Today we're joined by Katie Sise, author of We Were Mothers, Open House, The Break, and most recently The Vacation Rental. She'll talk about her path to becoming a writer, and how acting, jewelry design, and television hosting gigs fed her creative energy along the way, and how when one goes to the public library, they should at least put on shoes.

Katie Sise is a bestselling author of seven novels. Her books have been included on best-of lists by Good Morning America, The New York Post, PopSugar, Parade Magazine, and PureWow. Her sixth novel, THE BREAK, was a Zibby's Book Club pick, and her current novel, THE VACATION RENTAL, is a News 12 Book Club pick. Her next novel, YOU MUST BE NEW HERE, is coming out in 2025. Katie is a former TV host and jewelry designer, and lives outside of New York City with her husband, four children, and a golden retriever who has finally calmed down. 

You can learn more about Katie on her website: www.katiesise.com

Today we’re joined by Brinn Daniels; she shares her experience from growing up a theater kid, into studying and making films, becoming a professor of cinema arts, and now, at long last, a stand-up comic. Brinn has a lot to say about teaching creative kids, and finding her voice in a new art form she has always wanted to try.

Brinn Daniels is a Nashville-based comedian and filmmaker. She teaches filmmaking at Lipscomb University and freelances as a director, cinematographer, and editor. Brinn is also a producer with the Nashville-based group Clean Comedy Collective. When she’s not making people laugh she enjoys spending time with her husband and their three children.

Learn more about Brinn on her website www.brinndaniels.com or on instagram @brinn_does_comedy

Joseph Terrell joins us this week, talking about life on the road as a touring musician, writing songs, and loving and learning music traditions the old fashioned way.

Joseph Terrell has spent 10 years singing, writing songs, and playing guitar with Americana quartet Mipso. His debut solo album "Good For Nothing Howl" (Sleepy Cat Records) features talking roses, screaming oak trees, and the fortune-telling powers of persimmons.

You can learn more about Joseph on www.mipsomusic.com, Sleepy Cat Records, or find him on instagram @jomoterrell

Chef, actor, artist, poet, dreamer Jason Little joins us on the podcast this week. A true multi-hyphenate, Jason talks about how he’s found himself through many different creative professions, hobbies, and pass times, and how each pursuit has led him on to the next one.

You can learn more about Jason on instagram, and if you’re in the Raleigh, NC area, we highly suggest you try some of his yummy food… @vagabond_foods

Virgil Wong is on the podcast today! Virgil’s expansive work has found him in the intersections of visual art, medicine, VR, and AI. As you will hear in this episode, his career has been defined by being endlessly curious, intellectually bold, and a dedicated teacher and mentor.

Virgil Wong is a visual artist and digital technologist who combines traditional media with immersive and interactive technologies to explore themes of health and mortality. He trained in Renaissance painting techniques at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), human anatomy at the University of Rome Medical School, eHealth strategy at Harvard Medical School, and cognitive technologies at Columbia University. His work has appeared in The New York Times, CBS, NPR, Prevention, Forbes, and The Huffington Post.

Virgil is the co-creator of VirtualNDE.org, a virtual reality simulation of near-death experiences (NDEs), a phenomenon in which patients feel their consciousness leave their bodies in a kind of otherworldly experience. He also co-founded Medical Avatar, a digital health company using artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) to support health behavior change. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei, and Deitch Projects in New York City.

In addition to his art projects, Virgil is a healthcare and technology leader who has been a keynote speaker for the American Heart Association, Health 2.0, and the Strategic CIO Forum. He is a managing partner at the world’s largest technology research and consulting firm, and he previously served as the Chief Digital Officer at HGS, a customer experience (CX) and AI company. For 15 years, he was head of digital at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine, where he developed websites and applications for patient care, research, and education.

Since 2000, Virgil has been an adjunct professor teaching AI, VR, AR, digital design, photography, and interactive media to graduate students at The New School and Parsons School of Design. He received The New School’s Faculty Mentorship Award for Outstanding Teaching.

For more information, please visit http://virgilwong.com.