Popp Talk, July 18, 2026

Popp Talk, July 18, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Biotech Breakthroughs, Hidden Pain, and the Truth We Struggle to Tell Guests, Tim Harris and Michelle May A Potpourri of Health, Science, and Self-Understanding In this episode of Popp Talk, host Mary Jane Popp introduces a wide-ranging “potpourri” show covering biotechnology, health, therapy, and the hidden struggles people sometimes carry beneath the surface. She begins by setting up an interview with Tim Harris, author of In Pursuit of Unicorns: A Journey Through 50 Years of Biotechnology, and later introduces Michelle May, psychotherapist and author of What I Couldn’t Tell My Therapist. The episode moves from the evolution of biotech and medical innovation to emotional repression, chronic pain, social media misinformation, and the importance of personal responsibility. Tim Harris on Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Unicorns Mary Jane’s first guest, Tim Harris, defines biotechnology as the combination of biology and technology, beginning with recombinant DNA and monoclonal antibodies. He explains that his book title uses the word “unicorns” because biotech companies can become billion-dollar enterprises, though some valuations may prove more mythical than real. Harris presents biotechnology not only as a scientific field but also as a business story shaped by companies, capital, invention, risk, and the long effort to turn scientific tools into useful products. Recombinant DNA, Monoclonal Antibodies, and Gene Editing Harris walks listeners through the development of recombinant DNA, explaining how scientists learned to combine pieces of DNA and use bacteria such as E. coli to produce important proteins like insulin and growth hormone. He also explains monoclonal antibodies as single antibodies made by cloned cells, first useful for diagnostics and later for therapies. The conversation then turns to gene editing, including CRISPR-Cas9 and its use in sickle cell disease, which Harris describes as life-changing for patients whose lives revolve around managing pain and disease. Cancer, mRNA Vaccines, AI, and the Risks of Innovation Mary Jane and Harris discuss why cancer remains difficult to treat, with Harris explaining CAR T-cell therapy, its success in certain leukemias and lymphomas, and the continuing challenge of solid tumors such as breast, prostate, and colon cancer. He also connects nanotechnology to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, describing lipid nanoparticles as the delivery system for messenger RNA. The conversation expands into new COVID strains, vaccine updates, artificial intelligence, risk assessment, and the limits of prediction in biology. Harris emphasizes that while AI can help analyze data and predict viral changes, drug discovery and development remain experimental sciences. Michelle May’s Story of Chronic Pain and Repressed Emotion The second major interview features Michelle May, who shares that she woke up in 2007 with a headache that lasted six years. Doctors eventually found a Chiari malformation, and after two brain surgeries, her head pain improved dramatically. Still, some headaches remained, and May says she later learned through intensive dynamic therapy that repressed emotions also contributed to her pain. She explains that anger, grief, guilt, and love can be pushed out of awareness when people grow up in environments where certain feelings do not feel safe, but those emotions may still remain in the body. What People Cannot Tell Their Therapist May explains that the title What I Couldn’t Tell My Therapist has two meanings: the painful family stories she feared would feel like betrayal, and the truths she had not yet admitted to herself. She describes how patients may minimize or filter their experiences, especially when they love the people who hurt them. Mary Jane presses her on how therapy helps uncover those hidden barriers, and May explains that she watches for avoidance patterns, such as looking away, intellectualizing, minimizing pain, or struggling to stay connected while discussing intimacy and emotion. Pain, Anxiety, Opioids, Social Media, and Responsibility The interview broadens into the overlap between physical pain and emotional pain, with May stressing that medical causes should always be ruled out first before exploring emotional processes. She distinguishes between feelings and actions, explaining that anger is a bodily experience while harmful behavior is a choice. The conversation also covers chronic pain, opioid dependence, the mind-body connection, social media misinformation, fact-checking, political and cultural falsehoods, and the difficulty people have admitting they were wrong. The episode closes with May encouraging people to find a therapist they trust, while Mary Jane emphasizes comfort, accountability, and the need to stop blaming others when personal responsibility is required.

Popp Talk, July 11, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Hidden Symbols, Global Risks, and the Search for Truth Guests, Julia Bramer and Jon Mills Mysticism Behind Sylvia Plath’s Work Mary Jane Popp opens the program by introducing a wide-ranging episode focused on tarot, mysticism, and the future of civilization. Her first guest, Julia Bramer, discusses years of archival research into Sylvia Plath’s writings and personal materials, arguing that Plath’s poetry contains substantial evidence of occult and mystical influences. Bramer says Plath explored practices such as tarot, astrology, automatic writing, crystal gazing, bibliomancy, and the Ouija board. A Poet Beyond the Familiar Tragedy Bramer challenges the public tendency to define Sylvia Plath primarily through The Bell Jar, mental illness, and her death. She describes Plath as a complex poet shaped by family interests in mythology, alchemy, Freemasonry, and mysticism, with Ted Hughes later expanding those influences. Bramer also discusses Plath’s emotional fragility, previous suicide attempts, troubled marriage, and alleged ritualistic efforts to retaliate against Hughes, while presenting these interpretations as conclusions drawn from archival research and literary analysis. How Tarot Becomes a Language of Symbols The conversation turns to tarot history and practice. Bramer explains that the earliest surviving decks date to medieval Europe and describes the traditional belief that symbolic knowledge from Kabbalah, astrology, alchemy, and numerology was concealed within cards. She says tarot readings depend on the placement, orientation, and interaction of 78 cards, and compares the process to dream interpretation because the reader offers symbols while the client connects them to personal circumstances. Transformation Rather Than Prediction Bramer emphasizes that tarot should provide guidance rather than fixed predictions. She explains that the frequently feared death card usually represents transformation, including marriage, graduation, childbirth, or another event that permanently changes a person’s life. A reversed death card may instead suggest feeling stuck or unable to complete a desired transition. She also discusses her books Tarot Life Lessons and The Occult Sylvia Plath, which combine real client stories, personal reflections, and literary research. Civilization at a Dangerous Crossroads In the second major interview, psychoanalyst and philosopher Jon Mills discusses his book The End of the World: Civilization and Its Fate. Mills says he is concerned about the combined effects of climate disruption, warfare, nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence, social inequality, and political instability. He clarifies that he is not predicting the planet’s immediate destruction, but warns that continued denial and inaction could contribute to severe social collapse. Aggression, Division, and the Need for Enemies Mills argues that human beings possess both aggressive and cooperative tendencies. He describes the search for enemies and scapegoats as part of human psychology and defines evil, for the discussion, as the deliberate infliction of pain and suffering. Popp and Mills examine political polarization, social-media disinformation, tribal thinking, and the inability to hold civil conversations with people who have different values or identities. Conversation as the First Step Forward The episode closes with Mills urging people to become more self-aware, confront uncomfortable realities, listen to opposing perspectives, and resist denial or defensiveness. He says open dialogue is essential for building a wider ecological and social consciousness. Popp summarizes the message as a call to keep working toward positive change rather than surrendering to hopelessness, fear, or division.

Popp Talk, July 4, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Kindness is the way to Happiness and Life in Performance and Reinvention Guests, Jordan Birnbaum and Victoria Summer from Disney's "Saving Mr. Banks" Kindness, Creativity, and the Courage to Keep Creating Searching for Truth, Joy, and Human Connection In this episode of Popp Talk, host Mary Jane Popp welcomes two guests: Jordan Birnbaum, a speaker, author, entrepreneur, and founder of Jordan Birnbaum Consulting, and Victoria Summer, an actress, singer, and performer known for roles including Julie Andrews in Saving Mr. Banks. Mary Jane opens by framing the program around truth, positivity, joy, and the importance of finding out what people are really about. The first half centers on kindness, happiness, social science, and human connection, while the second half shifts into Victoria Summer’s creative life, music, acting, marriage, charity work, and ongoing artistic goals. Jordan Birnbaum on Social Science and Motivation Jordan Birnbaum explains social science as the study of forces people experience every day, often intuitively, that shape mood, decisions, stress, behavior, and motivation. He says learning the names of these forces allows people to use them intentionally. His main example is loss aversion, the idea that people are often more motivated to avoid losses than to secure gains. Mary Jane challenges and expands that idea by asking whether loss can become a learning process, and Jordan agrees that failure, when understood correctly, can provide new information rather than define a person’s worth. Kindness as the Fastest Route to Happiness The discussion then turns to kindness, which Jordan defines as an intention and action meant to positively affect someone else. Mary Jane shares a personal story about giving cookies to a young neighbor who had to work on his birthday, explaining that his smile lifted her as much as it lifted him. Jordan says this is exactly how kindness works: helping someone else makes it almost impossible to remain in a bad mood. They also discuss smiling at strangers, making people feel seen, including lonely people during holidays, and being attentive to those who may be grieving, isolated, or disconnected. Technology, AI, and the Need for Real People Mary Jane and Jordan then discuss technology, phones, face-to-face communication, and artificial intelligence. Mary Jane worries that young people are losing the ability to connect directly because so much communication happens through screens. Jordan agrees that technology creates new challenges and says people now need to be more intentional about real-life connection. Their AI discussion explores job loss, creativity, sentience, ChatGPT, human mistakes, and the danger of allowing AI to replace human imagination. Jordan says generative AI can help people get past the blank page, but Mary Jane emphasizes that she still wants the human voice, human mistakes, and human judgment to remain central. Victoria Summer’s Life in Performance In the second interview, Mary Jane introduces Victoria Summer as an actress and singer whose career began early with ballet, music, pantomime, church choir, and local theater. Victoria recalls waking up as a child to play Tchaikovsky and dance before breakfast, showing how deeply classical music shaped her. She discusses Vindication Swim, the upcoming Brooklyn All-American, big-band performances, and her love of singing with an orchestra. She also explains her musical influences, especially Michael Jackson and Elton John, and why her version of “Stranger in Moscow” connects emotionally with Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road era. Role Models, Rescue Animals, Love, and Family Victoria describes her philosophy as using art to elevate people and make them happy, whether through voiceover, audiobooks, stage performance, film, or music. She also discusses her project Next Generation Role Model, created during COVID to spotlight young people doing good in the world. Mary Jane and Victoria talk about hope, dreams, writing goals down, and continuing to move toward an ideal life. Victoria also shares her love of animals, her rescued pets Bentley, Tiger, and Storm, and the story of meeting her husband, Fabrizio, in England before lockdown led them into a whirlwind relationship and eventual marriage. New Music, Charity Work, and Reinvention The conversation closes with Victoria reflecting on her career ambitions, including a desire for a musical path similar to Michael Bublé, future theater work, new music, and a developing one-woman show. She discusses playing Julie Andrews in Saving Mr. Banks, her respect for Celine Dion’s comeback, and her admiration for Tom Cruise’s passion and refusal to slow down creatively. Victoria also shares her work as a global ambassador for Teen Cancer America, including afternoon tea fundraisers. Mary Jane closes by affirming that age should never stop people from creating, reinventing themselves, or pursuing new work with imagination and joy.

Popp Talk, June 27, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Films That Matter, Families That Endure, and the Stories That Still Bring Us Home Guests, Carrie Richey, and Judy Norton from the classic "Walton's" TV Show Searching for Truth Through Film, Family, and Feeling In this episode of Popp Talk, host Mary Jane Popp welcomes two guests from the worlds of film, television, writing, and cultural memory: Carrie Rickey and Judy Norton. The episode opens with Mary Jane reflecting on how technology, movies, television, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the way people receive information and decide what feels real. From there, the hour moves into two connected conversations about meaningful storytelling: first through the life and work of filmmaker Agnès Varda, and then through the enduring emotional legacy of The Waltons. Carrie Rickey on Agnès Varda’s Complicated Passion Mary Jane’s first guest, Carrie Rickey, discusses her book A Complicated Passion: The Life and Work of Agnès Varda. Carrie describes Varda as a Belgian-born, French-raised photographer, filmmaker, and artist whose career lasted 65 years, making her one of the longest-working women in cinema history. Varda worked nearly until her death in 2019, overcame major obstacles as a woman director, and became known for empathy, humor, curiosity, independence, and an unwillingness to accept “no” as the final answer. Carrie explains that while film lovers know Varda well, she wanted American readers to better understand the scope of Varda’s influence. A Filmmaker Ahead of Her Time Carrie explains that Varda addressed subjects such as sexism, abortion, labor exploitation, immigrant rights, race relations, and food insecurity long before many filmmakers were willing to do so. She also notes Varda’s connections to major cultural figures, including Susan Sontag, Simone de Beauvoir, Huey Newton, Harrison Ford, and Gérard Depardieu. The conversation expands into the erased history of early women directors, including Alice Guy-Blaché and Lois Weber, and how the rise of the studio system helped push many independent women filmmakers out of the official record. For Carrie, Varda’s life offers a model of creative persistence, independence, and storytelling rooted in real life rather than spectacle. Real Stories Versus Artificial Answers Mary Jane and Carrie then discuss the state of modern movies, streaming, and artificial intelligence. Mary Jane says she misses films that leave audiences emotionally changed or remembering something meaningful, while Carrie contrasts formula-driven entertainment with films about real people, real communities, and lived experience. Their conversation turns to AI, which Carrie says cannot replace human thought, emotion, or the work of forming one’s own ideas. She shares frustrations with AI-generated student work and a chatbot customer-service exchange, reinforcing the episode’s broader concern that technology should not replace authentic human feeling, memory, and creativity. Judy Norton and the Family That Never Really Left In the second half, Mary Jane welcomes Judy Norton, best known as Mary Ellen Walton from The Waltons. Judy reflects on her long creative life as an actor, singer, director, writer, and performer, saying she enjoys all of these outlets because each offers a different kind of creative energy. She explains that what matters most to her is having goals that inspire her and work that can touch people, whether by offering hope, entertainment, laughter, or a moment of relief from life’s difficulties. She also shares that the Waltons cast remains genuinely close and still feels like family, both personally and to generations of viewers discovering the series for the first time. Behind the Scenes of The Waltons and the Stories That Still Matter Judy talks about her YouTube channel, where she revisits The Waltons, shares behind-the-scenes memories, and answers questions from fans. She says the channel began during the pandemic and became a meaningful community for viewers who found comfort in the series. She discusses favorite episodes, including “The Easter Story,” centered on Olivia’s polio recovery, and “The Firestorm,” which deals with book burning, fear, and prejudice through a powerful moment involving a German Bible. Judy notes that even though The Waltons premiered in 1972, its themes remain relevant because they deal with family, fear, courage, decency, and the human spirit. Hope, Creativity, and Choosing the Good Mary Jane and Judy close by discussing music, travel, family, horses, British mystery shows, L. Ron Hubbard’s fiction, Earl Hamner’s storytelling, and Judy’s continuing desire to choose projects that truly speak to her. Judy says her philosophy of life is rooted in optimism and hope: life can improve, people are mostly good, and giving up is never the answer. She shares a small story about someone who went out of her way to correct a refunded CD payment, using it as an example of everyday character and kindness. Mary Jane ends the episode with her familiar encouragement to live simply, laugh often, love deeply, and dare to dream.

Popp Talk, June 20, 2026

Popp Talk with Mary Jane Popp Sweet Potatoes, Holistic Health, Anti-Aging and a Life of Many Voices Dr. Susan Smith Jones & Jim Messkimen Sweet Potatoes, Many Voices, and the Art of Living Well A Two-Part Hour of Health, Humor, and Performance In this episode of Popp Talk, host Mary Jane Popp presents a two-guest program that moves from holistic nutrition to show-business creativity. The first half features Dr. Susan Smith Jones, who discusses the health benefits of sweet potatoes and her book A Hug in a Mug. The second half features actor, voice artist, impressionist, and performer Jim Messkimen, who talks about impressions, improvisation, acting, audio books, art, and his famous mother, Marion Ross of Happy Days. Dr. Susan Smith Jones and the Power of Sweet Potatoes Mary Jane opens by introducing Dr. Susan Smith Jones as a longtime holistic health expert, author, educator, and advocate for optimum nutrition and balanced living. Dr. Jones says the featured “sweet treat” of the episode is the sweet potato, one of her ten favorite superfoods. She explains that sweet potatoes are often confused with yams, but that they stand apart nutritionally because of their color, antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, minerals, and versatility in meals. A Nutritional Powerhouse From Head to Toe Dr. Jones explains that orange sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, which converts into vitamin A and supports vision, immunity, and skin health. She also discusses vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, fiber, and anthocyanins, especially in purple sweet potatoes. These nutrients, she says, help support cardiovascular health, blood pressure, digestion, gut bacteria, immune defense, brain function, eye health, inflammation reduction, skin elasticity, collagen production, and healthy hair growth. Gut Health, Inflammation, and Everyday Immunity A major part of the health conversation centers on digestion and inflammation. Dr. Jones explains that sweet potatoes contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, supporting healthy gut bacteria while also keeping digestion moving. She connects gut health to overall immune function and explains that antioxidants in sweet potatoes may help reduce systemic inflammation, which she describes as connected to many diseases. She also emphasizes sweet potatoes as immune-supporting food during cold, flu, and COVID seasons. Easy Ways to Eat Sweet Potatoes Dr. Jones gives several practical ways to use sweet potatoes in everyday food. She suggests baking them simply with a little salt and extra virgin olive oil, spiralizing them into pasta, steaming and chilling them for smoothies, adding them to pancakes, salads, soups, muffins, breads, puddings, and desserts, or slicing them into baked chips. She especially recommends a bright orange soup made from sweet potatoes, carrots, and butternut squash, which she says is rich in beta carotene and supportive for vision, immunity, inflammation, and overall health. A Hug in a Mug and Holistic Living Mary Jane asks Dr. Jones about her latest book, A Hug in a Mug, whose subtitle focuses on fruits, vegetables, juices, soups, spices, teas, and healthy living extras. Dr. Jones says the book offers natural approaches for ailments from head to toe, along with more than one hundred recipes and practical guidance on healthy living. She also mentions related topics such as intermittent fasting, cold therapy, motivation, sleep, exercise, and injury prevention. She directs listeners to SusanSmithJones.com, where they can learn about her books, newsletter, X updates, and personalized autographed copies. Jim Messkimen and a Life of Many Voices After the health segment, Mary Jane welcomes Jim Messkimen, describing him as an extraordinary impressionist, actor, voice-over artist, and the son of Happy Days actress Marion Ross. Jim explains that although Mary Jane heard he had thirty-eight voices, he now does well over one hundred. He says he is always listening, collecting, and analyzing voices, especially from politics, entertainment, and public life. His impressions include figures such as George W. Bush, Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Robin Williams, Alan Rickman, Judi Dench, Johnny Carson, Jimmy Stewart, Patrick Stewart, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. Happy Days, Jumping the Shark, and Growing Up Around Talent Mary Jane asks Jim about his connection to Happy Days, and he explains that he appeared in the famous “jump the shark” episode, where Fonzie waterskied over a shark while the cast visited Hollywood. Jim says he was the actor on the beach who announced the shark. He also discusses his mother Marion Ross, noting that she had a good ear for dialects and mimicry and that her tolerance and encouragement helped support his own interest in voices. He says Marion is doing well and approaching her ninety-sixth birthday. Improvisation, Acting, and the Comfort of the Unknown Jim talks about his love of improvisation and says he is often more comfortable improvising than memorizing strict, scripted lines. He credits his training at the National Improv Theatre in New York and reflects on working in settings where exact wording matters, including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He also discusses his appearances on Whose Line Is It Anyway? explaining that improvisation is not as mysterious as people think because ordinary conversation is improvised all day long. Impressions as Acting, Listening, and Physical Transformation Jim explains that impressions are not only about vocal sound. He listens for pitch, rhythm, attack, word choices, physical posture, facial structure, and the emotional character of the person he is portraying. He says some voices come naturally because they fit his vocal range, while others require physical adjustment and practice. He uses Alan Rickman as an example of a voice requiring a specific internal and external shape. For Jim, the goal is to become the person enough that their thoughts and speech patterns begin to flow naturally. Audio Books, Writers of the Future, and Galaxy Press Mary Jane and Jim discuss his work with Galaxy Press and the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future anthology. Jim says he, his wife, and his daughter have narrated stories for recent anthology volumes, including volume 40, and he encourages listeners to check out the audiobook or physical book. He also describes directing the large-cast audiobook version of Battlefield Earth, a nearly thousand-page project that took about nine months to record, involved many actors, music, and sound effects, and won an audio award. Art, Cartooning, and the Creative Path Mary Jane asks who Jim Messkimen is beyond the voices, and Jim says he is an artist at heart. His first love was drawing and cartooning, and he once imagined becoming a cartoonist. He drew for school papers and yearbooks, worked at Hanna-Barbera as a storyboard assistant, became a professional illustrator and cartoonist, and later studied classical art in Spain and Northern California. Although acting eventually became his main career, he still paints, draws, and shares artwork occasionally through his website and social media. Closing With Creativity and Curiosity The interview closes with Jim sharing where listeners can find him, including JimMesskimen.com, social media, and his online courses for impressions and voice acting. Mary Jane also expresses interest in having him back to discuss artificial intelligence and its possible impact on voices, performance, and thought. She ends the show by praising Jim’s talent and closing with her familiar reminder to “live simply, laugh often, love deeply, and above all else, dare to dream.”