Defining You With Fiona Murden

Sarah Wang — New Skin: A Mother-Daughter Story of Plastic Surgery's Dark Side

Named one of Apple's Best Books of May, debut novelist Sarah Wang joins Sparkle On to discuss her novel New Skin — a visceral exploration of plastic surgery addiction, immigrant identity, and an intense mother-daughter relationship set in Los Angeles. Sarah reveals how she spent over a decade crafting a story that uses the world of reality TV and botched plastic surgery as a lens to examine class and debt in America. Sarah shares her process of rewriting entire subplots even after selling the book, from navigating rejection with determination to knowing when to protect the beating heart of a story while staying open to critique. She proves that you only need one yes, and that the stories we're most obsessed with are the ones worth telling. Read New Skin: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sarah-wang/new-skin/9780316607704/?lens=little-brown [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sarah-wang/new-skin/9780316607704/?lens=little-brown] Follow Sarah Wang: https://www.instagram.com/daikonoclast/ [https://www.instagram.com/daikonoclast/] CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome * 00:01:10 LA, Plastic Surgery, and the Spark for New Skin * 00:02:50 Not a Cautionary Tale: Addiction, Class, and Debt in America * 00:04:46 The Ten-Year Journey and Internal Pressure * 00:06:47 Plot Building Through Revision and Rewriting * 00:08:21 The Power of Community and Workshopping * 00:13:39 Writing Is Not Therapy: Universal Truths in New Skin * 00:16:46 Crafting Dialogue and Character Through Revision * 00:18:02 Research, Reality TV, and Avoiding Replication * 00:22:56 COVID, Scapegoating, and Game Theory on Reality TV * 00:26:35 Writing From What Keeps You Up at Night * 00:28:12 Letting Go and Embracing Reader Interpretations * 00:29:52 Determination, Rejection, and Only Needing One Yes * 00:31:36 Holding Onto the Core and What's Next

Solo Devi Jags Episode — Building Sparkle In Public, The Vision, & The Punk Rock Era

Devi Jags flips the mic and lets herself be interviewed for the first time, revealing the raw, unfiltered origin story of Sparkle On. From surviving violent events in college and rediscovering her fire through writing, Devi unpacks how creativity became her lifeline and why she refuses to let anyone define themselves by a single identity. This solo episode dives into the messy, relentless, punk rock era of building a movement from scratch. Devi gets honest about the loneliness of wearing every hat, and what she's building behind the scenes beyond the podcast, and how the Sparkle movement is for that young girl who once felt like nothing. She reminds us that magic exists, flying is possible, and the only way forward is to journal, lose control, and try, even when you're terrified of failing. This is Sparkle On at its most vulnerable, and defiant. CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome * 00:00:50 The Origin Story of Sparkle * 00:03:25 The Accidental Podcaster * 00:06:41 The Reality of Podcasting * 00:11:41 When Writing Works But the Podcast Doesn't * 00:13:52 The Art of the Interview and Capturing Sparkle * 00:15:06 Following Obsessions and Trusting Your Taste * 00:17:58 Season Three and Doubling Down on Creativity * 00:19:07 The Punk Rock Era: Rebelling Against Templates * 00:22:41 Why This Movement Matters * 00:25:42 Living in Alignment and Finding Purpose * 00:29:56 Who This Podcast Is Really For * 00:34:00 Inspiration, Action, and Believing in Magic * 00:35:55 Building Something Bigger in Public * 00:37:56 The Power of Songwriting and Storytelling * 00:39:49 Journal Every Day

Joy Melan — Finding Songwriting Freedom Through Fantasy

Singer-songwriter Joy Melan joins Sparkle On to share how fantasy and intentional melancholy fuel her transcendent old pop sound. From discovering her voice at 17 through poetry to performing with her band, The Wild, across Austin's collaborative music scene, she describes the delicate art of writing songs that help her listeners safely revisit their pain. From Lady Gaga's unapologetic expression to the fashion rebellion of early 2000s movie heroines, Joy's style is entirely tied to her sound. In this episode, she explains how she dresses for the vision of her music, how she navigates a song’s story, and why her newest creative challenge is learning to write from a place of happiness rather than tragedy.

Brian Menke — Painting His Way To Healing

Brian Menke joins Sparkle On to share his journey from depression to healing through painting and music. A college friend of Devi's from Xavier University, Brian, opens up about the dark years when he lacked emotional outlets, turning to partying and self-destructive patterns. Years later, Brian discusses how creativity became his lifeline, teaching us that art is “expression, not perfection.” He shares the interplay between his painting and songwriting, how Austin's collaborative creative community gave him permission to fully embrace his authentic self, and proves that our deepest wounds can become our most beautiful work. CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome * 00:00:54 College Depression and Early Struggles * 00:04:00 The Creative Superpower and Self-Destruction * 00:06:28 The Paintbrush Moment * 00:08:34 Music and Painting as Different Expressions * 00:11:10 Moving to Austin and Finding Permission * 00:12:51 Toxic Masculinity and Embracing Feminine Energy * 00:20:22 Expression Not Perfection: Teaching Art * 00:18:17 The Blank Canvas and Trusting the Process * 00:32:49 Vulnerability, Snapshots, and Helping One Person * 00:36:36 What's Next and Touch the Art Show

Amy Scott — Counting Crows, Lainey Wilson, and Breaking The Rules In Filmmaking

Award-winning filmmaker Amy Scott joins Sparkle On to discuss breaking the rules in documentary storytelling, the art of the interview, and what it takes to capture the authentic humanity of music icons. Known for her work on documentaries featuring Counting Crows (HBO’s Have You Seen Me Lately?), Sheryl Crow (SHOWTIME’s Sheryl), and Lainey Wilson (Netflix’s Keepin’ Country Cool), Amy reveals the intricate process of crafting character-driven stories from hundreds of hours of footage, building three-act structures on whiteboards with her team, and knowing when to bend traditional narrative rules to serve the story. From her journey from editor to director, Amy tells us the delicate balance between the artist and the celebrity persona, and why, as a modern filmmaker, she refuses to double down on themes just to serve the algorithm. Amy reminds us that understanding each other through story is the ultimate creative mission, and artists who change an era are those who defy the rules. CHAPTERS * 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome * 00:00:54 Falling in Love with Documentary Filmmaking * 00:03:24 The Editor's Journey to Director * 00:06:17 Breaking the Three-Act Structure * 00:08:41 The Attention Span Problem and Streaming Templates * 00:12:37 Rule Breakers Deserve Rule-Breaking Films * 00:14:26 The Divisive Band and the Sellout Era * 00:16:51 The Art of the Interview * 00:20:01 Building Trust and Protecting Mental Health * 00:22:37 The Development Game and Pitching Artists * 00:24:18 Keeping Up with Lainey Wilson * 00:25:41 The Artist Versus The Celebrity * 00:27:28 Celebrity Worship and The Golden Rule * 00:30:15 Melissa Etheridge and The Women's Prison * 00:32:02 Understanding Each Other Through Stories * 00:34:01 Finding Grounding Through Motherhood * 00:37:07 Becoming a Director While Becoming a Mom * 00:39:24 The Wild Ride of the Film Industry * 00:40:23 When Do You Feel Most Lit Up? * 00:43:42 Trusting Your Intuition as a Woman Filmmaker