Shows
If It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEncore Jack Grapes Part 2 Mother of a Story - Writing from your Deep VoiceYou've got to convince people that the story doesn't matter. What matters is the truth of your deep voice, not your entertaining voice.
Jack Grapes, renowned writing teacher and award-winning poet reads a poem he wrote 50 years ago after the death of his mother. He hadn't read it in decades, and it brought up a lot of unexpected feelings.
Jack Grapes, is a poet, playwright, actor, teacher and founding editor of the literary journal ONTHEBUS. He is the author of 13 books of poetry and numerous other works, and co-wrote and starred in the award-winning play C...
2019-08-2900 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEncore Ep - Jack Grapes Mother of A Story - Letter from his Mother's GraveImagine receiving a letter from your mother a few years after she died. Imagine the letter is blank. That is the story our writer tells us this week.
Jack Grapes, renowned writing teacher and award-winning poet reads a poem he wrote 50 years ago after the death of his mother. He hadn't read it in decades, and it brought up a lot of unexpected feelings.
Jack Grapes, is a poet, playwright, actor, teacher and founding editor of the literary journal ONTHEBUS. He is the author of 13 books of poetry and numerous other works, and co-wrote and st...
2019-08-2900 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEncore Episode - Jon Wise Mother of a Story- A Mother Obscured"To begin with, this is not a story about my mother. She and I were not to enter the picture for a number of years. It’s another mother's story- of a ghost, a shadowy presence that moved along the distant edges of my childhood, whose memory was in the custody of others reluctant to part with it or even let it see the light of day." -Jon Wise
Jon Wise lives in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, with his wife Gail and their Australian terrier Owen. He has called the Crescent City home for mo...
2019-08-2200 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEncore Episode - Alexis Rhone Fancher Mother of a Story- Cruel ChoicesWe're telling stories.
Raw honest unapologetic episode about life after the death of this writer's son. She holds nothing back.
Alexis Rhone Fancher is an award winning poet and photographer. She has been published in Best American Poetry 2016, Rattle, Hobart, Verse Daily, Plume, Tinderbox, Cleaver, and elsewhere. Her books include: How I Lost My Virginity to Michael Cohen…, State of Grace: The Joshua Elegies, Enter Here, and Junkie Wife.
The Dead Kid Poems, the follow up to State of Grace, is available now on Amazon.
Alexis’s photographs are published worldwide, including...
2019-08-1500 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEncore Episode - Anonymous Mother of a Story - BarnaclesWe're telling stories.
Today’s guest is a best selling novelist and an all around wonderful writer. She wrote a beautiful piece for this podcast and then called us with a special request-- that we keep her identity anonymous.
Who doesn't speak to their mother?
What do you do when you have a toxic relationship with your mom? When the mother you want, is not the mother you have? When you are looking for courage or permission to put your well-being first, to live in your truth? What do you do when you don...
2019-08-0800 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherBenjamin Davis Mother of a Story - Playlist for my Mother's FuneralBenjamin Davis shares his poem, The Playlist At My Mother’s Funeral. We talk about how his mother would like a party when she dies which got him thinking of the playlist and how the songs that remind him of his mother and also track his memories with her throughout his childhood. Our conversation went from his rebellious teens and how he thought his parents showed great restraint for not throwing him in the basement and only feeding him scraps to the time when we all come to the realization that all the adults in our life are just wi...
2019-07-3100 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherTresha Faye Haefner Mother of a Story - Paradise, California IITresha Faye Haefner shares with us a poem about her childhood in paradise California. We talk about the wants and rebellion of youth and how when you’re a kid with the security of a loving family, you don’t have the life experience to appreciate just how lucky you are.
She also shares how one should listen to a poem.
Several of our brilliant guests came to us through Tresha - Alexis Rhone Fancher (Cruel Choices ep 6) Elya Braden (How to Be a Bad Mother ep 8), and Kelly Grace Thomas (How the Body is Passe...
2019-07-1800 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherKatie Manglis Mother of a Story - She Never Said I Love YouWhat's more important-- saying I love you or showing it through our actions?
In this episode we take a look at that.
We're telling stories and having meaningful conversations about whatever they bring up.
Our guest is Katie Manglis. After her mother died when she was just a baby, her grandmother, Yiayia, stepped in to fill the void.
Katie Manglis grew up in Cyprus in the 1970s and 80s and dreamed of becoming a paleontologist and discovering new dinosaurs. Instead, she ended up working in marketing, consulting and Wall Street and has...
2019-07-0500 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEncore Episode - Dan Bucatinsky Mother of a Story - Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight?It's Pride Month and we had to re release this episode! A father discovering the mother within. Dan Bucatinsky reads this hilarious excerpt his memoir "DOES THIS BABY MAKE ME LOOK STRAIGHT?"
Dan Bucatinsky is an actor, writer, producer and author. You recognize him from a million things like Second Act, The Post and Under the Tuscan Sun, but Dan is probably best known for his role as James Novak in Scandal. And you'll be able to see him on his new show this fall (2019) in ABC's The Baker & The Beauty.
We know you will en...
2019-06-2000 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherRichard Valenza Mother of a Story - The SecretWhen a mother's reaction is disappointing, is not the support you were needing or hoping for, remember to keep a window open in your relationship because, one day she may just surprise you.
We’re telling stories
Rich Valenza is our guest today. He is the Founder and CEO of RaiseAChild,a national nonprofit organization building loving families for foster children®.
RaiseAChild recruits, educates, and nurtures supportive relationships equally with all prospective foster and adoptive parents while partnering with agencies to improve the process of advancing the nations 437,000 foster children to safe, loving and...
2019-06-1300 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherGina Piccalo Mother of a Story - Silver LiningsWe learn so much from our children. In this episode, Gina Piccalo reads from her not yet published memoir. When you had a troubled childhood and your daughter wants you to tell her bedtime stories from that time, how do you play it?
In this touching story, Gina talks about the gift of seeing her story through her daughter's eyes, and the healing that has since taken place with her relationship with her own mother.
Gina Piccalo spent a decade on staff at the Los Angeles Times covering Hollywood. Her work has also appeared in Emm...
2019-06-0600 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherShari Walker Quan Mother of a Story - Heart Mom/Bio MomBeing a mother is an attitude, not Biology. That is our tagline and that's what this entire episode is about.
SHARI WALKER is a former foster youth who entered the foster care system at age fourteen. She talks about different mothering she received from her birth mom (Bio Mom) and "the first person who wasn't being paid to be with her" (her Heart Mom) after she aged out of the foster care system.
Shari graduated from California State University Northridge, where she majored in African American Studies with an emphasis on Social Science. She is i...
2019-05-3000 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherClay Rivers Mother of a Story - excerpt from Walking Tall
Operating in this world with what others may think of as challenges - being black, a little person, gay, and Christian, Clay Rivers reminds us that we all have challenges that we are walking around with. Some people’s challenges are more hidden. Clay wears his out loud.
I can do it myself! The way he entered into this world was a perfect match for the mother he was born to. She knew that faith, self respect, respect of others and taking personal responsibility was key to fully becoming who you were intended to be. Today’s story is about how t...
2019-05-2300 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherJack Grapes Mother of a Story Part 2 - Making Art out of PainJack Grapes, renowned Los Angeles writing teacher and award-winning poet read a poem in episode 25 that he wrote 50 years ago, after the death of his mother. This week in the rest of our conversation, he discusses how to write from an authentic deep place inside. And we talk about turning our pain into art. There are two beautiful excerpts from poets (and previous guests) Alexis Rhone Fancher (episode 6) and Chanel Brenner (episode 21).
Jack Grapes, is a poet, playwright, actor, teacher and founding editor of the literary journal ONTHEBUS. He is the author of 13 books of poetry and nu...
2019-05-1600 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherJack Grapes Mother of a Story Part One - Letter from My MotherImagine receiving a letter from your mother a few years after she died. Imagine the letter is blank. That is the story our writer tells us this week.
Jack Grapes, renowned writing teacher and award-winning poet reads a poem he wrote 50 years ago after the death of his mother. He hadn't read it in decades, and it brought up a lot of unexpected feelings.
Jack Grapes, is a poet, playwright, actor, teacher and founding editor of the literary journal ONTHEBUS. He is the author of 13 books of poetry and numerous other works, and co-wrote and st...
2019-05-0900 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEvie Gold Mother of a Story - When Things are the Same, But Not at AllLife is complicated and communication can often feel like a tightrope walk. Taking your mom off the pedestal you have put her on and seeing her as a human being, flaws and all, is part of growing up. And learning to navigate the ups and downs of all meaningful relationships is one of the things we talk about this week.
(We also discuss Rosie Waterland's podcast Mum says My Memoir is a Lie - highly recommend!)
EVIE GOLD is a non-fiction essayist whose personal stories focus on love, family, and anecdotes she collects from life a...
2019-05-0200 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherBen Barnz Mother of a Story - excerpt from the memoir, WeImagine being instantly 8 months pregnant. In this adoption story, our guest Ben Barnz reads an excerpt from his book We: an adoption and a memoir.
He shares how he and his husband came to be parents and how the birthmother of his child made them a We.
Ben Barnz, in addition to being a memoirist, is an independent film and television producer. He frequently collaborates with his husband, filmmaker Daniel Barnz. Together they formed We’re Not Brothers Productions, so named because everyone who doesn’t know them assumes they must be brothers. They are not.
2019-04-2500 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherLinda Freund Mother of a Story - Tripping with MomHere’s a question we are curious about: Do you teach your kids how to party responsibly? Did your mom teach you? Shouldn't we talk about how to parent when it comes to teens’ drinking and drug use? We all know that "just say no" is neither an effective nor a realistic tactic.
Today’s story opens up an honest conversation about drugs, alcohol, teens and our roles as mothers.
Linda Freund shares her day of mushroom trippin' with Bonnie, her mom. And she looks back fondly on the lessons she learned.
Linda Freund is...
2019-04-1100 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherChanel Brenner Mother of a Story - Navigating LossLife is a beautiful thing if you can navigate all the loss. Once your child dies you’re still their mother. In this episode our guest shares the death of her 6 year old son and her journey of navigating that loss.
Chanel Brenner shares how she listened and trusted her inner voice, “You know how to survive the loss of your child. Everyone has their own grief journey.” She reminds us to be respectful of each others grief process. Putting boundaries around grief, helped her marriage survive such loss
Chanel Brenner is the author of Vanill...
2019-04-0400 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherParker Lulu Sacavitch Mother of a Story - A Different Teenage Mother StoryA take on motherhood from a girl who is just entering womanhood. What happens when you are a teen, terrified to leave the nest and go to college? You create your comfort zone, your college family.
Parker Sacavitch is a college freshman at Emerson College in Boston. She's currently studying screenwriting, but she's tried writing everything from angsty poetry to horoscopes and everything in between. Her goal is to one day work in the world of children's animated television.
You can follow Parker on Instagram is @babyimtheshed and she hosts a radio show on WECB Sa...
2019-03-2800 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherDan Moore Mother of a Story - His Mom is a StarThe power of letting the ones you love, know what they mean to you is what we are talking about in this episode. Sometimes our children see us as whole humans and not just “Mom”. And that exchange deepens and enriches the relationship.
Dan Moore is a writer based in San Francisco. His work has appeared in many places online. He is also editor of the online magazines P.S. I Love You, The Bold Italic, and Minutes. You can follow him on Twitter @dmowriter and read more of his writing here.
https://medium.com/@DmoWrit...
2019-03-2100 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherTanya Davis Mother of a Story - Patterns Repeating... or notWe’re telling stories
We talk about the sadnesses that can be passed on to our children. Or sadness of our mother's that we sometimes take on as our own. How do we ease a burden and not take it on ourselves? Eternal questions.
Tanya Davis is a writer, performer, and musician currently based in Montréal, Québec. She has released 4 albums and 2 books of poetry, including an illustrated version of the widely popular video poem on YouTube, How to be Alone (made in collaboration with Andrea Dorfman). She is past Poet Laureate of Halif...
2019-03-1400 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherJennifer Hamm Mother of a Story - Embracing the Space Between UsWe’re telling stories
Jennifer Hamm’s story is about learning to raise the child she was given. Her second son was not like her first. She and her husband needed to figure out how to understand him and how to parent him. Through this process she discovered that his emotional intelligence exceeded his ability to articulate and communicate what he was feeling. She shares how she and her husband had to go to therapy so they could get on the same page to effectively parent this son.
As mothers we tend to pad the corne...
2019-03-0700 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherDebora Perez Mother of a Story - The SeashellWe’re telling stories
Debora Perez, shares a sweet story of her mother and a parenting trick she used involving a conch shell. She talks about the memories captured in snapshots of sound. We discuss raising adults, as opposed to raising children. And we take a look at what it is we would like our children to remember us for.
If it's not 1 Thing, explores the topic of 'mother' from every angle imaginable and some you have not thought of. Each week, hosts Lupe Padilla Mitchell and Katie Mitchell share a new story and have great...
2019-02-2800 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherTess Wheeler Mother of a Story - Mother CourageWe’re telling stories
Tess Wheeler went to school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and read English Literature at the University of York. After working as a financial editor in Hong Kong and London, she eventually surrendered to the pull of the beautiful Northumberland coast and returned home. Tess writes short stories and non-fiction articles for Medium and in 2017 she completed the first draft of her children’s novel, Codename Granbag. Two of her stories are included in anthologies called Starting Out and Fire, available on Amazon, and a compilation of her short fiction is due o...
2019-02-2100 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherBird Sizelove Mother of a Story - 3 Stages of ParentingWe’re telling stories
Bird Sizelove is the lucky mother to her son Boston Powers- 25.5. She refers to him as her "voodoo-doll" because when he's cool, she's cool.... when he's not, she's not.
Bird has been writing poetry from bar napkins to lap tops all through her course with her hands on work with everyone from gang members, to cancer support to Oscar winners. All the while seeing the poetry in it all.
If it's not 1 Thing, explores the topic of 'mother' from every angle imaginable and some you have...
2019-02-1500 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherKay Bolden Mother of a Story - A Loose Woman"I didn't want you to grow up to be a loose woman," my mother said not long before she died. “But I see I have failed miserably.” This is how Kay Bolden's mother story begins.
Kay Bolden is a writer, speaker and Assistant Editor at PS I Love You, the largest publication on Medium.com focusing on essays, fiction and poetry. Always dreaming of faraway places, Kay finally picked up her backpack at age 55 and hiked out to see the world. Since then, she has solo trekked through Europe, South America and the United States. Her children share...
2019-02-0700 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherTori Time Mother of a Story - Gypsy GrandmaWe’re telling stories
Our writer this week shares her gypsy grandma with us and how she embraces the bits of free spirit she's inherited from her.
Tori Time is a writer, director, actress, and poet living in Los Angeles. After graduating from The University of Southern California where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting, Tori worked for renowned film director, Sam Taylor-Johnson. Tori studies writing in Jack Grapes Method Writing classes and is a member of the Los Angeles Poets and Writers Collective. Tori wrote, directed, an...
2019-01-3100 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherJon Wise Mother of a Story - A Mother Obscured - a different kind of ghost story"To begin with, this is not a story about my mother. She and I were not to enter the picture for a number of years. It’s another mother's story- of a ghost, a shadowy presence that moved along the distant edges of my childhood, whose memory was in the custody of others reluctant to part with it or even let it see the light of day." -Jon Wise
Jon Wise lives in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, with his wife Gail and their Australian terrier Owen. He has called the Crescent City home for mo...
2019-01-2400 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherCathie Borrie Mother of a Story - A different dementia storyWe’re telling stories
Cathie Borrie, is our guest. She reads from her family memoir, the long Hello ~ memory, my mother, and me. Cathie Borrie finds magic and poetry in her mother’s language during her phase with Alzheimers. Find out the important lessons she has to teach us all, about the human experience and caregiving and the gift dementia makes possible.
Cathie received high praise from writers Maya Angelou and Lisa Genova. She is graduate of the Writer’s Studio at SFU in Vancouver, and is currently sculpting a poem from each of the 1...
2019-01-1400 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherKelly Grace Thomas Mother of a Story - How The Body Is Passed Down.We're telling stories.
Kelly Grace Thomas, is our guest today. We are discussing body image, how it is passed down through the generations, and what we're teaching our kids about it, especially in our silent moments. We also explore when it is that parts of us begin to die. All because of the 2 poems that Kelly Grace reads for us today.
Kelly Grace Thomas is the winner of the 2017 Neil Postman Award for Metaphor from Rattle, a finalist for the Rita Dove Poetry Award, a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and Best of the Next nominee. B...
2019-01-1000 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherElya Braden Mother of a Story - How To Be A Bad MotherA writing teacher told her that everyone is an expert at something. That is how this story came to be. She says you can't give what you didn't receive.
Elya Braden, former corporate lawyer and entrepreneur, is now a widely-published poet and collage artist. Her writing and art are expressions of her healing/spiritual journey that she shares to connect with others and open their hearts. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and her cat. You can find her on the web at www.elyabraden.com.
Through the S.H.E. Fund (http...
2019-01-0600 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherBellina Logan Mother of a Story - Confessions of a Mulatto Love ChildImagine if you got to have one more conversation with someone you love after they died. This writer keeps her free spirited mother alive through her funny touching writing and performance.
Our guest today is Bellina Logan. We are sharing excerpts from her magnificent one-woman show, Confessions of a Mulatto Love Child, which she has been performing in LA and NY for the past year and a half. (Sequel to her Conversations to a Mulatto Love Child.
Bellina Logan is a 25 year veteran stage and screen actress. In New York City, Bellina has appeared at...
2019-01-0300 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherAlexis Rhone Fancher Mother of a Story - Cruel ChoicesWe're telling stories.
Raw honest unapologetic episode about life after the death of this writer's son. She holds nothing back.
Alexis Rhone Fancher is an award winning poet and photographer. She has been published in Best American Poetry 2016, Rattle, Hobart, Verse Daily, Plume, Tinderbox, Cleaver, and elsewhere. Her books include: How I Lost My Virginity to Michael Cohen…, State of Grace: The Joshua Elegies, Enter Here, and Junkie Wife.
Next up? The Dead Kid Poems, the follow up to State of Grace, which will be published in early 2019.
Alexis’s photographs are publi...
2018-12-2900 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEric Mann Mother of a Story - Corporal PunishmentWe're telling stories.
Spare the rod, spoil the child. A funny story about discipline and respect and his mother's unique brand of justice
Eric Mann is an author, actor, musician and non-profit executive director. He currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his wife of 38 years, Susan.
He is the author of the highly-popular book The Delmont Street Gang, which is described as "The Wonder Years" on steroids. A collection of short stories about a group of boys growing up in small-town Manchester, Connecticut, during the 60s and 70s, when "getting into trouble"...
2018-12-1800 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherMolly Hagan Mother of a Story - No Regrets
We're telling stories.
In her piece for the podcast, No Regrets, Molly Hagan writes very honestly about her own decision Not to become a mom, and the surprising realization she had about her own mother. A woman she loved but pitied for having been “stuck” mothering 7 children.
Molly Hagan has amassed an extensive resume as an actor over the past 35 years. Molly recurs on Jane the Virgin, iZombie, the upcoming Apple TV Are you Sleeping with Octavia Spencer, and a new Netflix series No Good Nick, premiering in spring 2019.
Molly Hagan has b...
2018-12-1400 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherAnonymous Mother of a Story - Her Mother Can Never KnowWe're telling stories.
Today’s guest is a best selling novelist and an all around wonderful writer. She wrote a beautiful piece for this podcast and then called us with a special request-- that we keep her identity anonymous.
Who doesn't speak to their mother?
What do you do when you have a toxic relationship with your mom? When the mother you want, is not the mother you have? When you are looking for courage or permission to put your well-being first, to live in your truth? What do you do when you don...
2018-12-1100 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherCea Sunrise Person Mother of a Story - North of Normal
We're telling stories.
As a toddler, this writer's mother had her tending the fire, fetching water, and learning to skin bears, in contribution to their wilderness off-the-grid lifestyle.
Cea Sunrise Person is the author of two bestselling memoirs, North of Normal and Nearly Normal. They chronicle her counterculture childhood in the wilderness of Canada and then dramatic move into an international modeling career at 13. She has made many appearances to speak about her unique life, including a TEDx talk.
She reads an excerpt from her first book and we have a gr...
2018-12-0400 minIf It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherDan Bucatinsky Mother of a Story - Wake Up and Smell the FingersWe're telling stories.
A father discovering the mother within. We discussed the mothering nature that a baby can bring.
Dan Bucatinsky reads WAKE UP AND THE SMELL THE FINGERS from his spectacular memoir "Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight?"
Dan Bucatinsky is an actor, writer, producer and author. You recognize him from a million things like Second Act, The Post and Under the Tuscan Sun, but Dan probably best known for his role as James Novak in Scandal. We know you will enjoy Dan as much as we did. Listen as he re...
2018-12-0100 min
If It's Not 1 Thing It's Your MotherEp 00 Trailer - If it's Not One Thing, It's your MotherWe're telling stories. If it's not 1 Thing, explores the topic of 'mother' from every angle imaginable and some you have not thought of. Each week, hosts Katie Mitchell and Lupe Padilla Mitchell share a new story and have great conversations with the writers, many of whom are in fact not writers by trade. We have excerpts from best selling novels, memoirs, poetry award winners and songwriters, to stay at home moms, insurance brokers, teachers, actors, college students and beyond. Some famous. Some not at all. But they all have incredible tales to tell. Find more about us at Insta...
2018-11-2200 min