Every storyteller starts somewhere. For J. Stephen Beam, it began in the red clay hills of northeast Mississippi, where stories were passed around like heirloom recipes—spoken with reverence, humor, and heart. In this premiere episode of Stories from Cold Springs, Stephen steps out from behind the narrator’s chair and into the spotlight to share his own story—one rooted in family, hard work, and a lifelong yearning to create.

Interviewed by his wife, Dawn Beam—an accomplished judge and podcast host herself—Stephen opens up with gentle candor about his winding path from a 60-acre family farm, to the classroom, to a decades-long career as a physician. But even as he was healing others, a quieter voice inside was always asking, When do we tell our own stories?

That answer arrived later in life, sparked by an act both simple and profound: digging a grave for a beloved dog. That moment would become the emotional first scene in The Death Letter, Stephen’s debut novel set in the fictional town of Cold Springs—a place not unlike the one where he grew up.

What follows is a conversation full of laughter, memory, and meaning. Stephen reflects on the power of imagination, the detours we take, and the truth that creativity doesn't come with a deadline. His second novel, The Bondage of Innocents, tackles the subject of human trafficking with both urgency and empathy, and two more novels are already in the works.

More than just a personal history, this episode is a quiet call to anyone who’s ever felt a story stirring inside. Whether your medium is music, woodworking, painting, or pie crusts—Stephen reminds us that the creative spark never truly fades. It waits. And when the time is right, it lights up everything.

After you give this episode a listen, you will understand the episode's title!