Join Lisa and Jim for conversations about storytelling, books, reality TV, pop culture, creativity, Brooklyn life, folklore, spirituality, cooking gluten-free, holistic living, and whatever else sparks our curiosity. New episodes are recorded weekly from the Oceanside Library podcast studio.
New Episodes Now Available!
Missed an episode? Catch up on every conversation from our comeback season. New episodes appear at the top, with more episodes available in our Season Two archive.
October 29, 2026
There's a Wolff at the door! And this time, we're letting him in!
Our first guest interview and our first video podcast! Meet Lawrence "Larry" Wolff, a Long Island film and television historian with a passion for the shows and stars we grew up loving.
From I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners to classic Hollywood, movie memorabilia and interactive murder mysteries, we talk nostalgia, laughter, and turning a lifelong interest into a second career.
Learn more about Larry's presentations at Classic Hollywood Lectures and Films.
What makes a supporting character so interesting that someone decides they deserve a story of their own?
We're picking up where we left off with spinoffs, prequels and characters who step out of the background and into the spotlight. From Huckleberry Finn and Neagley to Dr. Watson and Mary Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister, can a supporting character carry a story of their own?
We also talk Trading Places, Quantum Leap, and crossing genres. And could a character from The Brooklyn Witch step out of Speranza's shadow?
Because there's a big difference between a character you want to see more of and one whose story you actually want to follow!
October 16, 2026
Can a spinoff actually be BETTER than the original?
This week on Life According to Lisa (and Jim too!), we're talking about the television characters who were so good they got another chance to steal the show! It all started with Reacher and Neagley. We both enjoy Reacher, but could it be that Neagley has an even better story to tell?
From Cheers and Frasier to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Lou Grant, The Jeffersons, Young Sheldon, and The Simpsons, we're revisiting the television shows that gave us some unforgettable spinoffs.
And what about the ones that didn't quite work? Remember Joey, The Golden Palace, and Joanie Loves Chachi? Sometimes being a great supporting character doesn't guarantee a hit show!
We're also talking about prequels, television family trees, and the stories that keep growing long after the original series ends. And because we can never resist bringing books into the conversation, we'll explore a few familiar literary worlds and wonder whether someone from The Brooklyn Witch might someday deserve a story of their own.
So grab your popcorn and join us as we revisit the shows we loved, the characters we couldn't get enough of, and the spinoffs that made us say, "Wait... they got their OWN show?"
Stay tuned for Part Two, when we ask what it really takes for a supporting character to become the star!
Lisa is the author of The Brooklyn Witch: The Battle for Brooklyn, where Brooklyn attitude meets witches, faeries, mystery, and a little organized crime. Visit The Brooklyn Witch. ✨ Take the Cannoli and Leave the Magic!
October 9, 2026
Remember when the telephone rang, and everybody in the house yelled, "I'LL GET IT!"? No caller ID, no texting first, and absolutely no privacy if your little brother picked up the extension!
This week, Lisa and Jim remember a time when telephones were attached to the house, phone numbers had names like Cloverdale and Esplanade, and everyone knew the sound of a busy signal.
From ridiculously long telephone cords, payphones, operators and the Yellow Pages to answering machines, call waiting, cordless phones and cell phones, we're laughing about how much has changed, what we don't miss, and a few things we just might.
Lisa shares stories about her Princess phone, personalized answering machine messages and creative ways to find privacy. And Jim remembers when your brain was your contact list!
Remember when a phone call was something you actually looked forward to? Pick up the phone, settle in, and join us for Hanging on the Telephone!
October 2, 2026
You wrote the book. Congratulations! Now what? In Part II of So, You Want to Write a Book?, Lisa and Jim move beyond the writing and into the part nobody really talks about: turning that manuscript into an actual published book.
Paperback or hardcover? What about an e-book? ISBNs, copyright, covers, paper, pricing, distribution and all the decisions that come after you type THE END.
September 25, 2026
Everybody has a great idea for a book. Then you actually have to write it. This week, we're taking you behind the scenes of what it really takes to turn an idea into an actual book.
Because writing a book isn't just sitting down at a computer and waiting for inspiration to strike. There are about a thousand decisions nobody tells you about.
First person or third person? Who's telling the story? How long should a chapter be? Where should it end? How much research do you really need? And what happens when the characters YOU created suddenly start telling YOU what they would and wouldn't do?
And then there are the opinions. The minute you tell people you're writing a book, everybody suddenly knows exactly how you should write it. Some advice is wonderful. Some of it makes you think... Absolutely not.
We're talking about how The Brooklyn Witch: The Battle for Brooklyn went from an idea to a finished novel, what I've learned while writing Book Two, and what Jim is discovering as he gets closer to finishing his own first book.
We'll get into character development, protagonists and antagonists, chapter endings and cliffhangers, world-building, research, creating rules for magic, deciding whether you're writing one book or an entire series, and why sometimes you'll spend an hour researching something that becomes one sentence in the finished book.
And eventually, after all the writing, rewriting, researching and second-guessing... you type: THE END.
You're finished! Right? Not exactly. Because writing the book is only the beginning.
Next week, Episode 26 continues with Part 2: You Wrote the Book. Now What? That's when we get into the things nobody thinks about when they dream about writing a book: publishing, copyright, ISBNs, covers, paper, pricing, distribution, marketing, and everything that happens after you type THE END.
Life According to Lisa (and Jim too!) is our weekly podcast recorded at the Oceanside Library podcast studio. Join us for conversations about pop culture, television, storytelling, books, Brooklyn, marriage, and whatever else gets us talking.
Featured in the News
Life According to Lisa (and Jim too!) was featured in the Oceanside/Island Park Herald, sharing the story of how our everyday conversations, 24 years of marriage, and love of storytelling and pop culture grew into a weekly podcast.
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