Now I've Heard Everything

What happens when you spend four months completely alone, racing non-stop around the planet through the Southern Ocean and around Cape Horn? For Cole Brauer, who at 29 became the first American woman to race solo non-stop around the world, the finish line wasn't the goal. The journey was. In her deeply personal new memoir, **First Light: Sailing Solo But Not Alone**, Cole talks with Bill about why...

What happens when a Cleveland Clinic internist and mother of three develops chest pain and the diagnosis is just stress? For Dr. Beth Ricanati, the prescription wasn't another pill. It was a bowl of dough. On a friend's Rosh Hashanah suggestion - "Why don't you make challah?" - she spent an afternoon with 6 ingredients. Beeper off, hands in dough for 20 minutes, she finally stopped. And felt bette...

When her husband died in 1908, 50-year-old Rose Knox inherited America's largest manufacturer of unflavored gelatin. For a respectable woman then, running a national factory was unthinkable, so for six years she ran the Knox Gelatin company invisibly. Rachel Greenfield, a Harvard MBA searching for trailblazers before the "firsts" of the 1960s, found Rose's papers hidden in an attic. But she didn't...

What does a biotech CEO who has brought eight orphan drugs to market have in common with a bestselling novelist? In this case, they are the same person. Today's guest is Fredric Price, who writes award-winning fiction as David Hirshberg. His newest novel "Crossing the Bronx" completes a trilogy that began with "My Mother's Son" and continued with "Jacobo's Rainbow." Price is living proof that rema...

In this episode of Now I've Heard Everything, host Bill Thompson interviews Merryl Goldberg (saxophonist, educator, and activist) and Vince Houghton (NSA Intelligence Historian and author) about their remarkable book, Notes of Deception. In 1985, four young American klezmer musicians from Boston traveled into the Soviet Union on tourist visas. Their covert goal: meet with refusniks—dissidents, act...

In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with author, law professor, and creative writing instructor **Katie Rose Pryal** to discuss her book, *Your Kid Belongs Here: An Insider's Guide to Parenting Neurodiverse Children* (Johns Hopkins University Press). Drawing from her personal journey of growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and autism, as well as her experiences...

In this deeply inspiring episode, host Bill Thompson sits down with singer, songwriter, and voice actress Adassa (the voice of Dolores in Disney’s "Encanto") to discuss her memoir, "Love Keeps Showing Up: Music, Miracle and Messes."Adassa shares her journey through the high-stakes music industry, starting from her childhood performing in Honduras and receiving a record deal at age 17, to facing se...

In this deeply honest and moving conversation, host Bill Thompson sits down with Tim Smith, author of the memoir *Fault Line Still Standing*. Tim opens up about his childhood marked by extreme instability—including being kidnapped by his mother at under six years old, experiencing neglect, and navigating trauma. Tim shares how he confronted buried memories during therapy to write a memoir defined...

n this episode host Bill Thompson sits down with author, poet, and writing coach Janice Erlbaum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking memoir, *Girl Bomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir*. Janice opens up about what it means to be "halfway homeless" as a teenager in 1980s New York City, navigating shelters like Covenant House, group homes, and public school while keeping meticulous diar...

In this episode, host Bill Thompson sits down with Dr. Pius Kamau, a surgeon, author, and human rights advocate, to discuss his powerful new memoir, *Running with Lions*. Growing up in Kenya under the shadow of British colonialism and the violent Mau Mau uprising, Dr. Kamau’s future was entirely uncertain. Yet, fueled by his father's unwavering belief that education was his "northern star," he onc...

In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with Dr. Durga Larkin, MD, an ophthalmologist and author of the new book *Timeless Vision: Empowered Aging Redefined*. Dr. Larkin shares how her decades-long career as an eye surgeon inspired her to view aging not as a structural decline or a narrowing field of view, but as a profound opportunity for inner growth and rein...

In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with biographer and author Ruth Franklin to discuss her book, *The Many Lives of Anne Frank*. Far from a simple biography, Franklin’s work takes a kaleidoscopic approach to one of history’s most famous figures, examining how Anne Frank has been transformed into a global icon and co-opted by various groups to fit different...

What if the iconic blue-and-white pottery sitting on your grandmother’s mantle was actually the key to an art history mystery? In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with decorative art advisor, author, and former *Antiques Roadshow* expert Genevieve Wheeler Brown to discuss her new book, *Beyond Blue and White*. Genevieve shares the serendipitous story of ste...

What if everything we are told about the border crisis is completely missing the point? In this episode, Bill Thompson sits down with Gil Gillenwater, author of *Hope on the Border* and founder of Rancho Feliz. Over nearly 40 years of hands-on work on the US-Mexico border, Gil has discovered a radical truth: traditional charity doesn't work, and a wall cannot fix a crisis of dignity. Gil share...

Eighty years after the end of World War II, parts of its history remain shrouded in secrecy and political convenience. In this episode of *Now I’ve Heard Everything*, Bill Thompson sits down with Jenny Chan, co-founder and Director of Pacific Atrocities Education. Inspired by a surprising discovery after her grandmother’s passing, Jenny has dedicated her life to uncovering the forgotten history of...

What happens when an aristocratic British warlord meets a stickball-playing general from Texas? In this episode of "Now I've Heard Everything", host Bill Thompson sits down with acclaimed military historian Jonathan W. Jordan, author of "Ike and Winston", to unpack the extraordinary, turbulent, and unbreakable friendship between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Winston Churchill. iscover how this legendar...

Eight unpublished books. Endless rejection letters. A family straight out of Charles Dickens. In this unforgettable interview, author Jay Neugeboren opens up about the experiences that shaped his life and work, from mental illness in the family to conversations with the late Oliver Sacks. It’s a moving, wise, and surprisingly funny discussion about literature, aging, perseverance, and the stories...

Danielle Crittenden shares her deeply personal journey through grief after losing her daughter, exploring the emotional landscape, the lack of existing literature that captures this pain, and insights into navigating profound loss. Get your copy of Dispatches From Grief by Danielle Crittenden As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Chapter...

In this episode Michael Schwartz shares his deeply personal and painful journey of grief and becoming a single father. The sudden and unexpected death of his wife Vanessa left Michael alone to raise their nine month old daughter Luciana. At 40 Michael was a widower still processing his own feelings of despair and guilt. To help him through that emotional valley Michael wrote letters for Luciana to...

In this insightful interview, Craig Yorke shares the origin of his book 'Steep,' his life journey from a Boston Latin School student to a neurosurgeon and author, and explores themes of personal growth, racial identity, and the metaphorical meaning of 'steep.' Discover how his experiences shape his understanding of liberation, identity, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. As an A...

In this engaging interview, Pulitzer prize-winning novelist Jayne Anne Phillips discusses her first nonfiction book, the memoir in essays 'Small Town Girls,' exploring themes of memory, place, and perception. She shares insights into small-town life, the influence of culture and history, and the power of literature to preserve vanished worlds. Get your copy of Small Town Girls by Jayne Anne Philli...

Cultural researcher Patricia Martin discusses the rapid changes in society driven by technology, social media, and AI, exploring their impact on human identity, mental health, and the importance of inner self-awareness in the digital age. Get your copy of Will The Future Like You? by Patricia Martin As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases....

Dr. Nizam Missaghi discusses the history, current situation, and future prospects of Iran, including the impact of the Islamic Republic, recent protests, and his upcoming memoir 'Passport to Freedom.' Get your copy of Passport to Freedom by Nizam Missaghi As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Nizam Missaghi...

Danny O'Connor shares his personal journey with a 20-year battle with an eating disorder, highlighting the dangers of weight manipulation in combat sports and the importance of awareness and early intervention. Get your copy of Weight Class by Danny O’Connor As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Chapters00:00 **The Reality of Binge Eatin...

In this conversation, Mai Pham discusses her memoir 'Bridge From Saigon,' detailing her experiences as a Vietnam refugee and the journey of self-discovery that followed. She reflects on the impact of her family's history, the challenges of adapting to a new culture, and the role of therapy in her healing process. Mai also explores the complexities of identity, the distinction between refugees and...