Every episode of Questions I Wish I’d Asked My Parents features a guest with several impressive accomplishments – and one nagging question. No matter the books published, the patients cured, or the corporate ladders climbed, once we have lost our parents we realize how many things we left unasked. Our host, Mel Foster, a veteran interviewer and owner of Your Video Memoir (https://yourvideomemoir.com/)and his co-host, Dr. Jeffrey London, is a retired child psychiatrist. Together they probe the question each guest wishes he or she had asked. Aiming not necessarily for an answer, but instead for an acceptance of one’s self as a son or daughter with an unresolved connection to a beloved parent.
In Episode 9 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Tom Stanton, author of several books about baseball and life. Tom's mother had been raised on a farm and tried to escape small town life. She suffered from severe depression.
14 Aug 2026
"What Was it Like to Move so Often?"
In Episode 8 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Paul Murray, who was a media director for a large ad agency. He wonders what challenges his mother must have faced growing up in 13 different households before she got married at 24.
28 Jul 2026
What Did You See in Me, Mom?
In Episode 7 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Bryan Gruley, author of six novels. He credits his mother for spotting his talent long before he did and wonders what it was, exactly, that she saw.
9 Jun 2026
"What Gave You Joy?"
In the sixth episode of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Kathy O'Brien who has been a success at a range of roles from on-air reporter, to owner of a production company, to author. An overachiever, Kathy wanted to ask both of her parents the question about what made them happy.
4 May 2026
"Tell Me More About the Uncle I Never Met"
In episode 5 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Jack Billi, a retired physician and associate dean at the University of Michigan. Jack's father's older brother died in Italy at the end of World War II. He never spoke much about him to Jack. But Jack has a curiosity about many things in life. And, in pursuit of his uncle's story, he and his dad even traveled to a small town in Italy well off the beaten track. But...we'll let Jack tell it.
9 Apr 2026
"Dad, You Were So Talented."
In Episode 4 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Mike Zadoorian, author of several novels including The Leisure Seeker, which was made into a motion picture featuring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. Mike, who is obviously talented, wonders why his dad, a talented photographer, gave up on his aspirations.
19 Mar 2026
"I Would Love to Play 'What If" With My Mom"
In Episode 3 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents we meet Natalie Pilcher, an actress, playwright and teacher. Her mother was an inspiration to her in many regards, but it was only later in life that she pursued one of her talents, sculpture. Natalie would love to ask her: "How did you see the trajectory of your life if you hadn't met dad?"
20 Feb 2026
I Carried a Briefcase to Elementary School. Why?
In Episode 2 of Questions I Wish I'd Asked My Parents, we meet Mark Kaminski, a doctor who patented a cure for a type of lymphoma. His parents came to the U.S. from Poland. And Polish was the only language spoken in their home. Then Mark entered kindergarten. With a briefcase. He might as well have had a sign on his back that read: "Kick me, I'm a nerd who doesn't speak English."
6 Feb 2026
I Can’t Imagine What My Dad Went Through
In Episode 1 of Questions I Wish I’d Asked My Parents, we meet Joe Borri, an artist and an author. His father was a Detroit policeman – though Joe insists he could have been a comedian. Joe’s older brother died when Joe was 10 years old. His father, a devout Catholic until then, stopped attending church. And Joe would love to ask him: How did you get through that and hold the family together?
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Contact Questions I Wish I’d Asked My Parents
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Questions I Wish I’d Asked My Parents?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
