Author, Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time Host, Thaao Penghlis’ Lost Treasures Podcast This week, Ira spoke with actor Thaao Penghlis, author of Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time and host of Thaao Penghlis’ Lost Treasures Podcast. In this delicious episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Thaao talks about exploring the world as an outlet f…

Author, Assassin’s Manuscript This week, Ira spoke with William J. Carl, author of Assassin’s Manuscript. In this killing episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” William talks about how Alex Haley convinced him to write a novel; the concept of two genres coming together; why it took 30 years to finish the novel; how this is not a typical good guys or …

Author, Succeeding as a Solopreneur: Six Keys to Taking the Leap, Winning Clients and Building Wealth This week, Ira spoke with Liz J. Steblay, author of Succeeding as a Solopreneur: Six Keys to Taking the Leap, Winning Clients and Building Wealth. In this enterprising episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Liz talks about the difference between an e…

Author, Grand European Journeys, 40 Unforgettable Trips By Road, Rail, Sea & More This week, Ira spoke with Lucas Peters, author of Grand European Journeys, 40 Unforgettable Trips By Road, Rail, Sea & More. In this sightseeing episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Lucas talks about being the Morocco expert who then was asked to write this European b…

Author, The Sagajo Experience: Recipes for Lifestyle & Entertaining This week, Ira spoke with Debbie Wilson-Berment (Chef Sagajo), author of The Sagajo Experience: Recipes for Lifestyle & Entertaining. In this tasty episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Chef Sagajo talks about growing up in Trinidad and Tobago; learning about food as a kid while wor…

Author, James Bond And The Sixties Spy Craze This week, Ira spoke with Thom Shubilla, author of James Bond And The Sixties Spy Craze. In this spyproof episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Thom talks about his fascination with spies and the sixties; why he didn’t want to write about it from a contemporary point of view; what Roger Moore originally t…

Author, Waving Goodbye: Life After Loss This week, Ira spoke with Warren Kozak, author of Waving Goodbye: Life After Loss. In this coping episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Warren talks about the book he never expected to write after his wife’s death; books on grief he was given that didn’t help; why this book is personal and practical; how, when…

Author (along with Barbara Scott), Looking For Legends This week, Ira spoke with Tom Tarantino, author (along with Barbara Scott) of Looking For Legends. In this traveling episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Tom talks about how they both started on the road to travel; how they learned how to travel; some of the fascinating people they have met in …

Author, The World’s Biggest Cash Machine: Manchester United, the Glazers, and the Struggle for Football’s Soul This week, Ira spoke with Chris Blackhurst, author of The World’s Biggest Cash Machine: Manchester United, the Glazers, and the Struggle for Football’s Soul. In this kicking episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Chris Blackhurst talks about…

Author, What Shines This week, Ira spoke with Sydney Lea, author of What Shines. In this poetic episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Sydney talks about what drew him to poetry in the beginning (even though he was a late bloomer); how he became “re-intrigued” with writing while teaching a class; how he absorbed stories from “rough folks’ he met alon…

Author, Swords of the Vatican This week, Ira spoke with Severyn Ashkenazy, author of Swords of the Vatican. In this historical episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Severyn talks about his background, including being forced into a ghetto and knowing what real fear is; the division of the Jewish people, even in today’s world; why Jews are designed to…

Writer/Director, Roswell Delirium This week, Ira spoke with Richard Bakewell, writer-director of Roswell Delirium, a character-driven, science fiction drama which takes the audience back to the 1980s, when the United States is hit by a wave of nuclear attacks, and after the fallout those who remain pretend like everything is normal – even though th…

Author (along with Glenn Plaskin), The Magical Place We Call School: Creating a Safe Space for Learning and Happiness in a Challenging World This week, Ira spoke with Dr. Kathleen Corley, author (along with Glenn Plaskin) of The Magical Place We Call School: Creating a Safe Space for Learning and Happiness in a Challenging World. In this educationa…

Author, OWN YOUR WORK JOURNEY! The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change This week, Ira spoke with Edward D. Hess, author of OWN YOUR WORK JOURNEY! The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change. In this challenging episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ed…

Author, The War on Wine: Prohibition, Neoprohibition, and American Culture This week, Ira spoke with Victor W. Geraci, author of The War on Wine: Prohibition, Neoprohibition, and American Culture (University of Nevada Press). In this vino episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Victor talks about his family’s long history with wine and vineyards; why …

Author, Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story Welcome to a riveting edition of Ira’s Everything Bagel Podcast. In today’s episode, we delve into a gripping and revealing discussion with Max Marshall, a prominent author and journalist. Max, known for his insightful writing and deep investigations, discusses his latest work, “Among the Bros: A Fra…

Author, Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want This week, Ira spoke with Emmy Award winning producer Maria Baltazzi, author of Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want. In this happy episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Maria talks about her epiphany while acting as supervising p…

Author (along with Michael Wilmington), John Ford This week, Ira spoke with Joseph McBride, author (along with Michael Wilmington) of John Ford, the revised and expanded edition, published by University Press of Kentucky. In this cinematic episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Joseph talks about why he thinks John Ford is the closest thing we have t…

Authors, Naked in the Rideshare (Stories of Gross Miscalculations) This week, Ira spoke with Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold, authors of Naked in the Rideshare (Stories of Gross Miscalculations). In this compatibility episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Rebecca and Ben talk about falling in love with each other as they fell in love with comedy; wh…

Author, Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy (From the Creator of Laugh-in) This week, Ira spoke with George Schlatter, author of Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy (From the Creator of Laugh-In).In this humorous episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” George talks about why so much of his career is a result of accidents; why we should celebrate accidents; …

“Bigger Bolder Baking” This week, Ira spoke with Gemma Stafford & Kevin Kurtz from “Bigger Bolder Baking.” In this blended episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Gemma and Kevin talk about Gemma’s early passion for cooking and baking and Kevin’s passion for the entertainment business; how they met and decided to create a baking website as well as a c…

Author, Burning Out On The Covid Front Lines, a Doctor’s Memoir of Fatherhood, Race and Perseverance in the Pandemic This week, Ira spoke with Dhaval Desai, M.D., author of Burning Out On The Covid Front Lines, a Doctor’s Memoir of Fatherhood, Race and Perseverance in the Pandemic. In this recuperative episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Dr. Desai…

Author, Scribners: Five Generations in Publishing This week, Ira spoke with Charles Scribner III, author of Scribners: Five Generations in Publishing. In this generational episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Charles talks about why he wrote the book; how he wrote it in one month; why it’s not a comprehensive history, but a family historical memoir…

President, 3 Axis Advisors This week, Ira spoke with Antonio Ciaccia, president of 3 Axis Advisors, which conducted a study to determine how prescription prices are being set. In this prescriptive episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Anthony talks about the results of the study, which concluded that the overwhelming majority of prices paid by consu…

Author, The Women’s Guide to Successful Investing: Achieving Financial Security and Realizing Your Goals This week, Ira spoke with Nancy Tengler, author of The Women’s Guide to Successful Investing: Achieving Financial Security and Realizing Your Goals. In this monetary episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Nancy talks about why she got into the bus…

Author (along with Dolores I. Rodríguez-Reimann, Ph.D.), Immigrant Concepts: Life Paths to Integration This week, Ira spoke with Joachim Reimann, Ph.D., author (along with Dolores I. Rodríguez-Reimann, Ph.D.), of Immigrant Concepts: Life Paths to Integration. In this assimilative edition of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Joachim talks about what motivat…

Author, Hell If We Don’t Change Our Ways: A Memoir This week, Ira spoke with award-winning writer Brittany Means, author of Hell If We Don’t Change Our Ways: A Memoir. In this memoiric episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Brittany talks about growing up while on the run with her mother away from an abusive boyfriend; and breaking out of the cycle o…

Cohost (with Fritz Coleman), “Media Path Podcast” This week, Ira spoke with veteran radio producer, documentarian and co-founder of Premiere Radio Networks, Louise Palanker, cohost (with Fritz Coleman) of “Media Path Podcast.” In this documentary episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Louise talks about the inner workings of hosting a podcast; her ra…

Author, Trust Is A Double-Edged Sword: Trust Me This week, Ira spoke with Jeffrey Meshel, author of Trust Is A Double-Edged Sword: Trust Me. In this trustworthy episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Jeffrey talks about the personal and business relationship that fell apart and resulted in this book; why he wants us all to be much more aware than we …

Authors, The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z This week, Ira spoke with David and Susan Schwartz, authors of The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z. In this low-price but quality episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” David and Susan talk about why they decided to write the book as a couple; Costco’s business model; strategies for b…

This week, Ira spoke with Alex Gambal, author of Climbing the Vines in Burgundy: How an American Came to Own a Legendary Vineyard in France. In this fermented episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Alex talks about why he decided to write this book, which is both a family memoir and an accessible, detailed look at the worlds of gastronomy and enology…

Author, Soap and Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps This week, Ira spoke with Lisa Bronner, author of Soap and Soul: A Practical Guide to Minding Your Home, Your Body, and Your Spirit with Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. In this clean episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Lisa talks abo…

Author, Unwilling to Quit, The Long Unwinding of American involvement in Vietnam This week, Ira spoke with David Prentice, author of Unwilling to Quit, The Long Unwinding of American involvement in Vietnam (published by University Press of Kentucky). In this escalating episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” David talks about why he decided to write t…

Author, My Peacock Tale: Secrets Of An NBC Page This week, Ira spoke with Emmy-nominated show-business veteran, longtime host, writer, producer and personality Shelley Herman, author of My Peacock Tale: Secrets Of An NBC Page. In this Hollywood episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Shelley talks about why the book is a love letter to her fellow page…

Author, The Warner Brothers This week, Ira spoke with Chris Yogerst, author of The Warner Brothers (published by University Press of Kentucky). In this golden-age episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Chris Yogerst talks about why Harry Warner (rather than Jack) was the business and ideological backbone of the studio; why the company made very few “…

New Documentary, “Joke Man” This week, Ira spoke with Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling, whose new IKA Collective documentary, “Joke Man,” is now available on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu Fandango, as well as other platforms. In this documented episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Jackie talks about his unusual career path; how the doc…

Writer, Custom Crossword and Word Search Puzzles This week, Ira spoke with Gail Marie, a writer of custom crossword and word search puzzles for individuals, couples, groups, businesses and corporations. In this across-and-down episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Gail talks about how she started as a cruciverbalist (a designer or aficionado of cros…

Author, The Paradox of Debt: A New Path to Prosperity This week, Ira spoke with Richard Vague, author of The Paradox of Debt: A New Path to Prosperity. In this capital episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Richard talks why he wrote the book (stems from the crisis of 2008); why, when the government spends money, it doesn’t disappear; why we have bee…

Cohost (with Louise Palanker), “Media Path Podcast” This week, Ira spoke with Fritz Coleman, cohost (with Louise Palanker) of “Media Path Podcast.” In this weathered episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Fritz talks about he became a weather reporter for Channel 4 in Los Angeles more than 40 years ago after being “discovered” at the Comedy Store; ho…

Author, Eulogy This week, Ira spoke with Michael Laser, author of Eulogy. In this novel episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Michael talks about his life as a writer and when he discovered he wanted that life; how his new fiction book borrows elements from his father; how he disciplines himself to write each day; why fiction is his choice for writi…

Author, Love in the Time of Corona This week, Ira spoke with Rabbi Sanford Akselrad, author of Love in the Time of Corona. In this contagious episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Rabbi Akselrad talks about the impact of the virus on his congregation and his decision to write a sermon each week about it (of which 100 turned into this book); why he b…

Author, Spike Unleashed: The Wonder Dog Returns: As told to Bill Boggs This week, Ira spoke with Emmy Award-winning TV talk show host, producer, and writer Bill Boggs, author of Spike Unleashed: The Wonder Dog Returns: As told to Bill Boggs, a novel that showcases Bill’s brand of absurdist humor and social commentary. In this fetching episode of “I…

Author, Art and Social Interaction This week, Ira spoke with Judith Peck, author of Art and Social Interaction. In this artistic episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Judith talks about her career as an sculptor, artist, and professor; combining creativity with discipline; embracing life; why her book connects students with prisoners and others who …

Author, The Price of Perfect This week, Ira spoke with William Anderson, author of The Price of Perfect. In this frank episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” William talks about why he decided to write about the “racial divide” as a novelist rather than as a non-fiction writer; why he wrote about being frank on both sides of the equation; why he was …

Author, A History of the American Renaissance Festival. Where Have all the Hippies gone? This week, Ira spoke with Al Olson, author of A History of the American Renaissance Festival. Where Have all the Hippies gone? In this costumed episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Al talks about his history with renaissance festivals, going back decades; why t…

Chicago Regional Director for the American Jewish Committee (AJC) This week, Ira spoke with Sarah van Loon, Chicago Regional Director for the American Jewish Committee (AJC) about Jewish American Heritage Month. In this tribal episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Sarah talks about the contributions of Jews to America; combating antisemitism; her pe…

Author, Army Wife and Fly Safe This week, Ira spoke with Vicki Cody, author of Army Wife and Fly Safe. In this spousal episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Vicki talks about the stresses and strains and joys of being a military wife; why she decided to write books about her family’s experiences through the years; her best advice to military couples…

Author, Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st Century This week, Ira spoke with Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, author of Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st Century (published by Ben Yehuda Press). In this Judaic episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Michael talks about how he believes Judaism has a lot to offer in makin…

Author, Painful Joy: A Holocaust Family Memoir This week, Ira spoke with Max Friedman, author of Painful Joy: A Holocaust Family Memoir (published by Amsterdam Publishers). In this revealing episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Max talks about his history growing up with his parents, who were Holocaust survivors; why he distanced himself from their…

Author (along with Bonnie Sinclair), USA RV ADVENTURES This week, Ira spoke with Grant Sinclair, author (along with Bonnie Sinclair) of USA RV ADVENTURES. In this vagabond episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Grant talks about how he and Bonnie shared an interest in traveling, which is a great test of a relationship; how they gave up using a tent a…