Record Scratch with Kara Kavensky

Lead blues guitarist Beki Brindle-Scala, a New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee and Indianapolis native who grew up playing with blues legend Yank Rachell as a teenager, later worked with Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, John Sebastian, and Jerry Lee Lewis. She is married to Ralph Scala of the Blues Magoos.

We explore Beki’s life playing the blues, and discuss her mom, Joy. Joy is the “Joy” of the title of my memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY, the long-lost love of WWII Veteran, Bob Albright.

BEKI BRINDLE-SCALA

Instagram, Facebook & X: @bekibrindle

YouTube: @BekiBrindleScalaGUITARIST

Song credits:

New Shoelaces © Beki Brindle and James "Gizmo" Fullin from the "All Kinds of Beki" album on Random Chance Records.

Still Got It Bad © John Herald

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[02:11] Introduction: Beki Brindle Scala

[04:45] Supportive parents

[05:48] Playing with and learning from Yank Rachell

[08:20] From Indiana University to Woodstock, NY

[09:44] Parental pride

[11:28] A career in blues

[13:42] Being a woman playing the blues

[15:56] Ralph Scala of The Blues Magoos

Gail Shalan is the award-winning voice artist who narrates the audiobook version of TELL ME ABOUT JOY, written by Kara Kavensky. Gail is passionate about stories that center generational healing and mental health, which makes her the perfect narrator for Kara’s debut memoir.

As a voice artist, Gail has worked with top publishers and brands. She is listed among “Voices to Know” and has won multiple awards from prestigious industry organizations, including the Audio Publishers Association, the Independent Publisher Book Awards, Kirkus, AudioFile Magazine, and others.

Originally from Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Gail has worked as a puppeteer and puppet-builder/designer since 2011. She has performed with acclaimed theater companies in the U.S. and abroad and holds an MFA in Acting from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in England.

GAIL SHALAN

Website

Audible

Instagram

IMDb

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Introduction: Gail Shalan

[05:17] Theater education

[08:12] Finding direction and connections

[10:03] Advice for theater kids

[12:00] Narrating audiobooks

[14:35] Audiobook awards

[18:26] Puppets and puppeteering

Both of Dr. Alex Kor's parents are Holocaust survivors. His mother, Eva Mozes Kor, along with her twin sister, are survivors of Dr. Mengele at Auschwitz. Eva's story is well documented; she founded CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, in Terre Haute, Indiana.

But it was Alex's father, Michael "Mickey" Kor's story that Alex felt strongly about sharing, so he did—with the help of co-author Graham Honaker. They recently released A BLESSING, NOT A BURDEN: MY PARENTS’ REMARKABLE HOLOCAUST STORY AND MY FIGHT TO KEEP THEIR LEGACY ALIVE (2024, Pediment Publishing).

A BLESSING, NOT A BURDEN shares not only Alex's parents' stories, but also his own.

DR. ALEX KOR

Website

Facebook - My Holocaust Legacy

X (formerly Twitter): @akisok15

CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center

GRAHAM HONAKER

LinkedIn

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] Introduction: Dr. Alex Kor with Graham Honaker

[02:29] Dr. Kor's father, Mickey

[06:52] Eva Mozes Kor

[12:20] Coping with anti-semitism

[14:22] Collaborating on the story

[16:24] Responding to October 7th

[18:23] Courage, fortitude, and inspiration

[20:09] Lt. Col. Andrew Neff

[22:38] CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center

[24:41] Forgiving the Unforgivable

[28:42] Healing from forgiveness

[35:22] Funding CANDLES and the Eva Mozes Kor Scholarship

Bill Hampton was a member of the legendary 1955 basketball team from Crispus Attucks High School that made history by becoming the first all-Black team in the nation to win a state championship.

Mr. Hampton’s memoir, GUARDED, is about survival, identity, and the quiet cost of living under constant pressure. He calls us to remember not only what was overcome, but what must never be forgotten.

Thanks to Betsy Blankenbaker Murphy for introducing us! Betsy created the documentary on the legendary 1955 Crispus Attucks team, SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT.

GUARDED by William "Bill" Hampton is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Introduction: William "Bill" Hampton

[03:39] A basketball first in a racially divided era

[05:30] Crispus Attucks and Coach Ray Crowe

[06:31] From high school to college

[07:48] Semi-pro basketball

[09:17] Lessons to be learned

[10:18] Lifelong bonds

[11:27] Pride in family, championship

[13:30] Things that need to be said

Leisse Wilcox is an award-winning keynote speaker, executive coach, and bestselling author specializing in future-proof leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence. She joins Kara Kavensky to discuss how her high-performing clients learn to turn their expertise into “stages and pages.”

As a sought-after executive coach, Leisse emphasizes authenticity and structure to transform ideas into compelling books, signature keynotes, and thought-leadership platforms that grow visibility, credibility, and revenue.

Leisse's books include THE COURAGE CODE, ALONE, and TO CALL MYSELF BELOVED.

LEISSE WILCOX

Website: https://www.leissewilcox.com/

Instagram: @leissewilcox

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] Introduction: Leisse Wilcox

[04:36] TO CALL MYSELF BELOVED

[05:49] Single parenting

[07:28] Breaking bad patterns

[10:05] Evolution to "stages and pages"

[12:15] Authenticity and structure

[14:23] Executive coach for speaking and writing

[16:12] Work in progress

The premature death of Academy Award winning-actress, Natalie Wood, in 1981 off the coast of Catalina Island, California, has become one of Hollywood’s most controversial unsolved mysteries. Sam Perroni, the author of BRAINSTORM: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF FILM STAR NATALIE WOOD, continues to call for justice.

Mr. Perroni is a former trial lawyer and Adjunct Professor of White-Collar Crime and Trial Advocacy, William H. Bowen School of Law, Little Rock, Arkansas. He served for five years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

BRAINSTORM, by Sam Perroni, is available wherever you shop for books.

Mr. Perroni is also the founder of the "Patricia Ann Perroni Field of Dreams Foundation," whose mission is to raise at least $1M dollars every year for Alzheimer's research.

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] Introduction: Sam Perroni

[03:21] Suspicions around Natalie Wood's death

[04:43] Obstacles to investigation

[06:04] Lawsuits

[07:20] Surprising evidence

[08:51] The men on the yacht

[09:37] Prosecutorial experience

[10:58] The investigator's notes

[13:21] Lies and corroboration

[18:34] Misinformation

[20:58] The Banging Dinghy Theory

[23:24] The Field of Dreams Foundation for Alzheimer's research

[25:08] A new book in progress

A VOICE OF HOPE: THE MYRLIE EVERS-WILLIAMS STORY, by award-winning author Nadia Salomon, is the first picture book biography ever written about the iconic civil rights activist.

GOODNIGHT GANESHA, Nadia’s bedtime picture book, was named a Bank Street Best Book and a Notable Children’s Recording/DIA Selection by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).

Nadia’s books are beautifully illustrated, celebratory, and educational. Nadia writes on themes of South Asian and Caribbean culture, STEM, nonfiction, and humor.

NADIA SALOMON

Website: https://www.nadiasalomon.com/

Substack: https://nadiasalomon.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadiasalomon.author/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Nadia Salomon and GOODNIGHT GANESHA

[02:53] A VOICE OF HOPE

[04:10] Meeting Myrlie Evers-Williams

[08:33] Educational books and school curricula

[10:30] Promoting creative work

[13:04] Drawing on journalism experience

[14:43] Podcasting and works in progress

Artist, curator, and author Cathy Haynes shares her exploration of the forgotten ways humans once experienced time long before digital clocks and endless notifications. In her beautiful new book, THE FULLNESS OF TIME: MARKING THE DAY BY BIRDSONG, BLOOMS, SHADOWS, AND STARS, Cathy shares how nature offers a richer, more meaningful rhythm for daily life.

What if the best way to tell time isn't by looking at a clock but by listening to birds, watching flowers bloom, or noticing the changing shape of your cat's pupils?

CATHY HAYNES

Website: https://cathyhaynes.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathy.haynes.uk/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Introduction - Cathy Haynes

[02:40] Curator, artist, timekeeper

[04:50] Mapping time

[06:08] Reestablishing connections with the rhythms of nature

[09:14] The evening primrose

[11:23] Telling time without clocks

[14:05] Medieval sundials and landmarks

[17:43] Using animals' eyes for timekeeping

[18:57] Mindfulness and intention

The Record Scratch team is taking a break this week, and we are excited to share a conversation that Kara and her agent, Katharine Sands, with the Sarah Jane Freymann Agency, had with Ariel Curry and Liz Morrow, co-hosts of HUNGRY AUTHORS.

Through the Hungry Authors podcast (and Substack), Ariel & Liz share insights and tools to plan and write your book, navigate the publishing industry, and bring your ideas to life.

Kara’s memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY, is on Zibby’s Fall 2026 Most Anticipated Books list!

HUNGRY AUTHORS

Substack: https://hungryauthors.substack.com

@ArielKCurry

@Liz_Morrow

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and former Washington Post dance critic Sarah L. Kaufman joins Kara Kavensky for a fascinating conversation about the hidden power of language and why the verbs we choose shape not only our writing, but the way readers experience our stories.

Sarah's latest book, VERB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: HOW TO MASTER THE ART OF THE VERB AND TRANSFORM YOUR WRITING, isn't a grammar book. It's an invitation to think differently about storytelling.

SARAH L. KAUFMAN

Website: https://sarahlkaufman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahlkaufmanwriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahlkaufman/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Intro - Sarah Kaufman

[02:54] Verbs in great writing

[04:38] Overused verbs

[06:31] VERB YOUR ENTHUSIASM origin story

[07:47] Transformative writing techniques

[08:22] Teaching and writing

[10:36] Workshops and writing groups

[11:43] The expressive potential in verbs

[15:59] Becoming and developing a writer

[18:24] The typewriter as assistive technology

[19:49] Learning from parents

[21:01] Learning from authors

[23:06] A message for writers