Dedicated with Doug Brunt

Melissa Francis: French Tart (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce elderflower liquor, 1 ounce grapefruit juice, 1/4 ounce lemon juice, 1/4 ounce rosemary simple syrup, served up and garnished with rosemary sprig)Melissa talks about a poolside, cigarette-filled run-in with Giselle, discusses beginning her acting career at the age of six months, praises the way Michael Landon paved the way for other actors to bring their own ideas to the screen, reveals her admiration for the work of former co-star Jason Bateman, determines whether Elizabeth Banks really played her in an episode of 30 Rock, shares her process for writing her memior, and what she's learned about how to structure TV writing from several classes she's taken and recommends to anyone wanting to write for TV.

Steve Forbes: pilsnerSteve Forbes names his picks for the two best business leaders in American history, discusses the future of crypto currency, identifies the foreign economies poised to grow and the American real estate markets that are currently undervalued, analyzes the parallels of Grover Cleveland (1892) and Donald Trump (2024), sheds light on how to fix the nation's inflation problem, and reveals the story of how the Forbes 400 came about.

Chris Bohjalian: Negroni (1 1/2 ounces Barr Hill gin, 1 1/12 ounces Campari, 1 1/12 ounces sweet vermouth, orange twist)Chris tells us his thoughts on Kaley Cuoco playing the lead role in the HBO adaptation of his novel THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, lists the three things he does to get ready to begin each of his novels, discusses how he's evolved as a writer in the 35 years since the best selling novelist of all time blurbed his debut novel, reveals how he made the leap from working in advertising at J. Walter Thompson to being a novelist as well as his thoughts on retirement, and he promises to try a day of writing after combining Red Bull with one other secret ingredient.   

Leigh Bardugo: French 75 (1 ounce gin, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1/4 ounce simple syrup mixed in shaker then poured in champagne flute, topped with champagne and lemon twist)Leigh discusses Skull & Bones, Wolf's Head and the secret societies of Yale that are the backdrop of her books, whether people in the secret societies have embraced her books or gotten angry, having to put legal disclaimers on her books as real people are mentioned, her writing process for creating the universe that her books explore, the line between 'young adult' and 'adult' fiction, camping out for a George R.R. Martin book signing, and the value of creating in secret.

Craig Mazin: Old Fashioned (1 teaspoon sugar, 3 dashes bitters, 1 teaspoon water, 2 1/2 ounces bourbon, orange twist, Luxardo cherry optional)2-time Emmy Award winner Craig Mazin discusses his new HBO show THE LAST OF US based in the very popular video game, The Sopranos and the Golden Age of TV, the brilliance of the 'Limited Series' format for scripted and unscripted content, the HBO limited series CHERNOBYL and the very fraught sliding scale of journalistic responsibility shown by the creators of documentaries and docu-dramas, and his crazy casting story with Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Dennis Lehane: Chopin vodka over crushed iceCan't say I loved this drink, but it grew on me (a little) over the course of our conversation. Dennis discusses his book to film experiences with his novels MYSTIC RIVER, SHUTTER ISLAND, GONE BABY GONE, LIVE BY NIGHT and working with Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Ben Affleck, Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio; how his life changed dramatically with the smash success of MYSTIC RIVER in 2001, making his bones writing in the 1990s while competing with and congratulating his contemporaries and friends Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Harlan Coben; how he approaches teaching fiction-writing to Harvard students and what students can expect to learn from him, how a show gets made beginning with the option of the book rights all the way to the show appearing on the small screen - using the example of Black Bird for which he was showrunner, and the number one thing a person must have to be a good writer. 

Anna Quindlen: mocktail to-be-named (seltzer, simple syrup, lime juice, fresh basil)Anna discusses her novel One True Thing and how she felt about her friend Meryl Streep in the lead role of the film adaptation; her unsparing thoughts on social media; her morning routine and process for writing books; the lasting effects of her mother’s remark to her; the New Jersey Hall of Fame; a beautiful piece of advice. [Also a comparison of Anna to Rocky Balboa which I should have described as unusual rather than low-brow]

David Duchovny, actor, writer, and musician, discusses his high school experience living with JFK Junior, important lessons learned from Don Rickles and Gary Shandling, his thesis at Yale, why he won't write a memoir, how he kept faith in himself as an artist, an entertaining encounter playing tennis next to John McEnroe, and his thoughts on bands like The Who and The Kinks.

Magician and author Penn Jillette discusses the similarities between magic and writing, the difference between a cynic and a skeptic, the First Amendment, and the potential dangers of technology. He also talks about his new novel, Random, and shares insights into his habits, love for music and art, and the benefits of being an introvert and extrovert. The lightning round of questions includes amusing details about his drinking habits and recommendations for books, TV shows, and acts in Vegas.

Joseph Kanon: Louis Latour - white Burgundy wineJoe has seen it all - he was CEO of the most prestigious publishing house in the world prior to becoming a bestselling author of spy novels including The Good German which was made into a movie starring George Clooney and Kate Blanchett. Joe talks about the history and future of the novel and the publishing business, writing for TV and film, and how to write novels of moral intrigue (what do you do when forced to chose between two wrongs?).