Storybeat With Steve Cuden

Gabby Gruen spent most of his professional life as a writer-producer inside the country’s most prominent ad agencies. After twenty years of elevating the brands of some of our most prestigious advertisers, and with the help of a Screenwriting MFA from UCLA, Gabby started writing screenplays. His original scripts found homes inside a major motion picture studio and on assignment for several less prominent purveyors of the cinematic arts. With the recent publication of his first novel, “The Uniform,” a thriller that takes place during the Holocaust, Gabby has begun his fiction writing career. I’ve read The Uniform and can tell you it’s an intense trip through a nasty piece of World War II as experienced by David Korda, a young doctor and Jewish labor camp prisoner, who’s become an enslaved road crew worker destined for a death camp until he comes upon the body of a murdered Gestapo officer. David contrives to use the officer’s bloodied uniform as a means of escape. I was riveted by this chilling page turner. If

The very busy actress, Laila Robins, was recently seen in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, American Horror Stories. She also has a recurring role as Colonel Grace Mallory on the hugely popular Amazon series, The Boys.  Laila starred opposite Amanda Seyfried in the Apple+ limited series, The Crowded Room and opposite Joshua Jackson and Alec Baldwin in the Hulu limited series, Dr. Death.  She also recurred memorably as Katarina Rostova on the hit NBC series The Blacklist, and she had a major arc playing Pamela Milton on the final season of AMC’s The Walking Dead.  Among, Laila’s many film appearances are: Eye in the Sky, Side Effects, Blumenthal, Concussion, The Good Shepherd, An Innocent Man, Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael, True Crime, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.  You may have also seen her in such TV series as: The Handmaid’s Tale, Homeland, Deception, 30 Rock, So Help Me Todd, Bull, Person of Interest, Blue Bloods, Damages, In Treatment, The Sopranos, Law and Order, and the series lead in Gabriel’s Fir

Making a return for his third appearance on StoryBeat is the great jazz and world flutist, Michael Mason.  Michael’s been a professional musician and composer for forty years, while simultaneously working in the fire service of the Downers Grove, Illinois Fire Department, recently retiring at the rank of Lieutenant. Michael is one of the first responders from the Chicago area who flew to New York City just days after the destruction of the World Trade Center. He helped the New York City Fire Department and Port Authority for many weeks. In 2024, Michael released his latest album called “Luminosity,” which follows up 2023’s, “Impermanence,” “Transcendence” in 2022, and “Human Revolution” in 2021. All are original jazz and world music compositions which received approval for voting from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for Grammy Award consideration.Michael’s musical influences come from James Newton, Ian Anderson, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Sun Ra, Yusef Lateef, and James Galwa

Doctor Tom Stein recently published his first book, Gratitude Is Not Enough, The True Story of a Belgian Family Forever Changed by a Band of American WWII Soldiers. The book focuses on the Remember Museum ‘39-‘45 in Clermont, Belgium that was opened by Marcel and Mathilde Schmetz, better known as the M&Ms by soldiers in a U.S. Army Company of the First Infantry Division who were briefly quartered on Marcel’s family farm in December 1944 before the Battle of the Bulge.  Marcel saved many of the items the soldiers left behind, what he calls “treasure,” and which became the core of this special collection dedicated to the Americans who helped liberate Belgium from four years of Nazi occupation. The Museum, which is adjacent to the M&M’s home, contains the requisite "stuff" of a museum, but importantly, tells the soldiers’ stories, many of whom became lifelong friends with Marcel and Mathilde.  I’ve read Gratitude is Not Enough and can tell you it’s a powerfully written account of what the peopl

Robert Monroe worked for more than a decade as a New York casting director and talent executive. His credits include projects with the Walt Disney Company, the John Houseman Theater, the Annual MDA Telethon, and the United Paramount Network.  Robert won a Clio Award for casting the Best Performance for Children for a Dole Pre-Cut Vegetables commercial.Robert eventually moved to Portland, Maine to pursue a career as a photographer. Exhibitions of his work include the Biennial at the Portland Museum of Art, Photographing Maine: Ten Years Later at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, and Return to Peyton Place: Photographs by Robert Monroe at the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts. And he’s a founding member of the Bakery Photographic Collective. Recently, Robert published his debut novel, Bungalow Terrace. I’ve read Bungalow Terrace and can tell you it’s a beautifully written tale about four boys growing up to become a powerhouse rock ‘n roll group who endure all the breathtaking highs of success and harrowing

Screenwriter, producer, and podcaster Adam “Tex” Davis is best known for writing the screenplay of the cult rom-com classic Just Friends, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, and Anna Faris. He also wrote the screenplay for the drama Gardener of Eden, which stars Lukas Haas and was produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way.  A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Tex has contributed to over 25 feature film scripts and served as Co-Executive Producer and Head Writer for the Emmy-nominated series Brain Games.  Tex is also a co-founder of Atomic Entertainment, overseeing projects like the Netflix educational series, Brainchild, and a growing slate of podcasts that he writes or stars in such as Slaycation, Mysteries About True Histories, The Oscars: What Were They Thinking? and Who Smarted?! 

Adam Rosenbaum recently published his beautifully written book, The Ghost Rules. I’ve read The Ghost Rules and can tell you this is a thoroughly charming, fun and funny story about 12-year-old Elwood McGee, who never asked to have “ghost-sight,” but winds up seeing more than his share of drooling, mostly hilarious apparitions. Wonderful, lovable ghosts are everywhere in Adam’s joyful debut novel. Adam’s had a varied career, including operating a sawmill in Kentucky, stocking groceries in L.A., and as a student draftsman at his local power company growing up in the Nashville suburbs, where he currently lives with his wife and kids. For the record, Adam and I met while we were in school together in UCLA’s professional program in Screenwriting. https://www.adamrosenbaumwrites.com/Instagram:@rosenbaumwritesThreads:@rosenbaumwritesBluesky:@rosenbaumwrites.bsky.social  

Documentary film director Laura Gabbert has made critically acclaimed films that deploy humor and emotion to tell penetrating, character-driven stories about American culture and society. Among her documentaries, Food and Country, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically in October 2024. Laura’s film, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, explores chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She also directed City of Gold, which is about Pulitzer Prize winning food writer, Jonathan Gold. City of Gold was named by Vogue Magazine among their “65 Best Documentaries of All Time.”Additional feature work includes the documentaries No Impact Man, Sunset Story, and the short film Monument/Monumento. Her TV work includes the Netflix shows Ugly Delicious and Disclosure. Most recently, Laura completed the 6-part non-fiction series, The Power of Film, based on the work of legendary UCLA film scholar, Professor Howard Suber. The series premiered on Turner C

L. A. Starks is the author of the award-winning Lynn Dayton thriller series that includes: 13 Days: The Pythagoras Conspiracy, the multi-award-nominated Strike Price, The Second Law, and the recently released Winner’s Curse.             I’ve read Winner’s Curse and can tell you it’s an exciting adventure into the high stakes world of the oil and gas industry, with corporate intrigue, sabotage, and ruthless, power-hungry characters around every turn. If you like thrillers, be sure to check out Winner’s Curse.L.A. earned a degree in engineering at Tulane University and an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Besides writing high-stakes thrillers, she’s also a paid contributor to Seeking Alpha for her energy investment articles.https://lastarksbooks.com/https://www.facebook.com/LAStarksBooks 

Hal Ackerman is making his second appearance on StoryBeat. Hal spent thirty years teaching screenwriting in UCLA’s legendary screenwriting program. Along with Richard Walter and Lew Hunter, Hal helped launch the careers of many dozens of writers whose work you’ve seen on screens large and small. Hal has sold film and television material to all the outlets. His screenplay Holmeyer’s Bridge, holds the unofficial Guinness record for having been continuously optioned for twenty consecutive years, owned during that stretch by two Academy Award winning producers, two Tony Award winning producers and others.His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals. “Sweet Day” was recorded by the late Robert Forster. Concrete Charley and The Golden Boy won the 2020 Sports Literate Sport Short contest.Hal’s written three “Soft boiled” murder mystery novels about an aging counter-culture P.I. named Harry Stein. The first of those, Stein Stung, won a Lovey award for best first novel. Subsequently, he published Stein

David Paul Kirkpatrick is the former Walt Disney Studios production chief and also the former president of Paramount Pictures. He’s worked on more than 200 motion pictures and their screenplays, including such global franchises as Indiana Jones and Star Trek. David has guided countless adaptations of books and plays to movies including Forrest Gump, The Elephant Man, Ordinary People, and Terms of Endearment. He also won an Emmy and Golden Globe for his HBO production of Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny.David’s authored several books, including: The Address of Happiness, Breakfast in the Temple, and The Dog. I’ve read The Address of Happiness and can tell you it’s a deeply moving story of two souls who repeatedly find themselves through both time and space. I highly recommend The Address of Happiness to you.A believer in giving back, David wants to inspire and equip the writers of tomorrow. He believes fiction is an underutilized tool that can help build a better world.  As such, he founded Story Summit, whic

Theresa Griffin Kennedy is a longtime Portland, Oregon writer, author and occasional poet.  She works as a proofreader, developmental editor and is chief editor of Oregon Greystone Press. Theresa writes both creative nonfiction, including crime profiles, as well as literary fiction, specifically in the genre of domestic noir. Theresa sometimes writes essays about saving old buildings, and the environment, which includes a long essay on the health and challenges of the Mekong River. Theresa’s the author of the novel, Talionic Night in Portland: A Love Story, which was longlisted in the Clue and Somerset book awards for 2022. I’ve Read Talionic Night in Portland and can tell you it’s a mesmerizing take on the noir genre, full of an intense romance and workplace revenge. I highly recommend it to you. She’s also published Lost Restaurants of Portland, Oregon, delving into the history of shuttered Portland restaurants. And Theresa’s the editor of a great short story collection called Beyond Where the Buses Run, wh

         Ana Benitez is one of the founders of Storyrocket.com, a leading internet site where thousands of writers from around the world showcase their works to producers and agents.  Ana’s mission is to help educate writers on how to get their stories seen by producers and agents. As such, she’s an impassioned author’s advocate for the entertainment community. She also works hard at leading Storyrocket’s brand expansion and partnerships.For the record, I’ve had the privilege of working with Ana on Storyrocket seminars and workshops, which was very fulfilling for me to do.Of note, Ana is a 2-time Emmy Award-winning television producer with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Her TV career spans from broadcast news to “live” morning shows, to scripted and special events productions. She’s worked with Univision, Telemundo, Disney, Major League Baseball and many fortune 500 companies. She’s also been honored by the City of Los Angeles for her contribution to the expansion of culture and en

R.J. Stewart spent more than 20 years as a writer and producer in Hollywood. He got his first break writing for the NBC romantic-detective drama, Remington Steele that starred Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist.  He’s best known for developing, writing and producing Xena: Warrior Princess (starring Lucy Lawless), once the highest-rated television show in syndication.  Among his other Hollywood credits are movies like The Rundown, starring Duane “The Rock” Johnson, Major League 2, starring Charlie Sheen, and the TV series Cleopatra 2525. He’s also worked on projects with Kevin Costner, Rebecca De Mornay and James Garner.Recently, R.J. published the terrific post-apocalyptic thriller, Crazy Hawk, which I’ve read and can tell you is a fantastically action-packed dystopian western set in an inhospitable American future. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Crazy Hawk, and highly recommend it to you. For more information, please see www.hovartus.com

This is an encore of our episode with the great director, Rob Marshall. He has made numerous films that have been honored with a total of 30 Academy Award nominations — winning 9 in all, including Best Picture for “Chicago,” which alone won a total of 6 of those Oscars. Also, for “Chicago,” Rob received the Directors Guild Award, and nominations for Best Director for the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. Additionally, he won Best Directorial Debut from the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Online, as well as the American Choreography Award.Most recently, Rob directed and produced the live-action feature, “The Little Mermaid” for Disney, starring Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem.Rob’s other directorial achievements include multiple nominations for award-winning features like: “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Nine,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which went on to gross over 1 billion dollars worldwide, “Into the Woods,” and “Mary Poppins Returns.”Rob executive pro

Martin Dugard is the New York Times bestselling author known for his nonfiction works and historical thrillers, among them Taking London, Taking Paris, Taking Berlin, the Killing series with Bill O’Reilly, Into Africa, and The Explorers. Recently, I read Martin’s excellent book, Taking London: Winston Churchill and the Fight to Save Civilization, and can tell you it’s a riveting, well-researched tale of truly fascinating people in London during World War II, who were both extremely famous, like Churchill, Neville Chamberlain, Edward R. Murrow, and others, as well as various less well-known fighter pilots who stood in the breach when dealing with harrowing life and death challenges. A seasoned adventurer and journalist, Martin has written books and articles that have been praised for their engaging narratives and meticulous research, such as the Tour de France, ancient civilizations, and adventure sports. In addition, Martin serves on the Board of Directors of the USA Track & Field Foundation, and coaches

Mark Arnold is a comic book, animation and pop culture historian. He’s published 10 books and numerous articles in various publications. His books include: "The Harveyville Fun Times!", "If You're Cracked, You're Happy: The Story of Cracked Magazine, Book 1 and Book 2", "Mark Arnold Picks on The Beatles", "Frozen in Ice: The Story of Walt Disney Productions: 1966-1985", "Think Pink! The DePatie-Freleng Story", as well as books on Total Television Productions, Dennis the Menace, The Monkees, and Alvin and the Chipmunks." Mark’s latest books are about the music group, The Turtles, and a 2-volume MAD Magazine history, all of which came out in 2024. I’ve read both “Unconditionally Mad, Part 1,” and “Unconditionally Mad, Part B,” and can tell you they’re deeply and thoroughly researched histories of the ongoing seven decades run of Mad Magazine. If you want to know all about the people behind some of the most hilarious writing and drawing ever, as we

Michael Buzzelli calls himself a stand-up comedian and sit-down author. Michael’s performed comedy nationwide, most notably at three legendary clubs, the Ice House, the Comedy Store, and the Improv in Los Angeles. As a writer, Michael has been published in various websites, magazines, and newspapers. He’s the theater & arts critic for ‘Burgh Vivant, Pittsburgh’s online cultural talk magazine. He’s also a Moth Grand Slam storyteller and actor. As well, Michael has presented workshops on humor to the Romance Writers of America and the Pennwriters Conference. His short film, “Light’s Out,” is playing at film festivals worldwide.Michael’s books, “Below Average Genius,” a collection of essays culled from his weekly humor column in the Observer-Reporter, and his romantic comedy, “All I Want for Christmas,” are on sale at Amazon.com. His short story, “Study Buddy,” is in a collection of LGBTQ romance stories entitled “Winter Break.” I’ve read “All I Want for Christmas,” and “Below Average Genius,” and can tell y

Jeff Leisawitz burns with a mission— to inspire and teach Storytellers and Creatives of every flavor to open minds and connect hearts with their words and stories. Jeff is a Grand LIA, Cannes Lion Gold and Clio Gold award-winning Creative Consultant, critically acclaimed author, award winning music producer, internationally distributed screenwriter, and former college instructor. As a coach, keynote speaker and workshop facilitator based in Seattle, Jeff helps clients and students overcome internal blocks, tap into their creative potential, get published, land major sales and win awards. He has been featured in top podcasts, magazines and newspapers including: Script Magazine, Film Courage, The Guardian, Music Connection, Tiny Buddha, Huff Post, The Unmistakable Creative and more, including once before on StoryBeat.Jeff’s latest book is The Magical Impact of Storytelling, which I’ve read and can tell you is an easy-to-read, highly motivating compendium of encouraging advice for anyone hoping to become their b

Mark Jonathan Harris is a three-time Oscar-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker, as well as an award-winning author of 10 books, a distinguished professor of film of four decades, and an acclaimed journalist. His newest book, Misfits, is a collection of wonderfully character-driven short stories.I’ve read Misfits and can tell you the book comprises 12 dynamic stories about offbeat characters grappling with personal encounters as they try to live their disconnected lives.  I highly recommend this insightful set of stories to you.Mark started his professional career covering crime for the famed City News Bureau of Chicago. He also reported national news for the Associated Press before making TV documentaries.For several years Mark was a contributing editor to New West magazine. He also wrote articles, essays, and reviews for national newspapers and magazines including: TV Guide, American Heritage, the New York Times, the L.A. Times and the Washington Post. He’s also published five award-winning novels for child