to Greg Fitzsimmons: https://bit.ly/subGregFitz Mark Normand returns for one of the funniest conversations we've ever had. This episode is sponsored by Kalshi, the largest prediction market in America. Trade on everything from sports and politics to entertainment and more. Download the Kalshi app and use code SOCCER10 to get $10 when you trade $10, or visit https://kalshi.com/r/soccer10. We get into bombing on stage, bad gigs, marriage, dating after divorce, having kids, growing older, comedy careers, Catholic school, vacations, Bob Dylan, cockfights in Puerto Rico, breast milk, ED, abortions, and the weird realities of life as a stand-up comedian. Mark also talks about his new material, life after Netflix, why he's back in comedy clubs, and why YouTube might be a better path than Hollywood. This one goes completely off the rails—in the best way possible. Mark's tour dates: https://marknormandcomedy.com Follow Greg:https://www.instagram.com/gregfitzsimmons https://twitter.com/gregfitzshow Subscribe for new episodes every week. This show is produced by Gotham Production Studios and part of the Gotham Network. https://www.gothamproductionstudios.com/studios/ Follow Greg Fitzsimmons: Facebook: https://facebook.com/FitzdogRadio Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregfitzsimmons Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregfitzshow Official Website: http://gregfitzsimmons.com Tour Dates: https://bit.ly/GregFitzTour Merch: https://bit.ly/GregFitzMerch “Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons” Book: https://amzn.to/2Z2bB82 “Life on Stage” Comedy Special: https://bit.ly/GregFitzSpecial Listen to Greg Fitzsimmons: Fitzdog Radio: https://bit.ly/FitzdogRadio Sunday Papers: http://bit.ly/SundayPapersPod Childish: http://childishpod.com Watch more Greg Fitzsimmons: Latest Uploads: https://bit.ly/latestGregFitz Fitzdog Radio: https://bit.ly/radioGregFitz Sunday Papers: https://bit.ly/sundayGregFitz Stand Up Comedy: https://bit.ly/comedyGregFitz Popular Videos: https://bit.ly/popGregFitz About Greg Fitzsimmons: Mixing an incisive wit with scathing sarcasm, Greg Fitzsimmons is an accomplished stand-up, an Emmy Award winning writer, and a host on TV, radio and his own podcasts. Greg is host of the popular “FitzDog Radio” podcast (https://bit.ly/FitzdogRadio), as well as “Sunday Papers” with co-host Mike Gibbons (http://bit.ly/SundayPapersPod) and “Childish” with co-host Alison Rosen (http://childishpod.com). A regular with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, Greg also frequents “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Lights Out with David Spade,” and has made more than 50 visits to “The Howard Stern Show.” Howard gave Greg his own show on Sirius/XM which lasted more than 10 years. Greg's one-hour standup special, “Life On Stage,” was named a Top 10 Comedy Release by LA Weekly. The special premiered on Comedy Central and is now available on Amazon Prime, as a DVD, or a download (https://bit.ly/GregFitzSpecial). Greg's 2011 book, Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons (https://amzn.to/2Z2bB82), climbed the best-seller charts and garnered outstanding reviews from NPR and Vanity Fair. Greg appeared in the Netflix series “Santa Clarita Diet,” the Emmy-winning FX series “Louie,” spent five years as a panelist on VH1's “Best Week Ever,” was a reoccurring panelist on “Chelsea Lately,” and starred in two half-hour stand-up specials on Comedy Central. Greg wrote and appeared on the Judd Apatow HBO series “Crashing.” Writing credits include HBO's “Lucky Louie,” “Cedric the Entertainer Presents,” “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher,” “The Man Show” and many others. On his mantle beside the four Daytime Emmys he won as a writer and producer on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” sit “The Jury Award for Best Comedian” from The HBO Comedy Arts Festival and a Cable Ace Award for hosting the MTV game show "Idiot Savants." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices