Monday, April 26, 2021

Just posted! Dorothy Wickenden, Executive Editor at The New Yorker, bestselling author of Nothing Daunted and host of the weekly podcast The Political Scene shares her new book, The Agitators.


THE AGITATORS
By Dorothy Wickenden

Scribner; on-sale March 30, 2021



"New Yorker executive editor Wickenden brings three fascinating women to life in rich, humanizing detail ... Wickenden pulls this history out of the dry dustiness of fact and adds color and warmth to its retelling. The women of our shared past deserve more treatments like this."
--Booklist


From the intimate perspective of three friends and neighbors in mid-nineteenth century Auburn, New York—the “agitators” of the title—acclaimed author Dorothy Wickenden tells the fascinating and crucially American stories of abolition, the Underground Railroad, the early women’s rights movement, and the Civil War.

PRAISE for THE AGITATORS

"Through extensive research and fluid writing, Wickenden rescues Wright and Seward from obscurity and provides a new perspective on Tubman’s life and work. This is an essential addition to the history of American progressivism." --Publishers Weekly (starred)

"[I]n the strength of the bonds forged among Wright, Seward, and Tubman, Wickenden offers hope for a healing of old wounds and a future where "the dignity and equality of all Americans" is an authentic reality. A well-researched, sharp portrait of the “protagonists in an inside-out story about the second American revolution." --Kirkus

In THE AGITATORS: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women's Rights, Dorothy Wickenden--longtime executive editor at The New Yorker--traces the history of women's progressive politics in the US through the lives of Harriet Tubman, Martha Wright, and Frances Seward. Before women could be elected and participate in Congress, they made their impact behind closed doors--and readers get the story of abolition, the Underground Railroad, the early women's rights movement, the Civil War, and much more, told from the letters the women wrote to each other. It extends over 40 years--from the time when Tubman was still enslaved to two decades after the Civil War, in a radically changed United States.

Harriet Tubman--no-nonsense, funny, uncannily prescient, and strategically brilliant--was one of the most important conductors of the Underground Railroad and hid the enslaved men, women, and children she rescued in the basement kitchens of Martha Wright, Quaker mother of seven, and Frances Seward, wife of Governor, then Senator, then Secretary of State William H. Seward.

Harriet worked for the Union Army in South Carolina as a nurse and spy, and took part in a river raid in which 750 enslaved people were freed from rice plantations. Martha, a "dangerous woman" in the eyes of her neighbors and a harsh critic of Lincoln's policy on slavery, organized women's rights and abolitionist conventions with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Frances gave freedom seekers money and referrals and aided in their education. The most conventional of the three friends, she hid her radicalism in public; behind the scenes, she argued strenuously with her husband about the urgency of immediate abolition.

Many of the most prominent figures in the history books--Lincoln, Seward, Daniel Webster, Frederick Douglass, Charles Sumner, John Brown, Harriet Beecher Stowe, William Lloyd Garrison--are seen through the discerning eyes of the protagonists. So are the most explosive political debates: about women's roles and rights during the abolition crusade, emancipation, and the arming of Black troops; and about the true meaning of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Like Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals and David McCullough's John Adams, Wickenden's The Agitators is revelatory, riveting, and profoundly relevant to our own time.


Dorothy Wickenden is the author of Nothing Daunted and The Agitators and has been the executive editor of The New Yorker since January 1996. She also writes for the magazine and is the moderator of its weekly podcast The Political Scene. A former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, Wickenden was national affairs editor at Newsweek from 1993-1995, and before that was the longtime executive editor at The New Republic. She lives with her husband in Westchester, New York.



Praise for The Agitators:

"Through extensive research and fluid writing, Wickenden rescues Wright and Seward from obscurity and provides a new perspective on Tubman’s life and work. This is an essential addition to the history of American progressivism." --Publishers Weekly (starred)

"[I]n the strength of the bonds forged among Wright, Seward, and Tubman, Wickenden offers hope for a healing of old wounds and a future where "the dignity and equality of all Americans" is an authentic reality. A well-researched, sharp portrait of the “protagonists in an inside-out story about the second American revolution." --Kirkus



"New Yorker executive editor Wickenden brings three fascinating women to life in rich, humanizing detail ... Wickenden pulls this history out of the dry dustiness of fact and adds color and warmth to its retelling. The women of our shared past deserve more treatments like this." --Booklist


“An original portrait of three original women who muscled aside expectations, obligations, and neighborhood gossip for the sake of their consciences. Dorothy Wickenden not only resurrects these unlikely agitators but plunges us deep into their volatile world, with a supporting cast that includes Julia Ward Howe, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Abraham Lincoln. This is rich and rousing history, crisply and intimately rendered, its moral collisions vivid and vital on the page.“ —Stacy Schiff, author of Cleopatra and The Witches


“The Agitators tells the story of America before the Civil War through the lives of three women who advocated for the abolition of slavery and women’s rights as the country split apart. Harriet Tubman, Martha Coffin Wright and Frances A. Seward are the examples we need right now—another time of divisiveness and dissension over our nation’s purpose ‘to form a more perfect union.’” —Hillary Clinton


"This is an extraordinary peek into the lives of three women who courageously pushed past the tight worlds that confined them to create the bones and muscle of the freedom movements that we now know. That they walked in a land of giants – Lincoln, Lee, John Brown – is no surprise. That they knew one another, were giants themselves, and accorded second class status is no surprise either. The treat is the refreshing decency, skillful ease, and extraordinary skill with which their stories are intertwined, showing how each pressed against the seams of imprisonment with such force and resilience that their collective song continues to resonate today. That is why Dorothy Wickenden is one of the deans of our game." —James McBride


“When writing about the Civil War era, focus is everything: how it is seen depends entirely on who is seeing it. In The Agitators, Dorothy Wickenden has fortunately chosen three brilliantly engaging characters. The result is unexpected, original, and profoundly illuminating.” —S.C. Gwynne, author of Hymns of the Republic and Rebel Yell


"Inspiring and important – and a rousing good read – The Agitators reminds us how, even in the darkest of times, there is light. And when a few fierce women join forces against that darkness, they can win." —Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle


"As a revolutionary, Harriet Tubman made many allies, none more important than her Auburn, New York, neighbors Martha Wright and Frances Seward. Wright, a middle-class Quaker, and Seward, the wealthy wife of a famous statesman, learned their activism from the abolition and women's rights movements that surrounded them, as well as from Tubman's incomparable example. This is a unique, lyrically written, exhaustively researched, triple biography of epic proportions about three women, mothers and organizers all, woven into a single narrative about their activist struggles before and during the Civil War. Their lives burst from these pages, as do the crusades that began the liberation of African Americans and women across the nineteenth century. Wickenden possesses a novelist's eye for detail and a historian's passion for story, in a book about women with no formal political rights who changed their world." —David W. Blight, Yale University, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom


"Dorothy Wickenden seamlessly weaves together the lives of her protagonists with the times that influenced them, and that they in turn profoundly affected. Vivid, enlightening, and engrossing, here is the story of three women who are fixtures of history but whose relevance to the present could scarcely be more apparent." —Jelani Cobb, Professor at the Columbia School of Journalism and the author of The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Angela Howard shares details on her debut memoir, Sin Child (March 31, 2021). Her powerful memoir illustrates her tumultuous journey through childhood, themes of survival, and resiliency.


Angela Howard, on her debut memoir, Sin Child (March 31, 2021). Angela’s story is one of tragedy and loss that left her suffering from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), a type of PTSD. Despite her traumatic upbringing, Angela was able to catapult herself into a life of advocacy for herself and others experiencing ACE and PTSD, and continues to utilize her platform through her writing.


Angela talks about: 

Adverse Childhood Experiences, and the meaning of ACE scores

The correlation between childhood abuse and PTSD

Her experiences as a nurse and psychiatric nurse

The need victims feel to forgive or “put things right” with their abusers

The term “sin child,” which her estranged, conservative Mennonite family members use to describe children born out of wedlock


ABOUT THE BOOK

Sin Child is the personal account of a strong-minded child who endured a daily struggle to find the smallest amount of acceptance and, many times, a place to fall asleep at night. Angela came to accept loss, abuse, and organized crime as a natural part of her life. The innocence and nostalgia of a one-traffic-light town fades too fast for the cotton-top child with a neglectful, angry mother and an absent father. The AIDS epidemic and simple abandonment repeatedly robbed her of friends and loved ones. A riveting memoir, Sin Child tells the story of childhood trauma and abandonment, alongside a narrative of grit and determination.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela Howard is a first-time author and the founder of PTSD-ACED Foundation, Inc. Angela is a registered nurse and has worked in the medical field for the past 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and certifications in Life Care Planning and Medical Case Management. She is highly impacted by the adverse effects of PTSD secondary to ACEs. She herself has overcome extreme adverse childhood experiences with the highest ACE score of 10. Angela’s health has been adversely affected as she suffers from multiple autoimmune disorders. Angela’s desire is to bring increased awareness of ACEs by educating those affected and individuals in medical and educational fields.

WOMEN IN WHITE COATS by Olivia Campbell, a book about the little-known true story of three pioneering women who fought to become the first women doctors, revolutionizing healthcare forever! A powerfully illuminating read for fans of The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks and Hidden Figures.


THE TRUE STORY OF THREE PIONEERING VICTORIAN WOMEN WHO BROKE DOWN BARRIERS IN MEDICINE TO BECOME THE FIRST WOMEN DOCTORS

WOMEN IN WHITE COATS

How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine

by Olivia Campbell


With the passing of trailblazing women’s rights activist Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, many anxiously look to the future for the fate of women’s healthcare. Ginsburg unequivocally changed women’s healthcare rights, and continued to fight for them through her final days. Just as many of this generation’s women vow to pick up the torch for the “Notorious RBG,” Ginsburg too followed in the revolutionary footsteps of her predecessors. Medical journalist Olivia Campbell sheds a brilliant light on such champions with WOMEN IN WHITE COATS, the little-known true story of three pioneering Victorian women who fought to become the first women doctors, revolutionizing healthcare forever.

With gripping storytelling based on the extensive correspondence and access to archival documents, Campbell expertly unearths a number relatively unsung, yet groundbreaking moments in history:

THE HEROINE WOMEN DESPERATELY NEEDED. Campbell introduces us to Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, who had no intention of studying medicine until her friend, Mary Donaldson, begged her to become a lady doctor. Mary was dying from uterine cancer that went undetected because, like so many Victorian women, she felt uncomfortable being examined by a male doctor.


OUTMANEUVERING THE PATRIARCHY. Medicine was newly regulated in the 1800s, requiring doctors to receive formal training to be allowed to practice. Even though women have worked as healers since ancient times, men in the Victorian age found the idea of a lady doctor to be ludicrous. So much so, that when New York Geneva's medical students were asked in 1847 if Elizabeth Blackwell could attend their lectures, they believed it to be a joke from a rival school and said yes. Their dismissive attitude allowed Elizabeth Blackwell the access to study and the opportunity to become the first woman ever to earn a medical degree.


A COMPLICATED FRIENDSHIP WITH FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE. Campbell reveals details on how Blackwell’s dear friend, the world-famous Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale, played an instrumental and supportive role early in Backwell’s career. And how Nightingale’s firm belief that women should be content to be nurses eventually drove a wedge in the friendship.

WOMEN IN WHITE COATS follows Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell's exceptional journey into medicine, as she was joined by Dr. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Dr. Sophia Jex-Blake, each going to extraordinary lengths to earn a medical degree. Together, these women founded the first-ever women run hospitals and teaching colleges, providing resources and a path for other women pursuing medicine to follow.

About the Author

Olivia Campbell is a journalist and author specializing in medicine and women; her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, and New York Magazine/The Cut, among others. Her debut nonfiction book, Women in White Coats, is due out from HarperCollins/Park Row Books in March 2021.





About Park Row Books

Park Row Books was launched in 2017 and is dedicated to publishing a selective list of voice-driven and thought-provoking books across a variety of genres, from book club fiction and literary suspense to historical novels and narrative nonfiction. Park Row is an exciting and innovative destination for literary writers who want a boutique publishing experience with the support of a powerhouse commercial publisher.

Like the Manhattan street after which it is named, and which was once the home of New York’s many newspapers, Park Row takes immense pride in fostering free expression, inclusive ideas and diverse voices.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Martha Beck is a bestselling author, life coach, and speaker who specializes in helping individuals and groups achieve greater levels of personal and professional success. She is the author of nine non-fiction books and one novel, and has contributed monthly to O, The Oprah Magazine since its inception. She holds a PhD in sociology from Harvard. She chatted with Janeane about her new book, THE WAY OF INTEGRITY: Finding the Path to Your True Self


THE WAY OF INTEGRITY:

Finding the Path to Your True Self

By Martha Beck




Martha Beck, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving the Saints, Expecting Adam, and Finding Your Own North Star writes in her new book: “Integrity is the cure for psychological suffering. Period.” Her new book is a step-by-step guide anyone can use to find a sense of purpose, emotional healing, and a life free of mental suffering. Beck shares how to achieve harmony within ourselves and explains why integrity is the key to a meaningful and joyful life.

The New York Times bestselling author of Leaving the Saints, Expecting Adam, and Finding Your Own North Star Martha Beck returns with a new book on achieving harmony within ourselves, THE WAY OF INTEGRITY: Finding the Path to Your True Self (The Open Field/Penguin Life; On Sale: April 13, 2021; Hardcover; $26). A book uniquely suited for our troubled times, THE WAY OF INTEGRITY explains why integrity is the key to a meaningful and joyful life.

As Beck says in the book, “Integrity is the cure for psychological suffering. Period.” THE WAY OF INTEGRITY is a step-by-step guide anyone can use to find a sense of purpose, emotional healing, and a life free of mental suffering. THE WAY OF INTEGRITY explains that our culture teaches us specific rules for navigating society successfully, and in following these rules, we begin to split ourselves from our essential beings, our deepest truths. That’s what it looks like to lose our integrity, and to regain it is to recover that deep truth and become whole again­—even if it risks alienation from others. To help us find our way back to full integrity, Beck uses an unlikely guidebook: Dante’s The Divine Comedy (which she calls “the first great self-help book”). Using Dante’s classic hero’s journey as a framework, Beck breaks down the process of attaining personal integrity into small, manageable steps, and demonstrates how to read our internal signals to lead us towards our true path.

Beck teaches readers how to return to their deepest truth by following the stages that Dante takes:

  • Starting in The Dark Wood of Error (where we don’t feel great, but we don’t know why)
  • Entering The Inferno (where we will have to identify and lose our false beliefs)
  • Moving through Purgatory (where we begin to follow our truth in the real world—and deal with the backlash)
  • Arriving in Paradise (where what you wish for appears almost miraculously)

Beck spent a decade at Harvard before becoming a life coach, and is also a renowned public speaker—you can watch her TED Talk on the technologies of magic here. Beck has been a regular columnist for O: The Oprah Magazine, and has contributed to Real Simple and Redbook. Using techniques developed with d hundreds of her clients, Beck brings her expertise as a social scientist, life coach, and human being to help readers uncover what integrity looks like in their own lives. She takes us on a spiritual adventure that will not only change the direction of our lives, but bring us to a place of genuine happiness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Martha Beck is a bestselling author, life coach, and speaker who specializes in helping individuals and groups achieve greater levels of personal and professional success. She is the author of nine non-fiction books and one novel, and has contributed monthly to O, The Oprah Magazine since its inception. She holds a PhD in sociology from Harvard.


Saturday, April 17, 2021

Producer, writer, actor, director, and Hollywood executive Nate Barlow talks about his experimental documentary A Brief History of Hollywood with host Janeane Bernstein



Nate graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, but quickly rejected an engineering career to be a filmmaker in Los Angeles. He has since worn many hats in entertainment, from producer to writer, actor, director, and executive. Most recently he directed the experimental documentary A Brief History of Hollywood, currently playing the festival circuit, and co-produced the feature documentary The Water of Life about the craft of scotch whisky. Previously he wrote the Meghan Markle-starrer Random Encounters and produced & directed Tales From Beyond starring Adam West, which won several awards on the film festival circuit.

SYNOPSIS

A billboard. Simply a billboard.

Long before it became the symbol of the movie industry, the Hollywood Sign had another, more prosaic purpose — an (admittedly blockbuster-sized) advertisement for a housing development.

Over the years, of course, the world took notice, and the status of the former Hollywoodland Sign evolved, as did the film industry that the soon-to-be Hollywood Sign came to represent.

Beyond the show business iconography, however, the story of the Hollywood Sign — its ups & downs, modifications, decay, and reconstruction — is a reflection of the times, the story of a town, an industry, a country.

Sometimes a sign is not simply a sign.



Two histories intertwined…

The histories of the Hollywood Sign and of the Hollywood industry, visually interwoven.


-----

NateBarlow.com • @NateBarlow
Director • A Brief History of Hollywood - trailer
BriefHistoryofHollywood.com • @HllywdSignFilm
Co-Producer • The Water of Life
WaterofLifeFilm.com • @WaterofLifeFilm

For the first time ever, over 40 agencies from around the world have come together to help create make|SHIFT, the groundbreaking new documentary on the advertising industry. This film about adaptability in the face of a constantly changing digital landscape, daring to say “yes” before something is completely ready, and stretching ideas to new applications is more relevant than ever in the face of the global pandemic.

make|SHIFT, the groundbreaking new documentary on the advertising industry. 

ADVERTISING MEETS TECHNOLOGY. EVERYTHING CLICKS.

AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS ON MARCH 30

KUCI's Janeane Bernstein speaks with
Casey Suchan and Tim Cawley
about their film, make|SHIFT








Make|SHIFT is a documentary film by WP Engine exploring the art and science behind the advertising industry's 20+ year evolution. Hear from a range of industry leaders from developers to designers to creative directors to founders at some of the most innovative agencies in the world, both small and large, digital and traditional. The film takes an inside look at how these makers and agencies have shifted and re-shifted their skillsets, creativity, and businesses, as new creative technologies emerged, declined, and were replaced by the next technology in an endless cycle of change. Make|SHIFT shines light on this beautifully frustrating pattern, and celebrates the makers that have embraced the shift...and in doing so, helped drive the internet forward.

Make|SHIFT was directed by Casey Suchan and Tim Cawley. The film was produced by Mary Ellen Dugan, David Fossas, Carley Thompson, Jeremy Coon, Barry Poltermann, Denise Roberts McKee, and Dorothy Urlich. Make|SHIFT has a running time of 76 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.


Gravitas Ventures will release make|SHIFT on digital platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Fandango Now and all major cable/satellite platforms on March 30.

To view the trailer, go to: https://youtu.be/fXy1I3ySWXw


For more information, go to: https://makeshift.film


Social Media Handles:
Instagram: @makeshift_film
Twitter: @makeshift_film
Facebook: @makeshiftmovie


Friday, April 16, 2021

Alan Gratz is one of today's bestselling children's authors of books inspired by history--Scholastic Press is proud to publish GROUND ZERO by Alan Gratz (on sale February 2, 2021; ages 9-12)








The instant #1 New York Times bestseller.

In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear -- and the stunning links between the past and present.

Alan Gratz is one of today's bestselling children's authors of books inspired by history--Scholastic Press is proud to publish GROUND ZERO by Alan Gratz (on sale February 2, 2021; ages 9-12). Any American adult can tell you where they were on 9/11. However, a new generation of Americans don’t have that memory. To them, the horrific events of that day are simply history. In time for the twentieth anniversary, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear – and the stunning links between the past and present.


September 11, 2001, New York City: Brandon is visiting his dad at work, on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center. Out of nowhere, an airplane slams into the tower, creating a fiery nightmare of terror and confusion. And Brandon is in the middle of it all. Can he survive -- and escape?


September 11, 2020, Afghanistan: Reshmina has grown up in the shadow of war, but she dreams of peace and progress. When a battle erupts in her village, Reshmina stumbles upon a wounded American soldier named Taz. Should she help Taz -- and put herself and her family in mortal danger?


Two kids. One devastating day. Nothing will ever be the same.


Says Alan Gratz: “For all its horrors, 9/11 is also the story of people coming together to help one another in a time of crisis. And for all the death and destruction the war has brought to Afghanistan, it has also meant the end of the Taliban as the country’s official rulers, and more freedom for women and girls. GROUND ZERO explores these contradictions, highlighting how people are often at their best when the worst happens and how impossible it is to make the right decision when both outcomes are unacceptable. These are universal experiences that ignore nationality and religion and culture—challenges that unite us as human beings—and I believe that fiction helps young people understand these big, scary topics and empathize with the people enduring them.”




“The year 2021 will mark the twenty-year anniversary of 9/11. Will it also mark the twenty-year anniversary of the war in Afghanistan? Time will tell. One way or another, we still live in a world reshaped and redefined by what happened in those 102 frightful minutes on a bright blue September morning in 2001. It’s more important than ever to help new generations understand how we got from there to where we are today.”


ALAN GRATZ is the New York Times bestselling author of several highly acclaimed books for young readers, including Allies, Grenade, Projekt 1065, Prisoner B-3087, and Code of Honor. His novel Refugee is often referred to as a modern classic, and has remained on The New York Times bestseller list for over two years. Alan lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter. Look for him online at alangratz.com.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

ORANGE COUNTY MUSIC AND DANCE LAUNCHES OPERATION GIG, A NEW PROGRAM TO HELP VETERANS COPE WITH COVID-19 STRESS. OCMD CEO Doug Freeman talks about OPERATION GIG, the unique musical program to be held in Orange County's Great Park. He is joined by Jimmy Perez, one of the musically talented vets in the program, who shares how playing the piano changed his life..

Veterans in particular have been especially hard hit by the rigorous demands of quarantine and the social isolation that goes with it. Beginning in April, Orange County Music and Dance will launch a new program, Operation Gig, to help veterans, their families, and the community, cope with the unprecedented stress and consequences resulting from the current COVID-19 health crisis. Orange County Music and Dance has teamed up with Rock For Vets for the unique musical program, to be held in Orange County's Great Park.

KUCI's host Janeane spoke with OCMD CEO Doug Freeman and Jimmy Perez, one of the vets who will participate in the Operation Gig program!  






ORANGE COUNTY MUSIC AND DANCE LAUNCHES OPERATION GIG, A NEW PROGRAM TO HELP VETERANS COPE WITH COVID-19 STRESS.

Calling all vets…get ready to rock…

Beginning in April, Orange County Music and Dance, (OCMD) will launch Operation Gig a new program designed to help veterans cope with the unprecedented stress and devastating consequences resulting from the current COVID-19 health crisis.

During this challenging time, veterans and their families are experiencing a disproportionate level of stress and risk. Veterans have been especially hard hit by the rigorous demands of quarantine and the social isolation that goes with it.

In response, OCMD has created an important new musical program to help veterans, and the community at large, cope, heal and thrive again. The program is totally free to all participants and provides the rare opportunity to join a band, for those who so desire. Spouses, family members, and children 16 years of age or older, are also allowed and encouraged to participate.

Operation Gig is a program designed specifically for military veterans and those still on active duty. To enhance the eight-week program, OCMD has teamed up with the well- known non-profit Rock For Vets, founded by Frank Mcllquham. Operation Gig features three different options for participation: Learn, which offers eight 60 minute group classes for beginners (no experience necessary) or those who need a refresher; Jam, which includes weekly 90-minute jam sessions for instrumentalists who want to play, while improving their skills and enjoying the companionship of other like-minded musicians; and Band, for experienced players who want to collaborate with others and perform in front of an audience.

The goal is to provide the sense of camaraderie and bring back the ‘esprits de corps’ that’s been missing for so many during lockdown and quarantine.

“As a non-profit performing arts school, part of our mission is transforming lives through music. We know that music heals. Studies show it decreases anxiety and agitation, reduces depression, and provides a safe and enjoyable emotional release. It takes us to another place where pressures are relieved, our minds are cleared, and our bodies relax. Music is a universal language that everyone relates to and we want to use it to help heal the community,” stated Doug Freeman, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OCMD.

“At Rock For Vets we are dedicated to improving the lives of veterans, at-risk youths, and other groups, through music education. Music is one of the best means to recreate the rare bond and solidarity that vets have with each other. We believe these programs can be beneficial not only to vets, but the entire community,” explained RFV founder Mcllquham.

Operation Gig will supply participants with everything they need, (including professional coaches, instruments if necessary, lessons and instruction, and eight, weekly 60-minute classes or 90-minute rehearsal sessions, to be held outdoors at Orange County’s Great Park.) And whether you’re a little bit country--or a little bit rock ’n roll—or a little bit something else--band members are free to play any genre of music they choose, from classic rock, to jazz, blues, country, or anything else. At the culmination of the program, the veteran bands will perform in several outdoor community concerts to be held at various sites within the Great Park.

All appropriate Covid safety measures will be strictly enforced during each class, rehearsal and concert performance.

So if lockdown brought out the secret desire you’ve always had to ‘release your inner rockstar’, play guitar like Van Halen, sing the blues like B.B. King, or belt out a song like a Broadway star, now is your chance. Join us to make some music, make some friends, and just have some fun again, in a safe environment and supportive community. 

 For more information, and to register, please visit www.ocmusicdance.org or e-mail Maranda@ocmusicdance.org, or call (949)-386-8336


ABOUT DOUG FREEMAN

Mr. Freeman comes his role as CEO of OC Music and Dance after a long career as a lawyer, businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist. He served in a variety of capacities within the nonprofit field, including Board Chair of the Pacific Symphony, where he is now a Lifetime Trustee, and Board Member now Trustee Emeritus, at the California Institute of the Arts.

During his long career, Doug provided strategic planning and organizational management advice for business, nonprofit, foundation, and family clients throughout the United States. He has received a number of awards and recognition, among them inclusion in the Orange County Business Journal's list of the 500 Most Influential People in Orange County (2016, 2020). In 2019 he was the recipient of the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which recognizes individuals whose mission is to generously share their knowledge, compassion, unique talents and, gifts with those less fortunate. Doug is the founder of National Philanthropy Day, proclaimed by Congress, signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and celebrated throughout the United States.

ABOUT JIMMY PEREZ
Jimmy Perez is one of the vets who will participate in the program. He spent 10 years in the Army before being discharged for medical reasons. He has undergone extensive therapy for PTSD, but his story, and his life, was changed by a piano.


Monday, April 12, 2021

Tune in 4/12/21 at 9:40am pst to hear about the acclaimed TIFF Documentary ‘UNDERPLAYED’ - this outstanding film debuts on the AMAZON MUSIC MOBILE APP and AMAZON PRIME VIDEO - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. Janeane speaks with Director Stacey Lee about this powerful film!




ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY ‘UNDERPLAYED’ TO BECOME AVAILABLE ON THE AMAZON MUSIC MOBILE APP AND AMAZON PRIME VIDEO ON MONDAY, MARCH 8 - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY






The Amazon Music Twitch Channel to Host Live Release-Day Roundtable at 6 pm PST / 9 pm EST on Women in Electronic Music; Featuring Some of the Biggest Names in EDM and Underplayed Director Stacey Lee

Underplayed is a rousing film that focuses on the gender, ethnic, and sexual inequality issues within the electronic music industry and the female DJ’s who have risen to the top in spite of it all

WATCH THE TRAILER NOW

100% FRESH ON ROTTEN TOMATOES

World Premiere – 2020 Toronto International Film Festival

Official Selection – 2020 Tribeca Film Festival



Electronic music was born from the ideals of diversity, community, and inclusivity; yet in 2019 only 7% of Billboard’s Top 100 DJs were women. They make up less than 3% of production and technical roles in the music industry. For women of color, it's less than 0.3%. Filmed over the summer festival season, Underplayed (underplayedthefilm.com ) presents a portrait of the current status of the gender, ethnic, and sexual equality issues through the lens of the female pioneers, next-generation artists, and industry leaders who are championing the change, and inspiring a more diverse pool of role models for future generations.

An official selection of both the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, Underplayed features NERVO, Rezz, Alison Wonderland, Tygapaw, TOKiMONSTA with an original score composed by Kate Simko.

Underplayed will have its global on demand release on Monday, March 8. In the U.S. and abroad, the film will be become available in the Amazon Music mobile app for Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music HD subscribers, as well as on Amazon Prime Video at no additional cost to Prime members. The film will also be released in Canada on the same day via Crave. The Amazon Music Twitch Channel will host a live release-day roundtable at 6 pm PST / 9 pm EST on women in electronic music featuring Underplayed director Stacey Lee, some of the biggest DJs in electronic music, all moderated by Twitch’s premium content manager Valerie Lee.

The impetus for the documentary came to light during the 2018 Bud Light House Party Tour, when Bud Light Canada sat down with artists from diverse backgrounds and genres to learn about the evolution of their careers, and their unique experiences in recording, touring, and performing. Key conversations with female DJs exposed a striking gender inequality in the space, and further research substantiated their experiences.

Hammer to Nail film critic Christopher Reed called the film " a welcome wake-up call for better inclusion and diversity."

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

"When the pioneering godmothers of electronic music first began tinkering away in their scientific labs back in the 50s and 60s, they could never have imagined their little back room experiments would make way for a blossoming 8 billion dollar global industry today. Nor could they have foreseen how drastically its very creative, egalitarian roots would transmute from an open experimental playing field, to an industry dominated by a one-dimensional male point of view. This is a universal theme, and sadly one that I can personally relate to as a “female” filmmaker in a heavily male field. I empathize and understand the frustration of having to fight harder to be considered for jobs “because there aren’t as many good female directors,” to turn a deaf ear to the belief that women “can’t be technical”, that we don’t deserve equal pay, or in my instance, hiding my pregnancy beneath an oversized blazer so I wouldn’t jeopardize my chances of securing jobs."

"When I learned about the shared plight of the women in electronic music, I saw a necessity to tell a story that speaks to the deeply personal and very human impact of this global issue. That transcends the music space, and speaks to the collective experience of so many working women today from film to politics and beyond."

"Ultimately Underplayed raises the question; do we want our ears to be controlled by logarithms, safe bets and preconceived formulas...or become a space that is radically free to sound as rich, diverse and ever- changing as the world around us? The hope is for Underplayed to stimulate the conversation needed to break down the systematic bias’ and bring electronic music back to its open, diverse and fiercely experimental roots. To remind us that equality isn’t about one side defeating the other, but by all sides coming together for the greater good. Because the more we can lift each other up, the more we all have to gain."

– Stacey Lee, Director

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Stacey Lee, Director
Born in New Zealand, Stacey Lee’s work focuses on humanity, music, and movement. Her documentary short Live Fast Draw Yung premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2015, winning awards in Atlanta and Tacoma. She was recently shortlisted for the Cannes Young Directors Award and selected as part of the DGA/AICP Diversity Showcase. Underplayed is her feature debut.

ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Bud Light, Executive Producer
As a sponsor of music events and parties across the globe, Bud Light Canada recognized a problem in the music space: a major lack of diversity and inclusion. Underplayed was born through a vision to bring more awareness to the many and complicated issues that have led to the current state, and help drive change within the industry.

Director X, Executive Producer
Director X is the protégé of pioneering hip hop director Hype Williams, and has been noted for directing high-budget, visually distinctive videos for popular artists, including Drake, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Usher, John Mayer, Korn, Iggy Azalea and many more.

Taj Critchlow - Executive Producer
Born in Toronto, Taj Critchlow is a multifaceted entrepreneur: a talent manager, film and television producer, and creative consultant. His company, Karoshi Management, represents some of today's most culturally relevant filmmakers such as Director X, Karena Evans and RT! Taj is also the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Fela - a new age production company specializing in authentic cultural storytelling. In 2018, Taj began the next phase in his career, working as an Executive Producer on Director X's Joel Silver-produced feature film, Superfly.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER

William Crouse, Producer
A Brooklyn-based producer, Crouse's documentary films have played at SXSW, DOC NYC, Hamptons International Film Festival, and New Orleans Film Festival. HIs 2019 film Lowland Kids won Audience Award for Best Documentary at Palm Springs ShortFest and was nominated for the Cinema Eye Honors for Outstanding Achievement in a Nonfiction Short.

ABOUT LEVELFILM

Based in Toronto, Canada, levelFILM is the entertainment distribution company behind feature films such as Les Misérables, The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Assistant, Military Wives, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Firecrackers, and The Dissident. Founded in 2013, levelFILM is a full service distributor who specializes in acquiring, developing, marketing and selling quality independent films. Between a growing catalogue of high-quality films and a number of projects in various stages of development, levelFILM’s goal is to create balance both on-screen and off.

The company is maintaining a diversified slate of films across all genres that are both highly marketable and captivatingly original, while leveraging both traditional distribution tactics and digital strategies that are as innovative as effective as the films they support.

Coming up 4/12/21 at 9:15am pst - Dr. Michele Borba, Ed.D. joins host Janeane Bernstein to talk about her latest book, Thrivers. Dr. Borba is the bestselling author of UnSelfie. She explains why the old markers of accomplishment (grades, test scores) are no longer reliable predictors of success in the 21st century -- and offers 7 teachable traits that will safeguard our kids for the future



DR. MICHELE BORBA, Ed. D. chats with Janeane Bernstein about her new book, Thrivers.




In Thrivers, Dr. Borba offers practical, actionable ways to develop these traits in children from preschool through high school, showing how to teach kids how to cope today so they can thrive tomorrow.


Michele Borba has been a teacher, educational consultant, and parent for 40 years -- and she's never been more worried than she is about this current generation of kids. The high-achieving students she talks with every day are more accomplished, better educated, and more privileged than ever before. They're also more stressed, unhappier, and struggling with anxiety, depression, and burnout at younger and younger ages -- "we're like pretty packages with nothing inside," said one young teen.

Thrivers are different: they flourish in our fast-paced, digital-driven, often uncertain world. Why? In her new book, THRIVERS: The Surprising Reason Why Some Kids Struggle While Others Shine, Dr. Borba combed scientific studies on resilience, spoke to dozens of researchers/experts in the field and interviewed more than 100 young people from all walks of life, and she found something surprising: the difference between those who struggle and those who succeed comes down not to grades or test scores, but to seven character traits that set Thrivers apart (and set them up for happiness and greater accomplishment later in life). These traits--confidence, empathy, self-control, integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism--will allow kids to roll with the punches and succeed in life. And the even better news: these traits can be taught to children at any age...in fact, parents and educations must do so.



In an interview, Michele Borba can discuss:


· The areas that our kids are REALLY falling behind in after a year out of school (Hint: It’s not just academics!)

· Why we must re-set outdated parenting agendas and follow science

· How to raise optimistic kids in a pessimistic world

· Tools to help kids curb anxiety and cope in anxious times

· Six ways to help social-distanced kids learn empathy

· Why we should let kids fail so that they can thrive in an over-parented culture

· The importance of focusing on WHO a kid is – not WHAT you want them to be.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michele Borba, Ed. D., is the author of UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About Me World, and is an internationally renowned educational psychologist and an expert in parenting, bullying, and character development. She is a regular NBC contributor who appears regularly on Today and has been featured as an expert on Dateline, The View, Dr. Phil, NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, Dr. Oz, and The Early Show, among many others. She lives in Palm Springs, California, with her husband, and is the mother of three grown sons.

Coming up 4/12 at 9:00am - Writer/Director D.Mitry speaks with Janeane about his debut feature film, MY TRUE FAIRYTALE, opening in theaters and on demand April 9th from Gravitas Ventures


MY TRUE FAIRYTALE

In Theaters & On Demand April 9th

Driven by his own deeply personal story of losing his young daughter to a car accident, writer/director D.Mitry’s debut feature is a charming and uplifting tragedy that reminds us that we all have the power to be our own superheroes if we embrace the power of love.  

LISTEN to the conversation between D.Mitry and host Janeane 




Inspired by True Events

Writer/Director: D.Mitry

Cast:
Emma Kennedy, Bruce Davison, Joanna Cassidy, Darri Ingolfsson, BJ Mitchell, Morgan Lindholm, Mark Daugherty, Juliana Destefano, Arnold Chun, Taylor Cole and Corin Nemec

A terrific balance between the mysterious and hopeful, MY TRUE FAIRYTALE follows Angie Goodwin, a 17-year-old who vanishes after a horrific accident in the close-knit town of Gardenland, FL. As the police, her family, and friends search for her, she embarks on her own mysterious journey to “save the world” and fulfill her childhood fantasy of becoming...a superhero. 

Angie discovers that she has incredible abilities and looks for ways to help everyone, as those around her deal with her disappearance. Driven by his own deeply personal story of losing his young daughter to a car accident, writer/director D.Mitry’s debut feature is a mystical and uplifting tragedy that reminds us that we all have the power to be our own superheroes if we embrace the power of love.

Genre:
Mystery, Thriller, Teen-Drama




Sunday, April 11, 2021

REEFA, a true story written and directed by Jessica Kavana Dornbusch


REEFA

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

STARRING TYLER DEAN FLORES, GEORGE SEAR, CLARA McGREGOR, CINTHYA CARMONA, & RICARDO CHAVIRA

OPENING ON DEMAND APRIL 16








REEFA is based on the true story of Israel "Reefa" Hernandez Jr., an 18-year-old Colombian immigrant and art prodigy, who is spending his last summer in Miami with friends, family and his new girl Frankie before moving to New York City on an art scholarship. While Israel and his friends skateboard the city streets and spray-paint the walls of Wynwood, Miami’s graffiti Mecca, anxieties emerge twofold: Israel and his family nervously await their Green Cards while he desperately seeks recognition for his art. When Israel decides to spray paint one last wall, a piece which would command immediate respect from his peers, a sudden encounter with a vengeful Miami police officer leaves his family and friends devastated, the Miami community outraged, and the country reeling from another case of police brutality.

REEFA was written and directed by Jessica Kavana Dornbusch (Love and Debate). The film has a running time of 96 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA. Vertical Entertainment will release REEFA on VOD / Digital Platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, On Demand, FandangoNow and all major cable/satellite platforms on April 16, 2021.


During Mental Illness Awareness Week from October 6 – 12 and World Mental Health Day on October 10, NAMI is highlighting our workplace mental health. Learn about NAMI StigmaFree, download key resources, and share on your social media.

About Mental Illness Awareness Week Everyone is impacted by mental health conditions – including the friends, family, and coworkers who don’...