Composer, songwriter and music business consultant Cheryl B. Engelhardt joins Janeane to talk about her latest album, LUMINARY

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Cheryl B. Engelhardt is a composer, songwriter and music business consultant. Her newest record “Luminary” - piano/ambient music and for mindfulness, focus, and growth- hit #1 on iTunes and Amazon New Age charts and is featured on the popular mediation apps Insight Timer and Simple Habit. The New Yorker received degrees in Biology and in Music from Cornell University, studied orchestration at Juilliard, then began her tenure as a composer for films, ads, theater, and social justice choirs, as well as a touring pop recording artist. Cheryl is also committed to helping other independent musicians transform their careers and provides programs and coaching on her site In The Key Of Success. She is a sought- after speaker and has presented at South By Southwest, ASCAP Expo, and multiple colleges and universities around the country.

www.cbemusic.com
instagram: @cbemusic

Coming up 9/28/20 at 9:00am PT on KUCI 88.9fm - Janeane speaks with BISHOP MICHAEL CURRY. He shares his NEW and very timely book, LOVE IS THE WAY: Holding onto Hope in Troubling Times

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ABOUT THE BOOK
Walk the path of love with one of the warmest, most beloved spiritual leaders of our time, and learn how to put faith into action.

As the descendant of slaves and the son of a civil rights activist, Bishop Michael Curry's life illustrates massive changes in our times. Much of the world met Bishop Curry when he delivered his sermon on the redemptive power of love at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. Here, he expands on his message of hope in an inspirational road map for living the way of love, illuminated with moving lessons from his own life. Through the prism of his faith, ancestry, and personal journey, Love Is the Way shows us how America came this far and, more important, how to go a whole lot further.

The way of love is essential for addressing the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the world today: poverty, racism, selfishness, deep ideological divisions, competing claims to speak for God. This book will lead readers to discover the gifts they need in order to live the way of love: deep reservoirs of hope and resilience, simple wisdom, the discipline of nonviolence, and unshakable regard for human dignity.



While The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church may be known in popular culture for his sermon at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle, his life work has been to fight for human and equal rights, the respect and recognition immigrants at the border and Indigenous people, and the LGBTQ+ community. His work is based in the simple idea that if we live the way of love, we can change the world for the better. Now, his shares stories from his own life with messages of how we can all live the way of love in his book LOVE IS THE WAY: Holding onto Hope in Troubling Times.

Love comes in many forms - romantic love, brotherly love - but what Bishop Curry is talking about here is agape - the love for one another or sacrificial love that seeks the good and well-being of others. It is love that transcends religion or gender or background - it is the balm that can heal. Unselfish love of this sort is the only thing that can make the world a better place.

Bishop Curry shares:

· Stories about his ancestors and what he learned about life while sitting in his grandmother's kitchen (she was the daughter of sharecroppers, granddaughter of slaves, taught in old country segregated schools and buried a husband who fought in the segregated WWII units)

· His journey to realizing the need for a change in how the church approaches LGBTQ+, revelations when standing with Indigenous Peoples at Standing Rock

· His theory of what Desmond Tutu and Dolly Parton have in common

· How the way of love has not only been a guiding light but a beacon to an America (and a worldwide community) that is just and free.

The way of love is essential for addressing the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the world today: poverty, racism, selfishness, deep ideological divisions, competing claims to speak for God. Love is the Way leads readers to discover the gifts they need in order to live the way of love: deep reservoirs of hope and resilience, simple wisdom, the discipline of nonviolence, and unshakable regard for human dignity.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry is the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church. Elected in 2015, he is the first African-American to lead the denomination. He was previously bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. A noted advocate for human rights, and author of several books, Bishop Curry is recognized as one of the most popular preachers in the English language. He and his wife Sharon Curry have two daughters, Rachel and Elizabeth. They live in North Carolina.

Actress, filmmaker, comedian, and creator of the funny mental health podcast, Crying Behind Sunglasses, Katy Dolle chats with host Janeane Bernstein on KUCI 88.9fm

Meet Katy Dolle

Actress / Filmmaker / creator of weird + wonderful things

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Katy Dolle is a renaissance woman. She is an actress, filmmaker, and comedian, and her mission is to create projects that have a social impact. Her past film projects include Dancing Man the Documentary (featured on Good Morning America, the Today Show and other international news outlets) and We’ll Never Make It, an award-winning short film that is currently available on Amazon. Most recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic, she launched a funny mental health podcast, Crying Behind Sunglasses. On the show, she interviews entertainers, mental health professionals, and people from all walks of life. This podcast dives deep into these topics, erasing the stigma around mental illness and is guaranteed to make you laugh. At least on the inside.

katy@katydolle.com

instagram.com/katydolle

KUCI's Janeane Bernstein spoke with Michelle Carlson, MScPH Executive Director of the Teen Line about the current mental health pandemic, the impact of covid19 on teens mental health, and how the Teen Line is touching lives nationally and internationally

Teen Line is a confidential hotline for teenagers which operates every evening from 6:00pm to 10:00pm PST. If you have a problem or just want to talk with another teen who understands, then this is the right place for you! You can call us at 800-TLC-TEEN (852-8336), text us by texting “TEEN” to 839863 or email.

The Teen Line volunteers who answer the calls, emails and texts are Southern California teenagers who have received specialized training. They won’t judge you or give advice – their job is to listen to your feelings and help you to clarify your concerns, define the options available to you, and help you make positive decisions.

No problem is too small, too large, or too shocking for the Teen Line volunteers. Issues that teenagers are dealing with include abuse, depression, divorce, bullying, anxiety, gangs, gender identity, homelessness, pregnancy, relationships, sexuality, violence, substance abuse, self harm, and suicide.

Janeane spoke with Executive Director
Michelle Carlson, MScPH

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CALL | TEXT | EMAIL: https://teenlineonline.org/talk-now/

https://teenlineonline.org/

Coming up TODAY (9/14) at 9:00am pst - ESTROGEN’S FOLLIES' SHOW GAINS STRONG FOLLOWING IN LIEU OF COVID - The Comedy Troupe joins Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE …Los Angeles…Austin-based comedy group’s virtual Estrogen’s Follies, launched their debaucherously fun-packed variety show this Spring, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to keep spirits high and laughs going, and it’s soaring! Celebrity guests have included comediennes Chelsea Handler and Iliza Shlesinger, who discussed their new books Life Will Be the Death of Me…and You Too! and Girl Logic. Their Estrogen’s Follies is a talk show- variety show mixed with sketch comedy, games, a q & a from a special guest, and is guaranteed to always make a fashion statement.

Estrogen’s Follies (EF) is an all-female comedy troupe led by Daniele Kimes, Ashley Park and Mandy Smith. Kimes, an actor and storyteller, whose love for improv came from the notion of living in the moment and putting your scene partner first. Ashley Park is a comedic entertainer, host of Subpar Bake Off podcast, and expert cat pillow. She is also an award-winning photographer, producing shoots and campaigns in California, Montana, New York, and even Spain. Mandy Heintzelman Smith is a writer, comedian, actor and renowned mommy blogger. You can find her @politeasfudge and www.politeasfudge.com, and in person performing all sorts of improv comedy.

When Kimes, Park and Smith invited Handler to talk about her new book Life on their Facebook Live event for a Q&A, the comedienne and her team readily agreed. Subsequently, EF has gone on to host Shlesinger, Suzanne Westenhoeffer, Cameron Esposito, and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Latrice Royale and Peppermint, with an ever-growing line-up ensuing.

Estrogen’s Follies is produced by LA-based director/producer Ilyssa Goodman.

You can watch live on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/estrogensfollies

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/estrogensfollies

Today at 9:30am pst on KUCI 88.9fm - James Hamblin, a doctor, lecturer at Yale School of Public Health and staff writer for The Atlantic, shares details on his new book, Clean - the New Science of Skin.

JAMES HAMBLIN

Doctor and Atlantic staff writer discusses the new science of skin health

LISTEN

Keeping skin healthy is a booming industry, and yet it seems like almost no one agrees on what actually works. Confusing messages from health authorities and ineffective treatments have left many people desperate for reliable solutions. An enormous alternative industry is filling the void, selling products that are often of questionable safety and totally unknown effectiveness. In his new book CLEAN: The New Science of Skin, James Hamblin explores how we got here, examining the science and culture of how we care for our skin today. He examines the history of hygiene, the new science of skin microbes and probiotics and the surprising and unintended effects of our hygiene.

James Hamblin is a doctor, lecturer at Yale School of Public Health and staff writer for The Atlantic. In his writing and daily podcast, “Social Distance,” for The Atlantic he covers health, science and this year, the coronavirus. His article “You’re Likely to Get the Coronavirus” went viral in late February and he continues to write informative and crucial pieces on the pandemic and COVID-19. In CLEAN, he talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, allergists, immunologists, estheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, Amish people, theologians, and straight-up scam artists, trying to figure out what it really means to be clean. He even experiments with giving up showers entirely, and discovers that he is not alone.

Along the way he realizes that most of our standards of cleanliness are less related to health than most people think. In fact, our overuse of soap, sanitizers, and untested, misleading skincare products may be to blame for many problems. But a little-known area of science is shining light on our skin microbiome--the trillions of microbes that live on our skin and in our pores. These microbes influence everything from acne, eczema, and dry skin to how we smell. The new goal of skin care will be to cultivate a healthy biome--and to embrace the meaning of "clean" in the natural sense. This can mean doing much less, saving time, money, energy, water, and plastic bottles in the process.



James Hamblin discusses:

· The history of hygiene and it’s introduction of soap 100 years ago to prevent the spread of disease

· The importance of washing your hands

· Why people have an obsession with over-cleaning themselves

· The quickly evolving skincare industry and how it is full of misleading advertising

· Research on the skin microbiome, how our overuse of products is affecting it, and the best ways to build a strong one

· His hopes for the new era of skin care

· How with the history and science of your skin and the products you’re using that you can separate the “need” to use them from the societal, economic and cultural pressures that are making you feel that way

· How the pandemic could mark a chance to reexamine how much cleanliness is good for us, and what practices we’d be better off without (but again! Wash your hands!)

· The most effective ways to prevent contracting the coronavirus and the most recent science and news surrounding the pandemic.


CLEAN explores the ongoing, radical change in the way we think about our skin, introducing readers to the emerging science that will be at the forefront of health and wellness conversations in coming years.


ABOUT CLEAN
A preventative medicine physician and staff writer for The Atlantic explains the surprising and unintended effects of our hygiene practices in this informative and entertaining introduction to the new science of skin microbes and probiotics.

Keeping skin healthy is a booming industry, and yet it seems like almost no one agrees on what actually works. Confusing messages from health authorities and ineffective treatments have left many people desperate for reliable solutions. An enormous alternative industry is filling the void, selling products that are often of questionable safety and totally unknown effectiveness.

In Clean, doctor and journalist James Hamblin explores how we got here, examining the science and culture of how we care for our skin today. He talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, allergists, immunologists, aestheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, Amish people, theologians, and straight-up scam artists, trying to figure out what it really means to be clean. He even experiments with giving up showers entirely, and discovers that he is not alone.

Along the way he realizes that most of our standards of cleanliness are less related to health than most people think. A major part of the picture has been missing: a little-known ecosystem known as the skin microbiome—the trillions of microbes that live on our skin and in our pores. These microbes are not dangerous; they’re more like an outer layer of skin that no one knew we had, and they influence everything from acne, eczema, and dry skin to how we smell. The new goal of skin care will be to cultivate a healthy biome—and to embrace the meaning of “clean” in the natural sense. This can mean doing much less, saving time, money, energy, water, and plastic bottles in the process.

Lucid, accessible, and deeply researched, Clean explores the ongoing, radical change in the way we think about our skin, introducing readers to the emerging science that will be at the forefront of health and wellness conversations in coming years.


About the Author

James Hamblin, MD, MPH, is a staff writer at The Atlantic, a lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health, and a specialist in preventive medicine. He is the author of If Our Bodies Could Talk and hosted a video series of the same name. He's based in Brooklyn, New York. He only uses soap on his hands.

TODAY (9/14) at 9:40am pst - Anna Penenberg talks about her new memoir, Dancing in the Narrows - a powerful book detailing her journey to rediscover herself after spending years as a single mother struggling to help her daughter navigate Lyme disease

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“Dancing in the Narrows” chronicles a mother and daughter’s multiyear journey through illness and trauma. At sixteen, Anna’s youngest daughter, Dana, is stricken with a mysterious debilitating condition, eventually diagnosed as Lyme Disease. Completely dependent and in excruciating pain, Dana spends years on the sofa.

Desperate to find a cure, the two women are thrust into the established medical world, then far beyond. When endless supplements, pharmaceuticals, dietary restrictions, and alternative therapies don’t deliver, only hope remains. Full of adventure, humor and blind faith, “Dancing In The Narrows” is an inspiring story of self-discovery, as a single mother fights to save the life of her child.

Anna Penenberg on her new memoir, Dancing in the Narrows (She Writes Press, July 7, 2020). This powerful book details her journey to rediscover herself after spending years as a single mother struggling to help her daughter navigate Lyme disease.

A healer by training, Anna’s book recalls in detail the stress and confusion of navigating the health system to identify and treat the then-mysterious illness. In the age of COVID-19, where family members across the globe find themselves suddenly transformed into caregivers, Anna’s memoir couldn’t have come at a more urgent time.

Janeane speaks with Keri Potts - Vice President of External Affairs for the Institute for Women's Policy Research and Alumni of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University

MEET KERI POTTS

Vice President External Affairs at Institute for
Women's Policy Research

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Keri Potts a is 21-year corporate communications executive with stops at Nike, the NCAA and, for the past 17 years, ESPN, where she served as senior director, communications, leading strategy for the company’s largest content portfolio – college sports. During her tenure, she publicized properties ranging from Monday Night Football, NBA and WNBA, to ESPN Films and its 30 for 30 documentary series, The ESPYs, English Premier League, and the launch of espnW. In addition, she provided training and content guidance across the company on matters of gender-based violence.

Potts is an experienced anti-sexual violence speaker, victims advocate and non-profit leader for domestic and international gender-based violence crisis services. She serves as President of the Board for Pathways to Safety International, which provides comprehensive assistance and case management to Americans sexually assaulted or abused abroad. In addition, she is a certified rape crisis counselor and victims advocate, volunteering for the past seven years in the states of Connecticut and Georgia.

Potts was graduated from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a B.S. in magazine journalism and a M.S. in organizational management and public relations. She was co-captain of Syracuse’s Division I volleyball team and was a first-team Academic All-American selection and a LetterWinner of Distinction. Professionally, she has won numerous industry awards for her work, has served on the board of the Naismith Award and as a member of the Atlanta Hawks Diversity & Inclusion Council, and has been recognized as a PRWeek ‘2020 Woman to Watch’ and ‘40 Under 40’ honoree (2016), and ESPN’s Volunteer of the Year (2017).

Potts hails from Long Island, New York

Featured on KUCI 88.9fm - Dreena Burton, one of the pioneering vegan cookbook authors, shares details on her latest book (she has written five bestselling cookbooks!) and her journey as a plant-powered cook and at-home mom of three

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Dreena Burton has been vegan for over 20 years, in that time writing five bestselling cookbooks charting her journey as a plant-powered cook and at-home mom of three.

Passionate about health, she creates recipes using whole foods and minimally processed ingredients. Dreena is one of the pioneering vegan cookbook authors, with a loyal following and reputation for reliable, wholesome recipes.

Dreena graduated with distinction, receiving a BBA degree from University of New Brunswick. After working in marketing management for several years, Dreena followed her true passion of writing recipes and cookbooks.

The Everyday Vegan was her first project, following her father-in-law’s heart attack. When the cardiologist strongly advised a low-fat plant-based diet to her husband’s parents to reverse heart disease, Dreena knew there was information needing to be shared – most importantly, how and what to eat as a vegan.

After having her first child, she wrote Vive le Vegan!, which represented her journey as a mom, and more wholesome, easy recipes. Then came eat, drink & be vegan, a celebratory recipe book which has become a must-have cookbook in the vegan community, known for its entire chapter on hummus and inventive flavor combinations. Let Them Eat Vegan came next, containing over 200 wheat- and gluten-free recipes, and reaching amazon.ca’s bestseller list (top 5 of all books). In 2013, Dreena wrote her first ebook, the Plant-Powered 15, a collection of 15 whole-foods, plant-based recipes. Plant-Powered Families is her fifth title, comprised of whole-foods recipes and Dreena’s insights and tips as a mother of three “weegans”.

Most recently, Dreena has published an ebook of oil-free dressings, and is the sole recipe contributor for Dr. Barnard’s The Cheese Trap.

Dreena has appeared on television and radio, and is a recipe contributor for well-known sites including Forks Over Knives, KrisCarr.com, and PCRM. Join Dreena Burton’s community on facebook, twitter, instagram, and pinterest.

“Dreena Burton’s recipes and ingredients simply make good common sense. Plant-Powered Families is a great addition to any cookbook collection.”
—T. Colin Campbell, coauthor of The China Study and the New York Times bestselling Whole

“Dreena Burton delivers with sage advice and recipes that will properly nourish, satisfy, and delight the taste buds of your entire family.”
—Brian Wendel, President and founder of Forks Over Knives

“Plant-Powered Families will revolutionize how you cook. Dreena’s recipes are brilliant, combining nutrient-dense foods in imaginative ways to produce the most delicious, family-friendly dishes.”
—Gene Baur, president and cofounder of Farm Sanctuary and author of Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food

AMAZON BIO
Dreena Burton is one of the pioneering vegan cookbook authors. Vegan for more than 25 years, Dreena is also a mom to three "weegans". She has charted her journey as a plant-based cook and mother of three through five bestselling cookbooks, including her most recent and beloved title Plant-Powered Families. Dreena has also collaborated with renowned plant-based physician Dr. Barnard on The Cheese Trap and co-authored their most recent Cookbook for Reversing Diabetes.

Specializing in oil-free whole foods vegan recipes, Dreena's secret ingredient is her passion. Reputed for reliability, her recipes bring whole foods together in unexpected ways to yield delicious flavours and rich textures. Dreena's recipes are regularly featured by groups including PCRM, Forks Over Knives, Engine 2 Diet, UC Davis Integrative Medicine, Kris Carr, Blue Zones, The Humane Society, and The Food Network. Connect with Dreena's online kitchen and community at www.dreenaburton.com.

www.dreenaburton.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreenaBurtonPlantPoweredKitchen
twitter: https://twitter.com/dreenaburton
pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dreenaburton
IG: instagram.com/dreenaburton

Award-winning author and speaker, healthcare change catalyst Rebecca Whitehead Munn shares details on her new book, All of Us Warriors

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Rebecca Whitehead Munn is an award-winning author and speaker, healthcare change catalyst, and value creator. All of Us Warriors is her second title, following her award-winning, debut memoir, The Gift of Goodbye: A Story of Agape Love released in 2017. She has been a featured Maria Shriver Architect of Change on surviving grief and shared her healing through yoga story at www.mindbodygreen.com. She is a certified End of Life Doula, certified in Positive Psychology, and a Nashville Healthcare Council Fellow. She is happiest spending time outdoors, spending time with her two children, eating Mexican food, practicing yoga, listening to live music, and using her chaotic Aries energy for good. She was born in Bloomington, IN, grew up in Houston, TX, and has lived in Nashville, TN, since 2005. To learn more, visit her at https://rebeccawmunnauthor.com/.

Rebecca discusses:

Her personal experience with cancer

Writing her memoir, The Gift of Goodbye

Listening to the stories of other survivors and what inspired her to write All of Us Warriors

People’s general understanding of cancer when they’re first diagnosed verses when they surround themselves with people with similar experiences

How to deal with grief, and advice for those facing terminal illness

Her experience in the healthcare industry and how that influences her writing

Bestselling author Rea Frey is once again shining a light on the bond between mothers and their children in her new book “Until I Find You”

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Bestselling author Rea Frey is once again shining a light on the bond between mothers and their children in her new book “Until I Find You” (St. Martin’s Griffin, Aug. 11). The tense story follows Rebecca Gray, a single mother who is losing her sight, and her journey to find her son.

In Until I Find You, celebrated author Rea Frey brings you her most explosive, emotional, taut domestic drama yet about the powerful bond between mothers and children…and how far one woman will go to bring her son home.

"Frey is a rising star in the suspense scene" - Booklist

2 floors. 55 steps to go up. 40 more to the crib.

Since Rebecca Gray was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease, everything in her life consists of numbers. Each day her world grows a little darker and each step becomes a little more dangerous.

Following days of feeling like someone’s watching her, Bec awakes at home to the cries of her son in his nursery. When it’s clear he’s not going to settle, Bec goes to check on him.
She reaches in. Picks him up.
But he’s not her son.
And no one believes her.

One woman’s desperate search for her son . . .

In a world where seeing is believing, Bec must rely on her own conviction and a mother’s instinct to uncover the truth about what happened to her baby and bring him home for good.

"Completely captivating, utterly compelling?a must read!" - Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, authors of The Two Lila Bennetts


Rea talks about:


Issues surrounding the impossible moral and domestic standards society imposes on mothers and caregivers -- issues particularly resonant to the childcare-strained age of COVID-19


Highlighting a protagonist with a disability


Her business helping authors learn about the publishing industry


Her writing process and how recent upheavals have changed her workflow

Coming up 9/7/20 at 9:45am pst on KUCI 88.9fm - Another new release featured on KUCI 88.9fm! Laura Vanderkam draws on her 18 years of experience working from home in the THE NEW CORNER OFFICE: How The Most Successful People Work From Home

The New Corner Office

How the Most Successful
People Work from Home - by Laura Vanderkam

LISTEN or WATCH

Long before the pandemic and public health concerns pushed many of us indoors, some of the most successful people fueled their careers with carefully perfected work-from-home routines, recognizing the strategic advantage afforded by greater flexibility. 

Author of I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, among many others, nationally-recognized expert and podcast host, Laura Vanderkam draws on her 18 years of experience working from home in the THE NEW CORNER OFFICE: How The Most Successful People Work From Home (Portfolio/Penguin Random House; on sale 7/21/20). 

THE NEW CORNER OFFICE includes original interviews with managers, employees, and free agents who’ve perfected their remote routines, to offer solutions to the most common beginner frustrations and strategies for creativity, productivity, communication, and health. Working from home is a skill that anyone can learn, just like learning to speak French or play basketball. The key is to detach yourself from old ways of working and adopt new habits to match your new environment. 

In the new corner office, results matter more than where and when work happens. For instance, Vanderkam teaches: 

Managing by task, not time. Time is an incredibly useful concept, but structuring work differently allows for efficiency breakthroughs. Rethinking urgency and focusing on results are just a few of the many tactics of task management. 

Thinking big. There is no contradiction between working remotely/flexibly and nurturing your long-term career ambitions. Becoming a thought leader is one way to build a strong, professional reputation to advance your career. 

Getting the rhythm right. Match your most important work to your most productive times to ensure sustainable progress. A satisfying rhythm is achieved not by working less, but by having a compelling life outside of work. It’s easy to let work bleed into all hours of the night and weekend which is why establishing and observing an end to a work day is important. 

THE NEW CORNER OFFICE proves that whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, a self-starter or someone who prefers detailed directions, you can do your clearest thinking and deepest work at home-- and have more energy left over to achieve personal goals or fuel bigger professional ambitions. In fact, soon you might find it hard to imagine working any other way. Portfolio | $7.99 | ISBN: 9780593330050| Pub Date: July 21, 2020 

About the Author

Laura Vanderkam is the bestselling author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, I Know How She Does It, and 168 Hours, among others. She is the host of the podcasts The New Corner Office and Before Breakfast and the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. Her 2016 TED talk, "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time," has been viewed more than 10 million times. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, and other publications. Laura has also appeared on national TV Shows such as the Today Show and Fox and Friends. 

Follow Laura online: www.lauravanderkam.com | @lvanderkam 

Want to buy a copy of The New Corner Office? This book is being released as an eBook only right now, and can be purchased from any eBook retailer.

Tune in September 7th at 9:00am pst to hear Janeane speak with author Alka Joshi about her debut novel and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick - THE HENNA ARTIST

THE HENNA ARTIST  by Alka Joshi

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“Joshi’s evocative descriptions capture India’s sensory ambience (horse-drawn tongas, pungent cooking fires and incense, and colorful saris), drawing readers deep into her moving story.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“An uplifting tale that highlights the power of family.”—LIBRARY JOURNAL

“Joshi has constructed a bewitching glimpse into the not-so-distant past with a tough heroine well worth cheering on.”—BOOKLIST

“Joshi’s prose is rhythmic and alluring, and her characters are multidimensional and alive. This is a novel of hope, ambition and healing.” —BOOKPAGE (STARRED review)


A touching tribute to the life her mother didn’t have the opportunity to lead, Alka Joshi’s debut novel, THE HENNA ARTIST (MIRA Books; March 3, 2020; $26.99) is set in post-Raj 1950s Jaipur, about a young woman struggling to shape her own destiny in a world pivoting between the traditional and the modern. With her novel, Alka reimagines what life might have been like if her mother hadn’t been in an arranged marriage at 18 and instead been able to pursue the same independence and education that she always advocated for Alka.

After fleeing an arranged marriage as a fifteen-year-old to an abusive older man, Lakshmi Shastri steals away alone from her rural village to Jaipur. Against all odds, she carves out a living for herself as a henna artist, friend, and confidante to wealthy, upper caste women. She shares her knowledge and keeps their secrets in a delicate balancing act amid the changing 1950s social mores brought about by Indian Independence. But on the day her ex-husband arrives in town, all that Lakshmi has built threatens to unravel. He seeks money and brings with him a girl, a sister Lakshmi never knew she had and suddenly the caution that Lakshmi has carefully cultivated is threatened, along with her livelihood. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.

Alka Joshi is a graduate of Stanford University and received her M.F.A. from the California College of the Arts. She has worked as an advertising copywriter, a marketing consultant, and an illustrator. Alka was born in India, in the state of Rajasthan. Her family came to the United States when she was nine, and she now lives on California's Monterey Peninsula with her husband and two misbehaving pups. The Henna Artist is her first novel.

THE HENNA ARTIST

By Alka Joshi

Photo: My mother, Sudha Latika Joshi, 1955, the year of her marriage

My father tells this story. When I was five, my father’s mother – spooned more subji and chapatti onto my brothers’ plates than on mine. My mother stopped her. “In my house,” she said, “my daughter is equal to my sons.”


My mother – always – was my champion. She, who had an arranged marriage at 18 and three children by the age of 22, never had the choices she wanted me to have: whom to marry, when to marry, whether to have children, what to study, what to do with my life. 

I began to imagine a different life for her. What if she had been allowed to complete her B.A. before she married? What career would she have pursued? What if she had raised her children in India, and not in America – a country whose language it took her 30 years to master?


THE HENNA ARTIST is the life I imagined my mother might have lived. Lakshmi, like my mother, has blue-green eyes, lustrous hair and a creative spark. Unlike my mother, Lakshmi flees her marriage and reinvents herself as a henna artist in Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, during the heady years just after India’s independence. She defies convention. She clings fiercely to a life of her own making.


It took ten years – and a great deal of research – to write THE HENNA ARTIST. I quizzed my father and mother endlessly about the era following the British Raj (both my parents were born in the 1930s and married in 1955). I read about India’s medicinal plants, ayurvedic and aromatherapy remedies, the history of henna – how it’s made and why it’s so important in Indian culture – the British in Rajasthan, the education of girls in that era, the caste system, and how it affected the lives of those defined by it.


I traveled several times – from 2009 to 2011 – and more recently, this past February, to Jaipur, where I interviewed Rajput families, shopkeepers in the Pink City, women my age and their urban daughters, teachers at the Maharani Gayatri Devi School for Girls, ayurvedic doctors, and, of course, henna artists. I spoke at schools and colleges, asked questions, danced at glorious weddings, and drank copious cups of chai.


Lastly, I read authors whose stories took place in the years before and after India’s independence: Kamala Markandaya, Ruth Prawar Jhabwala, RK Narayan, Anita Desai, VS Naipul, Rohintin Mistry, Amitav Ghosh, Manil Suri, Thrity Umrigar, Shoba Rao. I searched for, and devoured, gorgeous fiction focused on Indian women: Nectar In A Sieve, The Age of Shiva, An Obedient Father, Cracking India, The Inheritance of Loss, Godaan, Sister of My Heart, Water, A Princess Remembers, Girls Burn Brighter, Clear Light of Day. I also read brilliant, post-colonial, works by non-Indian authors such as Jamaica Kincaid, Chinua Achebe, Khaled Hosseini, Chimamanda Adichie and Edwidge Danticat.


Although my mother did not live long enough to see the novel published, she lives in every breath Lakshmi takes and every word she utters.


Through Lakshmi, my mother revels in a world of choices she never had in life.

Coming up Monday 9/7/20 9:20am on KUCI 88.9fm - Director, Producer and Writer Varda Bar-Kar talks about her latest film, Fandango at the Wall

LISTEN or WATCH 

FANDANGO AT THE WALL follows Arturo O’Farrill, maestro Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra founder, and Kabir Sehgal, bestselling author and music producer, as they prepare to record a live album at the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Their project is inspired by the annual music festival called Fandango Fronterizo, which unites people in son jarocho's song and dance on both sides of the Tijuana-San Diego border.

Before recording, Fandango Fronterizo organizer, Jorge Francisco Castillo, takes O’Farrill and Sehgal on an inspiring journey of Veracruz, Mexico, where son jarocho, the 300-hundred-year-old folk music called combining indigenous, Spanish, and African traditions originated. As they travel to the remotest regions of the Veracruz coast, they meet legendary son jarocho musicians and artisans and recruit them for the upcoming festival. Their travels culminate at the annual border celebration, promoting peace, and celebrating unity. From executive producers, Quincy Jones, Andrew Young, Carlos Santana, producers Kabir Sehgal and Doug Davis, and director Varda Bar-Kar, the film introduces the beautiful music of the region through intimate storytelling and captivating concert footage. FANDANGO AT THE WALL is a powerful reminder of music’s ability to bridge cultural barriers.

ABOUT VARDA BAR-KAR 
director | producer | writer 
NFMLA Board Member
BIG VOICE (on Hulu, PBS SoCal, July 31 @ 8 pm)
FANDANGO AT THE WALL (coming soon)
music without borders
Ford Foundation & Miranda Foundation Grant Recipient

Consider the Power of Nature during these challenging times. Janeane features a very timely book, THE WELL-GARDENED MIND - The Restorative Power of Nature by Sue Stuart-Smith

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Sue Stuart-Smith, author of THE WELL-GARDENED MIND--a huge bestseller in England and just released here in the U.S. Sue Stuart Smith is a renowned psychiatrist and avid gardener and THE WELL-GARDENED MIND: The Restorative Power of Nature (Scribner, on-sale July 7, 2020) is an inspiring and deeply-researched exploration of the healing effects of gardening, and the long-lasting mental health benefits that can come from immersing oneself in the natural world—advice that feels particularly urgent in these challenging times.

“In this era of virtual worlds and fake facts, the garden brings us back to reality.”

--Sue Stuart-Smith

A distinguished psychiatrist and avid gardener offers an inspiring and consoling work about the healing effects of gardening and its ability to decrease stress and foster mental well-being in our everyday lives.

The garden is often seen as a refuge, a place to forget worldly cares, removed from the “real” life that lies outside. But when we get our hands in the earth we connect with the cycle of life in nature through which destruction and decay are followed by regrowth and renewal. Gardening is one of the quintessential nurturing activities and yet we understand so little about it. The Well-Gardened Mind provides a new perspective on the power of gardening to change people’s lives. Here, Sue Stuart-Smith investigates the many ways in which mind and garden can interact and explores how the process of tending a plot can be a way of sustaining an innermost self.

Stuart-Smith’s own love of gardening developed as she studied to become a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. From her grandfather’s return from World War I to Freud’s obsession with flowers to case histories with her own patients to progressive gardening programs in such places as Rikers Island prison in New York City, Stuart-Smith weaves thoughtful yet powerful examples to argue that gardening is much more important to our cognition than we think. Recent research is showing how green nature has direct antidepressant effects on humans. Essential and pragmatic, The Well-Gardened Mind is a book for gardeners and the perfect read for people seeking healthier mental lives.

“[Stuart-Smith] delivers a thoroughly researched text based on her deep and wide reading about the history of gardening, her visits to many of the therapeutic garden sites she mentions, and her interviews with many people, professionals and patients alike...Full of surprise and wonder.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

“Wise, insightful, and eloquent, Stuart-Smith’s soulful and sensitive treatise on horticulture’s healing properties is a well-positioned book for the current age of anxiety, offering a personally relevant perspective on how to cope in troubled times.”

—Booklist

“This is a life-affirming study of the special pleasures of tending your garden and growing things…[Stuart-Smith’s] heartfelt arguments for the benefits of nature and gardening for our mental health are informed by research in neuroscience and the evidence of patients who have improved through therapeutic gardening.”
—The Guardian

“Must be the most original gardening book ever”
—Sunday Times, UK

“A book so wise and comfortable that it merits a place alongside Christopher Lloyd’s The Well-Tempered Garden by the side of every bed…Her deep understanding of the human psyche makes this a perfect source text as well as an engrossing read.”
—Gardens Illustrated, UK


Drawing on her own research and that of other experts, as well as personal experience and anecdotes from history, Stuart-Smith illustrates how growing things and spending time in nature can literally be life-saving. From uplifting stories of improvement among psychiatric patients taught to grow flowers and vegetables, to extraordinary gardening initiatives in communities ranging from inner-city school districts to Rikers Island, to Wordsworth’s seeking solace in the outdoors and her own grandfather’s recovery from World War I, Stuart-Smith digs deep into the psychological benefits of growing plants—and argues that gardening can serve not simply as an “escape,” but as a critical activity to reduce stress and build self-esteem by re-connecting with the natural cycles of life and renewal.

SUE STUART-SMITH is a prominent psychiatrist and psychotherapist in England. She worked in the National Health Service for many years, becoming a lead clinician for psychotherapy. She currently teaches at the Tavistock Clinic in London and is a consultant to the DocHealth service in the U.K. She is married to Tom Stuart-Smith, a celebrated garden designer, and, over thirty years together they have created the wonderful Barn Garden in Hertfordshire, England.


More praise for THE WELL-GARDENED MIND:

“Combines observation, horticulture, literature and history…it is a book that builds, chapter by chapter… as a reference and an inspiration…there is much here to feed the soul.”

—The Times, UK

“The wisest book I’ve read in many years. You don’t have to be a gardener or own a garden to take immense solace and pleasure from this remarkable book. Dr. Stuart-Smith doesn’t presume to make absurd and extravagant claims, but everything she says about the mind (and I’ve learned so much in the way of the history of psychiatry and psychology, as well as practical tips for both mind and garden) has the ring of authenticity and truth. Hugely recommended.”
—Stephen Fry

BOMBARDIER BLOOD, a new documentary about mountaineer Chris Bombardier, the first person with hemophilia to summit Mount Everest and complete the Seven Summits.

LISTEN | WATCH Janeane's conversation with 

Director Patrick James Lynch and Chris Bombardier

Diagnosed with severe hemophilia B at birth, Chris has never let this disorder hold him back. After a pivotal trip in 2011 to work with a hemophilia treatment center in Kenya and a subsequent summit of Kilimanjaro, Chris' mission to raise awareness for the disparity of care for people with bleeding disorders via his climbs began. In January 2018, Chris became the first person with hemophilia to successfully climb the world's Seven Summits, including Mt. Everest, having raised over $100,000 and helped over 75 kids with bleeding disorders to receive sponsorships through Save One Life, an international bleeding disorders non-profit.
Bombardier Blood chronicles the remarkable journey of hemophiliac mountaineer Chris Bombardier as he embarks on a historic mission to complete the Seven Summits, and inspire an international community to help those with hemophilia around the globe.

He’s completed five of the climbs already, and is preparing for his journey to Nepal to reach the summit of the world’s tallest peak: Everest. Under the supervision of his doctors and with the support of his wife and uncle, Chris is prepared for the mountain. What he’s not prepared for are the Nepalese children with destroyed joints and the stricken mothers who have lost their sons due to the lack of medications for hemophilia.

Bombardier Blood is an intimate and unflinching portrait of one man’s perseverance and determination. With a cinematic eye, director Patrick James Lynch captures a deeply personal story that illuminates the universality of triumphing over our challenges and finding purpose in our lives.