Driftwood Conversations

In this episode of Driftwood Conversations, I sit down with Jef Harmatz—news director and morning show co-host at Z107.7 in Joshua Tree. Many of you know Jef as the quick wit behind your morning news, but his creative life extends far beyond radio. He’s been a cartoonist, a cook, and now a podcaster in his own right.
Our conversation weaves through art, humor, and the anxiety of making a living as a creative person. Jef reminds us that the value of creative work isn’t about chasing perfection—it’s about showing up for the process itself. From comics to hot dogs to community radio, his story is a reminder that creativity lives not in the product, but in the act of making.

Hunter Prosper is a nurse, storyteller, and now author of Stories From a Stranger, a collection born from his journey of asking hundreds of people to share their lives with him. You can follow his work and ongoing storytelling on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 

In this episode of Driftwood Conversations, I sit down with Virginia Campo—a Colombian-born community builder whose life has carried her across continents, love, and loss. Virginia shares what it meant to immigrate as a child, to grow roots in the U.S., to find unexpected love in a Joshua Tree layover, and to walk through the profound grief of losing her father. That passage of grief led her to train as an end-of-life doula, bringing presence and compassion to others in their most vulnerable moments. What emerges in this conversation is Virginia’s deep resilience and her willingness to be remade by life’s turning points, to say yes even when the path is uncertain.

In this episode of Driftwood Conversations, I sit down with Claudia Thompson, a woman whose life has been a rich tapestry of adventure, creativity, and quiet wisdom. Claudia speaks about her “Loving Legacy” project—a way of weaving together the many threads of her journey and reflecting on what truly endures. From unexpected turns that carried her across places and careers, to the deeper pull of love, soul, and fate, Claudia’s story raises questions for all of us: Are we guided by something larger than ourselves? Do we recognize the moments when life redirects us? This conversation is about honoring what calls us, even when the path isn’t clear, and discovering how legacy is formed in both the choices we make and the mysteries that move us.

In Part Two of my conversation with Prema Saraswati, we move from her childhood in Laos and the flight from war into her years growing up in America. In Sacramento, Prema was expected to serve in silence, yet she excelled in school, pursued higher education, and carried the weight of her family’s survival. Her path led through poverty, dislocation, and an abusive marriage, but also toward resilience and discovery. From these struggles, she found her calling as a healer—drawing on Reiki, hypnotherapy, past life regression, and ancestral wisdom to guide others through trauma. Listen now to Driftwood Conversations on YouTube and Spotify. 

Driftwood Conversations with Prema Saraswati (Part 1)In this deeply moving first part of our conversation, Prema Saraswati shares her extraordinary journey from a mountain village in Laos, through the terror of war and life in refugee camps, to starting over in America. A member of the Hmong people, she carries the weight of her community’s history—survival under unimaginable circumstances, resilience in the face of displacement, and the quiet strength to keep going. This episode is about loss, courage, and the unseen wounds of war that safety alone cannot heal. Join me as Prema opens her heart about her family’s escape, the challenges of starting anew, and the beginnings of the path that would one day lead her to become a healer.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Katherine Hervey, we dive deeper into the heart of her journey—from leaving the public defender’s office to immersing herself in art, storytelling, and prison reform. Katherine shares how she met Chris Blackwell, a writer and leader working from inside prison walls, and how their friendship has evolved into powerful creative collaborations. Together, they challenge the narratives surrounding incarceration, bringing humanity and healing into spaces often defined by isolation and punishment. This episode is a window into Katherine’s ability to hold complexity with empathy, transforming pain into art and connection.

In Part 1 of my conversation with Katherine Hervey, we delve into the inner journey that led her from a career in criminal defense law to art and advocacy. Katherine shares how her sensitivity and empathy, once a source of pain, became the compass guiding her toward healing, storytelling, and a deeper purpose. Her work, including The Prison Within and Broken is Beautiful, invites us to see mass incarceration through the lens of connection, humanity, and transformation.

In this intimate episode of Driftwood Conversations, I sit down with the radiant and resilient Lady Chilane, a performer, storyteller, and bold soul who has walked through fire and come out singing. Our conversation delves into identity, survival, and self-expression, presenting a poignant testament to what it means to reclaim your story with grace and power. Special thanks to Jeff Hafler for his incredible musicianship and to Rocky’s Pizza for the unforgettable live performance that helped bring this episode to life.

In this episode of Driftwood Conversations, I sit down with Maurine Xavier, a woman who walked away from the safe, expected path of a high-level finance career and into the mystery of a life led by intuition. What unfolds is not just a story of career change—it’s a story of spiritual reckoning, physical pain as a message from the soul, and the quiet courage it takes to choose joy over fear. Maurine shares her raw, luminous journey through burnout, awakening, and becoming a mentor for others seeking their truth. This conversation explores the thresholds we cross when we finally choose to listen—first to the whisper, then to the roar, of a life asking to be lived differently.