Celebrated author Mitch Albom’s opening words on the 30th Anniversary Writer’s Symposium stage are an instant hit.

Seated across from host Dean Nelson, Albom squirms in an oversized Queen Anne wingback chair. The moment sparks a memory of a particularly uncomfortable appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” when his feet dangled off the floor, leaving him sweaty and uneasy.

“This chair, when I got in it, I said, ‘Oh God, not again.’ I didn’t want to look like Edith Ann from ‘Laugh In’ – you know that little girl in the chair.”

Just like Edith Ann, Albom’s story earns laughs and applause from a packed house eager to hear his insights.

And so begins a wide-ranging and heartfelt conversation with one of today’s most versatile authors.

His book, “Tuesdays with Morrie,” is the bestselling memoir of all time. His works have collectively sold more than 40 million copies in 48 languages worldwide.

When he’s not writing, he’s running several non-profits focused on humanitarian causes. And if that weren’t enough to keep him busy, he writes songs in his spare time.

Be sure to stick around until the end, when Albom sits down at the piano to play “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Don’t miss this episode of Writer’s Symposium with Mitch Albom.