Storybeat With Steve Cuden

Pia Mailhot-Leichter is a creative partner, published author, certified coach, and entrepreneur. Her path has been anything but ordinary: a recovering nomad, she’s reported as a journalist in Sri Lanka, graduated summa cum laude from NYU, and worked as an award-winning creative director for some of the biggest brands in the world. Now, as the founder of Kollektiv Studio, through creative partnership, from storytelling to coaching, Pia is uniquely positioned to co-create wild visions and ventures.Kollektiv Studio works with founders, leaders, and creatives with a rebellious spirit and visionary tendencies. As Pia puts it, "The outcome isn't just what you create—it's who you become in the process."She recently published Welcome to the Creative Club, a book that challenges everything people thought they knew about creativity. Praised by Google's Global Head of Creative & Innovation as "life-changing," and by iconic fashion designer Betsey Johnson as "a wild ride,"

Barry Greenfield began his musical ride in 1965 when he was just 15 years old. Over the subsequent decades, Barry has become a greatly appreciated, old-school, singer songwriter, with three number one records, twenty-five plus covers, and life as a touring musician and storyteller. He actually walked away from the music business in the mid-70s saying, “it’s not for me,” and yet he remained a dedicated songwriter and performer, releasing twelve LP’s while sharing his music with audiences everywhere.   Barry’s autobiography, My Journey to Blue Sky, was recently published by New Haven Publishing. It covers the intimate details of his professional years, including, standing on the shoulders of various giants that he has known or worked with, like Cher, John Lennon, Larry Carlton, Supertramp, Kenny Rogers, Harry Nilsson, 10cc, and more. Barry’s classic album, Blue Sky, released by RCA, has reached its 50th anniversary. And now with his book, Barry reveals the life changing experiences he received while attending t

Paul Chitlik is appearing on StoryBeat for the third time. Paul is a truly gifted storyteller and teacher who has written screenplays, novels, and non-fiction, including writing for all the major networks and studios in both English and in Spanish.   Paul’s been a story editor, director, and producer in both TV and features. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for "The Twilight Zone" and a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Telemundo’s "Los Beltrán.”  And he won a Genesis Award for a Showtime Family movie. He also happens to be one of the best screenwriting teachers in the world.  He’s taught in various MFA programs around the world, including: UCLA and Loyola Marymount in L.A., and in Barcelona, Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, and Sweden.  His highly regarded book, Rewrite, is one of the essential, must-read books for anyone interested in writing screenplays, teleplays, plays, and even novels. I’ve read his latest screenwriting book, The Screenwriting Sensei, which I thoroughly

This is the second appearance of Scott Christian Sava on StoryBeat. Scott’s an artist, animator, illustrator, writer, director, and producer, whose work over the last 30 years, has brought some of the world’s most beloved characters to life in film, television, comics, and games, from Casper the Friendly Ghost to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to Star Trek to Spider-Man and more. Scott’s unique talents and vision have been called upon by Marvel Comics, Disney, Universal Studios, Nickelodeon, and various others. In 2000, he founded Blue Dream Studios, which, in addition to creating its own line of kids’ graphic novels, has produced work for Star Wars, The X-Files, Aliens vs. Predator, and other franchises. The studio’s first feature film, Animal Crackers, is available on Netflix and was the summer of 2020’s #1 animated movie in the world. I’ve read Scott’s latest book, “Becoming an Artist: How to Make Art Like a Human by Embracing Failure, Discovering Your Creative Voice, and Finding Joy in the Process.” I f

Anthony Swofford is an American writer and former U.S. Marine, best known for his memoir, Jarhead, which details his experiences in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War as part of a Surveillance and Target Acquisition/Scout-Sniper platoon. He received the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir for Jarhead.  A feature film of Jarhead, directed by Sam Mendes and featuring Jake Gyllenhall, playing Tony Swofford, was released in 2005.Subsequent to his military service, Tony pursued writing, earning a B.A. from UC Davis and an M.F.A. from the renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop. He’s taught at the University of Iowa, Lewis and Clark College, and currently Carnegie-Mellon University.  I’ve read Jarhead and watched the movie multiple times and can tell you Tony’s story is as harrowing as it is darkly funny. I was blown away by the depths of Tony’s beautifully written, dare I say poetic telling of such a deeply personal, nerve-wracking experience. I’ve also read another of Tony’s memoirs, Hotels, Hospitals, and

Susan Gorrell has been the Executive Director of the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival for more than a decade.  This renowned festival has grown under Susan’s direction to become one of the most well-respected film festivals in the indie filmmaking world, attracting filmmakers and film lovers from far and wide. MovieMaker Magazine recognized it as one of the “25 coolest film festivals in the world” and one of the “Top 50 film festivals worth the submission fee.”  The festival is among the Top 100 Best-Rated Festivals on FilmFreeway.com.Susan is also an Indie film producer and co-founder of Oakmill Entertainment. In 2016 she produced the internationally released feature film, Supercon, starring John Malkovich, Clancy Brown, Mike Epps, Tyrus and more. Since then, she’s produced multiple indie features, shorts, a TV Pilot and even a documentary traveling across the United States in an RV.  Susan comes from a musical family that have been in the Christian recording and distribution industry for over 40 y

Tom Ruegger is the fourteen-time Emmy Award-winning producer and creative force behind many of the most popular and successful animated TV series of all time, including: Pinky and the Brain, Freakazoid, Histeria, Road Rovers, and the feature film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Tom also co-wrote the pilot and served as a script editor of the Emmy Award-winning animated series Tutenstein.Tom began his career as an animator at Hanna-Barbera Productions on such familiar cartoon series as Scooby Doo, The New Flintstones, Casper, and Godzilla. Later, as a story editor and producer, he worked on shows like Pound Puppies, and Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. Tom created and produced A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, the first Scooby-Doo series to be nominated for an Emmy.After honing his writing skills working at Filmation Studios on TV series like Blackstar, and Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, Tom would subsequently join Warner Bros. Animation where he went on to head up production on Tiny Toon Adventures, beginning a decade-long, wil

Janet Skeslien Charles is the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling author of The Paris Library, Moonlight in Odessa, and Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade.Janet’s most recent book, The Parisian Chapter, is available as an audio book only.  I’ve read The Paris Library and listened to The Parisian Chapter and can tell you these are both well-written novels of the heart that transported me - to a world I know little about - inside The American Library in Paris as it existed during World War II as well as in more modern times. I had no idea libraries could be such a hotbed of romance and colorful intrigue.Janet’s essays and short stories have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Sydney Morning Herald, and the anthology, Montana Noir. Her work has been translated into 40 languages.JSkeslienCharles.comInstagram: @jskesliencharlesFacebook: Janet Skeslien Charles

Sören “Sulo” Karlsson is mostly known as the frontman of the Swedish boogie rockers, The Diamond Dogs. But he’s also known for being the singer of the UK supergroup, The Crunch, featuring members from The Clash, Sham 69 and Cockney Rejects.  Since the early 1990’s, Sulo has been carrying the torch for early 70’s soulful rock ‘n roll well rooted in British history.Through his career he’s worked with artists such as Ian Hunter, Terry Reid, Robert Wyatt, Max Martin, Crystal Gayle, Paul Young, Maria McKee and more.Besides being one of Sweden’s most prolific singer/songwriters, he’s also an author of a handful of books, including co-writing the autobiography of the former UEFA President, Lennart Johansson, who was one of the most influential leaders of international football, or soccer, as we call it in America.  Lennart Johansson was the brains behind the Champions League. He was also responsible for bringing England back into the European cups with his famous words, “England needs Europe and Europe needs England

My guest today, Kit Karson, is the author a series of books, The Anderson Chronicles: A Sheriff Elliott Mystery, which currently comprises five novels, including: Land Grab, Innocence Slain, Justice Rendered, Nefarious Intent, and Savage Malice. All five take place in a small Montana town. Interestingly, as prolific as Kit is as an author, writing is not her principal occupation.Born and raised in the mountains of western Montana, Kit spent her childhood traipsing around forests, streams, and meadows, either on foot or horseback, exploring, fishing, and shooting. After earning undergraduate degrees in Medical Technology and professional Microbiology, she ultimately earned a Master of Science from the University of North Dakota. Subsequently, Kit spent more than 3 decades under a microscope as a medical technologist and lab manager for various medical, hospital, and health care facilities. She’s currently a laboratory director at Granite County Medical Center. I’ve read Nefarious Intent, the 4th book in the An

Alexandra Hainsworth is a British Australian pop artist distributing directly with The Orchard, which is a subsidiary of Sony Music. Her last single, 'Fighter', hit 1.46 million Spotify streams. Collectively, Alexandra has over 330,000 social media followers. Alexandra is an animal advocate for Four Paws Australia. And she has postgraduate qualifications in psychology.She’s also now a novelist. Alexandra's evocative debut book, Kingdom of Flight, details a dystopian vision of Earth's last remaining island. Victor Paul is the co-author of Kingdom of Flight, which is published by Austin Macauley Publishers in London.https://alexandrahainsworth.com/YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music Alexandra Hainsworth: TO FLY

Alretha Thomas has found career success in the second half of her life as an award-winning novelist, playwright, and actress. A resilient survivor of childhood trauma, Alretha is a former model who, as an actress, has appeared in numerous films, TV series, and commercials. She also appeared on two iconic soap operas, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. Currently, she’s a series regular, playing Anastasia Devereaux, on Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living, which is in its fifth season on BET.As a playwright, Alretha has won accolades and awards for her plays Civil Rites, A Shrine to Junior, Mommie and Clyde, Sacrificing Simone, and Grandpa’s Truth.  She also wrote One Woman, Two Lives, that starred Kellita Smith (of The Bernie Mac Show), and was directed by four-time NAACP Image Award Best Director recipient, Denise Dowse.Alretha, who holds a degree in journalism from USC, has written 15 novels, over a half-million of which have been sold and downloaded, receiving glowing reviews from readers, book clubs, and cri

Doug Besterman is a much in-demand orchestrator, arranger, and composer whose works span Broadway, film, television, and concert stages. Doug’s been nominated for the Tony Award six times, winning for The Producers, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Fosse. With a career that includes numerous other iconic productions such as Young Frankenstein, Sister Act, and Anastasia, Doug has helped shape the sound of modern musical theater. Recent Broadway credits include Death Becomes Her, SMASH, and BOOP! Internationally, his work has been heard in London, Berlin, and Hamburg in productions such as Rocky, Sister Act, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Guys and Dolls.Doug’s film and TV orchestration credits include Mary Poppins Returns, the live action films of Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid, Chicago, Frozen,Smash, and Schmigadoon. He’s contributed to countless live broadcasts and awards shows, including the Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and Kennedy Center Honors.As a composer, Doug has written scores for

This is Tim Quinn’s second time on StoryBeat.  An author, editor, and manager, Tim was born and raised in Liverpool, England, the home of The Beatles. He began his show business journey as a clown at Blackpool Tower Circus followed by working as a scriptwriter for various comedians of the period. Comic books came next as Tim worked as a writer and editor for Britain's top periodicals followed by a long stint at Marvel Comics. Alongside his comics work, Tim conducted interviews for newspapers and magazines with stars from the entertainment world followed by many years creating documentaries for London Weekend Television’s South Bank Show. During that time, he was also working as an editor for The Saturday Evening Post. Tim and his wife, Jane, created the publishing company, Quill Publications, and a music business, Mighty Quinn Management. Tim’s latest novel, Bigger than the Beatles, tells the story of a Liverpool boy who picked up a guitar in 1957 and went on to global success with his band, the Dream Da

Teddie Dahlin was born in Norway and graduated from Business School in Gothenburg, Sweden with a degree in International Marketing and Economics. She has worked as a freelance music journalist for several magazines in the UK, most notably Vive le Rock, and she’s written 5 published books.In 2012, after a bad experience with a UK publisher, Teddie established New Haven Publishing to put out her book, A Vicious Love Story: Remembering the Real Sid Vicious, which is her account of being the 16-year-old translator for the Sex Pistols during a leg of their 1977 Scandinavian Tour. It was New Haven’s first book. A Vicious Love Story takes us through Teddie’s unique encounter with Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols, including a fascinating cast of characters surrounding the band, such as Neon Leon, Eileen Polk, Peter Gravelle, Kenny Gordon, and Howie Pyro. I’ve read A Vicious Love Story and can tell you I was thoroughly engrossed by Teddie’s description of what it was like for her at such a young age to be tossed into t

New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter, is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. Wanda’s written more than 100 books, with over 12 million copies sold, and her work has been translated into 4 languages. Wanda’s stories consistently earn spots on the nation’s most prestigious bestseller lists.  Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are read and trusted by many Amish people, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the Amish and their customs.  Martha Bolton is a prolific author of 89 books, a nominee for an Emmy, Writers Guild Award, and Dove Award, and a co-author of three NY Times bestselling books. She was also Bob Hope’s first full-time female staff writer and wrote for his primetime TV specials as well as during 15 years of his personal appearances and special events, penning lines for a virtual Who’s W

Qin Sun Stubis is a newspaper columnist, poet, and author of the award-winning historical saga, Once Our Lives, the remarkable true story of four generations of Chinese women who struggled to survive war, revolution, and the eerie power of an ancient superstition that seemed to change their lives for nearly 100 years.Born in the squalor of a Shanghai shantytown, Qin overcame poverty, starvation, and the political persecution of her family to win admission to a prestigious Chinese university and emigrate to the United States where she became a successful writer. With more than 200 published works, she strives to strengthen the bonds of understanding and humanity that connect us all. Qin writes beautifully and movingly about her family and their struggles to endure extraordinarily difficult conditions. I highly urge you to check out Once Our Lives. www.QinSunStubis.com

Animation Director Bill Kroyer was nominated for an Academy Award for his short film Technological Threat, the first film to combine 2D and CG animated characters. He’s perhaps best known for directing the popular animated film, Ferngully, The Last Rainforest, as well as working on dozens of commercials and animated feature film credit sequences. He is also known for having developing the computer generated Lightcycles in the original version of Tron.As Senior Animation Director at Rhythm & Hues studios he directed CG characters in films that have grossed over $1 billion worldwide. In 2017, he and his wife Sue were the first couple to receive The International Animation Society's prestigious June Foray award.In addition to serving on multiple committees at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bill also served as the head of the Digital Arts Department at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman UniversityRecently, Bill published his autobiography, Mr. In-Between: My Life in the Mid

The highly popular documentary filmmaker, Rick Sebak, is a native Pittsburgher, who’s worked at Pittsburgh’s PBS station WQED since 1987.Rick’s created dozens of local TV documentaries known collectively as The Pittsburgh History Series, including: “Kennywood Memories,” “What Makes Pittsburgh Pittsburgh?” and “Right Beside The River” as well as many more. He’s also produced 15 national programs for PBS including “A Hot Dog Program,” “A Flea Market Documentary” and “A Few Good Pie Places.”I’ve seen a number of Rick’s documentaries and have always been delighted by the way they’re put together and especially by the uplifting, wonderfully human stories Rick’s work delivers each and every time.Rick has been honored with several regional Emmy Awards and two national Emmy nominations. One Pittsburgh bar even named a drink after him. In 2018, Pittsburgh Magazine named Rick one of the 50 Greatest Pittsburghers Of All Time.  There’s even a street named for him in Pittsburgh’s Somerset at Frick Park neighborhood.https:

David Arnoff’s career kicked off with the photos for the Cramps’ Songs the Lord Taught Us album. Since then, he has contributed to dozens of releases by artists including the Dream Syndicate, X, Ramones and the Gun Club.A collection of his work, Shot in the Dark, has been published in the U.S., U.K. and Spain. He has had solo exhibits in Berlin, London, Tokyo, Den Hague and Los Angeles, as well as group shows across the States and Paris.David’s photos are in the collections of the Grammy Museum in LA, the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas and MOMA in NY.He has never photographed bands he doesn’t like. David is the oldest angry young man in Chiswick, West London.