Storytelling Saga

Ali discusses the powerful imagery and the connecting theme of motherhood in Sue Monk Kidd's critically acclaimed novel, The Secret Life of Bees.

Ali discusses her all-time favorite childhood cartoon and one of the original three Nicktoons, Rugrats, created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain. She shares some of her favorite episodes and heartwarming moments throughout the series, plus all the ways she admires her favoritest baby, Tommy Pickles. A baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do!

Ali discusses a short story about the complications of planning a simple wedding called "A Most Blessed and Auspicious Occasion" from Raphael Bob-Waksberg's book of short stories, Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory. She also touches on a few lines from other stories in the book that resonated with her.

Ali discusses the iconic Disney movie, The Lion King (1994), its direct-to-video sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), as well as its clever retelling, The Lion King 1½ (2004). She shares her thoughts on everything that makes the original film such an absolute masterpiece. She also reminisces about seeing The Lion King musical on Broadway, and she compares the original movie to the 2019...

Ali shares stories about her cousins growing up involving video games, family vacations, sleepovers and holidays.

Ali discusses Betty Smith's bestselling novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  She shares all the ways she admires and relates to the heroine, Francie Nolan, and she talks about the significance of the tree's metaphor throughout the novel.

Ali discusses the iconic show about nothing, Seinfeld, created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. She shares her favorite episodes, noteworthy catchphrases and relatable situations that make this sitcom so timeless and one of her all-time favorite series.

Ali discusses Pixar's first feature film, Toy Story (1995), and its sequels, Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010) and Toy Story 4 (2019). She shares her favorite moments from each movie that make up this phenomenal franchise and capture the universal themes of friendship, growing up, purpose and unconditional love.

Ali discusses the movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, written by series creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Pam Brady. She reminisces about watching the movie for the first time with her siblings on a long car ride home, reliving all the filthy language and fantastic songs.

Ali discusses the popular fan parody series, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series, created by LittleKuriboh. She shares her favorite ridiculously hilarious moments from the spoof series while attempting to make sense of the actual series' plot. She also reveals which pairing she'd ship. "Screw the rules, I have [a podcast]!"

Ali discusses Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel,  To Kill a Mockingbird. She reads memorable passages from this noteworthy work of fiction, praising the main characters' values while highlighting the important themes of empathy, courage, morality and justice.

Ali shares stories about sleepovers she's hosted and attended throughout her childhood and adolescence.

Ali discusses the hit sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. She shares her favorite episodes, memorable scenes and sweet couple milestones. She also shares fun behind-the-scene details from her experience attending a taping of one of the final few episodes of the series. Afterward, she shares a Big Bang Theory story she wrote called "The Left and Right Brain Dichotomy...

Ali shares a new short story she wrote called "Friendship Bracelets." She also talks about a few shows she's currently watching and upcoming movies she's excited to see.

Ali discusses the movie adaptation of the first book in Ann Brashares' bestselling young adult novel series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She tracks the story arcs of each of the four main characters while touching on the timeless themes of self-love, growth, family, grief and, above all else, the true bond of everlasting friendship.

Ali discusses her all-time favorite Disney movie, Aladdin. She quotes her favorite lines and reminisces about watching the film repeatedly as a kid. She also compares the movie to its Broadway musical adaptation.

Ali discusses the nautical Nicktoon,  SpongeBob SquarePants,  created by Stephen Hillenburg. She shares her favorite episodes, hilarious quotes, classic songs and various memories growing up with this iconic show. She also reminisces about seeing The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie  and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical.

Ali discusses the movie, Bridesmaids, written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, sharing her favorite moments and funny lines from this female-driven comedy.

Ali discusses the short story, "Who Will Greet You at Home," admiring the creative yet heartbreaking tale from a book of short stories called What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah. She also talks about the reason she bought the book per a recommendation from the creator of one of her all-time favorite TV shows and how she had the opportunity to meet him and chat with h...

Ali discusses J. D. Salinger's popular novel, The Catcher in the Rye. She analyzes the main character, Holden Caulfield, focusing on his unique way of speaking, his hypocritical hatred of all things phony and his cynical feelings toward growing up. She also talks about important symbolism throughout the novel and the key theme of preserving innocence.

Ali discusses the hilarious Nicktoon, The Angry Beavers,  created by Mitch Schauer. She shares her favorite episodes, funny exchanges and sweet brotherly moments, plus plenty of the show's distinct mispronunciations. She also talks about why her opinion has changed from when she was a kid on which of the Beaver brothers is her favorite.

Ali and special guest, Patricia Miranda of Old School Lane, each share their top 5 favorite animated antagonists.

Ali discusses the movie, Spice World,  starring the Spice Girls. She shares memories about watching the movie with her friends, collecting Spice Girls stickers, favorite Spice Girls songs and her favorite Spice Girl as a kid.

Ali discusses the Broadway musical, Newsies. She reminsices about seeing the show during its final few weeks on Broadway, sharing her favorite songs and admiring the musical for its amazing choreography, creative set designs and encouraging message.

Ali discusses the Disney movie, Zootopia,  praising its writing, animation, voice acting and music, all of which contribute to the film's incredibly pertinent message. Afterward, she shares a Zootopia  story she wrote called "Just One Date."