Story-Power

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden
  • 5.0 (20)
  • Arts
  • Updated Biweekly

Stories are a powerful way to learn about ourselves and others. They come in all different forms, written, visual, musical, and personal. Lucinda and her guests discuss stories in all these forms.

  1. 48m ago

    A Cautionary Tale of Corporations Running the Government: %51 by Matt Witten Ep. 163

    I've written seven published novels - four mysteries and three thrillers. I've also written for TV - Law and Order, House, Pretty Little Liars, Supernatural, and other shows. In addition, I've written several produced and published stage plays and a movie. I've taught writing at UCLA Extension for twenty years, and people tend to enjoy hearing my experience, advice, and hopefully wisdom. People will also enjoy hearing about my speculative thriller 51% that comes out on April 28, 2026; it presents an intriguing view of the future. Here's a synopsis: In a future where corporations own everything—including people—one murder could ignite a revolution. Twenty years from now, the United States is completely privatized. The Big Six syndicates own schools, roads, police departments… even human beings. When a young immigrant woman—51% owned by the syndicates—is brutally murdered, NYPD, Inc. detective Juke O'Keefe and his partner, crime marketing consultant Haylee Navarro, catch the case. Pregnant and broke, Haylee knows they can't crowdfund enough from a dead immigrant to pay for basic forensics, let alone their paychecks. But Juke, with his old-school sense of justice, is determined to find the killer. Their search for the truth leads them to Juke's ex, a Resistance leader on the syndicates' most wanted list. As the three join forces, they stumble onto a conspiracy designed to destroy the last shreds of American freedom. To rescue fifty-one percenters—and everyone else—from syndicate control, they'll have to defeat the Red Queen, the most ruthless, powerful AI in the world. 51% is a gritty, fast-paced thriller about power, justice, and what happens when everything—even people—can be owned. Website, Facebook, (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads David Nevins, Producer, Executive CBS NBC, Television Network Charlie Craig, Matt's writing partner Dick Wolf, Producer, Writer William Goldman, Screenwriter, novelist, non-fiction writer Toronto Anti-Capitalist Book Fair PodMatch, a dating service for podcasters Jimmy Vines, Literary Agent Bill Crider, Author William F. Fitzhugh, Author Don Winslow, Author Stacy Willingham, Author Jennifer Hillier, Author The Space Between Time, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden Penguin, Carroll & Graf. Dell Publishers Rex Stout, Author

    A Cautionary Tale of Corporations Running the Government: %51 by Matt Witten Ep. 163

  2. 58m ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Enjoy: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing MIKAYLA NOGUEIRA EXCLUSIVE: The Story She’s Finally Ready to Tell from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Jay sits down with beauty creator Mikayla Nogueira to go beyond the online persona and share the real story behind her rise. Mikayla opens up about the struggles that shaped her before finding success, the viral moment that changed her life overnight, and the painful reality of a marriage impacted by addiction and divorce. She also shares how she found her way forward, reconnected with her high school first love, and launched her own beauty brand with Sephora. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Built-in protections for teens. JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Why Share Your Story Now? 01:31 Beyond The Influencer Persona 02:46 Childhood Memories That Shaped Her 03:45 Bullying & Discovering Makeup At Age 10 05:24 The Insecurities Behind the Confidence 06:48 Expressing Her True Self Online 08:55 The Origin Of Her Passion For Makeup 11:18 Work Ethic And Thinking Big 12:37 Creating Her Very First YouTube Video 13:58 Presenting A 50-Page Business Plan 16:30 Returning To Her Hometown & Donating Makeup 18:00 Getting Hired At Ulta Beauty 23:52 Letting Go of the Future She Planned 28:10 Losing Her Job and Finding a New Path 31:34 The First Viral Video 37:08 Manifesting Success & Building A Content Engine 41:53 Experiencing Her First Cancellation 45:25 Reflecting on Past Controversies 48:56 The Mental Health Toll of Rapid Growth 52:54 The Boston Accent 56:48 Meeting Her Ex-Husband Cody 59:41 Navigating Addiction In A Relationship 01:04:08 Dating An Influencer & Dating An Addict 01:05:56 Marriage Through Addiction and Relapse 01:13:00 A Harrowing Late-Night Emergency 01:18:11 Making the Decision to Divorce 01:33:53 The Path To Divorce 01:40:46 Finally A Fresh Start 01:46:45 Reconnecting With High School First Love, Zach 01:52:21 Building Her Beauty Brand (POV) 01:57:30 Looking Back 01:59:34 Mikayla On Final Five Episode Resources: Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/share/1C43BCLCFi/?mibextid=wwXIfr TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@mikaylanogueira Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mikaylajmakeup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Enjoy: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

  3. Sep 23

    Never Give Up On Your Dreams

    Nathan Cody graduated in 2023 with a B.S. in Digital Film. He is currently living in Savannah as an up-and-coming filmmaker working on his craft, specializing in screenwriting and directing his own films. Nathan is a firm believer in the transformative power of storytelling; he loves how a well-crafted film can deeply impact an audience, sparking new perspectives or providing a much-needed emotional connection. His favorite films include anything from Pixar, Good Will Hunting, and Jaws. LinkedIn, YouTube Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford, Steven Webber Eli Wallach, Actor Charlie Chaplin, Writer, Actor, Director of Classic Films   City Lights, The Kid, The Great Dictator TCM (Turner Classic Movies) MGM+ on Amazon Tubi, Pluto, Max

    Never Give Up On Your Dreams

  4. Sep 9

    How Classic Movies Inspired A Diverse Entertainment Career

    Samuel Garza Bernstein's life and writing reflect the wild intersections of modern life. He was born to an undocumented Mexican mother who everyone assumed was a white Texan, and a Jewish father who passionately supported the Palestinian cause in Egypt, where the family lived for a year when he was a kid. "I was six-years old in Cairo," Garza Bernstein says, "Surrounded by hot Egyptians, spinning fantasies and inventing myself." The family traveled all over the world—occasionally on the lam—and lived in Cairo, Honolulu, Austin, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, and Ft. Collins, Colorado.  His newest book Roddy McDowall: An Actor's Life has drawn raves from Carol Burnett, Julie Andrews, and Emma Thompson, among many others, and is in bookstores now. He is gearing up for the fourth season of 6-time Emmy Award-winning After Forever, after serving as co-showrunner and co-executive producer of the third season, now streaming on Amazon. His 2025 book, Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild, is a Foreword Magazine award-winner for Biography, and his non-fiction anthology Uncommon Heroes won a Stonewall Book Award from the American Library Association. His pilot for The Secret World of Danny Lopez was named a Writers Guild of America television comedy access project honoree but was also a drama winner at the New York Film Awards and a Content London International Drama Summit nominee for Best Pilot Script. He is also a well-regarded story consultant, working with clients in the United States, the U.K., and Europe. He won Best Screenplay at the London Independent Film Awards for Elephant & Castle and a G.L.A.A.D. nomination for the Showtime film Bobbie's Girl, which also garnered its star Bernadette Peters an Emmy nomination. Episodic credits range from the CBS drama Judging Amy to Nickelodeon's Shimmer and Shine. With composer David Snyder he first adapted his non-fiction book Mr. Confidential as a stage musical, developing it at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and then directing its world premiere at Actors Theatre of Indiana. Garza Bernstein started his career as an actor and singer, most notably performing in several productions of Evita as Eva's first conquest, the tango singer "Magaldi." He also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for trans foster children in Los Angeles County for five years, created and co-chaired a writing mentorship program for public high school students for twelve years, and served as a youth facilitator for the Los Angeles LGBT Center for eight years. He and husband Ronald Shore have been together for over thirty years and split their time between LA and Porto, Portugal. They are currently the hostages of a pair of incorrigible dachshunds. PRESS FOR RODDY McDOWALL: AN ACTOR'S LIFE:  Ann Pryor, Kensington Books (212) 407.1526 APryor@kensingtonbooks.com  Samuelgarzabernstein.com samuel@samuelgarzabernstein.com  IMDb page TCM

    How Classic Movies Inspired A Diverse Entertainment Career

  5. Aug 26

    International Dublin Writers' Festival: Building Writing Communities

    Laurence O'Bryan is an Irish author, entrepreneur, and internationally recognized book marketing expert whose career has been built around a simple belief: great books deserve to be discovered. As the founder of BooksGoSocial, he has helped thousands of independent and traditionally published authors reach readers worldwide through innovative advertising, promotion, and publishing services. Drawing on decades of experience in sales, digital marketing, and publishing, he has become a respected voice on book promotion, speaking at conferences across Europe and North America and training authors in modern publishing strategies. Socials   https://internationaldublinwritersfestival.com/  https://booksgosocial.com/ His books: The Istanbul Puzzle, First of five Puzzle books The Sign of the Blood, First of A Dangerous Emperor series The Rise of Synne, The First of The Last Seer series The International Dublin Writers' Festival David Gutierrez, Non-Fungible Book Club, nfbclub for Audio Books Prolific Writers Life Find a Company You can Trust with Trustpilot

    International Dublin Writers' Festival: Building Writing Communities

  6. Aug 12

    Dancing Through the Shadow: A Close-Up on China During Mao's Reign

    Leif Bristow is an Emmy winning producer, director, screenwriter, and bestselling author who has spent decades bringing unforgettable stories to life for audiences around the world. But Dancing Through the Shadow is far more than just another project. It is a story that found him personally. The inspiration came through Tia Zhang, an internationally celebrated dancer, Shen Yun artist, and survivor whose extraordinary life story recently earned her the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal for her contributions and impact. Tia once taught ballet to Leif and Agnes Bristow's daughter, and through that connection, the family came to learn the unimaginable truth of her life, surviving oppression under Mao era China, enduring extraordinary hardship, and ultimately escaping to freedom. Agnes Bristow knew this was a story the world needed to read, which led her to write the award winning bestselling novel Dancing Through the Shadow. Leif, as a filmmaker and storyteller, knew it was equally a story that needed to be brought to the screen.   Podcast audiences will gain a fascinating behind the scenes look at how a real life friendship uncovered one of the most remarkable untold survival stories of our time, the journey of transforming truth into powerful storytelling, the creative process behind adapting books to film, and why stories of courage, freedom, resilience, and the human spirit matter now more than ever. Website, Facebook, (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, Leif's IMDb page where you can see his entire filmography   Dancing Through the Shadow, Agnes Bristow Love on Safari (2018) Starring Lacey Chabert and Jon Cor, Brittany Bristow Mao's Last Dancer (2009) Starring Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood and Kyle MacLachlan Dr. Robert J. Wolf, Story-Power episode 138, 20 Miracles and 4 Escapes from Tyranny Love on the Danube: Royal Getaway (2025) A Sweet Austrian Holiday (2024) Beyond Black Beauty (2024) John Rhys-Davies, Actor, Lord of the Rings, and much more

    Dancing Through the Shadow: A Close-Up on China During Mao's Reign

  7. Jul 29

    The Writer's Job: To Get the Readers to Think, Feel, and See the World in a New Way

    Ken Weene loves words. At times he is so captivated by them that they cannot hold the flow back and they tumble out as novels, short stories, poems, essays, and stage plays. Although Ken desperately tries to hold back those word floods and endlessly edit them, they find their ways into print and electronic form, which can be found by looking for Ken's name anywhere on the internet. He is, after all, the only Kenneth Weene in captivity so he cannot hide from your searches, not on Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, X, Bluesky, Truth Social, or LinkedIn. 
When you do that search, you will learn that Ken grew up as a broody New Englander, has a PhD in Psychology, worked for years as a therapist and teacher in New York, and moved/retired to Arizona in 2003 when he decided to focus on his writing. Married for 58 years to the late artist Rosalyn Weene, much of Ken's work is dedicated and about the love of his life and their love for life. Website,  Facebook, (X), LinkedIn, Bluesky, TruthSocial, YouTube, Amazon Books and Plays Coursing, The Boat and Ashes (With Umar O. Abdul) Memoirs From The Asylum, Jumping Over the Ram (With Deng Atem) Times To Try the Soul of Man Mario Puzo, The Godfather, book and screenplay Sleeping Dogs (2024) Russell Crowe Guy Morris, Story-Power guest, Episode 140 aired on November 19, 2025, Books: Swarm, The Image, The Last Ark Red Bird, Diandra Ford, Story-Power Episode 132 aired on July 30, 2025 John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Travels With Charlie John Dos Passos, Upton Sinclair, authors Canio's Books, Shelter Island, NY  One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, Ken Kesey The Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota The Gadsden Hotel, Douglas, Arizona Dave Dahl, Story-Power guest, Episodes 1 aired on July 22, 2020, and 21 aired on July 21, 2021

    The Writer's Job: To Get the Readers to Think, Feel, and See the World in a New Way

  8. Jul 15

    The Healing Power of Music and The Arts

    Tamara is a Creator & Connector with an undeniable gift for inviting others into Community.  She focuses on fostering hope, community, and belonging through art and teaching, inspiring a joy that transforms hearts and mindsets. Tamara is a creative entrepreneur passionate about kids, families, and communities. Through her work as the founder of Love In A Big World, her impact is evident across the US and beyond. With a Master's degree in education from Vanderbilt University, she has devoted over thirty years of service as an educator and program developer. As a seasoned leader of both nonprofit and for-profit businesses, she models community support and engagement. With an unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the world, she has persevered through life's ups and downs. Through her writings, songs, and paintings, she shares her story of finding her voice. Her healing journey inspires others to seek wholeness.    Tamara lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the proud mother of three adopted adult children.   Tamara Fyke's Website https://www.loveinabigworld.com/ Tommy E. Black, musical collaborator BMI, Broadcast Music Inc. ASCAP, The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers SESAC, Society of European Stage Authors and Composers Hello Story-Power listeners. I wanted to let you know that after several years of producing Story-Power, I've started running ads through Libsyn to support the show. These are programmatic ads, in other words I don't pick the brand, but I have blocked categories that don't align with my values. Your support of this show over the years has meant a lot to me. Running these ads will help me pay for producing all the great content I've been providing. I plan to continue to bring you stories of innovative creators that will helpfully inspire you. Thanks so much for following Story-Power.

    The Healing Power of Music and The Arts
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5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Stories are a powerful way to learn about ourselves and others. They come in all different forms, written, visual, musical, and personal. Lucinda and her guests discuss stories in all these forms.

Information

  • Creator
    Lucinda Sage-Midgorden
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    165
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Story-Power