Category

Non Fiction

Craft of Writing, Creativity, Essays, Humor, Memoir, Non Fiction, Short Stories, Writers on Writing

Nov 26: Gary Lippman Sends Wishes to His Muse & Others

June 17, 2026

From fantastical to deeply personal, Lippman explores wishes in I Wish, Therefore I Am

I Wish, Therefore I Am with author Gary Lippman

What would you wish for if you really let yourself?

Never content to color inside the lines, Gary Lippman‘s writing breaks form on purpose. He’s self-reflective, critical, humorous, philosophical, creative, constantly pushing the envelope as a writer and author. And he’s not afraid to share and discuss his own neuroses.

I Wish, Therefore I Am; or, This Here Is a List of Humble Appeals to Dame Fortune is exactly what it sounds like; and nothing like you’d expect.

We discuss: Why Gary strives to shatter traditional narrative structure. The writers and mentors who shaped how he views the world. And what this strange, funny, surprisingly vulnerable book taught him about himself.

We read some of Gary’s wishes aloud – from anxiety and self-doubt to love, longing, and the things we’re almost too embarrassed to admit we want. It’s a conversation about human nature. The big questions. The small questions. The petty, funny, and deeply relatable ones too.

Meet Gary Lippman

Gary Lippman served as an attorney on a pro bono basis with The Innocence Project before focusing on his writing. As an author, journalist, and cultural commentator, Lippman is known for his inventive storytelling and keen eye for the eccentricities of human nature. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vice, and numerous literary journal. His novel, Set the Controls for the Heart of Sharon Tate, won praise for its originality and darkly comic voice. Lippman’s latest book, I Wish, therefore I Am; or, This Here Is a List of Humble Appeals to Dame Fortune, showcases his signature blend of humor, insight, and genre-bending.

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Non Fiction, Psychology, Relationships, Self-help, Social Issues

Jun 10: You’d Never Join a Cult, Right? Daniella Mestyanek Young Says”You’re probably already in a cult. You just don’t know it…”

June 10, 2026

Why We Hand Our Power to High-Control Groups & How To Get It Back

The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them with Daniella Mestyanek Young

Today’s guest is a leading expert on group-think, high-control situations, corporate cultures, clubs, and some of the most insidious cults in America. She says, you might want to look at some of the organizations and people you associate with, before it’s too late.

Last time we spoke with Daniella Mestyanek Young it was about Uncultured, Daniella’s escape from the insidious Children of God cult. Today we explore some of the insights in her latest book, The Culting of America: What Makes A Cult & Why We Love Them.

We look at the difference between cults, groups, and clubs. Discuss a couple of well-known organizations and corporations that meet the 10 criteria shared by all cults. We unpack what makes cults dangerous. How to recognize the signs of high-control groups before it’s too late. And why, and how, we get sucked into them.

Meet Daniella Mestyanek Young

Daniella Mestyanek Young is a cult survivor, U.S. Army veteran, Harvard-trained organizational psychologist, and the author of two books about high-control groups—her critically- acclaimed memoir Uncultured. And her latest, The Culting of America. Born into the Children of God—the infamous sex cult known for weaponizing religion, sexuality, and isolation—Daniella escaped at 15, only to join another high-control institution: the United States Army. She became one of the first women to serve on an integrated ground combat team in Army history, while working as an intelligence officer who studied terrorists for a living. Her work sits at the intersection of leadership, identity, group psychology, and coercive control.

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Creativity, Inspirational, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Psychology, Self-help

Jun 03: You’re so close. The finish line’s in sight. Then you stop. Stall. Self-sabotage. Sound familiar?

June 4, 2026

A Deeper Dive Into Reaching The Final 8th with Bridgit Dengel Gaspard

The Final 8th: Enlist Your Inner Selves to Accomplish Your Goals with Bridgit Dengel Gaspard

If you’ve ever stopped working toward a goal you swore you wanted – a promotion, relationship, creative dream – right before it became reality, returning guest Bridgit Dengel Gaspard says: You’re not weak. You’re not broken. You’re definitely not self-destructive. You’re simply human … and not every part of you wants what you think you want.

Picking up where our last conversation ended, we drill down into Bridgit’s groundbreaking work with inner selves, exploring what it really takes to cross the finish line.

We unpack more neuroscience behind inner selves. What happens in your brain when different “parts” of you pull in different directions. How culture impacts you. How to turn your inner critic into an ally – it’s not your enemy; it’s a protector in a bad disguise.

We explore why we stay too long in jobs, relationships, and situations that no longer serve us. Inner dynamics that keep us stuck. And The Final 8th – that last stretch between where you are and where you want to be, and why it’s often the most psychologically loaded terrain of the entire journey

Meet Bridgit Dengel Gaspard

A psychotherapist, voice dialog coach, author, and founder of the NY Voice Dialogue Institute, Bridgit Dengel Gaspard has led workshops for Omega Institute, New York Open Center, and many other organizations. She’s a former performer and comic, and as therapist and voice dialogue expert, specializes in overcoming creativity blocks. The foreword to The Final 8th: Enlist Your Inner Selves to Accomplish Your Goals is written by the original creators of voice dialogue, Hal and Sidra Stone.

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Adventure, Biography, History, Journalism, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

May 27: Triumph, Tragedy, and History’s Greatest Arctic Rescue with Buddy Levy

May 27, 2026

“Gripping account of a fatal polar adventure.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

Realm of Ice and Sky with author Buddy Levy

National Outdoor Book Award winner Buddy Levy returns to Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair, and takes us somewhere few people have survived to describe.

Realm of Ice and Sky: Triumph, Tragedy, History’s Greatest Arctic Rescue isn’t just a polar adventure. As Buddy explains, this is the history of an idea. The audacious, dangerous dream of reaching the North Pole by airship. If it worked, it would mark a seismic shift in exploration – out with dog sleds and frostbitten toes, and in with airborne travel.

Spoiler alert: The Arctic had other plans.

We explore a nearly forgotten chapter of history: A dramatic 19th-century rescue mission that pushed three extraordinary explorers to the edge of human endurance. We follow their journeys, hubris, heartbreak, and barely-believable heroism. And Buddy shares how he stitched these lost stories together into narrative that reads like a thriller.

P.S. Hear our previous conversation on Buddy’s earlier book, Empire of Ice and Stone here.

Meet Buddy Levy

Buddy Levy is the author of nine books. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NPR, and USA Today. TV audiences may know him from 25 episodes of HISTORY Channel’s Brad Meltzer’s DECODED, or as an on-camera expert in The Frontiersmen: The Men Who Built America, the four-part HISTORY series executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Environment, History, Journalism, Non Fiction, Science

May 20: How Millions of Americans Were Duped by a Strategic Anti-Science Campaign

May 20, 2026

This is not a doom & gloom story. It’s a detective story. With heroes, villains, & a cast of very memorable characters.

The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial with NYT Bestselling author David Lipsky

In The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial, author David Lipsky reveals one of the greatest deceptions in American history – the deliberate, funded, and strategically cast campaign to make millions of people doubt what scientists already knew.

It was planned. Programmed. And paid for.

The story begins with three inventors named Edison, Westinghouse, and Tesla, who built our technological world without knowing what they’d set into motion. From there, Lipsky follows scientists who identified the danger and sounded the alarm of what was to come, including the moment everything changed.

We discuss who won the talent audition to become America’s 1st Celebrity Doubter. How the playbook developed to cast doubt on products such as aspirin and cigarettes was repurposed to target climate science. How a nation that once celebrated scientific discoveries became a country split between believers, and a well-organized army of disinformation hucksters and propagandists.

Meet Bestselling Author David Lipsky

David Lipsky’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, NPR’s All Things Considered, and The New York Times. He 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. The Parrot And The Igloo is possibly David Lipsky’s most important work to date: It’s a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a New Yorker and Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2023, and a USA Today Must Read.

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Creativity, Journalism, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Science, Writers on Writing

May 13: Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times Journalist Unpacks the Myths & Mysteries of Creativity

May 13, 2026

Author Matt Richtel says most of us are creative … even if you think you’re not!

Inspired: Understanding Creativity – A Journey Through Art, Science and the Soul with Matt Richtel

Creativity sparks innovation in art, science, technology, business, sports, and life in general. But the origins of inspiration have long remained a mystery. Until now.

A talented narrative storyteller, Matt Richtel explores elements that ignite creativity in his book Inspired: Understanding Creativity – A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul.

Matt shares the authentic nature of creativity, its biological and evolutionary origins, its deep connection to spirituality, and the way it bubbles in each of us waiting to be released.

Today, we discuss: Matt’s challenges with the great muse, and how he managed them. Traits of successful creators. Conditions where creativity thrives. How we can get out of our own way, and move past creative blocks. And more.

Meet Matt Richtel

Matt Richtel is a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist, bestselling author, and novelist based in San Francisco, known for exploring the impact of technology on human behavior and health. He won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for a series on distracted driving. Richtel combines technical expertise and science reporting, with narrative storytelling in both his non-fiction and thriller novels.

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Business, Career, Non Fiction, Professional Development, Writers on Writing

Apr 15: What Stands Between You & Your Desires with Gavin McMahon

April 15, 2026

Why Stories Rule the World

Story Business – Why Stories Rule the World and How They Can Reinvent Your Business with Gavin McMahon

“The single biggest thing standing between you and what you want is the story you are telling…” ~ Gavin McMahon.

Despite his impressive military background, and degrees in engineering, somewhere along the way today’s guest became consumed with the power of story.

We discuss Gavin McMahon‘s new book, Story Business: Why Stories Rule the World and How They Can Reinvent Your Business – principles that also apply to your personal brand, regardless of your job title.

Gavin shares thoughts on what makes a good story, why packaging is often more important than the idea, and why emotion matters. We also explore a couple of Gavin’s favorite stories, including how CEO Satya Nadella quickly transformed the culture of Microsoft.

Meet Gavin McMahon

Gavin Mcmahon began his career as a mechanical engineer building submarines, sports cars, and steel plants. He trained as a British Army officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, worked across defense, automotive, and technology industries. And eventually became a Sainsbury Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering before earning an MBA in Innovation, Strategy and Information Technology in France. McMahon has spent the last 30 years helping some of the world’s biggest companies from Microsoft to SpaceX get desired results by unlocking the power of stories.

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Non Fiction, Psychology, Social Issues

Mar 25: The Culting of America with Daniella Mestyanek Young

March 25, 2026

What Makes a Cult & Why We Love Them

The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them with Daniella Mestyanek Young

“You’re probably in a cult. You just don’t know it yet.”

Last time we spoke with Daniella Mestyanek Young it was about Uncultured and Daniella’s escape from the insidious Children of God cult. But not all cult-like situations are the same (think corporations, groups, organizations, clubs) and recognizing you’re in a high-control situation is half the battle.

Today we discuss Daniella’s new book, The Culting of America: What Makes A Cult & Why We Love Them. We share what makes cults dangerous, how to recognize the signs of high-control before it’s too late, and why we get sucked into them.

We explore the difference between cults, groups, and fan clubs. And look at a couple of well-known organizations fitting the “10 criteria framework” of all cults. Daniella’s driving force in her work: Why do we give ourselves over to groups — and how do we get our power back?

Meet Daniella Mestyanek Young

Daniella Mestyanek Young is a cult survivor, U.S. Army veteran, Harvard-trained organizational psychologist, and the author of two books about high-control groups—her critically- acclaimed memoir Uncultured. And her latest, The Culting of America. Born into the Children of God—the infamous sex cult known for weaponizing religion, sexuality, and isolation—Daniella escaped at fifteen, only to join another high-control institution: the United States Army. She became one of the first women to serve on an integrated ground combat team in Army history, while working as an intelligence officer who studied terrorists for a living. Her work sits at the intersection of leadership, identity, group psychology, and coercive control.

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History, Nature, Non Fiction, Science

Mar 18: Metamorphosis with Professor Oren Harman

March 18, 2026

From butterflies to art & the meditation of a father-to-be, how metamorphosis informs us about ourselves, change, & interconnectedness

Metamorphosis: A Natural and Human History with Professor Oren Harman

Professor Oren Harman‘s latest book, Metamorphosis: A Natural and Human History, tackles one of biology’s oldest and most wondrous riddles: Why do three-quarters of all animal species on earth undergo some form of metamorphosis?

Part science history, part memoir, part philosophy, and part meditation of a father-to-be, the stories in Metamorphosis take us from Aristotle to Darwin, and the cutting edge of molecular biology and humanity.

We explore how metamorphosis has inspired centuries of philosophers, artists, writers, and culture. We also discuss why a caterpillar must dissolve and rewire it’s brain to become a butterfly. Freud’s obsession with eel testicles (yes, you read that right!) Why ‘Benjamin Button’ jellyfish grow younger in the ocean’s depths.

And, what metamorphosis teaches us about the human self, connection, and change.

Meet Professor Oren Harman

Professor Oren Harman has written numerous acclaimed books including: The Man Who Invented the Chromosome; Rebels, Mavericks and Heretics in Biology; and The Price of Altruism, which won the 2010 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Book of the Year in Science and Technology. It was also a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and was nominated for the Pulitzer prize. Professor Harman is Senior Research Fellow at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, and teaches at the Graduate Program in Science Technology and Society at Bar Ilan University. Trained in history and biology at the Hebrew University, Oxford, and Harvard, Harman is a historian of science and has written widely for popular and professional audiences on genetics, evolution, history and philosophy of science, altruism, biography, and science and mythology. Today we discuss Professor Harman’s latest work Metamorphosis: A Natural and Human History.

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Conservation, Environment, Nature, Non Fiction

Mar 11: Less Work, More Nature. Rewild Your Garden & Ditch Your Lawnmower for Good with Danae Wolfe

March 11, 2026

What if the most impactful conservation effort you can make begins with your own backyard?

Grass Isn’t Greener: The Everyday Conservationist’s Guide to Bringing Nature to Your Yard with author Danae Wolfe

In Grass Isn’t Greener: The Everyday Conservationist’s Guide to Bringing Nature to Your Yard, photographer and conservationist Danae Wolfe shares how you can make your garden less work and more enjoyable.

Among the things we discuss today: The real benefits of ditching your lawnmower, and how to simplify your outdoor space, while making it more beautiful by inviting butterflies, birds. bees, and wildlife to visit

Danae shares how to create a simple butterfly puddle-station. Why invasive plants are more problematic than you think. And, we discuss some of the small changes that can save you time and energy, while reaping big conservation rewards.

Meet Danae Wolfe

Danae Wolfe is a macro photographer and conservation educator. Wolfe’s new book – full of color photos and quick, easy ways to support nature and rewilding – is Grass Isn’t Greener: The Everyday Conservationist’s Guide to Bringing Nature to Your Yard. In 2015 she founded Chasing Bugs and teaches others about the beauty, diversity, and importance of insects and spiders through photography, public speaking, and writing. Danae’s work has been featured in various outlets including CNN, The American Gardener magazine, and Nature Conservancy magazine. In 2022 Danae received the Garden Communicators International Emergent Communicator award.

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