Alone At Lunch

This week we are joined by Sophie Stava ! Sophie has loved to read as long as she can remember. Her passion for reading led her to study English Literature at University of California Santa Barbara, where received her B.A. She spent a number of years as (among other things) an event planner, executive recruiter, and ghostwriter before pursuing her own writing. She currently resides in Southern Cal...

This week we are joined by Patrick Holbert! Patrick Holbert is a former TV producer-turned-standup comedian who has appeared on Sirius XM, TruTV, The Travel Channel, and was the host of the internationally syndicated TV show “The Movie Loft” for two years. The New York Times called him the “charming M.C.” of the children’s variety show he helmed for multiple tours. An accomplished director, camera...

This week we are joined by Katherine Center! Katherine Center is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels, including The Bodyguard, Hello Stranger, Things You Save in a Fire, and The Rom-Commers. Katherine writes deep, nuanced, laugh-and-cry rom-coms that brim with hope and healing. The movie adaptation of her novel Happiness for Beginners became a Netflix movie in 2023 and hit the G...

This week we are joined by Kate Posey! Kate Posey writes thriller romcoms for readers who hanker after true crime and true love. She lives in BC with her family. Check out her debut novel Serial Killer Games ! In this episode, we discuss the importance of reading as a coping mechanism during awkward middle school years and how it led Kate to discover her passion for writing and fan fiction. Kate s...

This week we are joined by Dotun Olubeko! Dotun Olubeko is a dynamic functional health expert, content creator, and winner of ABC’s The Bachelorette, where he got engaged to his now fiancée Charity Lawson. Blending clinical expertise with authentic storytelling, Dotun creates engaging, impactful content that resonates with diverse audiences. Beyond his time on The Bachelorette, Dotun has showcased...

This week we are joined by Lauren Connolly! Lauren Connolly is an award-winning author of contemporary and magical romance stories, including PS: I Hate You . She’s lived among mountains, next to lakes, and in imaginary worlds. Lauren can never seem to stay in one place for too long, but trust that wherever she’s residing there is a dog who thinks he’s a troll, twin cats hiding in the couch, and b...

This week we are joined by Trish Smart! Trish Smart is a nomadic stand-up comic that flies under the radar and into your watering hole. Right now she’s living in a van down by a walmart parking lot painting a toilet selfie to sell at a show near you. She is an edgy comic that pushes the envelope of what women should be allowed to say out loud. Amidst her renditions of her quixotic lifestyle choice...

This week we are joined by Byron Lane! Byron Lane is an author, playwright, and screenwriter. His debut novel, A Star is Bored, is hailed by The New York Times Book Review as "wildly funny,” inspired by his time as assistant to actress Carrie Fisher. He also wrote the celebrated novel Big Gay Wedding, the series Last Will & Testicle, the acclaimed play Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad On Craigslist, an...

This week we are joined by Deanna Colon! Deanna is a singer, songwriter, actress, vocal coach, and chef. Deanna was a contestant on Season 8 of NBC’s #1 rated show, “America’s Got Talent”, making it to the live, quarter semifinal round at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. She was also the lead singer/dancer/actress for 2 years of BIG LOTS holiday commercials. Deanna has sung background vocals for many...

This week we are joined by Marty Cunnie! Marty Cunnie is a New York based comic originally from San Francisco. He produces shows in Bushwick and Astoria. Make sure to check him out! In this episode, Marty shares his deep love for cats and rugby, including the unique culture surrounding the sport, and the community it fosters. We discuss finding direction in college and transitioning into comedy, h...

This week we are joined by Ash Diggs! Ash Diggs is a Brooklyn-based comedian who has been featured on Buzzfeed, Vulture, Don’t Tell Comedy, and is an inaugural faculty member at The Second City NY. He recently taped a set for Newcomers at The Bell House streaming on Veeps and has performed in clubs and festivals across the country, earning the right to open for some of his heroes such as Ilana Gla...

This week we are joined by TJ Klune! TJ Klune is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea , Somewhere Beyond the Sea , Under the Whispering Door , In the Lives of Puppets , the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more tha...

This week we are joined by Alison Espach! Alison Espach is the New York Times best-selling author of The Wedding People , a New York Times Editor’s Choice, a Goodreads Choice Award Winner, a TODAY Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club pick, a Barnes and Noble Book Club Pick, and the #1 Indie Next Pick for August 2024. The Wedding People will be published in over twenty countries. She is also the author of...

This week we are joined by Christine Heesun Hwang! Heesun (she/her) is a queer, Korean-American writer and actor based out of New York. Most recently, she performed in the original Broadway company of "SUFFS". Other acting credits include the national tours of "Les Miserables" and "Miss Saigon". For TV, "The Beast in Me" (Netflix), "Gossip Girl" (HBO Max). Hwang is also a lyricist in the BMI Lehma...

This week we are joined by Lisa Genova! Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice , Left Neglected , Love Anthony , Inside the O’Briens , and Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting . Her new novel is More Or Less Maddy . Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar–winning film...

This week we are joined by Reagan Allen! Reagan Allen is a Brooklyn-based comedian and actor, originally hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas. She’s performed all over the world, from NYC comedy clubs and improv theaters, to festivals in the UK, and the Vail Comedy Festival where she met Emily earlier this year! Her debut musical comedy hour ‘Intelligent Bisexual Woman’ premiered at the 2024 Glasgow...

This week we are joined by Erin Bennett! Erin Bennett is a Los Angeles-based actress whose passion for storytelling makes her a natural fit for audiobooks. Winner of multiple Earphones and Audie nominations, many of her over 500 titles have made AudioFile’s “Best Audiobooks” lists. Erin is one of the most versatile, genre-hopping narrators in the business, and according to Audible, is a "pied pipe...

This week we are joined by Rebecca Fishbein! Rebecca Fishbein is the author of Floral Estrangements and Good Things Happen to People You Hate. She has also written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and The Cut, among others. Make sure to check her out! In this conversation, Rebecca shares her experiences of growing up in New York City, discussing the unique challenges and jo...

This week we are joined by Jessica Saul! Jessica is an LA based actress, comedian, and content creator hailing from South Florida. Jessica‘s unhinged internet videos have garnered millions of views on Tik Tok on Instagram as well as caused concern for her mental health. Her short film, Clementine which she wrote and starred in, showcased at 12 film festivals across the country, snagging nomination...

This week we are joined by Leah Bonnema! Leah Bonnema is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer who has been seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Chris Gethard Presents, Oculus & AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live. She is the cohost of the popular podcast, Were You Raised By Wolves?! , and author of a romcom-esque novel, The Holiday Breakdown , which received a shout out on Katie Couric’s cite. Mak...

This week we are joined by Jenn Bouchard! Jenn Bouchard is the award-winning author of the novels First Course, Considering Us, and several short stories. She is a graduate of Bates College and Tufts University. An avid cook, Jenn volunteers for good causes and is a devoted Red Sox fan. A high school social studies teacher of twenty-five years, she lives with her family in the Boston suburbs. In t...

This week we are joined by Dr. Sara Glass! Sara Glass, PhD, LCSW is a therapist, writer, and speaker who helps members of the queer community and individuals who have survived trauma to live bold, honest, and proud lives. She lives in Manhattan, New York. Make sure to follow @drsaraglass on social platforms! This week, Sarah Glass discusses her journey of navigating multiple roles as a therapist,...

This week we are joined by Ashley Herring Blake! Ashley Herring Blake is an award-winning author and teacher. She loves coffee, cats, melancholy songs, and happy books. She is the author of six novels for young adult and middle grade readers, as well as the Bright Falls adults romance novels and the holiday romance, Make the Season Bright . She lives on a very tiny island off the coast of Georgia...

This week we are joined by Ruth Chan! Ruth Chan is an illustrator/author of comics and children’s books. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Cup of Jo, and with publishers HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Disney-Hyperion, and Abrams. Prior to illustrating full time, she spent a decade working with youth and families in underserved communities. UPROOTED is her first graphic...

This week we are joined by Katie Novotny! Katie Novotny is a standup comedian who has been an official artist at Limestone Comedy Festival, Vail Comedy Festival, Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago Comedy Festival, HBO’s Women in Comedy Festival, and many more. She’s currently a co-host of Good Follow , a women’s sports show on the DraftKings network where she gets to bring her love of sports and comedy to o...