Everybody's got a Story

Local Laguna Beach author Pamela Knudsen shares her inspiring journey from freelance copywriter to published children's book author. She discusses her award-winning LA Times essay on online dating, her passion for cats, and how a magical moment with her cat, Lexington, under a disappearing moon sparked the creation of her enchanting children's adventure story.

Host John Tynan explores the fascinating connection between flash fiction and music, demonstrating how beloved songs function as complete short stories set to melody. Through analysis of classic tracks from Icehouse, Jim Croce, Peter Gabriel, and others, listeners discover the essential elements of effective flash fiction writing, including strong imagery, character development, and narrative surp...

Artist, illustrator, and author Shane Pollard takes us on a journey through his fantastical mind and his first novel, Show Yourself , a quirky mystery thriller that blends dark humor with deeper questions about life and meaning. In this episode we hear how Shane originally dreamed of being a rocket scientist (or at least working for NASA) before a near-tragic accident provided the opportunity to p...

Join host John Tynan for a solo episode exploring the vibrant writing community in Laguna Beach and beyond. From local author spotlights to innovative storytelling techniques, discover valuable resources for writers of all levels while celebrating the creative spirit of Orange County's literary scene.

Andrew Tonkovich , longtime editor of the West Coast literary arts journal the Santa Monica Review and founding editor of the online Orange County quarterly Citric Acid , joins Amy Dechary and me to preview the inaugural Laguna Beach LitFest . Andrew will moderate a lunchtime panel,  Telling the California Story , and will lead a workshop entitled, Small Press Journals: Their Role in the Writer's...

Poet Ellen Girardeau Kempler and I get into a very robust discussion about the differences between lyrics and poetry, and related topics, during this episode. Our conversation's point of departure is the controversy around Bob Dylan's 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for Literature. Ellen expounds her views on this very interesting topic in her essay,  Tangled Up In Words . Ellen also provides some fantasti...

Former journalist & communications strategist, now book reviewer and lecturer, Randy Kraft is the author of three novels and two story collections in print, ebooks and audio. Randy holds an MAW [Masters in Writing] MBA & BA, Lit. Raised in NYC, writing in So. California. You can check out her on-line book reviews at  OCbookblog.substack.com A great friend to the show and a leading light in...

Darrell Denny is the author of "Of Light & Lies", a heart thumping tale set on an isolated island with nowhere to hide. Helen and Juanita must decide—who can they trust? And what happens when the past won’t stay buried? Darrell writes pulse-pounding thrillers packed with intrigue, deception, and high-stakes suspense. A former newspaper journalist, Darrell spent years uncovering real-world trut...

Scott T. Barnes has published oral histories, a fourth grade reader, and works of young adult fiction, including the novel "Memories of Lucinda Eco", which BookLife called “a spellbinding blend of magic and mystery.” Scott’s science fiction story, “Insect Sculptor”, won the L. Ron Hubbard presents Writers of the Future Award . Scott most recent project was as editor of " Living Memories - a Memoir...

Local author and artist Nancy Klann-Moren joins us to discuss her writing journey, advice for writers, and her three publications - "The Clock of Life" (a novel), "Like the Flies on the Patio" (a collection of short-stories), and "Love and Protest" (a novel). Nancy is the wife of a retired architect who now creates beautiful "architectural" ceramic art pieces, and the mother of two sons, both rock...

Newly-appointed Education Program Director (and long-time Festival Orchestra violinist) Dr. Lindsey Strand-Polyak  shares all the innovative details of " Coloring with Corell i", a collaboration between the Baroque Music Festival Corona del Mar and St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church . The event, scheduled October 12, 2025 at 3:00PM , is a free , informal, and sensory-friendly baroque cham...

Nuka Hart, CEO of Free Wheelchair Mission , joins us in this episode to discuss the importance of mobility and the central role storytelling plays in her organization's mission to serve the estimated 80 million people across the world who need a wheelchair. Nuka has the overall operational responsibility for Free Wheelchair Mission programs and management of its team, leading the strategic plannin...

As a child, today's guest Becky Ryan enrolled in art classes, which sparked an affinity for painting and established for her the value of practice. After painting casually for many years, Becky adopted a more intentional, dedicated approach, going on to earn an associate degree in fine art, enter contests, and sell work in local galleries. Becky experiences nature as grounding and motivating, find...

George Gilliam, Executive Director of Creative Identity , a non-profit dedicated to strengthening the voice of the intellectual disability community, joins the show to share the story of how this incredible organization began and continues to flourish. By utilizing music, ceramics, silk painting and other art forms to grow the fine arts skills and foundations for prevocational skill development, c...

Emily Hine is a social entrepreneur with a national reputation for forging successful partnerships that result in significant social change. Over the course of her career in fundraising, philanthropy, marketing, public relations, and as a founding member of three successful start-up companies, she has helped raise over $150 million for nonprofit organizations and formed companies that contribute t...

Erick Garske entered early retirement from a career as a software engineer. Now he spends his days focused on composing poems and prose instead of debugging source code. In this episode, Erick and I continue a really fun conversation that started over coffee when delivering Pageant of the Masters tix! Erick published his first chapbook, Terms and Conditions of Endearment , in 2022. In the spring,...

Patricia Pepper Truman has always had a passion for writing, including poetry! Today she shares her history with the founders of Designing Women, her plunge into poetry, and even her experience running her first marathon! Patricia has been an active businesswoman for more than 40 years, first in banking then becoming a certified Escrow Officer and eventually originating and running the escrow comp...

Members of the 2025-26 Laguna Beach Arts Alliance (LBAA) Board & Advisors hang out with us on this episode to talk about the tremendous advocacy, collaboration, and impact the LBAA has on the Laguna Beach arts scene. Michael Ervin (President), Jay Kramer (Vice President), Amy Dechary (Advisor), and Nancy Villere (Advisor) join me (newly appointed Treasurer) to talk about the organization's his...

Third Street Writers members Claire Purcell and Norma Sadler, winners of the two top prizes in the 2025 John Gardiner Poetry Contest, are joined by Laguna Beach poet extraordinaire Ellen Girardeau Kempler. In this episode, the trio discuss the history of the John Gardiner Contest, his legacy, and their experiences taking part in and winning prizes in this year's competition. The theme of the 27th...

Our good friend Ellen Girardeau Kempler returns to the show with her recently publihed book of poetry, Fire in My Head / Flame in My Heart - Poems for the Pyrocene . A fiting release in the midst of Earth Month, this collection of evocative, thought provoking works challenges the reader to think about their impact on this blue orb we all call home.

If Escher's drawing were turned into novels you would enter the world and mind of Tim Wombly. Author of two novels, A Bonafide Detective and Road To Eden , Tim writes "with a pen dipped in the vibrant ink of magical realism and historical intrigue...In Twombly’s universe, the mundane deftly intertwines with the miraculous. What would seem harrowing, suddenly morphs into the hilarious." In edition...