Uncorking a Story

I Saw the Sign with Eileen Brill

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Eileen Brill: Eileen is a painter, writer, and Sign Language Interpreter who grew up outside of Philadelphia and graduated from Carnegie Mellon ...

Writing is Therapy, with Elissa Grossell Dickey

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Elissa Grossel Dickey is a former journalist who now works in higher education communications. She has shared her journey of living with multiple scle...

Paying it Forward, with Rochelle Weinstein

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rochelle Weinstein is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of emotionally driven women’s fiction, including This Is Not How It Ends, Somebody...

The Final Hurdle, with Jade Beer

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jade Beer is an award-winning editor, journalist, and novelist who has worked across the UK national press for more than twenty years. Most recently, ...

Getting Angry, with Sandra Feder

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sandra Feder is a graduate of Stanford University and is an MFA candidate in the Writing for Children and Young Adults program at the Vermont College ...

Just Between Us, with Allison Raskin

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Allison Raskin: Allison is a New York Times best-selling author. She is also the co-host of the popular podcast, Just Between Us and co-creator ...

Yes, And, with Kelly Leonard of Second City

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly Leonard is the Executive Director of Insights and Applied Improvisation at The Second City. He began his Second City career in 1988, eventually ...

Telling Lies, with E. Lockhart

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

E Lockhart is the author of We Were Liars, Genuine Fraud, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and a number of other novels. She joins me ...

American Blues, with Polly Hamilton Hilsabeck

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Polly was in the second wave of women ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. Her book, American Blues, is available wherever books are sold.  Why ...

In the Moment, with Merle Saferstein

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About As the director of educational outreach at the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center for twenty-six years, Merle Saferstein worked close...

Nouns and Verbs with Marilyn Simon Rothstein

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Marilyn Simon Rothstein: Marilyn is the author of Lift and Separate and Husbands and Other Sharp Objects. She is the winner of the Star Award pr...

Now it's Your Turn, with Kristan Higgins

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Kristan Higgins has sold 4.5 million books worldwide, scored nine New York Times bestsellers, and is published in more than two dozen language...

Keeping the Faith, with Shaun Phillips

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Shaun Phillips is a Christian author, speaker, coach, and pioneer. His first book, Flappy and Whiskers go to the Park, was published August 202...

Road Tripping, with P. David Ebersole

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About P. David Ebersole: He is an award-winning independent filmmaker and television director working in both narrative and documentary.  His credit...

Coming of Age with Kurt and Ellie Johnson

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Kurt and Ellie: Kurt and Ellie are a father daughter combo team who have authored the book The Barrens: A novel of love and death in the canadia...

Night Swimming with Farhoud Meybodi

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Farhoud: Farhoud is an award-winning writer, director, and executive producer focused on storytelling projects that inspire mass culture change....

Love Wins with Lauren McBrayer

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In life, we often have to pivot to become the person we are meant to be. This insight hit me like a slap in the face when I spoke with Lauren McBrayer...

Monkeying Around with Carleton Eastlake

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Carleton Eastlake: Carleton graduated from UCLA with degrees in political science and psychology and graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School...

Come Together, with Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Kathleen and Liz: Kathleen is the author of the New York Times Bestselling novel Girl in Pieces, How to Make friends with the dark, and You’d ...

What If, with Sascha Rothchild

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Sascha: Sascha is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, who has written and produced lauded shows such as GLOW, The Bold Type, The Baby-Sitters Club, ...

Write Until The End with Tess Gerritsen

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Tess: With over forty million copies sold, New York Times bestselling thriller writer Tess Gerritsen is widely known for her Rizzoli & Isles nov...

Hitting Flow with Michelle Huneven

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Michelle: Michelle Huneven is the author of four novels: Round Rock, Jamesland, Blame, and Off Course. Her books have been New York Times Notabl...

Happy Endings with RaeAnne Thayne

27 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About RaeAnne: RaeAnne Thayne is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly's bestselling author of more than 70 novels. She graduated from ...

Taking Small Steps with Colleen Hubbard

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About Colleen: A native of New England, Colleen Hubbard now lives in the U.K. with her family. She wrote her debut novel, Housebreaking, while on mate...

Choosing Happiness, with James Crews

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I seriously thought I was the only person on the planet who remembered the show Small Wonder, but today’s guest proved me wrong! As part of getting ...

Believe in Yourself, with Moshe Mikanovsky

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When I worked at the consumer products giant Unilever, I got an insider’s view into how products go from the idea stage all the way to being availab...

Don't Waste It, with Laura Trujillo

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I have another confession to make, I hated reading newspapers when I was younger. They were always in black and white and just seemed so boring. Then ...

So, How do we Begin? With Steve Fretzin

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When I was early in my career, I had this recurring anxiety dream where all my teeth would fall out, one at a time. Later in my life, that dream morph...

Igniting Empathy, with Rob Volpe

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When I was a kid, I used to dread gym class. My Physical Education teacher was fond of picking two captains for opposing teams, typically the most ath...

Lightning Strikes, with Chandler Bolt

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I remember being in business school and learning about successful founders who left college to start their businesses without a degree—people like B...

Mother and Child Reunion, with Laura Engel

01 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

All families have secrets. The big one in my family, at least for me anyway, was the fact that my older brother Greg was adopted. When I was in high ...

Dear Mom, with Kim Dower

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I was able to spend some time with my parents earlier this week. A last-minute business trip brought me down to Florida and, instead of staying near m...

We'll Always have Paris

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When I was in college, I studied psychology because I was fascinated by the mind-body connection. I wanted to understand what made people tick and why...

The Invisible Places, with Matthew Fray

22 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Fray is a relationship coach and writer who leans on the lessons of his failed marriage and divorce to help others avoid making the same mista...

If You Were Me, with John Saunders

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine that one simple, humbling question could change the trajectory of your career forever. By simply asking his clients, “What would you do if y...

Finding your Path, with Linda Griffin

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest challenges for a new author is to find their voice while writing something that will make a difference in the world. That's why Lin...

Following the Human Herd, with Beth Anstandig

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Every now and then I get a reminder that I’m only human, and that reminder came in the introduction to this episode where I mispronounce the title o...

First Time Fiction, with Matt Necci

08 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Over the years on Uncorking a Story, I’ve interviewed many lawyers who have tapped into their creative side and written a debut novel and I can now ...

Just Do It, with Karen White

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The stories my father has told me about his childhood are ones that have stayed with me. There are stories about the ice cream shop he worked in, the ...

Life's a Beach, with Carol Finizza

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine walking into a newspaper editor’s office, interviewing for a job as a sportswriter having never written a sports related article before, get...

Meet the Un-Writer, with Debby Applegate

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I have a confession to make–I always wanted to be a gameshow host; unfortunately, I have a face for radio. That said, a guy can dream and I always s...

Making Love, and Not Porn, with Cindy Gallop

25 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve been following Cindy Gallop for some time on LinkedIn—she’s one of those LinkedIn influencers who certainly takes the boring out of the pla...

The Devil Made Me Do It, with Lynn Hightower

18 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve always been fascinated by tales of demonic possession. I fully realize that is an odd thing to admit, but it’s true. I’ve seen The Exorcist...

When Inspiration Strikes, with Nita Prose

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever had a chance encounter with someone who changed your life forever? Nita Prose did and wrote a bestseller about it. Allowing herself to f...

Starting Fires, with April Bell

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine having a tool at your disposal that could help spark innovation and that this magical tool didn’t require capital investment. Now imagine th...

Best of Episode: Pivot to the Pulpit, with Fr. Dave Dwyer

05 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first ever best of episode of Uncorking a Story. Today, we revisit our first ever episode with Fr. Dave Dwyer, who talks about how he ...

Full Court Press, with William "Sully" Sullivan

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

William Sullivan, known as Sully to his friends, is a former Division 1 basketball coach who discovered a love of Shakespeare later in life. He penned...

Put me in, Coach—with Kendall Smith

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up without a father figure can be difficult for someone who has no other male role models in their lives. Author Kendall Smith, son of a singl...

Coaching Authors to Success, with Claudia Volkman

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An editor should be an author’s best friend, but oftentimes authors view editors as taskmasters. Editor and author coach Claudia Volkman wants to sm...

Vulnerability is not Weakness, with Jason Reid

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There is a rise in anxiety and depression among teens resulting from several factors including increased pressures on kids to succeed, unrealistic exp...

Pulling no Punches, with Rea Fry

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest misnomers in publishing is that there are overnight successes. Being a writer requires hard work, creativity, and persistence. All ...

Love Thyself, with Lauren Dollie Duke

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible to experience healing after having a traumatic childhood characterized by neglect, sexual assault, and crime? The answer is yes, but it...

The Heart of Resilience, with Kaira Rouda

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the daughter of a college professor, Kaira Rouda moved around a lot as a kid. Being constantly thrust into new environments helped her develop the ...

Love is in the Air, with Jill Shalvis

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you skip doing your chemistry homework so that you can read historical romance novels? You might not learn about the substances of w...

Playing God, with Elizabeth George

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Authors get to play God when writing a character. We shape them, give them characteristics to make them memorable, and ultimately control their destin...

Art is Medicine, With Aliana Kann Michals

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Art is medicine—that’s the core message that poet, musician, and artist Aliana Kann Michals wants to convey with her forthcoming poetry collection...

Let's Talk About Sex, with Kathy Kay of Strictly Anonymous

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve had many different types of storytellers on Uncorking a Story including authors, comedians, and filmmakers. What I haven’t had yet is one of ...

Michael Macari talks rock and roll and the birth of Christ

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Out of the many guests I’ve hosted on Uncorking a Story, Michael Macari may have one of the most varied tales to tell. The son of immigrant parents,...

Surviving Suicide with Nadine Crocker

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nadine Crocker survived a suicide attempt when she was 23 years old. After leaving home at 16 to pursue a career in front of the camera, maybe she tho...

Good grief and hot monogamy with Cindy Finch

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cindy Finch is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who specializes in helping people through their darkest times. She trained at the Mayo Clinic ...

The power of storytelling with Fred John

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

C. Frederic John enjoys a global reputation as a strategic researcher with a career spanning over 40 years. He specializes in melding profound insight...

Talking reconciliation with Laura Davis

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In her 30+ year career as an author, Laura Davis has written seven non-fiction books that have changed peoples’ lives. The Courage to Heal paved the...

Fly over state love stories with Kris Clink

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kris Clink is the author of Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy and Sissie Klein is Completely Normal, which have received praise from Bustle, Midwest Book Review, ...

Reyna Marder Gentin

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered why there are so many legal dramas on TV? I know I’m dating myself here but off the top of my head I can think of LA Law, Bos...

Running into (not down) a dream with J.M. Thompson

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When I was presented with the opportunity to interview J.M. Thompson about his memoir, Running is a Kind of Dreaming, I sprinted to say yes for two re...

When the FBI shows up at the door, with John Vandemoer

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine you are a father of two young children going through your morning routine of getting them—and yourself—ready for the day when there’s a ...

Business lessons from Rock and Roll with Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Jay French is an American guitarist, manager, record producer and founding member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He is a columnist, autho...

Tackling imposter syndrome with Heather Frimmer

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a brief hiatus between seasons, I’m happy to report that Uncorking a Story is back for its 5th season. Our first episode features a great conv...

Putting laughter on call with Dani Klein Modisett

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dani Klein Modisett is a comedian, actor, and author of the book “Take My Spouse, Please,” about how to create shared laughter to keep your marria...

Andrea Bartz

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrea Bartz is a Brooklyn-based journalist and author of the forthcoming WE WERE NEVER HERE. Her second thriller, THE HERD, was named a best book of ...

Leah Konen

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lea Konen is the author of All the Broken People and of several young adult novels, including Love and Other Train Wrecks and The Romantics. She is a ...

Shari Lapena

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Shari Lapena is the internationally bestselling author of the thrillers The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, Someone We K...

Jessica Chiarella

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jessica Chiarella is the author of And Again. She holds an MA in writing and publishing from DePaul University and an MFA in creative writing from t...

Christina Baker Kline

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A #1 New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including The Exiles, Orphan Train, and A Piece of the World, Christina Baker Kline is publish...

Noel Obiora

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nigerian born and raised debut mystery author Noel Obiora watched the George Floyd video and said to himself, That could have been me. Having come to ...

Mary Dixie Carter

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Dixie is the daughter of Designing Women star, Dixie Carter and step-daughter of Hal Holbrook. Her writing has appeared in Time, The Economist, S...

Anne Basting, Ph.D.

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Anne Basting, Ph.D. is an artist, scholar, and educator committed to the power of the arts and culture to transform our lives as individuals and commu...

Marilyn Peterson Haus

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Marilyn Peterson Haus’ story begins when she was born in 1941 on a farm on the Minnesota Plains. Twins, mental illness, sexism/favoritism, religion,...

Author David Yoon

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

David Yoon grew up in Orange County, California, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novelist Nicola Yoon, and their daughter. He drew the ill...

Aug Stone

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is the one where I talk to author, musician, and comic Aug Stone about his newly released memoir, Nick Cave’s Bar. Don’’t feel bad if you ...

Author Alta Ifland

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alta Ifland was born in Transylvania (Romania), took part in the overthrow of Romania's communist dictatorship, and experienced two years of post-comm...

Author and Performer Laura Hankin

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Laura Hankin is the author of Happy & You Know It and A Special Place for Women. Her musical comedy has been featured in The New York Times, The Washi...

Litigator turned author Christina Sweeney-Baird

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Christina Sweeney-Baird lives in London where she works full-time as a corporate litigation lawyer. Listen in as we discuss her debut novel, The End o...

Joshua M. Greene

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joshua M Greene is a popular lecturer on Holocaust History and an author whose biographies have sold more than half a million copies worldwide. He is ...

The Little Things

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An interview I did this week got me to thinking about how little things can make a big difference. This one Uncorks a story about U2 and a Bodega own...

Do the Hustle

07 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While interviewing author Christina Sweeney-Baird about her debut novel The End of Men, I started thinking about how most authors, and other creators ...

Author Julie Ryan McGue

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Julie Ryan McGue was born in Chicago, Illinois. She and her identical twin sister were adopted together. Her debut memoir, Twice a Daughter: A Search...

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This past weekend, my sister gave me one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received—a stack of letters I had written to my grandparents back ...

Always Give 100%

13 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week I sat in on the first of hopefully many episodes of Comedy Roads, an online show featuring interviews with established stand up comedians r...

The Ruin of Souls Chapter 1

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are going to switch gears a bit as I'd like to share with you the first chapter of my latest book The Ruin of Souls. Now look, I'm not a pro...

Jim Carlon Part 2

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second part of my interview with my twin brother, Jim Carlon. In it, we discuss his decision to join the Jag Corps at almost 40 years of a...

Jim Carlon Part 1

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I have easily interviewed a few thousand people in my career as a moderator and interviewer. I can honestly say that Interviewing my twin brother abou...

Betting on Yourself

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

All the news about the surge in GameStop’s share price got me to thinking just how much money is made when institutional investors bet on companies ...

Why is it so hard for men to make lifestyle changes?

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I had a conversation with an old friend and prospective client last week about a challenge her business is facing—attracting men to use their servic...

Author Olga Grushin

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Olga Grushin was born in Moscow and moved to the United States at eighteen. She is the author of three previous novels, Forty Rooms, The Line and ...

Enjoying the Journey

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When I was a kid, we used to take these road trips from Connecticut to Florida to visit my grandparents. I know that may sound like a huge waste of ti...

Reinvention

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I heard Johnny Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt yesterday and it got me thinking about how important it is to reinvent oneself periodically. ...

Finding Meaning

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I was introduced to the work of Viktor Frankl as an undergraduate student studying psychology. His book, Man’s Search for Meaning, is divided into t...

Born to Run

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While running this morning, I heard the actor Mandy Patinkin being interviewed by Marc Maron on his WTF Podcast. In the conversation, he divulges that...

Overcoming Resentment

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I can’t think of a year wrought with more challenges than 2020. I certainly wouldn’t blame anyone for being resentful over the missed milestones i...