The Brainwave Podcast with Gail Hulnick

Send us Fan Mail Writers of historical fiction make millions of creative choices about how much truth and how much fiction to include. From his cabin in Wyoming, author James A. Ross talks with Gail about his novel Hunting Teddy Roosevelt and the way that a suggestion from his agent led to the discovery that set him on the road to its publication. In the interview, we hear about the detailed resea...

Send us Fan Mail Singer/songwriter and spiritual guide Michele Blood talks with Gail about the experience that led her to put affirmations to music and begin a career of helping others with Jack Canfield and Bob Proctor. Michele's book The Magic of Affirmation Power and her CDs of affirmation songs have been downloaded by millions of people all over the world. In the interview, we hear about...

Send us Fan Mail Getting that first publishing contract can be a dream that takes many years -- or never -- to come true for many writers. For others, it can be a matter of a few months. Sarah Humpherys, who is now eighteen years old, saw her debut fantasy romance novel published in New York earlier this year. In this interview we talk about the inspiration for her book which is titled  Stone Cold...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Gail talks with photographer/author/cultural observer Janet Sternburg. Janet has recently released a new book of art photographs, titled I've Been Walking , which documents her exploration through the streets of Los Angeles immediately following the dawning days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The interview covers the origin of Janet's method and th...

Send us Fan Mail With Valentine's Day coming up, we look at a new dating app called The Blink Date. The idea is to pay more attention to The Voice, and less to physical cues about compatibility that sweep by on your phone screen in less than a second. Co-creator Taly Matiteyahu talks with Gail about the 'charmed moment' in a restaurant that led to the idea for the app, about some of...

Send us Fan Mail Writing a novel is a very different experience from writing a short story. Author Tony Manera discusses his book Voices in the Wind: A Matter of Honor with Gail. They talk about doing research, taking criticism, and the similarities and differences between writing novels and running the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. You can find out more about Tony's work online at www.t...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 29, Gail talks with photographer Richard Wiesel about the origin of his exhibit "Objects from the Concentration Camps". He describes how his interest in WW2 history led to the project, and how his next project, photographing 9/11 survivors and first-responders, also focused on the experience of trauma. You can see Richard's work online at www.richardwiese...

Send us Fan Mail Interacting with and creating material for an audience during a standup comedy routine is different from presenting material to a podcast audience -- and different from putting a film in a theater -- and different from building a business. But all are creative pursuits. Michael Stein has something to say about all four experiences, in Episode 27 of The Brainwave Podcast. Find out...

Send us Fan Mail Dystopian fiction envisages a future where life is broken. In a new novel titled  Jericho , author Rachel Mumaw tells the story of a non-binary leader, Riley Jay, who tries to protect their found family during a time of societal breakdown. Rachel talks with Brainwave host Gail Hulnick about her inspiration for the story and the way the idea developed. Jericho  is available at Amaz...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 25, we take an imaginary stroll down 34th Street in New York City. Emmy-award winning lighting designer Mike Inwood's projects have included the Macy's windows, theater, opera, and installations. He talks with Gail about the role of lighting in live performance, having the conversations that make a team project work well, and the impact of the Covid months on...

Send us Fan Mail Christmas is only a few weeks away and kids' books about the season are a big part of the fun. Podcaster Randi-Lee Bowslaugh has published a book called Operation Deck the Halls. We talk about that one, and about her other book, which focuses on her challenges in parenting a child with disabilities; about her own recent diagnosis of autism, and about her views on mental healt...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes, the creative spark ignites because of a quick, simple glimpse of a new idea. And sometimes, it comes partway through a deep dive into a very thick book, written in Latin. In this episode of The Brainwave Podcast, Gail talks with author Joe Gioconda about the roads he traveled before arriving at a finished manuscript for his novel The Pope's Butcher. The Brainwave P...

Send us Fan Mail Finding a good fiction writing idea-- some of the best ideas come in while we're watching children at play. In this episode, children's book author Emma Jean tells the story of the moment that led to her book Charles McCheese and the Childhood News Network. She talks with host Gail Hulnick about the word  'steminist', about children's mental health, and ab...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 15 of The Brainwave Podcast, Gail explores the way that a creative idea evolve and changes, often with the input of other people. Fred Williams is the author of Scramble: A Perfect Recipe for Math, Murder and Revenge. It's an action-packed thriller, set in St. Louis, about three people whose paths cross the night their favorite diner burns down.  Fred's websit...

Send us Fan Mail Photographer Gaby Deimeke began her career at art school in London, where she specialized in fashion photography. One of her favorite shots came out of that period and in this episode of The Brainwave Podcast she tells host Gail Hulnick the story. The conversation also includes her thoughts on her time as a fashion photography intern in New York City, her work as a wedding photogr...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes, a passing comment is all that's needed to get you started on a piece of writing. In Episode 13 of The Brainwave Podcast, author and writing instructor Kerrie Flanagan tells host Gail Hulnick the story behind one of her favorite essays. They also talk about the advantages of working with a co-author and of using pen names. You can find out more about Kerrie's w...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of The Brainwave Podcast features an interview with world traveler Michael Puldy, who has just published a high-end book of his photographs from Nepal and Bhutan. Our conversation began with the story of his inspiration for doing the book, which stretches back to his youth, a T shirt and Mount Everest. The conversation ranges from suggestions for publishing a special...

Send us Fan Mail This interview with inventor Rob Kessler, of www.milliondollarcollar.com, is an example of "what to do next", after you've had a brainwave. In Episode 9 of The Brainwave Podcast, host Gail Hulnick talks with Rob about the way his idea came to him; about the complications of applying for a patent, about creating a business around the idea, and about the methods he us...

Send us Fan Mail The Covid-19 lockdowns had most of us looking for new ways to pass the time and many found a new creative outlet. Author Patrick Paddy Moore put together a forty-day journal of the first phase, from March 2020, with each day featuring a delicious cocktail and some thoughts on the day's pandemic events.  This was a case where the unusual situation led to the idea and the decis...

Send us Fan Mail Frank Irving and Bill Long have known each other since childhood. A couple of years ago they decided to write a novel together; it was a first-time experience for both of them. They wanted to write something funny and something about sports, and they came up  with One Wild Ride, the saga of the Dake and Bates Show. Gail spoke with them about the beginnings of the project, the chal...

Send us Fan Mail Author Arjay Lewis wrote a book titled "The Muse", one of fifteen novels he's published during a career that's generated thirty-two writing awards ... so far. One of his own "charmed moments" came when he wrote a book called "The Dark", and the inspiration came by way of Stephen King. He describes that creative spark and then shares his thou...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to The Brainwave Podcast, presented by The WindWord Group Publishing & Media. I'm Gail Hulnick and in this podcast I talk with writers, artists, composers, filmmakers, authors, designers, choreographers, chefs, songwriters and poets about that charmed moment that led to a creative spark -- sometimes, the biggest creative idea they've ever had.  Where does cre...