Melody Lomboy-Lowe - Author & Founder, Luna Peak Foundation

Melody Lomboy-Lowe - Author & Founder, Luna Peak Foundation

Melody Lomboy-Lowe — Founder, Luna Peak Foundation Melody Lomboy-Lowe was 6 years old when she planned her own funeral. She had been diagnosed with leukemia, and in 1983, treatment options were limited. But Lomboy-Lowe survived, and today her Los Angeles-based organization, the Luna Peak Foundation [http://lunapeakfoundation.org/], publishes books on cancer and grief. Luna Peak has donated over 4,000 books to children, families, hospitals, palliative care and hospice centers, therapist offices, schools, and universities. This includes workbooks, children’s books, and an inspirational photography book, Beyond Remission. Upstart Crow host Ken Budd profiled Melody for his “Everyday Heroes [https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2026/02/survivor-stories-helping-children-fight-cancer-with-books/]” column in The Saturday Evening Post and he interviews her here about survival, hope, and helping others. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS * Melody Lomboy-Lowe shares her remarkable journey from being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age six to becoming a long-term cancer survivor. * Hear how she planned her own funeral as a child and why that experience gave her a sense of control during treatment. * Learn how surviving cancer in the 1980s shaped her outlook on life, family, and purpose. * Discover how the Luna Peak Foundation uses books, care packages, and creative resources to support cancer patients and their families. * Melody discusses the inspiration behind her books Beyond Remission, Follow Me Cancer Free, Sean's Best Week at Camp Luna Peak, and more. * An emotional story about a young cancer patient named Zoe illustrates the power of representation and hope. * Why Melody believes cancer doesn't have to define a person—and can even become a source of strength and purpose. * A candid conversation about grief, mortality, and why we need to talk more openly about death. Key Takeaways Children are often more resilient than adults realize when facing serious illness. Honest communication can help young patients feel empowered rather than helpless. Cancer affects entire families, not just the person receiving treatment. Seeing yourself represented in stories can provide comfort, encouragement, and hope. Community and connection are critical for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and siblings. Surviving a life-threatening illness can profoundly change your perspective on everyday life. Hope doesn't always come from grand gestures—it often comes from knowing you're not alone. > "Cancer doesn't have to define you. It can enhance your life and you can become a different person because of it." > "There's always a possibility of doing something. Maybe you have to adapt, but there's always a way to reach your goals." > "If you can see a survivor, you can see yourself in them." Discussion Topics * Childhood leukemia and cancer treatment in the 1980s * Growing up after a life-threatening diagnosis * The role of honesty when talking to children about illness * Cancer survivorship and long-term emotional impacts * Creating books that inspire hope for patients and families * Supporting siblings and caregivers during cancer treatment * Grief, loss, and preparing for life's difficult conversations * The mission of the Luna Peak Foundation WHO SHOULD LISTEN? * Cancer patients and survivors * Parents and caregivers * Healthcare professionals * Nonprofit leaders * Anyone facing adversity or life challenges * Readers interested in inspirational true stories * People seeking hope, resilience, and perspective --- This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@upstartcrowpodcast] channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org [https://upstartcrow.org/] Follow us on Facebook here [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583417271723]. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

Caroline Bock - The Other Beautiful People

Caroline Bock – The Other Beautiful People In the entertainment world, there are the on-stage, front-of-camera, beautiful people, and there are those who actually make things happen. The ones who work behind the scenes, who make the deals, sell the projects, ensure the funding, move things forward. It is their lives that are the focus of this taut and evocative novel. The story juxtaposes the shocks and aftereffects of 9/11 with the more routine shocks of normal everyday life when business-world reasoning comes to bear on entertainment-world decision-making, and catches the lead character, Amy Greene, in the vortex. She has a life and a love she understands, until she doesn’t, until she is sure of almost nothing, including herself. Caroline Bock was a movie-loving executive of tv, working for 20 years in the cable television industry at AMC, Bravo, IFC and IFC Films, before stepping out of that world and writing. She is the author of the short story collection Carry Her Home, winner of the Fiction Award from the Washington Writers’ Publishing House, and also the young adult novels Before My Eyes and LIE. She graduated from the City College of New York and its MFA Fiction program, and she also attended Syracuse University. The Other Beautiful People is her first novel for adults. "The other beautiful people are the people behind the scenes—the ones who make everything happen, but rarely get the credit." "It doesn't matter if the world's ending. What matters is what you're going to do today." -Caroline Bock Hosted by William Miller KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. EVERY INDUSTRY HAS ITS "OTHER BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE" The novel shines a light on the overlooked professionals working behind the scenes in television, film, and media—the people who make success possible without ever appearing in the spotlight. 2. PERSONAL STORIES HELP US UNDERSTAND HISTORIC EVENTS Bock discusses how experiences surrounding 9/11 shaped both her life and her fiction, demonstrating how major historical events are ultimately experienced through individual lives. 3. CAREER SUCCESS OFTEN COMES WITH DIFFICULT CHOICES Amy Green's journey explores the tension between ambition, family, relationships, and personal fulfillment—questions many professionals continue to face today. 4. CHANGE IS CONSTANT Whether it's technological disruption, corporate mergers, or shifts in personal identity, adapting to change becomes one of the novel's central themes. 5. WRITING DOESN'T HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE Bock's path to publishing her first adult novel demonstrates that creative success can happen at any stage of life. 6. FICTION AND REALITY OFTEN INTERTWINE The conversation explores autofiction, memory, and how writers transform real-life experiences into compelling stories. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS * Caroline Bock discusses the inspiration behind The Other Beautiful People. * A behind-the-scenes look at cable television during the early 2000s. * How the events of 9/11 influenced both her life and her fiction. * The challenges of balancing career ambition, marriage, and family. * Why the "other beautiful people" are often the most important people in the room. * The role of autobiographical experiences in shaping fiction. * Caroline's journey from YA fiction to publishing her first adult novel. * The surprising story of how the book found its publisher. Purchase a copy of The Other Beautiful People here [https://regal-house-publishing.mybigcommerce.com/the-other-beautiful-people/?searchid=0&search_query=Caroline+bock] at Regal House Publishing, or wherever books are sold. #WritingCommunity #LiteraryFiction #AuthorInterview #UpstartCrow #TheOtherBeautifulPeople #CarolineBock #9/11 #BehindTheScenes This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@upstartcrowpodcast] channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org [https://upstartcrow.org/] Follow us on Facebook here [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583417271723]. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

Zach Powers -The Migraine Diaries: A singular, first-person novel.

Zach Powers – The Migraine Diaries: A singular, first-person novel. This story goes into the interior life of a thirty-something man who has just lost the best friend he ever had, a man he has known for ten years, a man he has seen most every day of those ten years as they pursued their separate creative projects and shared a social life, a man who knew to kick the narrator’s butt when it needed kicking and offer the right encouraging words when it was words and not a kick the narrator needed. All of that, suddenly gone. Told in the form of a headache journal, the novel renders the first year of loss starting with the beachside funeral/ash spreading of the friend’s remains, and captures the mix of headache hopelessness with the need to carry on, building to the final resolve. In this way, it is like life itself. Not all bleak. Filled with humor. Even offering moments of weirdness. Zach Powers is the author of the short story collection Gravity Changes, winner of the BOA Short Fiction Prize; and also a prior novel, First Cosmic Velocity, which combines history and fiction to look at the sham of the Soviet space program in 1964 and earlier. His writing also has appeared in American Short Fiction, Lit Hub, and other publications. He is the executive and artistic director of The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Poet Lore, the nation’s oldest poetry journal. He is originally from Savannah, Georgia, and now lives in Arlington, Virginia. Hosted by William Miller EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS * Zach Powers discusses how The Migraine Diaries functions not just as a grief novel, but also as a chronic illness narrative and, most importantly, a story about friendship and surviving loss together. * The conversation explores the ethics of writing chronic illness narratives, especially avoiding the traditional “everything gets resolved” story arc that doesn’t reflect real-life experiences with migraines or grief. * Zach shares deeply personal inspirations behind the novel, including the deaths of close friends and his own struggles with chronic migraines, while emphasizing the book is fiction rather than autobiography. * A major theme of the interview is how friendship can become the emotional anchor of a story, sometimes even more powerful than romance. * Zach explains his fascination with experimental storytelling, layered narratives, fragmented structure, and allowing readers to interpret meaning rather than over-explaining themes. * The discussion dives into the surreal “corgi” sequences in The Migraine Diaries, which blend grief, hallucination, memory, and imagination into symbolic emotional journeys. * Zach reflects on his earlier novel First Cosmic Velocity and how his writing evolved from more traditional narrative structures into more expansive and unconventional literary forms. * The episode also explores Zach’s acclaimed short story collection Gravity Changes, including his philosophy that fiction does not need to explain every surreal or impossible element to the reader. “You don’t have to explain the sheep.” — Zach Powers on discovering the freedom of literary fiction and surreal storytelling. “The friendship aspect is the actual thing driving everything in the background — how to be a good friend and maintain that in the face of adversity.” Find out more about Zach Powers on his website [https://zachpowers.com]. This entire interview is also available to watch on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@upstartcrowpodcast] channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org [https://upstartcrow.org/] Follow us on Facebook here [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583417271723]. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 - Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved #LiteraryFiction #WritingCommunity #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview

Caroline Bicks – Monsters in the Archive: My Year of Fear with Stephen King

Caroline Bicks – Monsters in the Archive: My Year of Fear with Stephen King Monsters in the Archives – that’s the main title of Caroline Bicks’ latest book, which is based on her experience digging through the archives of manuscripts and margin notes, plus her own interviews and emails with him, to gather insights into the workings of the creative soul behind all those scary works. In the book, she paints a detailed portrait of Stephen King, how he has grown up as a person and as a writer, and how those two relate to each other; and how he sees not only his work but also himself. Here, she shares some of those insights in conversation with Upstart Crow host William Miller. Caroline Bicks studied Renaissance poetry as an undergrad at Harvard and then at Stanford she earned her Ph.D. in English literature. She was a tenured professor at Boston College when the Harold Alfond Foundation created the Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine. King, an alum of UMaine, was not part of creating the chair or scoping its mission, except he agreed to lend his name to it and, by doing so, he signaled support for its mission. The occupant of the King Chair is to support the public humanities. After Caroline Bicks became the inaugural occupant of the King chair, she moved from Boston to Maine, and began to bring award-winning writers and journalists, educators, and activists to speak and work with Maine communities. She also began to support the work of students in internships and research projects, to give talks around the state, and, of course, in more recent years, to spend time in King’s private archives looking at early drafts of some of his most iconic works and distill her take-aways into Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King. Her earlier books are Cognition and Girlhood in Shakespeare’s World and Midwiving Subjects in Shakespeare’s England. She co-authored Shakespeare Not Stirred: Cocktails for Your Everyday Dramas. She co-hosts the Everyday Shakespeare podcast. Her essays and humor have appeared in the Modern Love column of the New York Times, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and the show Afterbirth. She lives in Blue Hill, Maine, with her family. “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.” — Macbeth, explored here as the key to understanding why Stephen King’s stories stay with us. “It’s not really a vampire story. It’s about vulnerability.” — Caroline Bicks on the deeper emotional truth inside horror fiction. Stephen King calls Monsters in the Archive: My Year of Fear with Stephen King “the best book about my process that I have ever read.” Hosted by William Miller You can purchase a copy of Caroline's book, Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King and find out more information about her other writings at CarolineBicks.com [https://carolinebicks.com] EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS * Stephen King’s stories resonate because they tap into real human fears like grief, loss, and helplessness. * Horror works best when it reveals emotional truth, not just monsters or gore. * King is a meticulous reviser who carefully crafts language, sound, and pacing. * Shakespeare and King both explore ambition, trauma, fear, and the darkness within people. * Reading horror gives audiences a safer, more personal way to confront fear than film often can. * Vulnerability is at the heart of all great literature. * Caroline Bicks’ access to King’s archives reveals the serious craftsmanship behind his success. * Stephen King and Tabitha King are known for generosity and philanthropy beyond their literary legacy. #StephenKing #CarolineBicks #WritingCraft #LiteraryPodcast #UpstartCrow #WritersInterview This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@upstartcrowpodcast] channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org [https://upstartcrow.org/] Follow us on Facebook here [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583417271723]. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved

Olufunke Grace Bankole - The Edge of Water

Olufunke Grace Bankole – The Edge of Water In an immigration novel not like others, a Nigerian daughter wants to try life in America, and so once more she enters the visa sweepstakes. Her mother says nothing, though she has been forewarned by a conduit of the oracle, “this time, the order of things will be shaken. The souls will lose their own way.” These are the tensions within Olfunke Grace Bankole’s first novel, The Edge of Water. There are matters here of faith in self and faith in matters larger than the self, as well as events that outstrip all planning and vision—including the failure to envision some real possibilities. What comes from this is a novel with a linear narrative constructed across an arc whose parts are anything but linear—where the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. The Edge of Water was a finalist for the New American Voices Award given by the Institute for Immigration Research, which is presented at the Fall for the Book festival. Olufunke Grace Bankole is a Harvard-educated lawyer and recipient of the Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowship, and her original writing has appeared in Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, AGNI, Michigan Quarterly Review, New Letters, the Antioch Review and Stand. Her work won first place in the Glimmer Train Short Story Award for New Writers, and she was a Bread Loaf-Rona Jaffe Scholar in Fiction at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She also has been awarded an Oregon Literary Fellowship in Fiction, a Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation grant, a residency-fellowship from the Anderson Center at Tower View, and a Pushcart Special Mention for her writing. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Find out more about Grace on her website [https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=http://olufunkegracebankole.com/&ved=2ahUKEwiU0YTDm8uTAxV9EFkFHW1TMTIQFnoECCUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0GDr027D5VKV2hWSwwItWQ]. Connect with Grace on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/olufunke.grace.bankole/]. Purchase a copy of The Edge of Water on Bookshop.org [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-edge-of-water-olufunke-grace-bankole/616533037d8b68f9?ean=9781963108057&next=t]. * A powerful exploration of fate vs free will, and how belief systems shape the choices we make. * Redefines “home” in immigrant stories—less about place, more about identity, community, and peace. * Moves beyond the typical American Dream narrative, showing the emotional and psychological realities of immigration. * Highlights women’s resilience and agency, especially within patriarchal and cultural expectations. * Examines how generational trauma and relationships between mothers and daughters shape identity. * Shows how small decisions during major life moments can completely alter someone’s path. * Blends spirituality, Yoruba tradition, and modern life, creating a layered, immersive world. “We like to think we’re in control—until life reminds us how much of it was never ours to decide.” - Olufunke Grace Bankole #UpstartCrowPodcast #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview #OlufunkeGraceBankole #TheEdgeOfWater #ImmigrantExperience #AfricanAuthors #WomenWriters #LiteraryFiction #BookRecommendations #ReadersOfInstagram #WritersOfInstagram #Storytelling #FateVsFreeWill #MotherDaughterStories This episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@upstartcrowpodcast] channel. --- Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org [https://upstartcrow.org/] Follow us on Facebook here [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583417271723]. Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio. © 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved