Meet Thad Carhart: Writing About Place

Meet Thad Carhart: Writing About Place

Author: A Julie Sunshine Production November 20, 2025 Duration: 16:03

It took Thad Carhart a long time to believe he could be a writer. He worked a whole slew of jobs from State Department interpreter to Apple marketer before he found his true love. During a self-imposed sabbatical in Paris, he wrote his first memoir, The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, and much to his surprise, it became a New York Times bestseller.

Thad tells us stories of life as a military brat, why he became a lawyer but never practiced, his undying love of San Francisco, and why the Dolphin Club will be the subject of his next book.


The cold, swirling waters of the San Francisco Bay are a character in themselves, but the true heart of this place beats within the 2000 Stories from the Dolphin Club. This podcast, an intimate production from A Julie Sunshine Production, isn't about athletic feats, though they happen daily. It's about the people. Each conversation pulls back the curtain on a unique, saltwater-stung community, revealing the personal histories and unexpected motivations that draw individuals to this iconic, challenging stretch of water. You'll hear from lifelong rowers with hands like weathered driftwood and newcomers confronting their fears one stroke at a time. The stories collected here form a mosaic of human experience-tales of loss, resilience, quirky routines, and quiet camaraderie forged in the fog. It’s a deep dive into the journals of daily life, exploring how a shared, almost ritualistic engagement with the natural world shapes culture and identity. Listen to this podcast for unvarnished, often humorous, and profoundly human accounts from inside the clubhouse and out on the open bay, where every member has a tale worth hearing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

2000 Stories from the Dolphin Club
Podcast Episodes
Meet Peter van der Sterre: The Zen of Sitting and Swimming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:15
There's no such thing as a typical Dolphin Club member and Peter van der Sterre is a case in point. A recent octogenarian, Peter hung out in San Francisco during the Summer of Love before becoming a Zen Buddhist priest a…
Meet Trina Garry: Firing on all cylinders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:21
Just shy of 30 at this recording, Trina Garry's life can make your head spin. She's spent her career teaching college students and athletes about consent and Title IX rights. Now, she's studying to become a lawyer, runni…
Meet Todd Oppenheimer: Crafting a Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:09
Actor, mime, journalist, author, magazine publisher, policy advocate, aspiring jazz pianist, husband, father, Dolphin. I hope I didn't leave anything out. Todd Oppenheimer is living a full life, exploring the woes of tec…
Meet KC Crowell: Standing Tall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:52
We Dolphins love our historic tall ships, even if they're currently on hiatus from our cove. KC Crowell takes that love a step further, sailing them and preserving them for others to enjoy. We talk about being a good shi…
Meet Sandra Halladey: Advocating for Public Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:46
Most parents in San Francisco complain about the public schools. Even if they've never stepped foot in them. Sandra Halladey, decided to do something about all the myths and misconceptions. From her leadership role at Pa…
Meet Mark Robinson: Finding Your Second Act [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:31
From journalist and editor of leading magazines to singer and actor, Mark Robinson has become a master of second acts. And he's doing it with gusto. He's performing in plays and singing in clubs with the same passion he…
Meet Felicia Lee: Swimming Like a Pro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:45
From the ripe old age of 12, Felicia Lee thought swimming could be more than just a passion. She moved away from her family home, trained with the best (yes, we're talking Michael Phelps), swam at Stanford, and became a…
Meet Andrew Nance: Making the Best of Everything [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
Some of us are optimists, and then there's Andrew Jordan Nance. He's a man of many talents and careers who has found himself on the stage, behind the stage, on runways, and in classrooms teaching mindfulness to kids. It'…
Meet Gabriella and Aniko: Sisterly Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:34
Gabriella Cross and Aniko Kurczinak are awesome individuals in their own right, but, as sisters, their kindness, humor, wisdom...and bossiness really shine. Their experiences growing up with Hungarian immigrant parents,…
Meet Anne Barbaret: Finding Her Flow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:58
What do yoga and swimming have in common? Can you get to know someone after 28 years of knowing them? Why is the Dolphin Club a second home for so many? Anne Barbaret, with the wisdom of a teacher and her famously French…