Starting this Monday May 1, we are kicking off our FUND DRIVE which runs through May 12 and we are giving away some AWESOME Giveaways!!

Starting this Monday May 1, we are kicking off
our FUND DRIVE which runs through May 12!

With your support, we can make our fund drive a once a year success, and reach our goal of $12,000. Over the next twelve days we are giving away some great premiums as a way to thank you for supporting our station and believing in the importance of independent free-form radio. We have brand new coffee mugs, flash drives, Sport bottles, cool new KUCI t-shirts, plus some vintage styles as well. And a huge collection of music that can be yours, too. If you like the Blues, Reggae, Indie Rock, Electronic, Hip Hop, or any other type of alternative music, we’ve got an eclectic mix of CDs ready to give away.

Here’s all you need to do. You can show your support in several ways. Call in starting Monday May 1 and talk some of our DJs handling calls or make your donation, securely and easily on-line through UCI’s eGiving site. BUT, if you do call in, you’ll be able to score some great KUCI giveways!

So, spread the word to your friends today! KUCI has some great thank you gifts if you call in between May 1-May12. Here’s the number 949-824-5824. That's 949-824-KUCI.

We know KUCI is a rarity in the world of radio. Who else offers you the eclectic mix of music and public affairs shows? Exactly. And to thank you for keeping us on the air all these years, we have a ton of cool giveaways. All you have to do is call 949-824-5824 and show your support. We’ll do the rest. We believe in KUCI. We believe in what this station stands for. How about you? Call 949-824-5824.That's 949-824-KUCI.

ANNABELLE GURWITCH The actress and bestselling author shares a hilarious new collection of essays about family in Wherever You Go, There They Are. Host Janeane Bernstein chats with Annabelle Gurwitch May 1 at 9:30am pst!

When Annabelle Gurwitch (best recognized as the co-host of TBS’s Dinner & a Movie, among many other roles) was a child, surrounded by a cast of epically dysfunctional relatives, she secretly prayed that it was all a terrible mistake. A family of bootleggers, gamblers, and philanderers, the Gurwitches have always been a bit vague on the standard ideal of a loving and supportive family. Their definition includes people you can count on to borrow money from, hold a grudge against, or blackmail. One day, unfortunately, Gurwitch woke up to realize that she'd made pretty much the same mistakes as everyone else before her--just in a new zip code. Wherever she went, there they were.

Join Annabelle Gurwitch on April 19th as she discusses (in her hilarious way):

· her southern Jewish roots
· her flirtation with surrogate families, including theater folk, pet people, a UFO cult, the sisterhood, and the ladies who brunch at Tel Aviv Gardens Retirement Home in Miami, FL
· that, for better or worse, it's worth celebrating the traditions, rituals, and recipes that come with a shared mythology and legacy (even if her own inheritance amounts to a small plot of land split between five relatives on an ill-fated sliver of sand known as Massacre Island.)
· the spectacularly daunting search for the community where her aging parents will spend the last chapter of their lives.

Both hysterically funny and moving, Gurwitch shares the importance and insanity of family for anyone who's even occasionally been frustrated by the people they share carbohydrate-laden meals with every year.

About the Author
Annabelle Gurwitch is an actress and the author I See You Made an Effort (a New York Times bestseller and Thurber Prize finalist); You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up (coauthored with Jeff Kahn), and Fired! also a Showtime Comedy Special. Gurwitch gained a loyal following during her stint cohosting Dinner & a Movie on TBS and years as a regular commentator on NPR. She’s written for the New Yorker, the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Hollywood Reporter. Gurwitch was the new anchor on HBO'sNot Necessarily the News and hosted WA$TED on Planet Green network. Her acting credits include: Seinfeld, Boston Legal, Dexter, Melvin Goes to Dinner. A veteran of many lauded and even more misguided theatrical productions, she regularly performs at arts centers around the country. Annabelle is a Jewish mother, a reluctant atheist, and an ardent environmentalist. She is empty-nesting in Los Angeles. www.annabellegurwitch.com

Barbara Oakley, Ph.D. shares how to discover hidden potential and change your life’s path…at any age! Dr. Oakley chats with host Janeane Bernstein May 1, 2017 on KUCI 88.9fm at 9:00am pst!

At a time when we are constantly being asked to retrain ourselves to adapt to new technologies and changing industries, Dr. Barbara Oakley, Ph.D., shows us how we can uncover talents we didn’t realize we had—no matter what our age or background. Oakley has an eclectic resume, from waitress to Army officer, Russian translator to radio operator, and most recently professor of engineering and author of New York Times bestseller, A Mind for Numbers. Alongside legendary neuroscientist Terrence Sejnowski, she has also taught the world’s most popular massive open online course (MOOC), “Learning How to Learn” for Coursera/UC San Diego, reaching over 2 million people in just the past two years. Now, in her new book Mindshift, she draws upon her own experiences and the latest in neuroscience research to move past simplistic ideas of “aptitude” and “ability” and turn perceived weaknesses into strengths.


Dr. Oakley discusses:

• “Bad” traits, such as a poor memory, come with hidden advantages—like increased creativity
•  Even the world’s most brilliant scientists can be forced to hit career reset buttons and what they do about it
•  “Career catastrophes,” such as being laid off, often lead to incredible learning and new experiences
• · Being “not too smart” can turn out to be a huge asset when learning tough topics.

People may feel like they’re at a disadvantage if they pursue a new field later in life; yet those who change careers can bring valuable insights from one discipline to another. Our biggest stumbling blocks can be our own preconceptions, but with the right mental insights, we can tap into hidden potential and create new opportunities.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

BARBARA OAKLEY, PH.D., is a professor of engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, San Diego; and Coursera’s inaugural “Innovation Instructor.” Her research involves bioengineering with a focus on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. Together with Terrence Sejnowski, the Francis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute, she co-teaches Coursera’s “Learning How to Learn,” the world’s most popular massive open online course. Dr. Oakley has received many awards for her teaching, including the American Society of Engineering Education’s Chester F. Carlson Award for technical innovation in education and the National Science Foundation New Century Scholar Award. She is the author of seven other books, including the New York Times-bestselling A Mind For Numbers. Learn more at BarbaraOakley.com.

Leanne Summers, President at Los Angeles Women in Music (LAWiM), Singer ~ Vocal Coach ~ Producer ~ Clinician at LEANNE SUMMERS ENTERTAINMENT joins host Janeane Bernstein Monday at 9:30am pst!

2017 She Rocks Awards Red Carpet - photographer: Brittany Ballantyne

If you missed Leanne Summers
on today's show, listen here!

Leanne Summers, LAWIM PRESIDENT/CEO
Owner, Leanne Summers Entertainment

A LAWIM member since 1992, having served as President, CFO and Chair of the Advisory Board since her initial appointment to the Board of Directors in 1994, Leanne Summers is once again at the helm of LAWIM as President (2008).

A summa cum laude graduate of Berklee College of Music, majoring in Professional Music with a voice principal, Leanne established the first college Alumni Chapter in Los Angeles in 1994 and served as its Chapter President for 11 years. Many of the structures and programs she implemented served as a model for the now over 14 chapters nationwide, and garnered her a seat on the Board of Trustees where she served from 1999-2005 as the first alumni representative.

As a professional singer her experience ranges from session singing to every conceivable form of live performance! From casual work and nationwide tours, to appearances at prominent clubs with Big Bands, various lounge acts, her own Top 40 band, and as a solo artist, musical director, and backup singer/opening act for major artists (Crystal Gale, Richie Havens, Jonathan Cain, Stella Parton, Eddie Rabbit), she brings a “know-how” to her teaching and producing that is immeasurable. Her voice and/or vocal productions can be heard on the likes of The Drew Carey Show, West Wing, Nikki, Cold Case and Californication to name a few.

As a much sought after vocal coach/vocal producer her clients include an extensive list of independent & major label recording artists, feature film & television actors, soundtrack artists, dancers, Broadway performers & prominent music supervisors, production & management companies. She has prepared artists for major tours and appearances at House of Blues, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ASCAP Pop Awards, Star Search, America’s Most Talented Kids, American Idol and more. Some of her proudest accomplishments are in developing young singers who have not only succeeded as performing artists in the music “industry” as we know it, but also those who have gone on to music colleges (many on vocal scholarships) and are actively working behind the scenes or making their mark in areas such as music therapy.

As a clinician she has participated in Grammy in the Schools (NARAS), The Songwriters' Expo (LASS and NAS), Vocal Tracks (Berklee in L.A.) Speech Level Singing Institute and spoken at many schools, music organizations and vocal clinics around the country. She has also authored articles on vocal technique, recording studio topics, performance and singing careers for several music magazines including (Home & Studio) Recording.

Summers says "Los Angeles Women in Music has always held a special place in my heart and is an organization that I truly feel has a reason to exist if we tend to its potential. Our mission statement is a powerful and positive platform! If we let it be our guide as we move forward, we can make our mark and make a difference in our community and in the industry that is our passion. There is no doubt that we face some challenges. The music industry is inundated with organizations competing for people’s time and support. But, I firmly believe that if we come together in a focused and directed manner, we can harness our strengths and carve out a unique place for LAWIM in a meaningful role and with a sense of purpose. No matter the changes that we may make in the coming months ahead, the principle foundation and philosophy of LAWIM will prevail. I encourage us all to empower ourselves and each other to “find our way” and share the vision…"

Other Affiliations: AFTRA, SAG, NARAS, SOS, ASCAP

Website: www.leannesummers.com

Author Caitriona Lally joins Janeane 4/17 at 9:15am pst to talk about her novel "Eggshells."

If you missed Caitriona Lally on today's show, listen here!


Caitriona Lally studied English Literature in Trinity College Dublin. She has had a colourful employment history, working as an abstract writer and a copywriter alongside working as a home helper in New York and an English teacher in Japan. She has traveled extensively around Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Caitriona was shortlisted for 'Newcomer of the Year' in the Irish Book Awards in 2015.

An INDIE NEXT selection

A LIBRARY READS pick

An IRISH BOOK AWARD finalist

"The only way of doing justice to the experience of reading this book would be to quote the bits that made me laugh out loud. But that would mean quoting from every single page...With her parallel perceptiveness, Vivian rescues much more than just contemporary Dublin. She also resuscitates some of the magic of language and life, showing the way words breathe or choke, the way the world can shrink your life or expand it...Bypassing nothing, the opposite of a passer-by because she’s trying to figure everything out, and with the help of a notebook and without meaning to, she exposes vistas and ruts, portals and traps...She’s a modern-day flâneuse, overlooked but overlooking nothing, a seer, a gift of a character." —The Irish Times

EGGSHELLS

by Caitriona Lally

“This urban fairy tale delivers something that is both subtle and profound in its examination of the human soul. Magically delicious.” —Kirkus


“A whimsical jaunt through Dublin and a modern take on many old Irish folktakes…Humorous, charming, and original.” —Booklist


“The book’s style calls to mind The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Engaging and humorous.” — The Dublin Inquirer


“Inventive, funny and, ultimately, moving.”

— The Guardian


“Delightfully quirky… Vivian’s voice alone is enough to keep us reading, charmed by her unique brand of manic, word-hoarding wit.”

— The Irish Independent




Eggshells (Melville House; Hardcover; March 14, 2017), the exceptional debut from Irish writer Caitriona Lally, chronicles the life of idiosyncratic Vivian as she navigates Dublin in search of the place where she fits in.

Delightfully inventive, alive with wordplay, and perfect for anyone who has ever felt they don’t belong, Eggshells is at once the whimsical story of a charming oddball, and a richly detailed travelogue of contemporary Dublin.

Vivian has never felt like she fit in. As a child, she was so whimsical, so odd, that her parents told her she’d been “left by fairies.” Now, an adult living alone in Dublin, she has nosy neighbors, meddlesome social workers, a condescending older sister…and not a friend in the world. Until she decides it’s time to change her life.

The first step is advertising for a friend, preferably one named Penelope. While she waits for someone to answer her ad, Vivian roams the city. With meticulous lists and hand-drawn maps, she sets out for a new neighborhood every day, searching for the portal, seeking her escape to a better world, the world her parents told her she came from.

Lally’s acclaimed debut is perfect for anyone who loved Fredrick Backman’s A Man Called Ove or The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Eggshells is a thoroughly modern take on classic Irish literature, full of wordplay, warm humor, and utterly charming characters. Told through hilarious, painfully awkward interactions, Lally offers readers a fresh, nuanced love story of friendship and human understanding.

Diana Rein, 2016 LA Critics Award winner for Best Blues Artist, joined Janeane 4/17 on KUCI 88.9fm!

If you missed Diana Rein
on today's show, listen here!

2016 LA Critics Award winner for Best Blues Artist, Best Female CD (Album: Long Road) and Fan Favorite!

In mythology, Sirens were dangerous yet beautiful creatures that would lure sailors with enchanting songs and make them crash onto the rocky coast. It is said that some crews survived by using wax in their ears to keep from being compelled.

But what if the music was turned up? What if it was amplified? What if there were soaring guitar tones that shook your bones and cut through to your soul?

You’d be helpless.

Get ready to meet your fate with Diana Rein on her magnetic Indie Blues sophomore album “Long Road”.

See if you can escape the artist named "the Six String Siren" by her adoring fans. With a sharp tongue, driving blues guitars and melodic solos — it won’t take long before you fall under her spell.

Born in Romania and raised in Chicago, Diana came onto the scene as an acoustic rhythm guitar player in her hometown with the release of her first album of 8 originals "The Back Room".

"On Long Road, Diana Rein doesn't just show off her incredible guitar playing, which is reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan with a sprinkling of Buddy Guy & Jimi Hendrix, but also her powerful voice !! Killer Vocals, Killer Guitar, Killer Rock !! With music like this, Diana's Rein as "Queen of Blues/Rock" will be a long one !! " - Michael Trike McGrath of Trike's Trax

It wasn't long before she was doing solo and band shows all around Chicago including venues like: The Double Door, Fitzgerald's, Joe's Bar, Lucille's, festivals, college shows and playing a set at The Taste of Chicago right before Bonnie Raitt hit the main stage.

Diana is also working on a solo project/one woman band show that will be an intimate treat for her fans. Her music is saturated with the Blues at its core and infused with guitar driven Rock and Roots.

Executive Producer and Artistic Director of the Colcoa French Film Festival, François Truffart joined host Janeane Bernstein today on KUCI 88.9fm!

COLCOA FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL TEAM

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

François Truffart calls in Monday to chat with host Janeane Bernstein

If you missed today's show, listen here!

Thanks for listening! Follow Janeane here!

About François Truffart

After completing a Master’s degree in Economics and Politics in Paris (Dauphine University), François Truffart was Cultural Attaché in charge of the promotion of French cinema and television programs at the French Embassy in Hungary (Budapest), Japan (Tokyo) and the United States (Los Angeles) from 1991 to 2001. In 2001, he joined Gilles Jacob and the Cannes Film Festival to become Director of La Cinéfondation. From 2003 to 2004, he was the U.S. representative of the Cannes Film Market. He has been in charge of programming for the COLCOA French Film Festival since 2004 and has been assigned Executive Producer of the event in 2007.

He is the author of Le Guide des Televisions en Europe, published by Bayard Press in 1991. 

Francois Truffart was honored by the French governement with the order of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres during a reception with French Minister of Culture, Mrs Fleur Pellerin, on February 4, 2016. 

Writer/Director Debbie Goodstein joins Janeane Monday at 9:30am pst on KUCI 88.9fm! Her film, ECHOES FROM THE ATTIC, will be part of Yom Ha'Shoah week at the Museum of Tolerance, screening Monday 4/24 7PM

Did you miss Debbie Goodstein on today's show?  Listen here!

ABOUT DEBBIE GOODSTEIN

Debbie Goodstein was the writer and director of Voices from the Attic (1988), which was shortlisted for an Academy Award. Voices from the Attic had a limited theatrical release, was broadcast for three years on Israeli television on Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and in the U.S. on the Discovery network. It was widely distributed to schools and religious institutions and—and over 20 years later—it is still being sold at places like the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Goodstein wrote and directed the semi-autobiographical narrative feature Mighty Fine, starring Andie MacDowell and Chazz Palminteri, which was released theatrically in May of 2012 by Lionsgate. In 2013, Mighty Fine had a special Academy screening and was invited to screen at Simon Wiesenthal Center at The Museum of Tolerance in LA, and, most recently, won “Best in Show” at the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto (named one of the top 25 festivals in North America by Movieline Magazine). Goodstein has sold several screenplays to major studios and has numerous other credits in film and television, including: writer for “Saying Kaddish,” which was nominated for a Daytime Emmy; writer/producer for “Growing Up in America” (Fox TV Films); and writer/ producer/ director for “The Bubbies,” a reality show on NBC. She and her cousin Leslie Wolfowitz also wrote and produced the play "Kindergarten Confidential" which was showcased Off Broadway in 2006.



ABOUT ECHOES FROM THE ATTIC

“Echoes from the Attic” tells the small but epic story spanning 70 years of the shifting, sometimes tense, sometimes distant relationship between two families surviving the Nazi occupation, one Jewish and the other, their Polish rescuers. It is the story of the triumph of an enduring bond forged in war, tempered by compassion and made resilient by love.

“Echoes from the Attic" will premiere in Berlin at the end of the month, screening in tandem with its prequel, the academy award shortlisted "Voices from the Attic", in the Asynchronous program dedicated to the remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. Invited by Arsenal Cinema, the organizers of the Berlinale Forum of the Berlin Film Festival, “Voices” and “Echoes” are two of eleven films invited to be screened in a three-city tour beginning in Berlin and going on to Leipzig and Frankfurt.

Our Echoes team has been hard at work all summer getting the film ready for its Berlin debut. Post-production costs along with a final shoot in Poland organized in an effort to dig deeper into guarded family histories, have brought us here to Kickstarter in hopes of covering these costs. After our German tour, we hope to rerelease “Voices” along with “Echoes” theatrically, here at home. “Echoes” will also be distributed as a stand alone at festivals, museums, schools, and eventually to global accessibility online.

THE STORY

“Echoes from the Attic” is Debbie Goodstein’s follow up to her 1989 documentary “Voices From the Attic” which charted her journey to Poland and the attic where her mother and 15 family members were hidden for two years during the Holocaust. “Voices” features Debbie’s Aunt Sally as she deals head on with the scars she’s carried and the long shadows cast by those harrowing attic years. “Echoes” picks up 23 years later when Aunt Sally announces that, after years of lobbying Israel’s Holocaust Center, Yad Vashem, the late Stanislaw Grocholski, the Polish farmer who gave them shelter, will be awarded the “Righteous Among the Nations” honor. Thrilled with this victory, attic survivors and descendants, 27 in all, travel back to Poland to attend the ceremony honoring their hero. But something goes terribly wrong during the ceremony, opening a painful rift between them and the Grocholski family that they are determined to mend. A private meeting with Stanislaw’s eldest daughter, Zosia, reveals the unknown and life-shattering risks her parents took to do the right thing. With Zosia’s revelations, “Echoes” becomes the natural companion piece to “Voices,” shining a bright light on often-overlooked sacrifices, pain and strength of ordinary people of extraordinary heart.

Debut author Kayla Cagan breathes new life into fiction in this dynamic, authentic book. Warhol-obsessed Piper will have readers asking big questions along with her. What is love? What is friendship? What is family? What should I wear? Kayla Cagan joins host Janeane Bernstein Monday at 9:00am pst!

Debut YA Paints the Perfect Portrait of A Teen Artist
Bursting to Break Out!

Did you miss Kayla on today's show?
Listen here!

★“Cagan tells Piper’s story with amazing authenticity… soulful reading for any artistic teen with a dream.” —Booklist, starred review

“A character readers will remember.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Will embolden budding teen artists.”—School Library Journal

Piper Perish inhales air and exhales art. The sooner she and her best friends can get out of Houston and get to New York City, the better. Art school has been Piper’s dream her whole life, and now that senior year is halfway over, she’s never felt more ready.


But in the final months before graduation, things are weird with her friends and stressful with three different guys, and Piper’s sister’s tyrannical mental state seems to thwart every attempt at happiness for the close-knit Perish family. Piper’s art just might be enough to get her out. But is she brave enough to seize that power when it means giving up so much?

Debut author Kayla Cagan breathes new life into fiction in this dynamic, utterly authentic work featuring interior art from Rookie magazine illustrator Maria Ines Gul. Piper will have readers asking big questions along with her. What is love? What is friendship? What is family? What is home? And who is she as a person when she’s missing any one of these things?

Kayla Cagan is a writer and playwright. She received her BFA in Theater from Stephen F. Austin University. She lives in Los Angeles. This is her first book
--

C'mon get happy! Monday 4/10, Acacia Parks, Ph.D, a renowned authority and Hiram College professor who teaches classes on the science of happiness, joins Janeane at 9:15am pst! Dr. Parks serves as Happify's chief scientist and also conducts original research on positive interventions in everyday behavior—and their ability to transform lives.

Did you miss Acacia Parks on today's show? Listen here!


Acacia Parks, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Hiram College. Her research focuses on the efficacy of positive interventions, and the psychological and behavioral characteristics of individuals who use them. She is also interested in ambulatory assessment, and in particular, the use of smartphone technology as an assessment and intervention tool. Most recently, she has begun examining the effects of positive interventions on objective measures such as physical activity level and sleep quality.

Acacia serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology, where she was guest editor of a special issue on Positive Psychology in Higher Education; the special issue was released as a book by Taylor & Francis. She is also co-editor of a positive psychology teaching activities book, published through APA Press, and is co-editor of a volume with Wiley-Blackwell entitled "The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Positive Psychological Interventions." She is an active teacher of both psychology - including positive psychology, abnormal and clinical psychology, and research methods - as well as critical writing.

She received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, and serves as associate editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology.

When she is not professorizing, Acacia spends time with her partner, CS, his two children, Callie (age 14) and Conrad (age 11), and her new baby, Cassandra. They live on a small farm in rural NE Ohio, where they raise pigs, goats, rabbits, and poultry (ducks, geese, and chickens).