Interviews
Join Donna Apidone for conversations with authors and influencers about their work, lives and Purpose
Also on Abridged.org, CapRadio.org, NextAvenue.org and DonnaApidone.Substack.com
Due to contractual agreements, not all interviews are recorded or available for publication. Unpublished conversations include actor Molly Shannon, author Frank McCourt and writer/PBS host Baratunde Thurston.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
My interview with Secretary Albright remains at the top of my list.
Early in the Covid era, when we were just learning how to conduct live audience interviews on Zoom and related platforms, Secretary Albright and I talked about her life and her then-new book, Hell and Other Destinations.
When she died less than two years later, a member of her team said that Secretary Albright was always the smartest person in the room but always made others feel they were the smartest person in the room. That description matched my experience.
Produced for Sacramento Public Library May 2020
Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristi Yamaguchi won hearts when she won the gold in figure skating in 1992.
She won hearts again when we talked to a live audience at PBS KVIE.
Here is a transcript of part of our conversation about the Olympics, raising daughters and her non-profit organization, Always Dream, that encourages families to read together.
Produced for PBS KVIE August 2025
Dr. Katren Tyler: UC Davis Mini-Medical School
It’s free. It’s highly informative. It’s open to everyone. It’s on Zoom every Saturday in February.
Dr. Katren Tyler talks about UC Davis Mini-Medical School and more — how emergency rooms serve older adults, finding and communicating with a younger doctor, finding Purpose in life, and more.
If you know someone over the age of 60, this is important stuff.
Produced for Capital Public Radio 2022
Sara Blanchard & Misasha Suzuki Graham: Dear White Women
Let’s get (un)comfortable talking about racism.
In this interview, Blanchard and Graham talk about their personal experiences with racism and tell why they decided to speak up.
You might just recognize yourself in their stories.
The book and the podcast are “musts” for people living in America.
Produced for NextAvenue.org 2022
Pam Anderson-Bartholet: Widow Maker
In just 26 poems, Pam Anderson-Bartholet shares the progression of her husband’s near-death experience and recovery, and their family’s experience with shock and healing. You might not think to translate such a crisis into art, but for Pam, poetry is the most natural outlet.
“It was just my way of expressing myself. I love poetry because I can revise and work it out on the page.”
Produced for NextAvenue.org 2022
Les Payne and Tamara Payne: The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
Tamara Payne and her father and co-author, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Les Payne, conducted impressive research into Malcolm’s life and death – they even talked with witnesses to the assassination who recount the scene. The book also includes some of Malcolm’s writings from right before he died that show a change in his thinking about race and equity.
Tamara Payne was an incredibly compelling guest. Her interpretations of Malcolm’s end-of-life opinions left me wishing he could speak out now about the same injustices he was fighting then.
Produced for Capital Public Radio 2021
Kate Washington: Already Toast
When couples say, “I do,” they may not fully appreciate the possibilities. Kate Washington became caretaker for her husband when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. It changed everything about their family. As a nationally-known journalist, Kate dove into researching medical and social options, and then writing about them. “Already Toast” includes memoir material, but it is more of a gift from Kate to anyone who becomes a care provider to a family member. Her writing is comforting and supportive and makes you feel less alone.
Produced for Capital Public Radio 2021
J Ryan Stradal: The Lager Queen of Minnesota
It takes a native to truly do justice to a region’s idiosyncrasies. J. Ryan Stradal has lived in southern California for years, but his long roots in Minnesota qualify him to write about the culture of his home state. Family disputes, financial success and failure, and, of course, the making of beer are explored throughout the plot of “The Lager Queen of Minnesota.” The book includes hysterical scenes and moments of great sadness, all of which tug at the hearts of readers, even those who have never visited this part of the heartland.
This was my second time interviewing J. Ryan, so I knew we – and our audience – would enjoy the conversation. After discussing the story, the inspiration, the humor, and the differences between Minnesota and California, J. Ryan shared some very personal events that will resonate with many listeners: the death of his parents and the birth of his child. His take on how the transition of generations affected his perspective is a touching moment that brought a tear to both of us.
Produced for Capital Public Radio 2021
CapRadio’s Insight with Vicki Gonzalez
Sometimes I’m a guest.
Vicki Gonzalez interviewed me about Drive-Time Meditations (the book and the recorded series), Cour Experience, the TransForMission class and other projects I’m working on these days.
5 June 2023
