Uncorking a Story
Episodes
Crafting Activist Fiction, with Jude Berman
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"If you feel you have something worth saying, why not take the effort and pursue it?" — Jude Berman In this episode, host Mike Carlon uncorks the s...
Unlocking Emotional Intelligence, with Patrick Kilcarr, Ph.D.
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I think emotional intelligence invites us to slow things down and really take pause in relation to who we are in the world." – Patrick Kilcarr In t...
Letting it Cook, with Fiona Barton
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Writing is not just putting your fingers on the keys. Writing is thinking, imagining, and playing games in your head.” — Fiona Barton In this e...
Uncorking Courage, with Kristina Kuzmic
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“My desire is to be for others what I needed when I was at my lowest.” – Kristina Kuzmic In this powerful episode of Uncorking a Story, Mike Ca...
Redemption, Reinvention, and Writing, with Richard Podkowski
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"As a Secret Service agent, I was a secret writer... I kept my writing hidden for about five years." – Richard Podkowski In this episode of Uncorki...
Creating New Purpose, with Jonathan Bogner
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Resilience isn't just bouncing back—it's finding new purpose after everything changes." — Jonathan Bogner In this inspiring episode of Uncorking...
Writing Beyond Boundaries: Embracing Criticism, Late Blooms, and Creative Courage with Linda Moore2024
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Perseverance is probably the most important skill or quality to have. Stick with it, and eventually you'll cross some kind of finish line." – Linda...
From Myths to Medicine: Dr. Benjamin Caplan on Cannabis
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“There's so much literature in cannabis... I'm kind of acting a little bit like a translator for the general public and for the medical community." ...
Finding Freedom Through Love, Connection, and Writing
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I felt really alienated before, but when I started walking on the streets and all these people started sharing their stories, I slowly started to hea...
Writing Through Adversity with Ann Bancroft
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I wasn't interested in writing about my own cancer journey, but I was interested in the idea of what if my situation had been flipped." — Ann Bancr...
Healing through Story, with Holly LaBarbera
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Writing is like therapy; it reveals the soul and heals the heart." — Holly LaBarbera In this episode of "Uncorking a Story," Holly LaBarbera, an ac...
Unlocking the Subconscious, with Philip Cioffari
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Writing is like staying in shape; even when things aren't going well, sitting at the desk and writing keeps you ready for the day when the right idea...
Music and Murder with Hannah Mary McKinnon
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I like the idea of thinking of it as a gift, although it certainly doesn't feel like it at the time." — Hannah Mary McKinnon In this episode of "U...
Going into the Closet, with Mark Ukra and Tara Mesalik MacMahon
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“When your fears disappear, your dreams appear.” —Gamma, from ”Closet of Dreams.” In this episode, we dive into the enchanting world of chi...
Don’t Hold Back, with Jasmine Gonzalez
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"It's okay to not be okay. Writing has been my way to let things out, to release the constriction of emotions, and to heal. I don't hold back in my po...
From Marketing Maven to Magical Storyteller, with Christina Bacilieri
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Magic finds us in our darkest times." — Christina Bacilieri Christina Bacilieri’s life and career were profoundly shaped by her Italian grandmoth...
Love, Loss, and Legacy, with Anna Monardo
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Marriage can hold more difficulty than you believe and still move forward and evolve into something positive." – Anna Monardo How does an arranged ...
Navigating Identity and Belonging, with Adoptee Lisa Ann
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Being chosen doesn't mean being whole; it means navigating a journey to find yourself.” — Adoptee Lisa Ann In this heartfelt episode of "Uncorkin...
Talents Not Tendencies, with Mary Carol Moore
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"The idea of found family and the hope that you have a pod of people out there who will accept you for who you are is central to my story." — Mary C...
Divine Gifts, with Lauren Martin
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Poetry is a gift from the Divine, a voice from ancestors, expressing profound truths and deep emotions." - Lauren Martin In today’s episode of Unco...
Hidden Healers, with Dr. Stephanie Covington
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"We have a lot to learn from them. It's really about the survival of the human spirit." - Dr. Stephanie Covington In this informative episode of Uncor...
Embracing Life's Unexpected Twists, with Link Forester
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Be quick to forgive yourself. It's hard to do, but be quick to forgive people around you. We're going to disappoint ourselves, and people are going...
Be Your Own Fool, with Joe Di Prisco
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Be your own fool. You’ve got to be a little bit crazy to believe your writing matters, and it does!” Today, I chat with author Joe Di Prisco wh...
Wine, Women, and Dementia with Kitty Norton
12 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"It's like a honey badger; dementia doesn't give a shit. It doesn't care about what you want to do." — Kitty Norton Tune into this episode of Uncork...
From Lost To Found, with Tracy Mayo
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Right, you'll forget it ever happened. That's what my social worker told me and other girls at the Florence Crittenton home for unwed mothers. But ye...
A Writing Journey of Love, Loss, and Legacy, with Glenn Hileman
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I found writing almost an unbelievably incredible way to deal with the grief. It was a way to channel my energy in a really productive way that ult...
Pathways of Light, with Gary Smith
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"It's interesting to compare the process of creating an image with writing. In photography, I find myself editing the scene to highlight what draws my...
Triumph over Tragedy, with Reggie Reed
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I have my wife as my ultimate support system. But as a man, it feels like you shouldn’t show weakness or talk about things that might make you vuln...
The Power of Strength, with Lori Brand
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"The day my dance instructor had her jaw wired shut to lose weight was the day I realized how deep the rabbit hole of body image issues really went. I...
From Punk Bands to Bestsellers, with Richard Roper
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I kind of almost became an author by accident. It was a case of rediscovering a love of fiction, and then, on idle weekends, working on things purely...
Twins and Trails: Peter Malone Elliott's Journey from Screen to Page
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us in this intriguing episode as we dive into the creative world of Peter Malone Elliott, an award-nominated screenwriter and author of the capti...
Unseen Lists: Discovering Ourselves Beyond the Pages, with Julee Balko
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we delve into the captivating world of Julee Balko, an author renowned for her intricate portrayal of complex female characters and h...
Unwritten Rules: Queer Motherhood, Resilience, and the Reckless Pursuit of Storytelling with Gail Marlene Schwartz
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Embracing the reckless part of me, saying 'yes' to what resonates deeply despite insecurities, has been a pivotal part of my journey. It's about inte...
You are Braver than you Think, with Suzette Mullen
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Suzette Mullen is a memoir and nonfiction book coach and retreat leader. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times and Today.com, among other out...
Parts of Self, with Boo Trundle
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Boo Trundle is a writer, artist, and performer whose work has appeared across various platforms and publications, including The Brooklyn Rail, McSween...
BONUS FRIDAY: Building Myths, with Jared Michaud
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jared N. Michaud is a devoted fiction writer driven by a passion for writing that began before he reached age seven. Influenced by literary giants lik...
Learning from Life's Disappointments, with E.A. Aymar
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"In writing, what’s really crucial is persistence. Every 'no' brings you closer to a 'yes'. And when you infuse your personal experiences into your ...
A Pearl of Great Price, with Dr. Vilma Luz Caban
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Vilma Luz Cabán is a dedicated educator with over 30 years experience in Westchester County, New York. She serves as an Executive Board member fo...
It's Never too Late, with Iris Yamashita
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Iris Yamashita is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the movie Letters from Iwo Jima. She has been working in Hollywood for fifteen years dev...
Trauma as a Catalyst, with Carrie Rickert
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Carrie Rickert’ life-threatening accident and related complications started her down a path of examining what was, what is, and what could be. Her...
The Healing Power of Writing, with Kendra Petty
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kendra Petty is a woman who has succeeded in an all-male industry, becoming an executive vice president at two firms. She is a dynamic public speaker,...
Fashion vs. Family, with Diane Gilman
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Diane Gilman found her greatest success at age sixty, when she sparked a denim revolution by designing blue jeans for real women with real bodies. She...
Channeling Harper Lee, with Allen Mendenhall
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Allen Mendenhall is a lawyer and university administrator in Alabama who edited Southern Literary Review for over a decade. He joined me on Uncorking ...
Coming of Age, with Don Futterman
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writer, actor and storyteller, Don Futterman has written for a variety of publications including the Daily Beast, The San Francisco Chronicle and the ...
Stay on the Road, with Florence Reiss Kraut
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Florence Reiss Kraut is a native New Yorker, raised and educated in New York City. She holds a BA in English and a Master’s in Social Work and worke...
We All Need Paris, Joan Meyerson
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joan Meyerson is an award-winning writer/director/producer of documentaries and television programs for which she won two Writers Guild of America awa...
Exquisite Loneliness, with Richard Deming
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Deming is an award-winning poet and critic, whose work explores the intersections of literature, philosophy, and visual culture. He’s the au...
Keeping Secrets, with Peggy Townsend
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Peggy Townsend is an award-winning journalist who has panhandled with street kids, taken to the skies with pararescuers, and once chased an escaped mu...
Writing from a Center of Love, with Shelley Fraser Mickle
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shelley Fraser Mickle is an award-winning author who has published over a dozen books, which, along with her commitment to literacy and the power of s...
Releasing the Prisoner, with Justin Woodbury
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Justin Woodbury was raised on a small farm out in the country on the west side of Ann Arbor, Michigan. A child survivor of church abuse, Justin began ...
Finding Sunlight, with Chrissy Holm
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chrissy Holm is a writer, editor, and project manager and is the host of the podcast Stirred By Words, where she talks about words, writing, and welln...
Taking a Stand, with Robert W. Norris
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Robert W. Norris was born and raised in Humboldt County, California, where he played basketball in high school and junior college. In 1969, he entered...
A Journey Through Grief, with Natasha Daniels
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Natasha Daniels is an anxiety and OCD child therapist and has published multiple books including How to Parent your Anxious Toddler, Anxiety Sucks: A ...
Snakes, Society, and Storytelling, with Ginger Pinholster
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ginger Pinholster’s first novel, “City in a Forest,” won a Gold Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association in 2020. She is a...
A Blank Canvas, with Lynne Golodner
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lynne Golodner is the author of eight books and thousands of articles as well as a marketing entrepreneur, writing coach and host of the Make Meaning ...
There's Always a Way, with Christina Henry
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christina Henry is a horror and dark fantasy author whose works include Horseman, Near the Bone, The Ghost Tree, Looking Glass, The Girl in Red, The M...
You Matter! With Ellen Yashinsky Chute
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Yashinsky Chute is a clinical social worker, consultant and educator who has dedicated her life to helping individuals, families and teams unloc...
Cat Scratch Fever, with Audrey Gale
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Audrey Gale long dreamed of being a writer, but never anticipated the circuitous road she’d take to get there. After twenty-plus years in the bankin...
Spiritual Forgiveness, with Diane Danvers-Simmons
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Diane Danvers Simmons is a born-and-raised Brit who moved to America in her late twenties for business and success. After an accomplished career as a ...
A Bold Faced Lie, with Carissa Orlando
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carissa Orlando has a doctorate in clinical-community psychology and specializes in work with children and adolescents. Prior to her career in psychol...
Crumbs of Love, with Donna Marie Hayes
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Donna Marie Hayes is a SAG-AFTRA actress and cabaret singer who can be found on a stage or in front of a camera and has been featured on the Dr. Oz Sh...
Be Bold, with Edward Carey
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Edward Carey is a novelist, visual artist, and playwright. His previous novels include The Swallowed Man, which was a New York Times Book Review Edito...
Turning Pain into Purpose, with Bill Potts
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bill C. Potts is a motivational speaker, business leader, and community builder who has held executive roles at IRONMAN Group and Clearwater Marine Aq...
A Light Bulb Moment, with Will Harris
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Will Harris is on a mission to help save the world. He inherited a highly profitable, conventionally run farm from his ancestors. After many years, he...
Building Bravery with Kimberly Behre Kenna
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Authors often tap into their past experiences and memories and plant them in our stories. Speaking from experiences, anecdotes that my parents shared ...
Into the Groove, with Zaida Alfaro
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes I interview someone and we just don’t click. There are those interviews where we just fail to find a groove and I think to myself, that co...
Unleashing the Muse, with Lauren, J.A. Bear
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When I was a kid, my brother Jimmy and I would watch the original Clash of the Titans over and over and over. It had everything a young boy would love...
Why Not? With Mark Schiff
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is the result of mistaken identity. Somehow I got it in my head that comedian Mark Schiff was in the room next to my brother’s at Memor...
Fake it Till you Learn it, with Marilyn Moss Rockefeller
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do Andy Warhol and Julia Child have in common? They were both in Marilyn Moss Rockefeller’s life! Listen in as I uncork Marilyn’s unexpected ...
An Unlikely Felon, with Will Young
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everything I know about the criminal justice system I learned from Law and Order. Seriously, I’ve watched so much of it I feel as if I have a JD fro...
Transforming Grief, with Tracee Dunblazier
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Though it sounds unintuitive, experiencing grief can be a good thing. All of us suffer losses at various points during our life—it could be the loss...
Love Lasts Forever, with Jane L. Rosen
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I love it when conversations go to unexpected places and today’s does just that. I didn’t anticipate speaking about the passing of my brother but ...
Unleashing the Writer Within, with Chris Ehrlich
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve long believed that curiosity is one of the most powerful superpowers that authors wield. Thinking it through more, curiosity may help us craft ...
Making the Difference, with Carl Ficks and Rosemary Ravinal
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carl Ficks has introduced me to many fantastic guests who have appeared on Uncorking a Story over the years. Today, it is his turn to sit in the hot s...
Unhealed Scars, with Tim Murphy
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Murphy is the author of Correspondents and Christodora, which was long-listed for the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and nam...
Measure Twice, Cut Once with Craig Johnson
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine sitting with an acquiring editor who just offered you a multi book deal to write a series based on your first book and telling them that you w...
Path of Survival, with Lynn Hightower
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve long believed that writing is therapeutic but for author Lynn Hightower, it became her path of survival during a difficult period in her life. ...
From the Stage to the Page, with Stephanie Cowell
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Writing is a dynamic and ever-evolving process. By embracing change and finding inspiration in unexpected places, you can breathe new life into your w...
This Much is True, with Wendy Holden
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we have the fabulous Wendy Holden, a British journalist and novelist with global success, joining us to spill the tea on her latest book, "The ...
Below the Surface, with Colin Dickey
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I was once eating dinner alone at a bar in Petaluma, CA when a fellow solo diner started a conversation by saying, “I’m no conspiracy theorist but...
Curiosity and Connection, with Alison Gaylin
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Given my love of Columbo, I love it when a guest has a good Peter Falk story, and Alison Gaylin doesn’t disappoint. She doubled down when expressing...
Doing the Twist, with Liv Constantine
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
My twin brother and I are very close—so close in fact that we can finish each other’s sentences. That said, I couldn’t imagine writing a book wi...
A Dream Deferred, with Jenny Jackson
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While many of us dream of being writers from a young age, the truth is, not all of us can do it early on in our lives and find that we have to defer t...
Doing It, with Peter Maeck
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest, Peter Maeck, inspired me with his words of advice for his younger self—”If you have an impulse and are young enough to start at a...
No Backup Plan, with Andrew Ridker
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They say you can never go home again, but no one told that to Andrew Ridker. During the height of the Covid 19 pandemic, Andrew left his apartment in ...
Living Authentically, with Melissa Giberson
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes it takes a while to find out who we truly are, particularly if we didn’t give ourselves the time to explore life prior to settling down an...
Writing is an Act of Faith, with Jennifer Cody Epstein
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Giving yourself the right to write badly is excellent advice for aspiring and established authors. Writing is a muscle which has to be exercised in or...
Burning the Negative, with Josh Winning
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Winning is the author of the critically acclaimed The Shadow Glass. He is a senior film writer at Radio Times, has written for Total Film for ove...
The Hard Grind, with Karen McManus
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elevator pitches are critically important when selling your book. Ideally, you’d answer the question, “So, what’s your book about?” with a one...
From Rejection to Resilience, with Whitney Hanson
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I loved connecting with Whitney Hanson and hearing her path to publishing. Originally independently published, Whitney caught the attention of an acqu...
The Story of Ourselves, with Lynne Hugo
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Lynne Hugo Lynne Hugo is a National Endowment For The Arts Fellowship recipient who has also received repeat individual artist grants from the Oh...
Karen Mangia, live from IIEX in Austin, TX
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Karen Mangia is a WSJ Best Selling Author and one of the most sought after thought leaders in the world, sharing her thought leadership with over 10,0...
Unexpected Twists and Identity Shifts, with Hannah Mary McKinnon
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Hannah MaryMcKinnon Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. Her suspense novels include THE ...
Overcoming Objections, with Adam Mitzner
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Mitzner is the critically acclaimed Amazon Charts bestselling author of Dead Certain, Never Goodbye, and The Best Friend in the Broden legal se...
The Thin Veil, with Dr. Gary Simonds
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dementia is something that has touched my family in a terrible way. My mother, whose memory was always sharp as a tack, has been battling dementia for...
From Brain Surgery to Bestseller, a Conversation with Sara Staggs
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who would play Lion-O in a live action adaptation of Thundercats? Today’s guest, Sara Staggs, needed the eye of Thundera to help answer that questio...
Fostering Change in Foster Care, with Jenell Jones
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jenell Jones and her family opened up their home to foster, and later adopt Mercy, an eight year old girl in need of a home. Mercy came with a secret,...
Factual Fictions, with Lindsay Cameron
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I love hearing how authors come up with the ideas for their books and today’s guest, bestselling author Lindsay Cameron, doesn’t disappoint. Liste...
Writing Collaboratively, with Andrea Bartz
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’m thrilled to welcome Andrea Bartz back on Uncorking a Story. This time we discuss her latest novel, The Spare Room, and a big revelation! Meet A...
Inside the Squared Circle, a Conversation with Author Charlie Jenkins
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When I was a kid, my brother Jimmy and I would watch wrestling all the time. The colorful characters, soap opera like drama, and high flying action ha...