The Cultural Scavenger

How does a kid from Haiti with his only support coming from the guidance of brave parents become a force at one of the most prestigious law schools in the country?  Hear his inspiring story, mixed with humor and humility in the next two episodes.  

Gail Rubin a certified Thanatologist and self described "Doyenne of Death" tackles the how to's of planning for the ultimate destination with humor, grace and food for thought you'd never think of.  

Check out her website after the episode:  http://agoodgoodbye.com

Meet Bill McCarren, the Executive Director of a tabernacle, of hallowed ground--the National Press Club. 

Tessa Sullivan and her husband Brendan can't get back to their home away from home in Stanleytown, VA.  So while she's stuck down under, hear how this brave woman became the face of the #MeToo movement in Australia.

It took New York Times best-selling author,  Judge Martin Clark 20 years to become that overnight sensation.  And once he did, he became a prolific writer in the John Grisham mold.  Enjoy the episode with this funny and thoughtful writer, who has become my new favorite author, and check out his body of work here:  

http://martinclark.com. 

On what would have been her 30th birthday. 

Amanda Simpson talks about her career as a test pilot and the challenges she faced as a transgender woman.  Her amazing story, like many of my guests, is pretty badass.

When he ran as Hilary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, one astute journalist coined the nickname for him-- “America’s Dad”-- because of his kind demeanor among other attributes.  Tim Kaine is one of the most decent people I know, a devoted public servant, and now with his music, he's got a fallback in case politics don't work out!  Here's his latest hit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljl5yTKVwGo

He's back with another amazing story of getting an innocent man released from prison following a wrongful murder conviction.   And there's more!

Dan Casey is quite a character who has lived a life with enough eclectic stories to fill many a podcast episode.  He's also an example of how one journalist can do amazing things and change lives.  Here's Part 1.  You'll definitely want to return for Part 2!

Some of my progressive friends will go "What!?  You're giving someone at Fox News a forum?"  Yes, I am.  Dana Perino is quite accomplished.  And she's also a kind soul like Alison was.  

Michael Jones makes a difference every day.   As Managing Director for Campaigns at Change.org he gets to shepherd projects that really do change lives.  Meet a righteous warrior with amazing stories.

Eric Feinberg was an ad man who found himself in the battle to combat the evils of Google, Facebook, and Instagram.  Hear how my friend and fellow internet warrior helps me fight the good fight.

Her grandmother was a WASP whose last request was to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.  Erin Miller talks about her successful grassroots campaign to get a law passed in congress making it happen.  

Washington Post veteran jounalist Laura Vozella talks about her career in the business and what it's like covering politics in Virginia.    

Have you ever known a real boxer?  How about a female boxer?  Meet Alicia Doyle, author of A Fighting Chance.  She's got more to throw at you than just a solid left hook.  

Ben Williams is a gifted writer, storyteller, and pinball wizard.  He captured my voice as the co-author of my book, For Alison, and now provides a voice for the curators at Virginia Museum of Natural History. 

Fair warning.  After you hear Professor Elliot Engel on this episode, you'll be downloading his lectures.   Forget what you had to suffer through in school--You'll be laugh-out-loud entertained and will never have the same opinion of the likes of Dickens, Shakespeare, Poe, or his 100+ subjects ever again.