This week, Ira spoke with Patricia Walsh Chadwick, author of "Breaking Glass: Tales from the Witch of Wall Street." In this cultish episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Patricia talks about growing up in a cult (which started out as a religious community); the paradox of the community being intellectually stimulating, but very rigid; the one defining theme that held the cult together; why she was told to leave in her senior year, leaving her family behind; her will to survive with few places to go to for advice; going to secretarial school and keeping her eyes and ears open, because she didn’t know anything; how she got her first job on Wall Street as a receptionist and then became a research analyst; how she was aggressive when she began working there; why she became adaptable; picking up millions of dollars in checks when she was 20; getting her broker’s license before she was 21; her mentors (including one female); why, at 45, she had twins; and what she wants people to take away from her book.
May 23
This week, Ira spoke with Steven L. Herman, author of "Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President—and Why It Matters". In this presidential episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Steve talks about why he wrote the book, which explains the mechanics of covering the White House; working for the Voice of America (VOA) and what kind of organization it is; why VOA is the only news institution mandated to be objective; why the VOA is part of the press pool and what a press pool does; the vetting of White House journalists by the Secret Service; why there are 49 seats in the press briefing room and why the White House Correspondents Association determines seating; how White House reporting can be both a boring and thrilling job; why radio is his first love; the concept of accuracy over speed; his biggest challenge in the White House; “confirmation bias”; and the most surprising thing he discovered when writing the book.
May 16
This week, Ira spoke with Glenn Plaskin, a New York Times best-selling author and interviewer who has written 30 books, including "Horowitz: The Biography of Vladimir Horowitz"and "Turning Point: Pivotal Moments in the Lives of America’s Celebrities". In this prolific episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Glenn talks about his early life and originally not planning to be a writer, but instead a classical pianist; the importance of selling your idea instead of yourself; why his first book was life changing; why, after his first successful book on Horowitz, he decided to become an interviewer; the intimate rapport you establish with your interviewee; his backstage “moments” with celebrities; why he wouldn’t have written books and done interviews if he hadn’t felt bad about himself; his ability to connect with people; why he became a ghost writer; how everybody has a book inside them; bringing out the true emotion of the story; why his favorite book, "Katie Up And Down The Hall, The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family," is about the concept of family; and why a book is sometimes a legacy for an author.
May 9
This week, Ira spoke with Sarah Cart, author (along with Glenn Plaskin) of “On My Way Back To You, One Couple’s Journey through Catastrophic Illness to Healing and Hope." In this healing episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Sarah talks about why she decided to write the book about her husband’s incurable autoimmune disease and its impact on their lives; their life-and-death love story; why she decided to journal during her care giving ex-perience; why the emails she sent to family and friends were the first outline of the book; having a close core of friends; how her first Zoom was the night her husband went into the hospital (because of COVID); the importance of humor in coping; the challenges of being a caregiver; the practical steps her husband shared with her in case he died; and why writing her book was her therapy.”
May 2
This week, Ira spoke with Burt Kearns, author of "Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel." In this Adler episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Burt talks about why he decided to write a book about Marlon Brando with a new perspective, something that previous books had not covered; how Marlon Brando influences popular culture today; why he defines himself as a “pop culture journalist”; how he structured the book; how Brando influenced Elvis; why acting meant so little to the actor; how he lied in media interviews in the early days of his Hollywood career; the connection between Marlon Brando and James Dean; Marlon’s lifelong friendship with Wally Cox; how Burt researched his book and talked with people who knew Brando; the most surprising thing he found out about the actor; Brando’s involvement in civil rights; why the actor didn’t put his heart into film after “Last Tango in Paris”; and why Paramount didn’t want Marlon Brando for “The Godfather.”
Apr 25
29 min
Author, Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time
Host, Thaao Penghlis’ Lost Treasures Podcast
This week, Ira spoke with actor Thaao Penghlis, author of Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time and host of Thaao Penghlis’ Lost Treasures Podcast. In this delicious episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Thaao talks about exploring the world as an outlet from acting; how travel helped him with his dialogue on television; actors he was influenced by; the importance of listening; the imperative of relaxation and humor; how he learned lines for “Days of Our Lives”; why he wrote the book; why Doris Roberts wrote the introduction to the book; how life is a work in progress; why the book is more than recipes and more on how he experienced life with celebrities; some of the greats he cooked for; the challenging part of writing the book; and his four-episode podcast on exploring the Trilogy of Homer through the life of German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.
When Thaao Penghlis looks in the mirror, he sees different faces. During his remarkable run over the last four decades on the NBC daytime drama "Days of Our Lives," the Australian-born actor has played both the seductively villainous Count Tony DiMera and the count’s evil look-a-like impersonator Andre DiMera.
The double roles are on top of a wide-ranging collection of characters on two other daytime series, General Hospital and Santa Barbara, as well as television series, movies and plays.
But one thing has remained constant for Thaao Penghlis: his Greek identity. The grandson of Greek immigrants to Australia in the 1940s, Penghlis celebrates his heritage in his acting, writing, cooking, travels, and now, in a new podcast.
In The Lost Treasures, Penghlis channels his passion for Greek history and culture by exploring the Trilogy of Homer through the life of German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who himself changed history by uncovering the real-life locations and treasures in the ancient epic poems.
His travels inspired his first book, the deeply personal Places: The Journey of My Days, My Lives (2014), which delves into his Greek and Australian heritage and recounts his escapades from his entertainment career, including an afternoon tea with Jacqueline Kennedy that was life changing – for him and, he wonders for her. Fascinated with his Greek heritage, she asked him many questions. “And she later married a Greek!” he says – shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
His second book, Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time (2015), presents recipes for what would be his dream Hollywood dinner parties. “With all the celebrities that crossed my path, I asked myself; How would I embrace and seduce them with food?” he says. “Through my imagination and experiences, I have put together recipes that would resonate with these wonderful talents.”
While the cookbook imagines the perfect meals for the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and George Clooney, Penghlis’ real-life dinner parties in his home in the hills above Hollywood are legendary.
ThaaoPenghlis X
ThaaoPenghlis Instagram
ThaaoPenghlis Facebook
Apr 18
31 min
This week, Ira spoke with William J. Carl, author of "Assassin’s Manuscript. "In this killing episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” William talks about how Alex Haley convinced him to write a novel; the concept of two genres coming together; why it took 30 years to finish the novel; how this is not a typical good guys or bad guys novel; his copious research, including trips to seven countries; his meeting with assassins and how surprisingly normal they appear; how his biggest challenge writing the book…was writing; literary depth; why it was important to learn how to write for the screen; how rewriting is key; why one of the assassins he met is just like his main character; and why there are short chapters with a hook at the end of each chapter.
Apr 11
28 min
This week, Ira spoke with Liz J. Steblay, author of "Succeeding as a Solopreneur: Six Keys to Taking the Leap, Winning Clients and Building Wealth." In this enterprising episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Liz talks about the difference between an entrepreneur and a solopreneur; why it’s the toughest job you’ll ever have, but could be the most rewarding; how you have to push your boundaries and there is no fallback plan; how to mitigate FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt); why being self-employed is not for everybody; why you need to figure out what you hate to do and outsource it; the two key mistakes people make - how to go to market and pricing; defining your niche; going to “where the fish are”; why you’re never too old; the concept of fractional leadership; why LinkedIn is so important; and how to distinguish yourself from other solopreneurs.
Apr 4
27 min
This week, Ira spoke with Lucas Peters, author of "Grand European Journeys, 40 Unforgettable Trips By Road, Rail, Sea & More." In this sightseeing episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Lucas talks about being the Morocco expert who then was asked to write this European book; why the format of the book was collaborative; taking classic rail trips; the benefits of sleeper trains (for meeting people and saving money); why travel should be fun; the importance of adventure travel; his favorite itinerary from the book; the most unusual group he curated a trip for through his boutique agency (Journey Beyond Travel); his love of typewriters; balancing his writing, traveling, family and business; and the challenge of putting the book together with such a wide range of journeys through Europe.
Mar 28
29 min
Author, The Sagajo Experience: Recipes for Lifestyle & Entertaining
This week, Ira spoke with Debbie Wilson-Berment (Chef Sagajo), author of The Sagajo Experience: Recipes for Lifestyle & Entertaining. In this tasty episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Chef Sagajo talks about growing up in Trinidad and Tobago; learning about food as a kid while working with her mother; how she came to be known as a professional chef at age 16 before she came to America; her experience going to culinary school in the United States and being exposed to fruits that she was not aware of in the islands; why Chef Glenn was her inspiration; why she decided that her challenge would be pastry; writing the book about both recipes and experiences; her family’s favorite recipe from the book; her favorite piece of kitchen equipment; why a recipe has to be tested; her simplest recipe in the book; and the hardest; why it’s important to enjoy the moment in the kitchen; setting the ambience; and the world of private chefs.
Chef Sagajo is a chef and culinary expert who fuses the distinctive flavors and cooking traditions of her Caribbean roots with the skills and techniques she learned while training at top culinary programs in the United States. She creates unique culinary experiences by selecting the finest ingredients that are then prepared and blended perfectly into her recipes, to create dishes that awaken the palate to the deep, complex flavors. Chef Sagajo has been a fixture in the kitchen since she was a child, helping her mother, Alma, who is also a successful chef. Her approach to entertaining focuses on bringing food and family together, and, as such, her husband, children, and grandchildren are the prime inspirations for her work.
Chef Sagajo Website
Chef Sagajo Instragram
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Mar 21
26 min
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