Alone At Lunch

This week we are joined by Ihea Inyama. Ihea is a NYC-based comedian, writer, and actor from Ewing, New Jersey. He's a house team writer for UCB's Maude Night, and is a co-creator and star of the web series i’m so happy for you!!!!!! . He has been awarded stand-up comedy residencies at Broadway and Greenwich Village Comedy clubs, co-hosts the variety comedy show Mind the Gap! , and regularly perfo...

This week we are joined by Jessica Levin. Jessica is an NYC based comedian. The daughter of a sanitation worker, with longshoreman genes, she has a blue collar mentality with white color taste. She released her first comedy special, Party Body , on YouTube in November 2025. In this engaging episode, Jessica discusses the importance of saying yes to opportunities, reflects on her childhood and fami...

This week we are joined by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. Emily and Austin met and fell in love in high school. Austin went on to graduate from Harvard, while Emily graduated from Princeton. Together, they are the authors of multiple novels including The Roughest Draft and Reese's YA Bookclub Pick Heiress Takes All. They are also two-thirds of USA Today bestselling author E.B. Asher....

This week we are joined by Lucy Sandwick. Lucy Sandwick is a comic and sketch writer based in NYC. She's been a semi finalist in the NY Queer Comedy Festival and Comedy Mob Festival, and her videos have garnered millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, and her enemies' group chats. Follow her @lucysandwick ! In this episode, Lucy shares her experiences growing up with brothers and how it influe...

This week we are joined by Rachel Van Dyken. Rachel Van Dyken the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching guilty-pleasure TV. Her new romantasy FALLEN GODS from Red Tower Books is out now. In this episode, Rachel discu...

This week we are joined by Ivi Demi! Ivi is a Brooklyn comic originally from Albania. He was voted the Best House Comic at the Laugh Index Theatre in DC for 2020 and 2021. He has performed at the DC Improv, DC Comedy Loft, Gotham, Comic Strip, the Riot Comedy Festival, and the Burbank Comedy Festival, where he was selected to the Best of the Fest for 2021. You can see him producing and performing...

This week we are joined by Laura Griffin. Laura Griffin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty books and novellas. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages. Laura is a two-time RITA® Award winner as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award. Laura got her start in journalism before venturing into the world of writing fiction. She lives i...

This week we are joined by Zaib Pirani! Zaib is a stand-up comedian in New York City, who makes jokes about his life; especially about growing up in a family of previously-undocumented Indian-Muslims in Sugar Land, Texas. In this episode, Zaib shares his journey from Texas to New York, exploring his experiences with religion, community, and comedy. He discusses the challenges of fitting into tradi...

This week we are joined by Alex Falcone! Alex Falcone is a comedian and writer living in Los Angeles. He’s appeared in several episodes of Portlandia, performed standup on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , and his videos have racked up over 300 million views online . He’s also the author of a best selling young-adult romance novel, Unwrap My Heart: or It's Time For Mummies . Despite these modes...

This week we are joined by Jamie Harrow! Jamie Harrow was born and raised at the Jersey Shore. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Villanova University and lives in New Jersey with her family. Her debut novel, One on One , was published by Dutton in 2024. Fun at Parties , her second novel, is available now. In this episode, Jamie Harrow discusses the importance of embracing non-linear care...

This week we are joined by Anika Fajardo! Anika Fajardo is an award-winning writer born in Colombia and raised in Minnesota. Her debut novel for adult readers is T he Many Mothers of Dolores Moore . She is also the author of the middle-grade books What If a Fish and Meet Me Halfway , as well as the memoir Magical Realism for Non-Believers . In this episode, Anika Fajardo shares her journey from gr...

This week we are joined by Kristi DeMeester! Kristi is the author of Dark Sisters , Such a Pretty Smile , which was selected as a Georgia Author of the Year finalist, and Beneath . Her short fiction has appeared in publications such as The Dark, Black Static, multiple volumes of The Year’s Best Horror, Year’s Best Weird Fiction, and in her short fiction collection Everything That’s Underneath . Sh...

This week we are joined by Jilberto Soto! Jilberto is a first-generation Mexican American comedian who produces and runs two standout comedy shows: Purple Park Comedy , which spotlights rising POC and female comics, and Mariposas Comedy , an all-queer showcase. Jilberto is also the host of I Hope This Ages Well , a podcast where he interviews fascinating seniors in NYC, and co-hosts Together We’re...

This week we are joined by Caroline Palmer! From 2014 to 2019, Caroline Palmer was the director of editorial, video, and social media at Amazon Fashion. Prior to her tenure at Amazon, she spent seven years as the editor of Vogue.com. Her work has appeared in various publications, including The New York Times, Life, Seventeen magazine, and Vogue. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with her husband...

This week we are joined by Kelly Taylor! Kelly is an NYC based comedian. Check out Kelly on instagram @hellothisiskelly and check out her podcast I Feel Fat Today on instagram @ifeelfattoday & subscribe to the show on Youtube . In this episode, Kelly Taylor shares her experiences growing up in New Jersey, navigating college life, and the impact of family dynamics on her personal growth. The discus...

This week we are joined by Rachel Linden! Rachel is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie and Recipe for a Charmed Life and several other novels, including her latest The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake . The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie was turned into a Hallma...

This week we are joined by Hannah Nicole Maehrer! Hannah Nicole Maehrer—or as TikTok Knows her, @hannahnicolemae —is a BookToker and fantasy romance author of Assistant To The Villain , Apprentice To The Villain , and Accomplice To The Villain . Her biggest passions in life include romance, magic, laughter, and finding ways to include them all in everything she creates. In this episode, Hannah sha...

This week we are joined by Alice Fishbein! Alice Fishbein is a Brooklyn-based comedian. Her solo comedy show, "Leo Still Dies in the End," premiered at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2025. She can be seen performing comedy in NYC and her writing and viral videos can be found all over the internet. In this episode, Alice shares her experiences from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, her one-woman...

This week we are joined by Myka Fox! Myka Fox is an NYC-based writer and comedian who has written jokes for multiple Comedy Central Roasts, The MTV Movie Awards w/ Nikki Glaser, the Independent Spirit Awards, and SNL’s Weekend Update. Myka is/was one half of the cult favorite Gas Digital Podcast “ Shame On ” with Kerryn Feehan, and currently hosts the popular podcast " Great Hang with Myka and Tim...

This week we are joined by Samantha Downing! Samantha Downing is an internationally bestselling thriller author whose books have appeared on the Sunday Times and USA Today.  Her debut novel, My Lovely Wife , was nominated for Edgar, ITW, and Macavity awards in the US, the CWA award in the UK, and was the winner of the Prix des Lectrices award in France. Her latest thriller, Too Old For This , was...

This week Carly is on vacation, and Emily talks to her husband and cohost Danny Moss. They host the Yeet the Rich podcast together, where they research uber rich companies and families, what they claim to have contributed to the world, what the reality is. Danny also works full time as a scenic carpenter, building an engineering scenery for film and tv, having worked on projects like In the Height...

Autumn and back to school vibes are just around the corner! This week we bring you a special episode that reconnects you with the hosts of the show. In this episode of Alone at Lunch, hosts Emily and Carly dive into the nostalgic feelings of back to school, discussing their love for the season and how it inspires them to set new goals. They explore the challenges of balancing creativity and mother...

This week we are joined by Meryl Wilsner! Meryl is a bestselling author of contemporary romances featuring queer folks who love women, including Something To Talk About , Mistakes Were Made , Cleat Cute , and My Best Friend’s Honeymoon . Whether high-heat or slow burn, their books always have a happily ever after. Some of Meryl’s favorite things include: all four seasons, Hawaiian shirts, the way...

This week marks the return of Alone at Lunch cohost Emily Walsh! Tune in to hear all the TMI details of Emily’s journey into motherhood. We discuss the challenges and joys of having a newborn, with Emily sharing her experiences with breastfeeding, the unpredictability of childbirth, and the isolation that can come with being a new mom. We also touch on the importance of support systems, the emotio...

This week we are joined by Sarah Adler! USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler writes romantic comedies about lovable weirdos finding their happily ever afters, including Mrs. Nash’s Ashes , Happy Medium , and Finders Keepers . She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and very mischievous cat. When not working, you can find her attempting to course-correct an ill-advised late afternoon...