Monday September 17 at 9:45am pst - Stephen Barker, Dean of UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts joined host Janeane

LISTEN to today's featured guest Stephen Barker, Dean of UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts and Director of the UCI Museum and Institute for the Art of California.

Stephen Barker, Dean of UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts and Director of the UCI Museum and Institute for the Art of California joins host Janeane to highlight events coming up in the fall, what freshman/transfer students can do to get enmeshed in campus life and CTSA events, what makes CTSA such an outstanding school, and more. Plus, Dean Barker will discuss his background and some of his experiences since joining UCI.

Stephen Barker, Dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts and Director of the UCI Museum and Institute for the Art of California, has been Chair of Drama, Chair of Art, Faculty Assistant to the Chancellor, and Director of the UC-wide Education Abroad Program in France. He was previously a professional actor, director, dancer, choreographer, musician, and advertising executive. He now works internationally in critical theory and aesthetics. 

Stephen Barker has written and edited books and articles on numerous artists and philosophers, and has recently translated several volumes by French philosophers for Stanford University Press. Barker is a founder of the journal Derrida Today and is on the faculty of the London Graduate School. He lives in Irvine and Provence with his wife Michelle, a retired clinical psychologist.

For more information, visit:  http://drama.arts.uci.edu/faculty/stephen-barker

Smartphones could reduce your social stress according to UCI Ph.D. candidate John Hunter. He joined Janeane LIVE on KUCI Monday September 17 at 9:30am pst to discuss his research.

LISTEN to today's featured guest
#UCIrvine Ph.D. candidate John Hunter! 

John Hunter, Ph.D. candidate joins host Janeane to discuss his research on how smartphones are security blankets.

“When people can shift their attention away from environmental stressors toward the symbolic connections offered by their phones, it may mitigate feelings of isolation and can provide a sense of security,” says the study’s lead author, John Hunter, a UCI Ph.D. candidate in psychology & social behavior.

NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOTE TO EDITORS: PHOTO AVAILABLE AT
https://news.uci.edu/2018/08/07/smartphones-act-as-digital-security-blankets-in-stressful-social-situations/



Contact: 
PAT HARRIMAN – Communications Officer
Phone: 949-824-9055 | Email: pharrima@uci.edu
Business, Education, Humanities, Social Ecology, Social Sciences


Smartphones act as digital security blankets in stressful social situations

Possession, not use, of a mobile phone counteracts feelings of isolation, UCI-led study finds

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 7, 2018 — Not only can your smartphone serve as your wallet, watch and map, it can also be your digital security blanket. In a new study led by the University of California, Irvine, researchers found that when people are in awkward social situations, having their phones with them offers comfort and helps relieve feelings of isolation.

“Our results suggest that the mere presence of a phone, not necessarily actually using it, can buffer against the negative experience and effects of social exclusion,” said lead author John Hunter, a UCI Ph.D. candidate in psychology & social behavior. “It could be that possessing your phone is a reminder of your support system, symbolically and literally allowing you to connect with others outside your immediate surroundings.”

Diminishment of the quality and extent of in-person interactions is usually considered a negative byproduct of technology use. It’s a common occurrence: a group of people sitting together but not talking to each other because they are all looking at their phones. However, the ability to divert one’s focus in order to temporarily escape an uncomfortable situation can be beneficial.

“Phones serve as symbols of an individual’s larger personal network,” Hunter said. “When people can shift their attention away from environmental stressors toward the symbolic connections offered by their phones, it may mitigate feelings of isolation and can provide a sense of security.”

The nine-month study, which appears in a recent issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, measured the physiological and psychological responses of 148 people to social isolation.

After completing a questionnaire and giving saliva samples, one-third of the participants were encouraged to use their phones as they normally would, one-third were asked not to use their phones, and one-third had their phones taken away. They were then left in a room at a small table with two other people who were actually part of the experiment; they had been trained to verbally and physically exclude the participants by engaging in conversation about a fictional personal connection and turning away from them.



After the exclusion period, participants gave additional saliva samples and described their emotional reactions. Researchers discovered higher levels of the stress hormone alpha amylase in the saliva of two groups: those who didn’t have their phones and those who used them. Subjects who were allowed to keep their phones but not use them had the lowest levels of the stress hormone. However, both groups who had their phones – whether or not they could use them – reported feeling less isolated and excluded than participants who didn’t have their phones.



“The body’s stress response – along with sensations of isolation, rejection and stress – can be harmful to future health,” said co-author Sarah Pressman, associate professor of psychology & social behavior. “This is the first study to empirically show that smartphones make us feel better and observably reduce stress hormones in the body, pointing to the possibility that smartphones can be healthful in some ways.”

Researchers from Brandeis University and Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, also contributed to the work.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

September 17 at 9:15am - photographer, writer, and producer Adrien Finkel joined host Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm to talk about My Naked Truth Project.

LISTEN to today's conversation with
featured guest Adrien Finkel!

Adrien Finkel is a photographer, writer, and producer based in Los Angeles, California. When not producing television, Adrien devotes her time to My Naked Truth Project, a visual catalog of quotes, personal confessions, and advice shared with her by friends and strangers. She has a degree in dramatic performance and a French cooking certification. Discover more at mynakedtruthproject.com and follow My Naked Truth Project on Facebook and Instagram.

In 2012, photographer and Hollywood executive Adrien Finkel turned her love of insightful quotes into a quest for hope and meaning. Armed with nothing but a camera and a black ink marker, she began asking friends, family, and co-workers to reveal what words moved and shaped them. The response she received was unexpected—timeless quotes were shared, personal confessions and advice flooded in, and total strangers wanted to get involved. My Naked Truth Project, a photoblog celebrating self-expression and emotional healing, soon became a safe space for people to bare all—mind, body, and soul. The experience transformed Finkel’s outlook on life. Now, in her debut book, she continues to ask the world: What’s your truth?

Coming up Monday September 17 at 9:00am on KUCI 88.9fm - MICHELLE LECLAIR Author of PERFECTLY CLEAR: Escaping Scientology and Fighting for the Woman I Love. Michelle is the former President of Scientology's international humanitarian organization.

The revelatory memoir by former "poster girl for Scientology" Michelle LeClair about her defection from the Church, her newly accepted sexual identity, and the lengths to which Scientology went to silence it.


MICHELLE LECLAIR

Author of PERFECTLY CLEAR: Escaping Scientology and Fighting for the Woman I Love

For years, Michelle LeClair, former President of Scientology's international humanitarian organization, tried to reconcile her sexual orientation with the anti-gay ideology of the church. Michelle finally ends her horrific marriage, finds the love of her life, a woman, and ultimately leaves the Church. But the split comes at a terrible price. Her once pristine reputation is publicly dragged through the mud, the police raid her home, her ex-husband tries to gain full custody of their children, and the multi-million dollar business she built from scratch is utterly destroyed.

In this tell-all memoir, Michelle LeClair offers an insider's perspective on Scientology's pervasive influence, secret rituals, and ruthless practices for keeping members in line. Michelle sheds important light on how the church of Scientology views homosexuality, citing her firsthand experience as a top donor to the church and high ranking member, and what happened to her life, business, and her family when she fell in love with a woman. After decades of torment, Michelle broke from Scientology with the help of the woman who gave her the strength to be her true self -- despite having to give up everything.



In an interview, Michelle will discuss:


o How the Church views homosexuality, and how they discourage it. She can speak to her own experience sharing that she’d had homosexual experiences a young woman, and how they pressured her to distance herself from that truth.

o Her role as President of Scientology’s humanitarian organization “Youth for Human Rights” and how it was a front to grant the church access to influencers, politicians, celebrities, etc.

o The Office of Special Affairs (aka the CIA of Scientology) and their ruthless investigation of Michelle.

o How the Church brings people in: during auditing, e-meters send mild electrical currents through your body, stimulating endorphins to an addictive effect, so you go back for another dose of auditing.

o In Scientology, what does it mean to “go clear?” How does the book’s title reflect this notion?

o How her mother brought her into Scientology and whether, in looking back, Michelle has perspective on why she so easily bought into the Church.

o How much money did she donate to the Church in total before she got out?

o What changed in that she was finally able to come out and stand up to the Church?

o Is she afraid of how the Church will react to the publication of her book? Has there been any backlash from them so far?

o What is Michelle’s goal in sharing this story? What does she hope the effect will be?




FEATURED COVER STORY IN THIS WEEK’S PEOPLE MAGAZINE

Ex-Scientologist Michelle LeClair Says Church Officials Humiliated Her After She Came Out as Gay



FEATURED ON MEGYN KELLY TODAY:

Michelle LeClair shares her story of leaving Scientology









ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle LeClair is the former president of Scientology's international humanitarian organization. Michelle separated from the Church in 2011.

9/3@9amPT thriller writer Lori Rader-Day on KUCI 88.9fm!

LISTEN to today's conversation with Lori Rader-Day!

Lori Rader-Day is an Anthony Award winner and William Morrow/Harper Collins novelist whose frontlist title this summer hinges on a plot drive by the "dark sky" community. Essentially there are internationally protected areas where lights are off so that the stars can be seen and there is no "light pollution."

Lori Rader-Day’s debut mystery, The Black Hour, won the 2015 Anthony Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the 2015 Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her second novel, Little Pretty Things, won the 2016 Mary Higgins Clark Award and was a nominee for the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original. Little Pretty Things was named a 2015 “most arresting crime novel” by Kirkus Reviews and one of the top ten crime novels of the year by Booklist. Her third novel, The Day I Died, was an Indie Next Pick and is a nominee for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Barry Award. She lives in Chicago.

http://darksky.org/

Some recent dark sky related news:
http://darksky.org/study-links -artificial-light-at-night- and-cancer-risk/

https://www.sanmarcosrecord.co m/news/wimberley-valley-wins- dark-sky-designation


Lori-Rader day is a thriller writer and not a scientist, but a dark sky preserve is her setting and she's spent time on them. She has some interesting insights in relationship to her own experiences, as well as speaking about her book.

Lori will address:

• Dark Sky preserves--what are they and how did Lori find out about them?
• How has growing population and climate change reduced our access to Dark Sky?
• Environmental impact of creating Dark Sky preserves
  Lori's own research into and experiences with Dark Sky preserves
• Her journalism background and how she shifted to thriller-writing

STARRED REVIEW “Fans of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None will be riveted by Rader-Day’s (The Day I Died) latest psychological thriller, which makes you question who you really know and trust and whether you should be afraid of the dark.” –Library Journal

My firm began working with Lori at the beginning of her career with her debut release, "The Black Hour," in 2014 which won an Anthony Award for Best First Novel at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, and was named a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award as well.


“A tense tale of murder among old friends featuring an evolving protagonist and high-stakes mind games.” –Booklist

“I don’t know a writer who captures better the insecurities and damaged and damaging relationships of ordinary women.” -Ann Cleeves, winner of the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger



ABOUT UNDER A DARK SKY
From the critically-acclaimed author of The Day I Died comes a terrifying twist on a locked-room mystery that will keep readers guessing until the last page

Only in the dark can she find the truth . . .

Since her husband died, Eden Wallace's life has diminished down to a tiny pinprick, like a far-off star in the night sky. She doesn't work, has given up on her love of photography, and is so plagued by night terrors that she can't sleep without the lights on. Everyone, including her family, has grown weary of her grief. So when she finds paperwork in her husband's effects indicating that he reserved a week at a dark sky park, she goes. She's ready to shed her fear and return to the living, even if it means facing her paralyzing phobia of the dark.

But when she arrives at the park, the guest suite she thought was a private retreat is teeming with a group of twenty-somethings, all stuck in the orbit of their old college friendships. Horrified that her get-away has been taken over, Eden decides to head home the next day. But then a scream wakes the house in the middle of the night. One of the friends has been murdered. Now everyone—including Eden—is a suspect.

Everyone is keeping secrets, but only one is a murderer. As mishaps continue to befall the group, Eden must make sense of the chaos and lies to evade a ruthless killer—and she'll have to do it before dark falls…

Loriraderday.com/

9/3/18 TODAY's post show conversation with Judge Marylin E.Atkins was incredible and gave me goosebumps! Marylin shared her backstory and details about her upcoming book, "The Triumph of Rosemary." LISTEN BELOW!

LISTEN to today's conversation with Judge Marylin E. Atkins!

Judge Marylin Atkins is releasing a new memoir on Oct. 9 that takes readers on a behind-the-scenes tour of her life, defying convention, racism and smashing glass ceilings. She's a stunning woman who conquered adversity throughout her life and embraced her family's legacy of colorblind love in an often unwelcoming world.

To give you a little more background -- When Marylin was a baby, she was adopted by a black couple in Saginaw, Michigan. Her adoptive mother was abusive, but this fueled her ambition to achieve great things on her own. At age 19, she sparked a racial and religious scandal by marrying former Roman Catholic priest, who was white and 25 years older. Poor in finances but rich in love, she gave birth to two biracial daughters. All the while, family rifts in the wake of their interracial union fostered harmony and healing. The book also follows Marylin on her journey to serve as an illustrious and highly respected judge, which included 12 years as chief judge of Detroit's 36th District Court.

"The Triumph of Rosemary" is brimming with vivid dialogue and raw revelations. Many of the issues Marylin faced coming of age in the turbulent '60s are still very much relevant and alive today -- abuse, racial discrimination, women's rights, etc. 

AN EXCERPT FROM TWO SISTERS WRITING.COM

"That's our family in 1986 in our backyard in Okemos, Michigan. Our father, Thomas Lee Atkins, was a Roman Catholic priest for 15 years. Our mother, Marylin Atkins, was the organist at his parish. She's also black and 25 years younger than him! They married pre-Loving v. Virginia. After she retired from her position as Chief Judge of Detroit's 36th District Court, she wrote her memoir, The Triumph of Rosemary, chronicling her life from her adoption till now, including what she and our father went through when he left the priesthood and they married and had us! Check it out here. Our father kept a journal his whole life, so we are a family of writers. Although he died in 1990, we keep him alive in our conversations and memories of him. Besides, he's always with us in spirit. We know that without a doubt!"


For more information, visit:
www.twosisterswriting.com

www.atkinsgreenspan.com

9/3/18 9:45am pst - author Kathryn Berla joined host Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm!

LISTEN to today's conversation with Kathryn Berla!

Every year, it comes. And every year, it reminds Grace that someone knows her deepest secret—the secret whose silence has tormented Grace over the years. That secret began with an innocent gang of teenage friends who called themselves The Kitty Committee.

The Kitty Committee of Grace’s youth was ostensibly a group of friendship and support. But the friends fell victim to the ringleader’s manipulative personality and recklessness, which set the girls on a course of vigilante justice, culminating in an act that will forever change their lives, an act that becomes their shared secret.

Grace’s silence and guilt has led to over twenty years of disappointing relationships, an inability to commit, and a crisis of morality. And no matter how much Grace has suffered and lost, still it comes every year. The reminder that someone out there wants The Kitty Committee to suffer--someone who won’t forget and won’t forgive.

Kathryn Berla’s fifth book, The Kitty Committee is a thrilling story of guilt, relationships, sin and atonement for a decades-old secret shared between a circle of once-inseparable friends.

ABOUT
Kathryn Berla enjoys writing in a variety of genres including light fantasy, contemporary literary fiction, and even horror. She writes for all ages: children, middle grade, young adult, and adult. She's the author of the young adult novels: 12 HOURS IN PARADISE, DREAM ME, THE HOUSE AT 758, and GOING PLACES, which received VOYA Magazine's Perfect Ten rating.

A JOURNEY OF ORDINARY PROPORTIONS is her middle grade novel for adults. And although ORANGE DOG, a children's picture book, exists only in her heart, it holds a special place there.
THE KITTY COMMITTEE is her first novel written strictly for adult readers.

Kathryn grew up in India, Syria, Europe, and Africa. The love of experiencing new cultures runs deep and she gives into it whenever she can. Her goal is to visit every continent with the exception of Antarctica, so she still has two to go. She has been an avid movie buff since childhood and often sees the movie in her head before she writes the book. Kathryn graduated from the University of California in Berkeley with a degree in English. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

You can follow her on Twitter @BerlaKathryn Instagram @AuthorKathrynB and Facebook @KathrynBerlaBooks