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 Charlie McIntyre: Motivating Rowers & More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:08
Charlie McIntyre loves rowing. But a spate of injuries means he can no longer pull like he used to. So, he's moved to the coxswain seat of the Wieland wooden boat and for the last 18 years or so has been motivating women…
Meet Diane Campbell: Earning Her Place [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:47
In this episode of 2000 Stories you'll meet the indomitable Diane Campbell. She spent her career coaching and teaching others — in the pool and in the classroom — and now in the Bay where she runs the incredibly popular…
Meet Vini Johnson: Finding Balance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:19
Vini Johnson is a musician, a comic, a tech entrepreneur, and now a bay swimmer. In this episode of 2000 Stories, Vini shares his diverse passions and how he's figuring out how to balance his creative and business sides.…
Meet Katie White: London Calling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:42
In this episode of 2000 Stories we head to London to reunite with Katie White. While Katie only spent a year with us, her connection to the Bay and the club runs deep. Hear how she found the club, what it's like to be wi…
Meet Mike Weiner: Loving Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:15
At 83, or any age for that matter, Dr. Mike Weiner's energy is hard to match. He loves his work in Alzheimer's research, swimming in the bay (even though the research didn't prove that cold water is beneficial to your he…
Now's the Time: With Mike Weiner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:32
In this bonus episode of 2000 Stories, we get a musical treat from Mike Weiner who tickles the ivories and talks about how he fell in love with jazz.
Meet Sue Garfield: The Cornbread Queen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:41
If you've ever smelled cornbread emanating from the Dolphin Club kitchen, you'll know that Sue Garfield is in the house. In this episode of 2000 Stories, you'll learn far more about Sue, her early days working on the his…
Meet Pete Bianucci: Looking Back, Looking Forward [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:42
Pete Bianucci has been a member of the Dolphin Club for over 60 years. And in those 60 years he's given back to the club in more ways than you can imagine. While he's no longer able to swim in the Bay, his memories of an…
Meet Pia Hinckle: Finding More Heaven & Less Hell in the Water [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
In this episode of 2000 Stories, Pia Hinckle, a fourth generation San Franciscan with a famously infamous father, Warren Hinckle, shares how she tackled her anxiety in the water, moving from panic attacks to side strokin…
Meet Peter Bostelmann: Swimming to Mindfulness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:50
Swimming in cold water requires a presence of both mind and body. In this episode of 2000 Stories, Peter Bostelmann, Chief Mindfulness Officer at SAP, shares his work and play experiences with mindfulness and why he beli…