Stories from Cold Springs

A writing life rarely follows the outline we imagine. Degrees don't guarantee careers, dream jobs arrive by unexpected roads, and sometimes the best stories begin with a change of plans. In this episode of Stories from Cold Springs , Stephen Beam sits down with writer and producer Scott Ray to explore a career built on reinvention. Growing up outside Memphis, Scott was captivated by magazines...

A jar of Korean chili paste doesn’t sound like a turning point—until you’re nine years old, moving through airports and customs, unable to speak English, and realizing your whole world is about to change. In Part Two of our conversation with Sam Lee , we follow the winding road from an immigrant kid in Mississippi to a marching band regular, a rock n' roll garage band member, an electrical en...

He’s ten years old, fresh from postwar Korea, and suddenly sitting in a Mississippi classroom with no English. That’s where Sam Lee’s American story begins and it’s nothing like the polished version we usually hear. We talk with Sam as he maps the world he came from: growing up in Mokpo, living with nightly curfews, shopping at traditional markets daily, and moving through a Korean education syste...

A second-grade blessing. A kitchen table crowded with paint. A 21-foot Jesus mural Kym Garraway-Braley joins us to share how a childhood shaped by artists, a brave grandmother, and a winding Mississippi creek became a life of color, calling, and community. We trace Kym’s early start, brush in hand before age two, and the generations of creatives who came before her. She opens up about crooked teet...

A torn labrum closed one door for Todd McCall — and opened another that would shape the lives of thousands of athletes. In this episode, we sit down with Todd, now Head Athletic Trainer at Southern Miss , to trace his journey from small-town Alabama catcher to Division I leader. Along the way: powerhouse programs in Alabama, Marshall’s resilient football culture, the altitude extremes of Wyoming,...

The Scene That Stopped Her Cold: How Kristen Illarmo Writes Duologies That Burn Bright and Fast What happens when a character takes the reins, and you’re brave enough to follow? In this episode, YA sci-fi and fantasy author Kristen Illarmo reveals how a poetry-loving kid from South Carolina became a New Orleans novelist crafting propulsive two-book series with heart, heat, and high stakes. Kristen...

A life can be measured in songs cued, flags saluted, and nights under stadium lights. We sit down with radio mainstay Ted Tibbett to trace the winding road from a childhood spent in studios and parades to a draft notice in 1968, a detour to South Korea, and a homecoming that turned into four decades behind a high school press box mic. Ted’s stories are vivid and generous: a father who sang and rea...

This is a special (bonus) episode of Stories From Cold Springs. We've been asking our guest to share their favorite Christmas memories. Here are some of our favorites. A castoff tree becomes a masterpiece. A heaterless Ford carries a homesick soldier down a freezing highway. A prank chair turns a nervous daughter-in-law into family. These are the moments that define Christmas in our world: ki...

A priest’s journey rarely begins at the pulpit. Ours starts on a small Irish farm in County Galway, where thirteen children, a barter ledger at the grocer, and a windowless scullery kept life running without cash or convenience. Father Tommy Conway opens up about a way of life built on chores, prayer, and community—then shows how Ireland’s commitment to free education and EU investment vaulted a r...

What happens when a classically-trained violinist breaks her neck and loses her musical identity for over a decade? Alexis Frenette's remarkable journey takes us from a defining childhood moment in Connecticut to finding her place as a fiddle player in Mississippi. Alexis shares the pivotal experience of discovering her passion at just five years old during a school assembly featuring young S...

Ever wonder how a Sunday sermon lands so close to home, it feels like it was written just for you ? Methodist minister David Sellers takes us inside that mysterious, surprisingly creative, and sacred process in this warm and insightful episode of Stories from Cold Springs . From his humble beginnings as a “surprise baby” in Mississippi to his hard-earned nickname “farm prone” (you’ll see why), Sel...

Courtesy Content Notice: This episode contains true stories about hunting, animal injuries/death, and butchering animals for food. It is not unnecessarily graphic, but may not be suitable for individuals who are not comfortable hearing about such topics. Please use discretion; we respect your choices. Stubbs (Lucus) returns to the Stories from Cold Springs podcast with a collection of vibrant tale...

Authenticity and craftsmanship shine through every moment of our conversation with Daniel "Stubbs" Lucus, whose remarkable journey from rural poverty to HGTV recognition captivates from start to finish. Stubbs (only his mamma calls him Daniel) takes us back to his childhood, where, at just 10 years old, he started his first business—growing and selling peas with help from his grandfather...

Garfield Moore didn’t set out to become a cellist. But sometimes the right moment finds you—and for him, it happened in a school assembly, when a beloved guitar teacher revealed she was, in fact, a cellist. That quiet surprise would tune the rest of his life. In this moving episode of Stories from Cold Springs , Moore shares a remarkable musical journey—one shaped by legacy, resilience, and joy. B...

Every storyteller starts somewhere. For J. Stephen Beam, it began in the red clay hills of northeast Mississippi, where stories were passed around like heirloom recipes—spoken with reverence, humor, and heart. In this premiere episode of Stories from Cold Springs , Stephen steps out from behind the narrator’s chair and into the spotlight to share his own story—one rooted in family, hard work, and...

J Stephen Beam introduces listeners to his new podcast and explains his WHY! This teaser will make you want to grab a cup of sweet tea and settle into a wooden swing on a farmhouse porch in Mississippi. You'll never think about storytelling and creativity the same way. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves radio, and leave a review to help more listeners find these stories. Your voice keep...