What happens when grief arrives without warning—and how do we find our way back to hope? Without giving too much away, Dara Levan shares the themes in her new novel.

Author of the acclaimed novels, IT COULD BE WORSE and SHAKEN TO THE CORE, Dara explores the extraordinary strength found in ordinary people facing life's most difficult moments.

DARA LEVAN

Website: https://daralevan.com/

Instagram: @dara.levan

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 - Dara Levan and SHAKEN TO THE CORE

[03:11] Joy's letters to her mom

[05:45] Cadence, structure & challenging oneself as a writer

[07:26] Chosen family and the complexity of grief

[09:06] Kristy Woodson Harvey recommends SHAKEN TO THE CORE

[10:46] Indiana University football & QB Fernando Mendoza

[12:10] Representation of speech and language challenges

[14:16] The origin of themes

[15:48] The reader's takeaway

Musician Will Calhoun, the drummer from Living Colour, is now an author with his upcoming memoir, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEATS, due out this fall.

From Harry Belafonte to Living Colour, Will’s music career is one of diversity, curiosity, and exploration. His artistry spans more than three decades as one of the world’s best drummers — and he credits his mom’s heartbeat (his earliest memory) for introducing him to life’s cadence.

WILL CALHOUN

Website: https://willcalhoun.com/

Instagram: willcalhoundrum

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: Will Calhoun

[02:47] Why write a book now?

[04:31] Pulling the pieces together

[05:36] The New York experience

[07:25] Discovering music

[09:03] Will's brother and musical neighbors

[10:58] Joining Living Colour

[12:06] Getting fired by Harry Belafonte

[14:59] Belafonte's influence and lessons

[18:22] Jazz great, Wayne Shorter

[20:37] The power of curiosity and discovery

[23:00] Geeking out

[24:44] Thinking about legacy

Nearly one in four American adults experiences family estrangement, and countless others carry invisible wounds from childhood trauma. Stephanie Weaver's story offers something rare: an honest look at pain without sensationalism, paired with a hopeful reminder that healing is possible even when reconciliation isn't.

Stephanie’s memoir, BITTER, SWEET: HOW TO HEAL YOURSELF WHEN YOUR FAMILY IS BROKEN, intertwines family recipes with a deeply personal story of trauma, resilience, estrangement, and forgiveness.

Stephanie was a guest for the RECORD SCRATCH Mother’s Day exploration of mother loss.

STEPHANIE WEAVER, MPH

Website: https://stephanieweaver.com/

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

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] **Content warning**

[02:10] Becoming a writer

[04:02] BITTER, SWEET

[05:10] Resurfacing memories

[06:25] Mom's recipe box

[07:44] Healing therapies

[10:42] Making a trauma memoir approachable

[13:34] Estrangement and writing for others

[15:20] Response to book

[16:38] Forgiveness is for *us*

Kara and Cynthia Occelli, author of RESURRECTING VENUS, discuss growth and transformation.

Cynthia is part of the 2026 Mother’s Day weekend special series.

Topics:

• The origin of Cynthia's famous "seed" quote
• Cynthia’s journey from ninth-grade dropout and welfare mom to law school graduate and successful entrepreneur
• Her coaching philosophy: bespoke, intuition-led, and focused on connecting clients to their own inner wisdom
• Navigating today's political climate while protecting your mental and emotional health
• The foundational role of physical habits in personal transformation

CYNTHIA OCCELLI

Website: CynthiaOccelli.com

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: Cynthia Occelli

[02:03] The "seed" quote

[06:18] The impetus for change

[07:36] Saying "I choose me"

[08:59] Role models

[11:18] Unexpected Google search results

[12:29] Helping clients focus their energy

[16:23] Resurrecting Venus and what's next?

[18:03] Cynthia’s coaching process

[20:46] Biggest challenges

[24:03] How to optimize a coach

[28:24] Moja Tu - Kenyan children

As the Record Scratch team preps Season 4, we are excited to share a conversation Kara had with her friend Lisa Mitchell, the host of Divorce Curious.

Divorce Curious is a podcast for people wondering if their marriage still fits. No lawyers, no yelling, no friends taking sides — just real talk about the questions keeping you up at night.

Learn more about Divorce Curious here. Follow Lisa @divorcecurioushelp on Instagram.

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky at Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn, Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY here.

Mother Loss, Memory, and Meaning with Kathryn Bertine

Kathryn shares the complexity of grief—from the unexpected moments of humor to the profound sense of peace that can accompany loss.

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief is not linear, not uniform—and never something to navigate alone.

Kathryn Bertine is an author of several books, a former professional athlete, an activist, and a documentary filmmaker. Kathryn played an instrumental role in getting women into the Tour de France. Today’s eight-day Tour de France Femmes stems from her activism and you can read or listen to the wild, true story of what really happens when we fight for change in her book, STAND.

KATHRYN BERTINE

Website: https://www.kathrynbertine.com

Instagram: @kathryn_bertine

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: Kathryn Bertine

[03:27] Tell me her name

[04:57] Shared athleticism

[06:23] Smoking and a benevolent white lie

[12:05] Caring for aging parents

[14:15] Coping with loss

[18:15] A very special keepsake

[19:49] Kathryn's advice

Now an author, the Living Colour drummer speaks about his mother, Annie Mae Baker Calhoun

Will Calhoun’s artistry spans more than three decades as one of the world’s best drummers—and he credits his mom’s heartbeat (his earliest memory) for introducing him to life’s cadence.

From Harry Belafonte to Living Colour, Will’s music career is one of diversity, curiosity, and exploration. A full interview with Will is part of Season 4 of “Record Scratch with Kara” and will air later this summer.

WILL CALHOUN

Website - WillCalhoun.com

Instagram - @willcalhoundrum

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/willcalhounmusic/#

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: Will Calhoun

[02:28] Education, self-reliance, and spirituality

[04:44] Helping others

[06:08] An open and honest relationship

[08:25] Annie Mae Calhoun Way

[10:08] The center of the neighborhood

[12:19] It's not your time

[14:11] Harry Belafonte and The Grammy Awards

[15:48] Honoring Mom

Let the Words Fall Out: A Story of Trauma, Survival, and Grace

*Content Warning* Domestic violence is discussed.

Mesa Fama shares the complicated, often painful terrain of motherhood—both as a daughter and as a mother herself.

Mesa shares her earliest memories of her mother, shaped by domestic violence and instability, and the profound impact those experiences had on her life. Through honesty and vulnerability, she reflects on cycles of trauma, addiction, and abuse—and the moment she chose to break free.

Mesa Fama is a writer whose lovely words are found in the New York Times, The Mighty, and Medium. She is a reader, keeper of secrets, scars, and stars.

MESA FAMA

Website – mesafama.com

Substack: @mesafama Let The Words Fall Out

Instagram: @mesa.fama

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

[01:21] Introduction: Mesa Fama

[02:52] Instilling a love of reading and writing

[03:54] Breaking the cycle of abuse and addiction

[04:57] Seeing her own worth

[07:29] I'm sorry. Thank you.

[09:20] The past and parenting

[11:03] Forgiveness and grace

[13:51] Mother's Day

Grief, Identity, and Ongoing Connection with Jessica Fein

Jessica shares her experience navigating the unimaginable reality of being both a motherless daughter and a daughterless mother—a dual loss that reshaped her understanding of identity, grief, and love.

Jessica reflects on her mother, Zelda, the loss of her daughter Dahlia, and the ways she continues to maintain connection with those she has lost—offering a reframe of grief not as an ending, but as an evolving relationship.

Jessica Fein's book, BREATH TAKING: A MEMOIR OF FAMILY, DREAMS, AND BROKEN GENES, is a love letter to her daughter, Dahlia. My favorite, and most accurate synopsis, is: "A masterclass on how to be a person." — Joanna Rakoff, bestselling author of MY SALINGER YEAR.

BREATH TAKING is a MUST read!

JESSICA FEIN

Website - JessicaFeinstories.com

Instagram - @feinjessica

Substack - https://feinbyme.substack.com/

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: Jessica Fein

[02:38] Zelda

[03:54] Naming Theo

[05:37] Singing around the piano

[06:39] Celebrating Mom

[08:55] Connecting with people we've lost

[11:00] Jessie's advice

The Cheerleader, The Caregiver, The Guilt: Remembering Vicki

Kara welcomes back Robin Finn for a deeply human conversation about losing her mother, Vicki.

Robin shares what it meant to be both a devoted daughter and primary caregiver—and how the unexpected timing of COVID-19 complicated her mother’s final months, leaving behind layers of grief, love, and unresolved questions.

Writer and narrative alchemist, Robin Finn, is the creator of the Heart. Soul. Pen.® program and the HeartiFacts Mentorship.

ROBIN FINN

Website - RobinFinn.com

Instagram and Facebook - @robinfinnauthor

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: Robin Finn

[03:17] Mom's end of life story

[06:08] Guilt on top of grief

[07:23] Regrets

[08:34] Grief therapy

[11:41] The gift of iconic individuality

[14:46] Rituals and reflection

[16:48] Unexpected loneliness

[18:20] Robin's advice