Comedian, actor, and author John Hodgeman is the host of the popular JUDGE JOHN HODGMAN podcast, and New York Times Magazine column. His 2017 memoir VACATION LAND: TRUE STORIES FROM PAINFUL BEACHES, chronicles the mishaps and triumphs of John’s quest to make sense of life.

John’s childhood as a self-identifying outsider helped him create the knee-slappingly funny FX animated series DICKTOWN, The semi-autobiographical mystery send-up follows former kid detective “John Hunchman”. Each 10-minute episode elicits nostalgia for our puerile teen pastimes while reminding us that the hard-won rewards of adulthood are worth the growing pains.

Author and actress Annabelle Gurwitch tells tales of the “Itinerant, scam artists, and hucksters”, who hang from the branches of her family tree in her 2017 memoir WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE THEY ARE: STORIES ABOUT MY FAMILY YOU MIGHT RELATE TO. Most kids see their lives as normal and, only later, realize how absurd their homelife was. Her new memoir is THE END OF MY LIFE IS KILLING ME: THE UNEXPECTED JOYS OF A CANCER SLACKER.

Father Jim Martin is host of the America Media podcast, THE SPIRITUAL LIFE, honorary Chaplain of the Colbert Nation, and author of WORK IN PROGRESS: CONFESSIONS OF A BUSBOY, DISHWASHER, CADDY, USHER, FACTORY WORKER, BANK TELLER, CORPORATE TOOL, AND PRIEST. He talks about departing a career at General Electric and becoming a Jesuit priest, and why compassion is central to his reason d'etre.