Questions I Wish I’d Asked My Parents

"Tell Me More About the Uncle I Never Met"

In episode 5 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Jack Billi, a retired physician and associate dean at the University of Michigan. Jack's father's older brother died in Italy at the end of World War II. He never spoke much about him to Jack. But Jack has a curiosity about many things in life. And, in pursuit of his uncle's story, he and his dad even traveled to a small town in Italy well off the beaten track. But...we'll let Jack tell it.

"Dad, You Were So Talented."

In Episode 4 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Mike Zadoorian, author of several novels including The Leisure Seeker, which was made into a motion picture featuring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. Mike, who is obviously talented, wonders why his dad, a talented photographer, gave up on his aspirations.

"I Would Love to Play 'What If" With My Mom"

In Episode 3 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Natalie Pilcher, an actress, playwright and teacher. Her mother was an inspiration to her in many regards, but it was only later in life that she pursued one of her talents, sculpture. Natalie would love to ask her: "How did you see the trajectory of your life if you hadn't met dad?"

I Carried a Briefcase to Elementary School. Why?

In Episode 2 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents, we meet Mark Kaminski, a doctor who patented a cure for a type of lymphoma. His parents came to the U.S. from Poland. And Polish was the only language spoken in their home. Then Mark entered kindergarten. With a briefcase. He might as well have had a sign on his back that read: "Kick me, I'm a nerd who doesn't speak English."

I Can’t Imagine What My Dad Went Through

In Episode 1 of Questions I Wish I’d Asked My Parents, we meet Joe Borri, an artist and an author. His father was a Detroit policeman – though Joe insists he could have been a comedian. Joe’s older brother died when Joe was 10 years old. His father, a devout Catholic until then, stopped attending church. And Joe would love to ask him: How did you get through that and hold the family together?