Author

David Vandver

Creativity, Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Science, Self-help, Spirituality

Sep 18: Walk Your Way to More Creativity & Better Health with Michael Gelb

September 18, 2024

Walking Well: A new approach for comfort, vitality, and inspiration in every step.

Walking Well with coauthor Michael Gelb

Walking is one of the most scientifically researched human activities. We know it’s good for us, providing many benefits from improved physical and mental health, to spiritual and emotional wellbeing, to heightened creativity and increased productivity. We also know those benefits increase exponentially if we are outdoors in nature.

To prove a point, today’s guest, Michael Gelb walked as we talked about his new book coauthored with Bruce Fertman, WALKING WELL: A New Approach for Comfort, Vitality, and Inspiration in Every Step.

An expert in creative thinking, Michael Gelb joined forces with movement expert Bruce Fertman to create their new, whole-being approach to find an “easier, kinder, more natural way to walk.” And if you don’t like walking, their Walking Well practice also includes sitting, standing, and lying down.

Meet Coauthors Michael J. Gelb and Bruce Fertman

Michael J. Gelb is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, executive coaching, and innovative leadership. He’s a fifth-degree black belt in aikido and a gifted teacher of tai chi and the Alexander Technique. He is the author of 17 books — including the international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. Michael Gelb is also a professional juggler who performed with the Rolling Stones.

Bruce Fertman brings 60 years of study as a movement artist and educator to his work. His training includes gymnastics, modern dance, ballet, contact improvisation, the Alexander Technique, tai chi chuan, aikido, chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony), Argentine tango, and kyudo (Zen archery). For the past 30 years Fertman’s taught in Europe, Asia, and the Americas helping people experience the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual life.

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Animals, Humor, Non Fiction, Science

Sep 11: Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice with Your Pets’ Secret Lives

September 11, 2024

The Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors

Your Pets’ Secret Lives with author Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice

Think your dog feels guilty? That your bird lives drama-free? Or that your cat hunts only mice and birds? Think again. While many of us see our pets as family members, our pets see the world in a very different way.

In Your Pets’ Secret Lives: The Truth Behind Your Pets Wildest Behaviors Eleanor Spicer Rice shakes your pets’ family trees, dives into their brains, and sometimes hitches a ride on their poops to discover the meaning behind some of our animal friends’ wildest behaviors.

Meet Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice

Eleanor Spicer Rice, PhD, is an entomologist and the author of many nonfiction books, including Your Hidden Life: Unseen Jungle and Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Spiders. ​Eleanor is also the senior science editor at Verdant Word, a science communication company she co-founded with Robin Sutton Anders. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, sons, dogs, hermit crabs, an assortment of spiders and insects, and a small, valiant flock of homing pigeons.

Your Pets’ Secret Lives was illustrated by Rob Wilson, an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer who has created work for the Washington Post, New York magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, and the covers of best-selling books. He is the illustrator of Your Hidden Life: Unseen Jungle and the creator of the icon for the popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Rob Wilson’s work has been featured in galleries in London and New York City.

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 21: Internationally Bestselling Author David Wroblewski Discusses Familiaris

August 21, 2024

Follow up to the modern classic The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Familiaris with author David Wroblewski

Familiaris hits bookshelves 15 years after David Wroblewski‘s debut novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle became a #1 New York Times bestseller, Oprah Book Club pick, Indie Choice Best Author Discovery, and recipient of many other accolades.

We discuss why it took 15 years to produce Familiaris, a life-span saga of the origin of the Sawtelle family – John Sawtelle, his new bride Mary, their three dogs, and friends – as they set off on a series of quests to find meaning, purpose, and adventure.

David also shares why John Sawtelle needed his own book. How the author develops his characters, sense of location (farm, Wisconsin), and how his childhood influences his storytelling.

Meet Award-winning, Bestselling Author David Wroblewski

David Wroblewski is the author of the internationally bestselling novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, an Oprah Book Club pick Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, winner of the Colorado Book Award, and numerous other awards. David Wroblewski received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson M.F.A. Program for Writers, and a Bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Colorado with the writer Kimberly McClintock and their dogs, Pie and Luci.

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 14: The Waw with Novelist Jacqueline Gay Walley

August 14, 2024

The WAW with author Jacqueline Gay Walley

“There are people who do not settle in one place, but are like the nomadic tribes of the desert, longing for the Waw, the ultimate oasis, where they will finally be home.” 

So begins Jacqueline Gay Walley’s novel, THE WAW, where a woman leaves behind everything she knows in her New York life to follow the dream of living in a small English town by the sea and finding her tribe.

Jacqueline Gay Walley shares a peek into her writing process and the inspiration for THE WAW. She discusses why she chose to keep her narrator anonymous. The challenges her protagonist faces. How Jacqueline selects her projects, her favorite scenes to write, and why she says always write from the heart.

Meet Author Jaqueline Gay Walley

Jacqueline Gay Walley has published eight novels. She has written plays (shown in New York and London) and has released two films based on her books. Her film The Erotic Fire of the Unattainable was selected by six international film festivals and now plays on Amazon Prime. Born in London and raised in Montreal, Jacqueline lives in New York where she coaches writing, edits, and ghostwrites.

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History, Journalism, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 07: Michael Castleman Shares The Untold Story of Books

August 7, 2024

A Writer’s History of Book Publishing

The Untold Story of Books with author Michael Castleman

Are physical books here to stay? The answer might surprise you. There are so many interesting stories and trails and fun facts in Michael Castleman‘s The Untold Story of Books: A Writer’s History of Book Publishing that we couldn’t put it down. Whether you’re a writer, reader, bibliophile, librarian, publisher, or just interested in how it started and where it’s at stories, we think you’ll enjoy it too.

Michael shares insights into Bestseller Lists; why they don’t tell the whole story and how they can be manipulated. We explore when and why book dedications began. How a machine designed for pressing olive oil changed the publishing industry, and what that meant for scribes and authors. We also peek into traditional versus independent (indi) and self publishing. How the digital revolution and AI impacted the industry – and where Michael sees it all going.

Meet Author Michael Castleman

Michael Castleman is a journalist and author of bestselling books on sexuality, health, and the history of book publishing. He also writes fiction. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan, Michael Castleman earned an M.A. in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism. He has lived in San Francisco since 1975.

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Creativity, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Uncategorized, Writers on Writing

Jul 31: Matthew Dicks – Strategies from a Master Storyteller

July 31, 2024

Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Your Brand

Stories Sell with author Matthew Dicks

Today’s guest has many talents and accolades. But regardless of what Matthew Dicks is doing – teaching high school students, writing books or Moth GrandSLAM talks, giving keynote speeches, consulting with Fortune 500 clients, even hosting as a wedding DJ – he says ” … the heart of it revolves around story.”

That’s what we discuss in Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and Your Brand.

Matthew shares how to differentiate between a romp and a story. Why you should keep a story bank, and how Matthew builds his. Why most companies, salespeople, and marketers get storytelling wrong, and why you should focus first on story, then purpose. What makes a 5-second Moment. How to avoid death by PowerPoint. Why But and However help to transition story scenes, but And doesn’t. When to risk introducing humor and why … and much more.

Meet Matthew Dicks – Bestselling Author, Moth StorySLAM & GrandSLAM Champion

Matthew Dicks is the internationally bestselling author of several novels, including Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, and Something Missing. His nonfiction titles include books we’ve discussed on the show before: Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling. Someday is Today:  22 Simple Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life. And his latest, Stories Sell: Storyworthy Strategies to Grow Your Business and our Brand. Matthew Dicks is a 56-time Moth StorySLAM Champion, and a 9-time GrandSLAM Champion, whose stories have been featured on the nationally syndicated Moth Radio Hour. His stories have also appeared on PBS’ Stories From the Stage.

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Non Fiction, Science

Jul 17: Jaime Green Explores The Possibility of Life Beyond Earth

July 18, 2024

Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos

The Possibility of Life with author Jaime Green

One of the most frequently asked – yet unanswered – questions we humans ask about the cosmos, is: Are we alone?

Author Jaime Green says, while the science behind this is fascinating, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s a reflection of our values and aspirations, our fears and anxieties. And most importantly, our enduring sense of hope.

Jaime shares why the question we should really ask is, not “Is there life out there?“, but “What if … ?” We explore how science has influenced our history and culture, and the role that science fiction plays – think Star Trek and Avatar. Jaime also reveals if she’s answered the big question for herself … the question of what it means to human.  

Meet Jaime Green: Award-winning Science Author

Jaime Green is a freelance writer, editor, and writing teacher. The Possibility of Life was an NPR Science Friday Book Club Pick, a Wired Book to Read for Spring, and a TODAY Show Summer Pick. The series editor for The Best American Science and Nature Writing, Jaime Green is a lecturer at Smith College and at the Johns Hopkins Science Writing Master’s Program.

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Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, Non Fiction, Psychology

Jul 03: Sue Van Raes Defines Food & Freedom

July 3, 2024

Discover Your Personal Recipe to Eat, Think, and Live Well

Food and Freedom with author Sue Van Raes

Sue Van Raes helps break through some of the misinformation and disinformation around our biochemistry, metabolism, and what that really means to us and our health – emotional, mental, and physical.

She says while most people blame food for their weight issues, food is actually a symptom. We discuss why embodied eating is important, and what that means. How aligned action benefits us. Where resistance shows up. How eating with your soul improves your life, and the best ways to overcome food coping skills such as comfort eating, food restriction, and food perfectionism.

Meet Sue Van Raes

The author of Food and Freedom: Discover Your Recipe to Eat, Think, and Live Well, Sue Van Raes is a functional nutritionist, food psychology specialist, and psycho-spiritual practitioner dedicated to helping women (and men) transform the way they eat, think, and live. Her work is featured in numerous publications including People magazine, Chopra, Livestrong, and Reader’s Digest. More about Sue at Boulder Nutrition.

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Environment, Journalism, Non Fiction, Science, Social Issues

Jun 26: The Parrot & The Igloo with NYT Bestselling Author David Lipsky

June 26, 2024

Climate and the Science of Denial

The Parrot and the Igloo with author David Lipsky

“Lipsky spins top-flight climate literature into cliffhanger entertainment.” ~ The New York Times

He’s known as a writer who finds the stories behind the stories. In The Parrot And The Igloo: Climate And The Science Of Denial, David Lipsky explores how the virulent “anti-science” movement in America was no accident. It was planned, programmed, and paid for.

Today, David Lipsky shares why he describes his book as a story about ingenuity and folly. We look at some of the inventors who created our world. Scientists who sounded warning bells. Why Mark Mills is one of David’s favorite people in this story. How we went from being a country that supported science, to a population divided into science supporters versus science deniers, hucksters, and propagandists.

We learn when, how, and why planned “denial” movements began (think Christmas 1953 and cigarette companies). And who won the casting call to become the first Celebrity Doubter and “paid voice” behind the massive Climate Denial Campaign.

Meet Bestselling Author David Lipsky

David Lipsky is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Absolutely American and Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, the basis for the movie The End of the Tour. He’s written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Harper’s Magazine, and is a recipient of the National Magazine Award and the GLAAD Media Award. His work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Magazine Writing anthologies. Lipsky teaches writing and literature at NYU and lives in New York City. The Parrot And The Igloo is a NYT Editors’ Choice, a New Yorker and Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023, and a USA Today Must Read.

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Health & Wellness, Inspirational, Memoir, Non Fiction, Self-help

May 08: Can Love Survive the Onslaught of Chronic Illness? On My Way Back to You with Sarah Cart

May 8, 2024

One Couple’s Journey Through Catastrophic Illness to Healing & Hope

On My Way Back to You with author Sarah Cart

Suddenly becoming a caregiver for a loved often means massive life changes, steep learning curves, and long draining hours where normal life – let alone selfcare – seems impossible.

When Sarah Cart was thrown into the role of caregiver to her ailing husband, she assumed the life she loved was behind her.

Today we discuss life before and after her husband’s unexpected diagnosis. How Sarah and Ben coped with the news of life-threatening medical issues. Some of their biggest challenges, and how caregiving affected their relationship as husband and wife.

We also highlight key takeaways from Sarah and Ben’s journey, including the importance of finding new passions, new opportunities. The need to construct a plan for worst-case scenarios. Signs to pay attention to. How to embrace selfcare – and what that looks like. Sarah also shares one of the best questions that friends and family can ask the caregiver to provide support.

Meet Sarah Cart

Journalist Sarah Cart was raised and educated in New York and New England, and wrote for multiple local publications while she and her husband, Ben, raised four sons in northeastern Ohio. When they became empty-nesters, the Carts moved to the Florida Keys, returning every summer to the Pennsylvania Poconos, where each had lifelong family connections. On My Way Back to You is Sarah Cart’s debut book and was written with Glenn Paskin.

Glenn Plaskin: Celebrity Interviewer and columnist Glenn Plaskin is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five books, specializing in memoir, business, self-help, leadership, and inspiration. 

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