Ali discusses the short story, “The Gift of the Magi,” by O. Henry, highlighting the true act of selflessness despite the irony in this well-known Christmas tale.
Episode 67 — “The Gift of the Magi”
Episode 66 — The World of Writing with David Steven Cohen
Ali interviews Emmy award-winning writer, lyricist and composer, David Steven Cohen, whose credits include Pee-wee’s Playhouse, ALF, Arthur, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Balto and many other projects, including serving as the head writer of Courage the Cowardly Dog. David shares how he got his start, notable moments in his career, favorite episodes and songs he’s written, his experience as the executive producer of the Writers Guild Awards, advice for up and coming writers, what he’s currently working on and much more!
Check out David’s website, dstevencohen.com, and be sure to follow him on Twitter.
Episode 65 — Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie + “Audaciously Flirting”
Ali discusses the TV movie, Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, written by series creator, Craig Bartlett, along with Joe Purdy, Laura Sreebny and Justin Charlebois. She recaps all her favorite moments while re-living the excitement of this long-awaited movie. Afterward, she shares another Hey Arnold! story she wrote called “Audaciously Flirting.”
Be sure to also check out Episode 58 — Hey Arnold! + “Care.”
Episode 64 — The Little Mermaid
Ali discusses the movie that kicked off the Disney Renaissance era, The Little Mermaid. She talks about why “Part of Your World” is her all-time favorite Disney song and recaps her favorite moments from this beloved film.
Episode 63 — Courage the Cowardly Dog
Ali discusses the fantastically creepy cartoon, Courage the Cowardly Dog, created by John R. Dilworth. She reminisces about lines she and her siblings would always quote, terrifying villains that freaked her out as a kid and why Courage is the perfect protagonist for always facing his fears to protect his owners since, as he always says, “The things I do for love.”
Episode 62 — Little Women
Ali discusses the important life lessons learned throughout the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy—in Louisa May Alcott’s timeless novel, Little Women.
Episode 61 — “What’s Your Spirit Animal?”
Ali shares a new short story she wrote called “What’s Your Spirit Animal?”
Episode 60 — Storytelling Clichés
Ali discusses storytelling clichés including hackneyed phrases, stereotypical characters, love triangles, miscommunications and many other tropes.
Episode 59 — Kiki’s Delivery Service
Ali discusses the movie, Kiki’s Delivery Service, written, produced and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. She reminisces about watching the movie with her siblings and gushes over how much she loves Kiki’s black cat, Jiji. She also talks about the powerful message of finding what inspires you in order to regain your confidence as depicted through Kiki’s journey in this coming-of-age film.
Episode 58 — Hey Arnold! + “Care”
Ali discusses the amazing Nicktoon, Hey Arnold!, created by Craig Bartlett. She shares her interesting interpretation of the show’s title when she was a kid, poignant moments that move her to tears, various lines that always crack her up, key scenes that stood out to her as a kid and what she feels is the all-encompassing theme of the series. She also talks about the qualities she admires most about Arnold and the reasons Helga G. Pataki is one of her all-time favorite characters. Afterward, she shares a Hey Arnold! story she wrote called “Care.”