Now I’ve Heard Everything brings you conversations about the turning points that shape extraordinary lives. Hosted by veteran interviewer Bill Thompson, the show features memoirists, biographers, artists, survivors, and cultural figures sharing the moments when everything changed, for themselves or for the people they’ve studied. With more than 30 years of intimate interviews behind him, Bill guides guests into the stories behind their stories: the choices, shocks, breakthroughs, and revelations…
In this episode of Now I've Heard Everything, host Bill Thompson interviews Merryl Goldberg (saxophonist, educator, and activist) and Vince Houghton (NSA Intelligence Historian and author) about their remarkable book, Notes of Deception. In 1985, four young American klezmer musicians from Boston traveled into the Soviet Union on tourist visas. Their covert goal: meet with refusniks—dissidents,…
In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with author, law professor, and creative writing instructor **Katie Rose Pryal** to discuss her book, *Your Kid Belongs Here: An Insider's Guide to Parenting Neurodiverse Children* (Johns Hopkins University Press). Drawing from her personal journey of growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and autism, as well as her experiences…
In this deeply inspiring episode, host Bill Thompson sits down with singer, songwriter, and voice actress Adassa (the voice of Dolores in Disney’s "Encanto") to discuss her memoir, "Love Keeps Showing Up: Music, Miracle and Messes."Adassa shares her journey through the high-stakes music industry, starting from her childhood performing in Honduras and receiving a record deal at age 17, to facing…
In this deeply honest and moving conversation, host Bill Thompson sits down with Tim Smith, author of the memoir *Fault Line Still Standing*. Tim opens up about his childhood marked by extreme instability—including being kidnapped by his mother at under six years old, experiencing neglect, and navigating trauma. Tim shares how he confronted buried memories during therapy to write a memoir defined…
n this episode host Bill Thompson sits down with author, poet, and writing coach Janice Erlbaum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking memoir, *Girl Bomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir*. Janice opens up about what it means to be "halfway homeless" as a teenager in 1980s New York City, navigating shelters like Covenant House, group homes, and public school while keeping meticulous…
In this episode, host Bill Thompson sits down with Dr. Pius Kamau, a surgeon, author, and human rights advocate, to discuss his powerful new memoir, *Running with Lions*. Growing up in Kenya under the shadow of British colonialism and the violent Mau Mau uprising, Dr. Kamau’s future was entirely uncertain. Yet, fueled by his father's unwavering belief that education was his "northern star," he…
In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with Dr. Durga Larkin, MD, an ophthalmologist and author of the new book *Timeless Vision: Empowered Aging Redefined*. Dr. Larkin shares how her decades-long career as an eye surgeon inspired her to view aging not as a structural decline or a narrowing field of view, but as a profound opportunity for inner growth and…
In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with biographer and author Ruth Franklin to discuss her book, *The Many Lives of Anne Frank*. Far from a simple biography, Franklin’s work takes a kaleidoscopic approach to one of history’s most famous figures, examining how Anne Frank has been transformed into a global icon and co-opted by various groups to fit different…
What if the iconic blue-and-white pottery sitting on your grandmother’s mantle was actually the key to an art history mystery? In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with decorative art advisor, author, and former *Antiques Roadshow* expert Genevieve Wheeler Brown to discuss her new book, *Beyond Blue and White*. Genevieve shares the serendipitous story of…
What if everything we are told about the border crisis is completely missing the point? In this episode, Bill Thompson sits down with Gil Gillenwater, author of *Hope on the Border* and founder of Rancho Feliz. Over nearly 40 years of hands-on work on the US-Mexico border, Gil has discovered a radical truth: traditional charity doesn't work, and a wall cannot fix a crisis of dignity. Gil shares…