Great Stories about Great Storytellers
GREAT STORIES about GREAT STORYTELLERS shares insights into storytellers whose names you no doubt recognize—names like Edgar Allen Poe, Steven Spielberg John Grisham and Walt Disney—but reveals the backstories you probably never heard about them. The podcast features different kinds of storytellers—authors, directors, playwrights and even a poet or two. In short 10-15 minutes episodes, this fun and sometimes funny podcast features anecdotes and tidbits about storytellers, with each episode spotlighting a modern storyteller like Tom Clancy or a classical name like Charles Dickens, but in a very different light.
Episodes
43 episodes
Diane Gabaldon--from renowned scientist to author of historical fantasy
In this episode, you'll learn--how Gabaldon went from scientist and computer expert to bestselling author of both a series of novels and the streaming series they spawnedhow she was among the first authors to combine histor...
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11:20
Maya Angelou--Author, Poet and Director AND great storyteller!
In this episode you will learn--the tragic and still remarkable life Maya Angelou livedhow her life's journey took her to three continents and six languagesthe several firsts that Maya accomplished in her life...
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12:17
How Murderous Intent Inspired Sue Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries
In this episode, you'll discover--how Sue Grafton's childhood shaped her perspective on family as evidenced in her novelshow Grafton's early attempts at novels met with little successhow the author honed her storyt...
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11:44
Michael Connelly--the master storyteller of modern crime novels
In this episode, you'll learn--how Michael Connelly inherited his love of mystery novels from his own motherhow the detective stories of Raymond Chandler played a pivotal role in Connelly's path to become a bestselling auth...
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12:03
Sir Ridley Scott, Cinematic Storyteller Genius
In this episode, you'll discover--how Sir Ridley Scott went from advertising mogul to major movie directorhow even though he ranks among the top grossing directors of all time, he had to wait half his life for his chance to...
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11:44
Clive Cussler, an adventurer in fiction and real life
In this episode you'll learn--how Clive Cussler turned his love of the sea into best-selling, action-adventure novelshow Cussler went from writing award winning ads to bestselling thrillershow Cussler managed "the ...
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12:14
Nora Roberts--the Juggernaut of Romance Fiction
In this episode, you'll learn--how the origin story of the most successful romance writer of all timehow Roberts came to author fiction under four different nameshow Roberts has managed to write and publish more be...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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12:55
J. R. R. Tolkien--the imagination that birthed epic Middle Earth stories
In this episode, you learn--how the early tragedies, triumphs and experiences of his young life inspired his fantasy tales the unlikely path Tolkien's invented story for his children took to become a bestseller with mo...
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14:24
Dr. Seuss and His World Famous Grinch
In this episode, you will learn--how Dr. Seuss went from commercial artist to the most famous author of early reading books in Americahow the narrative of the Grinch captures the sense of Christmas for both kids and adults<...
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12:37
Dick Francis--A Thriller Writer to Bet On
In this episode, you'll learn--How Dick Francis excelled as a British jockey and horsemanHow he used this novel to create a sub genre of thrillers and mysteriesHow his writing awards include the only author to win ...
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11:07
Mary Shelley, the young mind behind the monster
In this episode, you'll discover--Mary Shelley's unique upbringing as the daughter of two famous and controversial figuresMary's unusual courtship and marriage to to the Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelleythe incre...
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12:33
Mary Higgins Clark, the unlikely Queen of Suspense
In this episode, you'll discover--how Ms. Clark knew she was a writer from the age of 6how she honed her craft writing advertising copy and radio showshow her first novel was a flop but she perseveredhow s...
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14:33
Anne Frank's Diary--Its Incredible Success and Controversy
In this episode, listeners will learn''how Anne was able to chronicle the Frank's family challenges as representative of the horrors of the Holocausthow Anne Frank aspired to become a journalist after the war and how this f...
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13:16
Lee Child--the Master Thriller Writer
In this episode you'll learn--how a corporate downsizing gave birth to one of the premier thriller writers of todayhow Child has created the larger than life character of Jack Reacherthe strange process Child uses ...
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13:27
The Unlikely Story of a Favorite Childhood Author, Beatrix Potter
In the episode, you'll learn--how Beatrix Potter became one of the leading amateur scientists of her dayhow her love of animals led to her artistic rendering of these small creatures in her workshow she came to wri...
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11:56
Stephen King, More than Just the King of Horror
In this episode, you will learn--how Stephen King went from high school English teacher to best selling authorhow Carrie, his first horror novel and bestseller, almost ended in the landfill...
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13:28
The 17-Year "Overnight Success" of James Patterson
In this episode, you'll learn--how James Patterson became the best selling author of the past two centurieshow Patterson collaborated with fellow authors to produce more than 100 titleshow Patterson used his experi...
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14:11
Alex Haley's History Lesson for 140 Million Americans
In this episode, listeners will learn--How Alex Haley learned the craft of writing in the Coast GuardHow Haley became the preeminent interviewer of famous African Americans and other celebritiesHow his first book, ...
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13:40
What Your Teacher Never Told You about John Steinbeck
IN this episode you'll learn--how John Steinbeck became one the most respected American authors how his novels have been recognized as "the Great American Novel"how his work is also some of the most banned boo...
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14:02
The Amazing Future World Imagined by Gene Roddenberry
In this episode you'll learnhow Gene Roddenberry went from LAPD cop to TV screenwriterhow Roddenberry progressed from writing episodes on successful Westerns and cop series to imagining the most successful sci-fi concept of...
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13:13
The Surprising Origin of O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi"
In this episode, you'll learn--how O Henry wrote got some of his earliest stories from prisonhow "The Gift of the Magi" is one of the most copied Christmas stories of all timehow O Henry's difficult circumstances l...
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11:50
Robert Parker--the author who resurrected the PI mystery
In this episode you'll learn--how Parker went from technical writer to bestselling authorhow Parker created four bestselling series of crime novelshow his novels embraced a wide diversity of characters, well ...
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13:55
Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense
In this episode you'll learn==how Alfred Hitchcock went from a quiet and unassuming young man to the master of suspense and horror filmshow Hitchcock went from director in the UK to the top director of suspense ...
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15:22
