Every Soul Has A Story

Today’s guest is author Elizabeth Sumner Wafler. She recently published her fourth novel, A Cleft in the World. In this episode, Elizabeth shares how she learned that her grandfather was Jewish when she was 50 years old. Elizabeth talks about her childhood, sharing she grew up in “an insular world and provincial community” in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She talked about how her family in the ‘60s swept controversial or topics perceived as embarrassing under the rug. We laughed as we bantered about our mutual love of Yiddish, an endearing language, and that she and her cousins enjoy exchanging Rosh Hashanah cards.

Elizabeth now lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She discussed her unique writing process, cultural influences, and the fascinating revelations about her heritage that impacted her upcoming book.

We also chatted about Elizabeth’s love of words, the influence of her first editor's advice, and how observation plays a key role in storytelling. She shared how she explores the themes of identity, love, and compassion in her novels. And why it's taken her a long time to not worry about what others think of her; she lives life on her own terms. What an insightful, lively, and connective conversation!

A nightclub in 90s New York, a shared love of house music, and a leap of faith that led her across the Atlantic—Jennifer Anglade Dahlberg's life has been anything but ordinary. Now living in Stockholm, Sweden, the author of A Norn and Bloom joins Dara Levan to share her remarkable journey from executive recruiter to novelist.

Jennifer opens up about meeting her Swedish husband at a gritty downtown nightclub, living in Sweden before marriage to ensure she could handle the climate and distance, and how moving abroad forced her to reexamine her identity. She reveals her publishing journey—from a traditional deal with Penguin to languishing for 10 years to self-publishing a novel that led to a Swedish book deal. Jennifer also reflects on learning to be her authentic self in a more reserved culture, the challenge of rewriting a novel from third to first person, and why authors need to think of themselves as startups.

Her message? There's more than one path to success, and sometimes the detours lead exactly where you need to go. Keywords: Jennifer Anglade Dahlberg, A Norn and Bloom, Sweden, Stockholm, self-publishing, traditional publishing, authenticity, executive recruiter, novel, identity.

0:04 - Intro
1:22 - Living in Sweden & daylight extremes
1:59 - Moving to Sweden for love
3:04 - Meeting husband at NYC nightclub
4:19 - Writing about Sweden vs. New York
6:12 - Visiting family 3-4 times a year
7:00 - Risk-averse Virgo takes a leap
8:59 - Non-traditional paths 25 years ago
10:56 - Childhood reading & corporate route
13:50 - Holding back & reclaiming identity
16:39 - Authenticity & social media boundaries
21:24 - Andi Bartz & being brave
22:42 - Four very different publishing experiences
25:41 - Self-publishing leading to book deal
28:39 - Agent conversations & options
31:40 - Writing community from afar
32:31 - A Norn & Bloom origin story
35:21 - Switching third to first person
38:11 - Solitude & healthy self-isolation
41:13 - Where to find Jennifer
41:28 - Outro




• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.jenniferdahlberg.com/



QUOTES:


"I believe any creation that comes to the planet—agented, unagented, self-pub, traditional, hybrid—it's about putting your work out there."
 – Dara Levan

"I think you have to have faith in your work. A lot of the agents or the publishers, they don't necessarily know what's going to be a success or what people want to read."

 – Jennifer Anglade Dahlberg

Eight years old, chewing 16 aspirin a day, and determined to keep up with her brothers—Jennifer Vido's life has been defined by resilience. Now an author of the sweet romance series Serendipity by the Sea, executive director of a legal nonprofit, and mother of two boys, Jennifer joins Dara Levan to share her extraordinary journey. Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age eight, Jennifer reveals how she never let her condition define her—from becoming captain of the cheerleading squad to marrying her college sweetheart and building a prolific career. She opens up about her daily practices of yoga and prayer, her nighttime writing routine, and the sensory gifts her condition has given her (like an incredibly acute sense of smell). Jennifer also reflects on the art of letting go—from releasing her book babies into the world to becoming an empty nester as her youngest graduates college. Her message? The world is your classroom, every obstacle can be navigated, and passion, determination, and desire are the keys to living fully. Keywords: Jennifer Vido, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Serendipity by the Sea, romance author, yoga, prayer, empty nest, resilience, Low Country, writing.

0:04 - Intro
1:12 - Serendipity by the Sea series
2:17 - Nighttime writing routine
4:14 - Yoga & prayer daily practices
5:09 - Diagnosed with JRA at 8
6:43 - Growing up with arthritis
9:36 - 32-year marriage & surgeries
11:58 - Heightened sense of smell
12:39 - Low Country setting & research
14:32 - Writing process & research
16:29 - Love of editing
18:07 - Letting go & empty nesting
20:35 - Where to find Jennifer
21:02 – Outro



• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.jennifervido.com/



QUOTES:


"I need a 48-hour day. But if I had it, would I really have extra time or is it about how will I fill it? What will I choose?"
 – Dara Levan

"My whole life, I have taken control of the areas of my life that I can have a say in. No obstacle is too big for me, no challenge is too high to climb."

 – Jennifer Vido

When she heard the music of a blind saxophonist who died on her fourth birthday, something inside her shifted—and so did her entire life. May Cobb—bestselling thriller author of A Likeable Woman and The Hunting Wives—joins Dara Levan to share her remarkable journey from East Texas to becoming one of the most talked-about voices in the thriller genre. May opens up about her 20-year quest to tell the story of jazz legend Rahsaan Roland Kirk, her mother's terrifying encounter with a woman escaping a sheriff's sex ring in the 1990s (which inspired her debut novel), and most powerfully, her experience raising a son with profound autism. She reveals the daily realities of parenting a nonverbal child who didn't speak until age four, the ableism she's encountered, the unique challenges on her marriage, and why she chose to include autism representation in A Likeable Woman. Her message? You can love your child completely while also wishing their challenges away—and that's okay. Keywords: May Cobb, thriller author, autism, parenting, A Likeable Woman, The Hunting Wives, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, East Texas, representation, ableism.

0:04 - Intro
1:38 - East Texas upbringing
4:33 - Discovering Rahsaan Roland Kirk
6:27 - 20-year connection & research
9:21 - Debut novel inspired by mother
10:07 - Mom's psych ward encounter
12:38 - Autism representation in novels
13:04 - Son's autism journey
15:04 - Ableism & societal judgment
17:18 - Forgiving yourself
18:42 - Nonverbal to verbal milestones
20:03 - Challenges of special needs parenting
22:24 - Community & support
24:24 - Writing schedule & process
26:37 - Where to find May
26:53 - Outro



• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://maycobb.com/



QUOTES:


"Nobody knows someone's shoes until they've walked in them truly and lived in them."
 – Dara Levan

"You have to be super just zen with what is. But then you also have to be completely aggressive with getting them as far along as they can go."
 – May Cobb

A 10-year-old boy popped the hood of a broken-down car in the Israeli desert, fiddled with the engine, and said, "Try it, Dad." The car started. Rob Schwartz—son of the beloved Morrie Schwartz of Tuesdays with Morrie fame, former Billboard bureau chief in Tokyo, and record label founder—joins Dara Levan to share his father's extraordinary legacy and his own global journey. Rob reveals how he discovered his father's completed manuscript, The Wisdom of Morrie, in a desk drawer 14 years after his passing, and the five-year journey of editing it while keeping his father's unique voice intact. He opens up about living in Japan for 30 years, the myths about Japanese culture and business, his work at NHK and Billboard, and his experiences in Indonesia. Above all, Rob shares his father's timeless message: human connection is what gives life meaning, and it's never too late to forge new friendships, forgive old wounds, and live vibrantly. Keywords: Rob Schwartz, Morrie Schwartz, Tuesdays with Morrie, The Wisdom of Morrie, human connection, aging, grief, Japan, Billboard, NHK, memoir.

0:04 - Intro
1:17 - Tuesdays with Morrie explained
4:15 - Discovering the manuscript
8:31 - Grieving & editing process
9:37 - Giving while dying
11:10 - Stories connect us
13:21 - Morrie as a father
16:02 - Rob's career in Japan
18:29 - Why Japan?
20:08 - Japanese myths & fax machines
25:59 - Japanese music industry & CDs
31:27 - Indonesia & fourth largest country
34:58 - Editing father's manuscript
37:48 - Father's message on connection
40:00 – Outro



• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.robschwartzhelps.com/


QUOTES:


"What's really going to bring you fulfillment and love and happiness in your life is your human connections."
 – Dara Levan

"Japanese companies still use fax machines. They cling on to the way things are very strongly. In some ways, that's great—they keep their traditions alive. In some ways, it's hard for them to move into the future."
 – Rob Schwartz

A second-grade report card called her a flirt. Her fifth-grade teachers praised her for not getting angry at boys. Corie Adjmi—author of Life and Other Shortcomings and the forthcoming novel The Marriage Box—joins Dara Levan to share her remarkable journey from reform Judaism in New Orleans to the Syrian Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. At 16, her parents moved the family back to their roots, and the rules changed overnight—from college aspirations to marriage expectations by 18. Corie met her husband on a blind date at 16 and married him a year and a half later—and 40 years later, they're still together. She opens up about the "marriage box," a real beachside gathering spot where teenage girls were paraded for dates, navigating different levels of religious observance within her marriage, and why writing fiction gave her the distance to tell her story. Her message? Start with yourself, stay curious, and hope love spreads. Keywords: Corie Adjmi, The Marriage Box, Life and Other Shortcomings, Syrian Jewish, Orthodox Judaism, Sephardic, women's voices, fiction, marriage, She Writes Press.


0:04 - Intro
1:57 - Teaching & after-publication conversations
4:32 - Writing about women & patriarchy
5:29 - New Orleans upbringing & report cards
7:32 - Moving to Brooklyn at 16
8:47 - Blind date & marriage at 18
10:17 - The premise of The Marriage Box
14:14 - Syrian Jewish community differences
16:35 - Feedback from readers
16:53 - Different observance levels in marriage
19:17 - The "marriage box" explained
21:46 - Othering within Jewish community
23:51 - Writing journey & 20-year process
30:09 - Publishing with She Writes Press
35:21 - Where to find Corie
35:36 - Outro


• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://corieadjmi.com/


QUOTES:


"There's such joy in creating. I hope our world doesn't lose that, because we get so hung up on followers."
 – Dara Levan

"At what price do you follow community or cultural expectations? And what does that mean to one's individuality?"
 – Corie Adjmi

At seven hours old, her daughter was diagnosed deaf—and Jennifer Rosner began journaling for the first time. Now a critically acclaimed author of The Yellow Bird Sings and Once We Were Home, Jennifer joins Dara Levan to share her extraordinary journey from philosophy professor to novelist. When her first daughter was born deaf, Jennifer's journaling became a lifeline—and eventually her memoir. She opens up about raising two deaf daughters in a hearing-speaking world, navigating the fractious debate between signing and speaking, and how a discovery about her deaf ancestors—who tied strings from their wrists to their babies at night to feel them stir—became the "string in the darkness" that weaves through all her work. Jennifer reveals how interviewing Holocaust survivors shaped her novels, why she's drawn to themes of silence and connection, and how raising deaf children made her a more sensory, attentive writer. Her message: beauty and connection can be found even in the darkest places. Keywords: Jennifer Rosner, The Yellow Bird Sings, Once We Were Home, deafness, memoir, Holocaust, connection, parenting, philosophy, novelist.


0:04 - Intro
1:52 - Philosophy professor to writer
4:48 - Deaf ancestors & string in darkness
5:24 - Red string & Jewish tradition
6:24 - Raising deaf daughters
8:20 - Intimacy vs. deaf community
9:42 - Second daughter's profound deafness
12:33 - Sensory awareness & writing
13:37 - The Yellow Bird Sings inspiration
17:20 - Holocaust survivors & connection
18:56 - Present-day parallels
20:18 - Memoir vs. novel writing
23:15 - New novel & where to find Jennifer
25:52 – Outro



• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.jennifer-rosner.com/


QUOTES:


"The best actors and actresses are drawing on their life experiences to portray a character. You can't fake that."
 – Dara Levan

"Noticing beauty was a key to survival. In terrible times, they might stumble upon something of beauty—usually in nature, or even a poem in their mind."
 – Jennifer Rosner

At 38, a panic attack forced her to stop—and start listening to her body. Julie Chavez—librarian, mother of two, and author of the forthcoming memoir Everyone But Myself—joins Dara Levan to share her powerful journey through anxiety, depression, and the radical act of putting herself on her own to-do list. After spending years caring for everyone else while running on empty, Julie experienced her first panic attack. She opens up about the warning signs she ignored, the shame she didn't feel (but could have), and the hard-won tools she now uses daily to stay grounded—including hydration, movement, therapy, and simply paying attention to her own escalation. Julie reveals how she learned to reframe her mindset from "everyone but myself" to "everyone and myself," and how she teaches her boys that "don't fail alone" is a family value. Her message is clear: the thing you're not dealing with is dealing with you, and the only way out is through. Keywords: Julie Chavez, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, memoir, self-care, motherhood, librarian, mental health, Everyone But Myself, burnout.


0:04 - Intro
2:15 - First panic attack at 38
4:46 - Book & the shift to self-care
6:13 - Immunotherapy reaction & fear
8:47 - Body whispers then screams
9:22 - Everyone but myself to everyone and myself
10:44 - Shame, hiding & therapy
14:00 - Career path & library work
17:30 - Grounding practices & tools
18:07 - Hydration, exercise & therapy
22:46 - Grounding & being in body
24:42 - Feeding the anxiety beast
26:17 - Teaching boys "don't fail alone"
30:36 - Where to find Julie
31:14 – Outro



• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.juliewriteswords.com/


QUOTES:


"Showing up for ourselves as mothers, as women—that's a key thing we forget to talk about."
 – Dara Levan

"I was insanely productive during that time. It's amazing what you can do when you just don't care for yourself. But then that came back to bite me."
 – Julie Chavez

At age 11, she pointed to a photo in her father's den and asked a question that changed everything. Joanna Rakoff—international bestselling author of My Salinger Year (made into a 2021 film starring Sigourney Weaver)—joins Dara Levan to share her extraordinary personal story. Growing up believing she had only one sister, Joanna discovered at 11 that she actually had two siblings—Anita and Mark—who died in a devastating car accident just months before she was born. Her parents, who lost two children and a close family friend, never spoke of them. Joanna reveals how she spent her childhood as a "girl detective" piecing together fragments of conversations, why she was bullied relentlessly in school, and how her mother's insistence on perfection kept her from telling anyone. She opens up about her new memoir, The Fifth Passenger, her complicated relationship with being a "replacement child," and the haunting dream that finally unlocked the story. This conversation is a masterclass in resilience, family secrets, and the power of writing to heal. Keywords: Joanna Rakoff, My Salinger Year, memoir, family secrets, siblings, car accident, replacement child, bullying, author, The Fifth Passenger.

0:04 - Intro
2:06 - Second grade teacher who saw a writer
4:52 - Father's theater background & dentistry
8:00 - Childhood bullying & fear
12:00 - Mother's refusal to see the truth
14:02 - Ballet class trauma & dismissal
17:17 - The photo in father's den
34:18 - Discovering Anita & Mark's death
39:22 - Book tour revelations & resemblance
40:54 - Mother's Alzheimer's & silence
47:02 - Replacement child concept
50:57 - Giving birth to Izzy & the dream
53:21 - Memoir vs. novel & writing career
56:43 – Outro

•    https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
•    Website: daralevan.com3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Rakoff


QUOTES:

"I call this Earth School. We're all here for a purpose, and when these patterns keep arising, whether in our minds or whether archetypes of people, they're here to teach us. I don't personally find that I learned the most from the really easy stuff."
– Dara Levan

"If my parents hadn't suffered this horrible, horrible trauma, then I wouldn't be here. How do I reconcile these two things?"
 – Joanna Rakoff

A week before Thanksgiving, she was left with nothing—no husband, no money, no voice. Allison Hong Merrill—award-winning author of 99 Fire Hoops, immigrant, and self-proclaimed "loveaholic"—joins Dara Levan to share her extraordinary journey from traditional Taiwan to finding her voice in America. Raised in a culture where girls were taught the "three obediences"—to obey father, husband, and sons—Allison felt unloved until age 13, when missionaries introduced her to a God who called her a princess. Her father disowned her at 21 for leaving college to serve a mission. After a 16-month marriage, her husband abandoned her one week before Thanksgiving, emptying their apartment and bank account. Alone on the streets, Allison made a powerful choice: to celebrate herself. She shares how choosing happiness daily, loving from afar when necessary, and writing her memoir to help her children understand their roots transformed her life. Her message? You have control over your mind, and love is always the answer. Keywords: Allison Hong Merrill, 99 Fire Hoops, immigration, memoir, Taiwan, power of choice, self-worth, love, faith, disowned, abandoned, parenting, cultural identity.

0:00 - Intro
2:15 - Traditional Taiwanese upbringing & Confucius
5:42 - Finding faith at 13 & self-worth
9:47 - Father disowns her at 21
13:24 - Mission in Taiwan & moving to Texas
15:27 - Abandoned by husband week before Thanksgiving
17:27 - Searching payphones for forgotten coins
19:00 - Choosing to celebrate herself
23:36 - Power of choice & mindset
26:00 - Toxic family & loving from afar
30:25 - Self-care & prayer as meditation
35:04 - 99 Fire Hoops & writing for her children
39:25 - Where to find Allison
40:10 – Outro

•    https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
•    Website: daralevan.com3
https://allisonhongmerrill.com/


QUOTES:

"You can choose to have a great day at the beginning of the day. You wake up and say—I'm going to have a fantastic day today." 
–  Allison Hong Merrill

"Sometimes you can love someone and also from afar. Love someone, but that doesn't mean you have to allow that behavior or that person in."
 – Dara Levan