Stories from Real Life: A Podcast for Real People
Immerse yourself in engaging dialogues with the acclaimed storyteller and master interviewer, Melvin E. Edwards, as he delves into profound and fun discussions with fascinating guests. This podcast transcends mere narratives, exploring the underlying motivations and methods behind captivating stories. Enhanced by Jon Williams' captivating introductions and the vibrant theme song by Bombay Beach Revival, this podcast is a must for aficionados of storytelling. Explore more at www.podcastreallife.com for comprehensive information and enticing sponsor links.
Episodes
July 23, 2024 • 39 mins
Today's guest, Heather Renee May, has a diverse background that gives her a unique perspective on life. Ballet was her first love, and she danced professionally until retirement. She's now an author, podcast host, musician, dog-lover, and wine-enthusiast, who tours wineries in her RV with her dog. Dotty.
Music has always had an important place in her life. A singer-songwriter under the stage name “Heather Ré”, she has released two...
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July 16, 2024 • 39 mins
Our guest today is a best-selling author of more than a dozen novels and essay collections. Acclaimed writer Sarah Bird is an NPR Moth storyteller, a winner of the Meryl Streep screenwriting competition, a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, a finalist for the Dublin International Literary Award, and the hologram greeter for the Austin Central Library near the University of Texas campus.
Her latest book, Juneteenth Rodeo, i...
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July 9, 2024 • 57 mins
Jonathan Janz is the pen name of Craig Shaeffer, an American horror author of 16 novels and one collection of short fiction.
In 2011, Janz published his debut novel, The Sorrows. The book received praise from author Brian Keene, who called it "the best horror novel of 2012." Keene would also describe Janz as "One of the best writers in modern horror to come along in the last decade."
In March of 2023, Janz won the Wilburn-Thomas ...
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July 2, 2024 • 50 mins
Lori Adams-Brown is an international speaker, business executive, and podcast host. She has lived all over the world and has a unique perspective when dealing with people from varying cultures and nationalities. It also helps that she speaks six languages.
Lori is a connector who puts people first and values the lasting partnerships she builds. She is an active listener who cares about the stories people share and is energized by ...
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June 25, 2024 • 45 mins
Risa August was a triathlete until discovering she had a brain tumor that affected her motor skills. After surgery to remove the tumor, she dealt with her setbacks by riding her bike. Then she rode her bike from Canada to Mexico. Last month, she rode across Spain. Though her brain tumor, who she calls "Bubba," has returned and has presented a new set of challenges, she remains resilient and optimistic. Listen to this episode and fe...
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June 18, 2024 • 44 mins
Joel Schwartzberg is a New Yorker with Texas roots - or a Texan with New York roots. Either way, he now lives in NJ and wants to be friends with fellow Jersey folks Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. While he waits for that to happen, he trains business leaders make their words matter, writes about improving one's communications style, and helps average people give better toasts at weddings. If you want to know how to improve your...
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June 11, 2024 • 55 mins
Bob LeMent is recognized as one of the first podcasters in the world. Now with over 1,500 episodes under his belt on his show, Static Radio, he joins "Real Life" to share his interesting and funny stories. He also discusses the past, present, and future of podcasting.
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June 4, 2024 • 50 mins
Donna Leigh Scott has some great stories to tell. She was a brief beauty contestant winner, an actress, singer, and model, Donna also built a high-profile court reporting business that kept her busy for nearly 5 decades. She's also the widow of character actor Tim Scott, who is best known as Pea Eye Parker in "Lonesome Dove." But her favorite stories are about her 4 grandchildren. Listen in!
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May 28, 2024 • 53 mins
Texas high school tennis coach Jason Edwards graces the mic for the show's 50th episode! Through the family's confectionary lineage, Coach Edwards honors his grandfather's memory, intertwining the sweetness of that legacy with the joy of nurturing five adoptive boys alongside his wife.
Introduction by Jon Williams.
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May 21, 2024 • 51 mins
Contemporary Christian Music legend and Grammy winner Bryan Duncan's career has spanned 6 decades and he has accumulated 16 #1 CCM chart hits. With a singing voice like Simply Red's Mick Hucknell and a comedy edge like a late-night host, Duncan has plenty of stories to share in his own unique style. From his childhood with his evangelist parents to his memorable songs with Ambrosia lead singer David Pack, every story has a punchli...
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May 14, 2024 • 42 mins
No matter how much you know about Germany, you probably never consider baseball when you think of that European country. In this episode, we have Antonio Lopez, Fraynel Mercado, and Alex Torres, the latter two guests are U.S. military personnel based on the Kaiserslautern Complex. All three are baseball players for the Kaiserslautern Bears and are ambassadors for both countries, as well as the game of baseball.
To support the tea...
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May 7, 2024 • 65 mins
Pastor Stephen Simpson and attorney Rob Ryan return to continue the conversation from early April. "Men of Goodwill, Part 2" follows the men's discussion of race, religion, politics, and manhood. These potentially volatile issues are addressed with boldness and sensitivity. Listen in and comment below to add your voice to the conversation.
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April 30, 2024 • 46 mins
Dixon Monk is only an 11th grader, but he has already committed to play NCAA Division I baseball at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., one of the toughest academic schools in the country. I worked with Dixon's mother for over 15 years, so I've known him his whole life. His parents, Dexter and Maneka Monk, talk about the challenges of raising a true scholar-athlete in a sport with only a 6% Black participation rate.
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April 23, 2024 • 41 mins
Otto Gallaher is a master of reinventing himself. He became an attorney after leaving his previous career as a construction worker. He was a corporate businessman before that. In his daily life, he's a husband, father of three daughters, ordained minister, musician, Eagle Scout, and Texan. After doing genealogy research, he learned he is a direct descendant of two signers of the Mayflower Compact.
Step in the zone. Otto zone.
We ...
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April 16, 2024 • 51 mins
This episode was inspired by Beyoncé's new Country album, called "Cowboy Carter." With three Black people in the discussion, this edition is part history lesson, part music appreciation, and part self-identification. My guests this week are Lynne Childress from Maryland and Darrin Evans from North Carolina. We talk about Country music, what defines genres and audiences, and the musical gatekeepers who think THEY get to decide what ...
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April 9, 2024 • 52 mins
Master storyteller and baseball historian Bob Kendrick returns to the show to get the 2024 baseball season started the right way. Listen to his stories of Negro Leagues baseball greats in a way that only he can tell them. This also happens to be the 100th anniversary of the Kansas City Monarchs franchise and the first Negro Leagues World Series. What do those events mean for the museum?
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April 2, 2024 • 79 mins
What does it mean to be a man of goodwill in the age of social media? Real-life friends Stephen Simpson (pastor), Rob Ryan (attorney), and Melvin E. Edwards (host) discuss the hot-button issues of politics, religion, and race, and attempt to make sense of Christian involvement in 21st-century party politics. Despite the 80-minute conversation, you'll be left wanting more.
Ryan was suffering from a sinus infection, which affected h...
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March 26, 2024 • 53 mins
Filmmaker, writer, and director Melissa Jo Peltier ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "The Dog Whisperer") joins the show to discuss some of her best-known projects, in addition to her recent documentary, "The Game is Up." Find out what she and her husband, director John Gray ("The Ghost Whisperer"), are working on together.
The "Real Life" theme song is by Bombay Beach Revival.
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March 19, 2024 • 45 mins
Dallas-area attorney Monica Haft is a first-generation American, born to a mother from Colombia and a father from Cuba. When she started school, she didn't speak English. She learned, grew, and flourished, so when she talks about the American Dream, she has credibility. Does she think that dream is still a reality today?
The original theme song is performed by Bombay Beach Revival;
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March 12, 2024 • 45 mins
Musician and writer Sean Dietrich, popularly known as "Sean of the South," talks about his invitation to the Grand Old Opry, his dad, being a BBQ judge, Southern fried chicken, and the new nickname, "Mark Twang," that I gave him. Join this humorous and heartfelt conversation.
https://seandietrich.com/
This episode also marks the debut of the new "Stories from Real Life" theme song, written and performed by Bombay Beach Revival.
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