As a writer I’ve worn many hats: playwright, scriptwriter, copywriter, creative director, speechwriter, novelist, author and—most recently—memoirist.

In the gene pool shuffle, I drew my father’s creativity and my mother’s knack for figuring out the endings of whodunnits and an empathetic disposition that encourages strangers to share personal details of their lives. I believe art is a basic necessity and the four most magical words in the English language are: Tell me a story.