LIVE on KUCI - 7/17/24 9:00am - Janeane chats with Producer Jay Silverman about his latest film CAMERA, starring Beau Bridges

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‘CAMERA’ starring Beau Bridges, centers around a young mute boy who uses an old film camera to express his point of view, with the help of his eccentric mentor (Bridges)


Check out the trailer, and more:
https://www.jaysilvermanproductions.com/camera

Release date: July 23rd on VOD



About the Film
CAMERA is the heartwarming story of loss, hope, and healing, following a mute 9-year-old — OSCAR — who just moved with his widowed mom to a struggling fishing town. Picked on and bullied, nobody realizes that Oscar sees great beauty where others only see despair. Nobody, that is, until a broken camera brings him together with ERIC, an eccentric old repairman, and an unlikely friendship develops. Under Eric’s mentorship, Oscar finds his voice through photography, and in doing so, heals a wounded community.


About the Cast
Starring Beau Bridges (Dreaming’ Wild), Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash), Bruce Davison (1923), Scotty Tovar (Finestkind), Ross Partridge (Daisy Jones & The Six), Jorge-Luis Pallo (Father Stu), Ezekiel Bridges (Goliath), Ayinde Howell (For All Mankind), and introducing Miguel Gabriel (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish).

About Jay Silverman

For over 40 years, Jay Silverman has excelled as a leading Director, Producer, and Photographer specializing in award-winning films, television, digital, and print campaigns.

Jay’s narrative films have been awarded numerous Best Feature and Audience Awards at festivals across the country. His current dramatic feature ‘Camera’, stars Golden Globe, Emmy, and Grammy Award Winner Beau Bridges, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Scotty Tovar, Bruce Davison, and Miguel Gabriel. It will be released on Amazon and iTunes on July 23rd, 2024. 

His first was the multi-award-winning dramatic feature “Girl on the Edge”, starring Peter Coyote, Taylor Spreitler, Mackenzie Phillips, Elizabeth Peňa, Gil Bellows, Rex Lee, Amy Davidson, and Amy Price Francis that premiered on Showtime. His second is the charming romantic comedy “Off the Menu” starring Dania Ramirez, Tony Award Winner Santino Fontana, Makenzie Moss, and Maria Conchita Alonso, which premiered on HBO & Amazon. His third is the true story drama “Saving Paradise” starring William Moseley, Johnna Braddy, Mary Pat Gleason, Bill Cobbs, Paul Dooley, and James Eckhouse currently on Tubi and Amazon.

Jay also Co-Created and Executive Produced “The Cleaner." an hour-long drama for Paramount Pictures, which aired on A & E about an extreme interventionist.

For his commercial work, Jay was honored with Belding, Telly, Premix, and Lucy Awards. In addition, he has also been recognized for his achievements in creating and producing many national PSA campaigns for the American Cancer Society, the Foundation for the Junior Blind, the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, and the Sierra Club. Jay also produced and directed a one-hour special titled "Inside the Rings with Troy Aikman" airing on Fox before the 2011 Super Bowl to much success. He has worked with renowned celebrities such as Denzel Washington, Beyonce, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Jordan, and Ray Charles. His advertising clients include IBM, Coors, Panasonic, Disney, Budweiser, CBS, ABC, Pepsi & Apple.

Some of his early directorial work was for the original launches of the smash hit TV series “American Idol", “Desperate Housewives", "NYPD Blues", "Drew Carey Show" and many more.

A graduate of Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara with a Master of Science Degree, Jay founded Jay Silverman Productions in 1979 in Hollywood, California, and built a 40,000-square-foot facility including 3 sound stages.

Jay currently lives in Los Angeles, California, and has three wonderful daughters.
View Jay’s Career Photography Highlights Here: Photography Portfolio 


BETHANY CERRONA - PRODUCER

With over 15 years of industry experience, Bethany brings her unique talent for storytelling by discovering and developing new projects at Jay Silverman Productions. She oversees all films at every stage from development through final release for films “Girl on the Edge”, “Off The Menu”, and the upcoming “Saving Paradise”. She is an alumnus of Loyola Marymount University School of Film & Television.

Coming up 7/10 at 9:00am PT - Jacqueline Gay Walley calls in to talk about her new book The WAW

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"In this wonderful new novel by Gay Walley, a

woman makes her own mystery in an English

village completely unlike her life in New

York....Walley, also a playwright, is a master

of erotic tension."

—Terese Svoboda, author of Roxy and Coco and The Long Swim

"There are people who do not settle in one place, but are like the nomadic tribes of the desert, who long for the Waw, the ultimate oasis, where they will finally be home."


So begins Jacqueline Gay Walley’s ninth novel, THE WAW (Etruscan Press | June), in which a woman leaves her New York life behind to follow the beautiful image of a small English town by the sea. Why? She does not quite know, and when asked gives inexplicably different answers as she ponders the town's magnetic pull and plots her complicated departure.

Once living in England, she finds herself in love and surrounded by remarkable people with whom she explores the gifts of solitude coupled with the gifts of community. Is this village the oasis she'd been roaming for her entire life?

Connecting with the beauty of the place and people through music, love, and dignity, this new nomad is stripped down to her essence as she seeks to find her true home.

In an interview, Walley discusses her research on the psychology of nomads – people who have moved throughout their lives for different reasons and have not been colonized. Much like her life, her characters face adversity, struggle to overcome, deal with vulnerability, and ultimately love, later in life.

THE WAW is truly the perfect summer (or any time!) read.

On today's show, Jacqueline shares:


- The meaning of "The Waw"

- How she and her characters found themselves,


- Her focus on renewal and resolution


- and more!




ABOUT

Jacqueline Gay Walley has published eight novels. She has written plays (shown in New York and London) and has released two films based on her books. Her film The Erotic Fire of the Unattainable was selected by six international film festivals and now plays on Amazon Prime.

Born in London and raised in Montreal, Jacqueline lives in New York. She coaches
writing, edits, and ghostwrites.

Coming up 7/3/24 at 9:00am PT - New Jersey singer-songwriter Brian Mackey talks about his new album Good Morning Ireland

New Jersey singer-songwriter Brian Mackey chats about his new album Good Morning Ireland; this recent album encompasses all of the emotions, after the tragic loss of his son to an overdose and the extraordinary renewal with the birth of his daughter, exposing Brian at his lowest and highest moments. With this album, he brings the listener hope and guidance in finding their way toward a light that can only be lit by darkness.

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The next single "Dust on the Wall," released on May 17th, is one of the songs where he is really working through the grief. His son's ashes sat in the room where his piano was. He would sit and play when he wanted to talk to him, which helped him work through the idea that he was gone, knowing that he was talking to "Dust on the Wall."

Brian, who is very active in the realm of supporting mental health partnered with MusiCares®, the Recording Academy's charity, to donate 100% of the proceeds from the track, “Saturday Night Sleeping.”

ABOUT THE ALBUM
The songs that would make up Good Morning Ireland, come after a period of pre-covid touring with Kate Voegele + Tyler Hilton on their joint European tour, Howie Day, Tyler Hilton, and American Idol Winner Taylor Hicks. The tours supported a collection of singles, "Promise Me", "Don't Own Much", "Underwater" and "Learn to Be" produced in Los Angeles by Jon Levine (Rachel Platten, Andy Grammer). "Learn to Be" charted #1 most added for 3 weeks in a row tied with John Mayer on the US FMQB A/C Charts. The music video for "Underwater" premiered on the Huffington Post, boasting the headline "Sublimely Gorgeous Music From Brian Mackey". It was also officially nominated for an HMMA award for "Best Independent Music Video”, along with his video for, “Don’t Own Much. During this timeframe, he has also toured with David Bromberg in the US, Ron Pope in Europe, and Jon McLaughlin for select dates.


ABOUT BRIAN MACKEY
From a very early age, the youngest of three had an ear for music. His grandmother played piano, sitting in at local clubs, and his mother dabbled in songwriting. There was nothing Brian liked more than music. “I used to ‘steal’ albums from my brothers and parents. I remember listening to Queen’s “Night at the Opera” over and over and over. I never got sick of it, never got sick of listening to the radio or hearing new music. I liked everything, it didn’t matter what it was as long as the musicians played instruments!” 

While schoolwork didn’t really grab Brian, the attention he got from being good at music did. “When I was 7, my music teacher asked me to sing the 'Star Spangled Banner' for the class. Everyone was so complimentary that it left me inspired and confident. I then went on to sing in church, plays and the school choir.” Having learned piano from his grandmother, and guitar from just a few lessons, Brian was really eager to challenge himself by playing music he heard on the radio rather than what was assigned during lessons. “I would find excuses to stay home from school so I could sit in my room and play the guitar. Something inside me was confident that I was on the right path. I didn’t follow the road that I was encouraged to take, but at the same time, the direction I was heading in felt natural to me.”


Brian tooled around with some bands in Florida, where he admits the warm weather and party atmosphere made it easy to score gigs. Wanting to experience four seasons, he moved around the country and lived in a Volvo 240 wagon – washing dishes by day, bar gigging by night. He landed in New York, where he continued to play in bands until he had an epiphany: “It dawned on me that I would be better off –and would grow more as an artist – if I wrote my own songs and composed my own music. I wanted to live to my full potential and felt like being a solo artist was the best way for me to do that.”


That fateful decision opened many doors for Brian, some leading to great things, some leading to frustration, but always ending with a learning experience that helped him develop. One of the first in a series of steps to improve came when Brian flew to Nashville for a meeting with producer Sam Ashworth (The Civil Wars, Switchfoot, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith), where they recorded “Painted Red.” This track ended up on Brian’s first EP, Feng Shui for Slobs (whose title came from his landlady who wanted Brian’s small 1-bedroom apartment to have “feng-shui”), and became Brian’s very first commercial placement, turning up on the Disney Channel’s Naturally Sadie.


His second EP, Brian Mackey Red, was a very different period altogether. Brian was in a management contract with a successful producer, and although he flew Brian to Los Angeles to work with a lot of well-known musicians, Brian was ultimately unhappy with the music. He returned to Nashville, recording Honest Love, his third EP. It’s been described by Brian as “My breaking away album, my independence flag; I made the EP with my own money and did it exactly the way I wanted it.” The title track, “Honest Love,” as well as songs “Color Blue,” and “Out on the Road,” have garnered features in TV, Film, and National and International Branding Campaigns. A few among them are CMT Edge, A&E, Lifetime, Travel Channel, Arla Foods Demark, Unicef UK and Rebel One Pictures.

"Dust on the Wall" (out 5/17 )
GOOD MORNING IRELAND (Out June 21) : STREAM // DOWNLOAD
RIYL: Noah Kahan, Tyler Childers, David Kushner
Website // Instagram // YouTube // X // Facebook // Spotify

Coming up on 7/3/24 at 9:30am PT - DARK CALORIES: How Vegetable Oils Destroy Our Health and How We Can Get It Back, Cornell-trained biochemist turned family physician and New York Times bestselling author of Deep Nutrition, Dr. Cate Shanahan

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The New York Times bestselling author of Deep Nutrition explains how eight common seed oils cause the cellular damage that underlies virtually all chronic disease, exposes the corruption that deceives doctors and consumers alike, and gives us a clear roadmap to recovery and rejuvenation.

Did you know that consuming a large serving of french fries—cooked in vegetable oil—delivers the toxicity of smoking 24 cigarettes?

Cornell-trained biochemist turned family physician Dr. Cate Shanahan introduces us to well-respected scientists who warn that vegetable oils are a public health disaster, wreaking havoc on our bodies’ cells by depleting antioxidants and promoting free radical toxicity.

Their many effects include:

• Uncontrollable hunger, so we need drugs to maintain our weight
• Inflammatory fat buildup under our skin and within our internal organs and arteries
• Blood sugar swings that promote bad moods and antisocial behavior
• Disrupted brain energy, concentration problems, and mental illnesses
• Intracellular oxidative stress that promotes cancer development
• Gut inflammation, bloating, heartburn, and the runs

Americans were enticed into buying these oils based on their cholesterol-lowering property, but the idea that cholesterol-lowering is beneficial was pushed on us without solid evidence to support it. In Dark Calories, Dr. Cate reveals the financial entanglements between industry and underhanded academics who created and sustain our 1950s-era, arbitrary dietary rules.

As a solution, she proposes a clear, no-nonsense plan that aligns with our genetic needs and nature’s laws. Thankfully, recovering our health is simplified by the fact that nutrients that treat one condition also tend to treat all the rest. As an added bonus, we also revive our sense of taste so that our cravings shift to wholesome, nourishing foods instead.


An astonishing one-third of Americans’ caloric intake comes from vegetable oils, yet most people don’t know what vegetable oil actually is, let alone what it does to our bodies.

In the forthcoming book DARK CALORIES: How Vegetable Oils Destroy Our Health and How We Can Get It Back, Cornell-trained biochemist turned family physician and New York Times bestselling author of Deep Nutrition Dr. Cate Shanahan reveals the growing body of scientific evidence that shows why vegetable oils (specifically cottonseed, corn, canola, soybean, sunflower, and safflower) are a public health problem, depleting antioxidants and causing the cellular damage that underlies many chronic diseases (Hachette Go; June 11).



In an interview, Dr. Cate can share:

· What oils are healthy and the best way to use them

· Why all calories are not all equal – traditional fats can help suppress hunger and give us more energy, while vegetable oils can make us tired and hungry

· Her two-week challenge to help readers ditch vegetable oils for good and chart a path to better eating and overall metabolic health

· How vegetable oils became so entrenched in the American diet - as of 2020, vegetable oil is a 115.8 billion dollar global industry and accounts for more calories in our diets than flour or sugar.

· The financial history between the vegetable oil industry and the early days of the American Heart Association and the lingering effects of that relationship on nutrition thought today


David Perlmutter, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain, Drop Acid, calls DARK CALORIES, “A compelling and eye-opening exploration into the harmful impacts of vegetable oils on our health, challenging widely held beliefs and shedding light on the root causes of many metabolic diseases…Brave and necessary.”

About the author

Dr. Cate is a Family Medicine MD whose revolutionary approach to nutrition and willingness to expose deep-seated flaws and conflicts of interest in science has earned global recognition as a thought leader, NYT Bestselling Author, sought after speaker and consultant.

She has been a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher and Good Morning America and featured in The Magic Pill documentary and The Real Skinny on Fat docuseries, Scientific American, Sports Illustrated, Men's Journal, CNN, US News and World Report, Prevention Magazine, Vogue, National Geographic, GQ, the New York Post, Woman's World, People Magazine among others as well as numerous radio talk shows and popular podcasts.

Learn more at DrCate.com

THIS ORDINARY STARDUST: A Scientist's Path from Grief to Wonder By: Alan Townsend, PhD

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THIS ORDINARY STARDUST: A Scientist's Path from Grief to Wonder

By: Alan Townsend, PhD


A compassionate exploration of scientific wonder that offers “a fresh perspective on life, death, and the bittersweet consequences of impermanence,” (Jon Krakauer) as illuminated through the tragic dual cancer diagnoses of author Dr. Alan Townsend’s wife and daughter.

"A remarkable account of a shifting consciousness that’s likely to shift the reader’s own..”

―Publisher's Weekly, starred review


“An insightful exploration of loss and the role of intellectual curiosity and spiritual openness in addressing it..”

—Kirkus Reviews


A decade ago, Dr. Alan Townsend’s family received two unthinkable, catastrophic diagnoses: his 4-year-old daughter and his brilliant scientist wife developed unrelated, life-threatening forms of brain cancer. As he witnessed his young daughter fight during the courageous final months of her mother’s life, Townsend – a lifelong scientist – was indelibly altered. He began to see scientific inquiry as more than a source of answers to a given problem, but also as a lifeboat: a lens on the world that could help him find peace with the painful realities he could not change. Through scientific wonder, he found ways to bring meaning to his darkest period.

At a time when society’s relationship with science is increasingly polarized while threats to human life on earth continue to rise, Townsend offers a balanced, moving perspective on the common ground between science and religion through the spiritual fulfillment he found in his work. Awash in Townsend's electrifying and breathtaking prose, THIS ORDINARY STARDUST offers hope that life can carry on even in the face of near-certain annihilation.

About the Author
Dr. Alan R. Townsend is a scientist, author, speaker, and Dean of the University of Montana’s W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. His childhood in Hawaii and Montana led him to a career devoted to understanding our changing planet, and what we can do to find a more sustainable relationship between human progress and the environments on which we all depend. 

 He is a highly cited author of more than 140 scientific articles, and has served in multiple prominent leadership roles, including Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, Provost of Colorado College, Director of the University of Colorado’s Environmental Studies Program and its Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Environmental Biology, and Co-Director of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program.

He is an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, a Google Science Communication Fellow and a board member of the Earth Leadership Program and Future Earth of North America. Alan was one of six internationally known scientists chosen to be in the Let Science Speak documentary film series, which premiered at Tribeca in September of 2018.


ADVANCED PRAISE:


“Wondrous.”

—Jon Krakauer


“Extraordinary, powerful..”

—David Quammen, author of The Heartbeat of the Wild and Breathless



“Beautiful.”

—Robert Sapolsky, New York Times bestselling author of Behave


“A towering achievement..”

—Jayson Greene, author of Once More We Saw Stars


“Shows us how scientists are first and foremost people, with hearts both delicate and resilient..”

—Hope Jahren, author of National Book Critic’s Circle Award-winning Lab Girl



Trade Media

"A remarkable account of a shifting consciousness that’s likely to shift the reader’s own..”

―Publisher's Weekly, starred review


“An insightful exploration of loss and the role of intellectual curiosity and spiritual openness in addressing it..”

—Kirkus Reviews



Visit Grand Central Publishing Online

www.hachettebookgroup.com

www.facebook.com/GrandCentralPub

@GrandCentralPub


Book is also available in downloadable (9781668641897) and e-book formats (9781538741207)

Nina Guilbeault, Phd talks about her new book, THE GOOD EATER: A Vegan’s Search for the Future of Food

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An enlightening and delicious look at how vegans – and their critics – are redefining the way the world eats in the twenty-first century.

For years, there has been no doubt that widespread consumption of meat is both environmentally destructive and morally dubious. A growing chorus of scientists, health experts, and activists champion the benefits of a plant-based diet. Nevertheless, change has been slow to arrive, and the chasm between our appetites and our collective well-being seems impossibly vast. We know we must transition to a more plant-based world. But what would such a world look like, and how do we realistically get there?

One group of people has been grappling with this question for decades: vegans. Once mocked for its hempy puritanism, the vegan movement has grown from a fringe identity into a veritable cultural juggernaut. Yet visions of what our food system should look like continue to conflict. Is the healthful vegan lifestyle appealing-or alienating? Are high-tech meat alternatives merely a repeat performance of harmful fast-food values? Is modern veganism itself misguided-a wrong answer to the right questions?

In The Good Eater, Harvard-trained sociologist (and vegan) Nina Guilbeault, PhD vividly explores the movement's history and its present-day tensions by grappling with the most fundamental question of all: Is there a truly ethical way to eat? What emerges is a fascinating portrait of how social change happens, with profound implications for our plates-and our planet.

“The Good Eater reminds us that what we eat plays a definitive role not only in our physical, but also our emotional and even spiritual well-being.”

—John Mackey, cofounder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market

“[Offers] entertaining historical context and plenty of personal insight.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A vegan sociologist's remarkably open-minded exploration of the historical, ethical, health, environmental, and social justice implications of not eating meat. Guilbeault's extensive research and interviews get right into the tough questions about this movement, leaving us free to choose for ourselves whether to eat this way.” —Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, emerita, New York University, and author of FOOD POLITICS

An enlightening and delicious look at how vegans – and their critics – are redefining the way the world eats in the twenty-first century.

In THE GOOD EATER: A Vegan’s Search for the Future of Food (Hardcover / Bloomsbury) Harvard-trained sociologist (and proud vegan) Nina Guilbeault, Ph.D. takes an enlightening look at the history of veganism to answer these questions. Once mocked for its hempy puritanism, the vegan movement has grown from a fringe identity into a veritable cultural juggernaut. So why do visions of what our food system should look like continue to conflict with reality? Is the healthful vegan lifestyle appealing or alienating? Are high-tech meat alternatives just a dangerous foray into processed and fast food? Is modern veganism itself misguided—a wrong answer to the right questions?


In an interview, Guilbeault discusses:

• Trendy high-tech meat alternatives and their consequences
• The moral dilemma of regenerative agriculture
• Is veganism truly ethical? Is it possible to eat meat ethically?
• Is the healthful vegan lifestyle too alienating? And if so, why
• If veganism is so great for the environment and our bodies, why is the movement still so fringe?
• What would a world of mainstream veganism look like?
• The historical mistakes of the vegan movement

A mentee of renowned author Michael Pollan, Guilbeault’s quest to understand the future of food in THE GOOD EATER paints a vivid portrait of social change by discussing the complicated history of veganism, and what it means for our planet and our plates. Ultimately, readers will get a front row seat to the fundamental question we all want to know: Is there actually an ethical way to eat?

Nina Guilbeault, Phd (née Gheihman), is a sociologist, author, and educator. Cofounder of Plant Futures, a nonprofit affiliated with UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, Guilbeault has consulted for major food brands. Her scholarly work has been covered by media such as the Atlantic, the Telegraph, and Refinery29. In addition to a PhD in Sociology from Harvard University, Guilbeault holds a Certificate of Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, serves on the award committee for the Greg Steltenpohl Pragmatic Visionary Award, and is co-author of Habits of Inequality.





Praise for THE GOOD EATER:


“Nina Guilbeault is the consummate guide to modern veganism. With grace and rigor, she presents a compelling case for a more conscious and sustainable way to answer the question of what might be for dinner tomorrow.” —Raj Patel, coauthor of INFLAMED

“Guilbeault's clear and relatable writing style makes these complex topics easy to digest and enjoyable to read.” —Melanie Joy, PhD, author of WHY WE LOVE DOGS, EAT PIGS, AND WEAR COWS

“Nina Guilbeault is a broadminded, whip-smart guide to some of the thorniest ethical problems involved in eating of any kind. The Good Eater is guaranteed to force reflection no matter how you fill your plate-even for those of us who will always keep a corner of it reserved for (grassfed) steak.”

—Benjamin Lorr, author of THE SECRET LIFE OF GROCERIES

“A groundbreaking deep dive into the obstacles we face in creating a future food system that is both moral and sustainable-for animals, for the planet, and for the hungry humans who inhabit it. A must-read not just for vegans but for anyone who eats food.” —Nisha Vora, creator of Rainbow Plant Life

“I am grateful for this book that dares to stop and question some of the most popular assumptions and solutions in the vegan food space. It's critical we examine new approaches from every angle so we don't repeat the mistakes of history. The Good Eater is a start to reflecting deeper on how we can participate in 'making history' more effectively.” —Miyoko Schinner, entrepreneur, innovator, and author of THE HOMEMADE VEGAN PANTRY

AP News: The beginner’s guide to celebrating Juneteenth - By Terry Tang

President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Washington. From left, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif, Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., Opal Lee, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., obscured, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)© Provided by The Associated Press

A Beginner's Guide to Juneteenth

National CPR and AED (Automated External Defribrillator) Awareness Week is June 1st through 7th. Janeane will be in conversation with a cardiac arrest survivor, Steven Munatones, and Dr. Shira Schlesinger.

According to CPR.Heart.org, back in 2007, the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross and the National Safety Council collaborated to create a week called National CPR and AED (Automated External Defribrillator) Awareness Week.

Visit: 

dhs.lacounty.gov/emergency-medical-services-agency
see Side Walk CPR and Up-coming events!

"On December 13, 2007, Congress unanimously passed a resolution to set aside June 1-7 each year as National CPR and AED Awareness Week to spotlight how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED. Our campaign reinforces these skills but also places importance on the willingness of bystanders to act in a cardiac arrest emergency."

Today, we are in conversation with Steven Munatones and Dr. Shira Schlesinger,
Director of EMS & Disaster Preparedness Programs, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Steven suffered a a near-fatal heart attack, and it was his 17 year old son who performed CPR and saved him. A long-distance swimmer and lifelong athlete, Steven shares how his heart attack changed his life in unexpected ways, his love of ocean swims, and how these days he focuses on his passion for a Japanese therapy that has been a game changer.

LISTEN
to today's show

Dr. Shira Schlesinger

Dr. Shira Schlesinger is Director for Education & Innovation at the Los Angeles
County EMS Agency. Her interest in EMS & Disaster started in her college years as a
volunteer CPR instructor and disaster responder followed by training as an EMT. She
has continued to work in Emergency Medicine, EMS and Disaster Preparedness in a
variety of environments and positions, seeking to engage audiences in health
promotion and empowering communities through education and involvement in the
system.


Dr. Schlesinger is dedicated to advancing prehospital and hospital unscheduled care in the
context of overall public health, and to improving health outcomes in the communities we serve.


Dr. Schlesinger is Emergency Medicine faculty at the David Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA, Associate Director for the EMS Fellowship Program at Harbor-
UCLA Medical Center in collaboration with the Los Angeles County EMS Agency, and
faculty for the Harbor-UCLA Emergency Medicine residency program. Outside of the
L.A. County EMS Agency, Dr. Schlesinger is a Medical Officer with the National


Disaster Medical System, and Medical Director for a municipal Fire Department in
Orange County. On the side she helps raise her three kids…

Steven Munatones
CEO & Co-FounderCEO & Co-Founder
KAATSU KAATSU Global Inc

KAATSU established the BFR market and is the world-leader in Blood Flow Optimization training, recovery, and rehabilitation. Our equipment and protocols have an unprecedented safety track record with over 20 million individual sessions in 69 countries around the globe.


Visit: 

dhs.lacounty.gov/emergency-medical-services-agency
see Side Walk CPR and Up-coming events!

Media Release: Free Hands-Only CPR Training for CPR & AED Awareness Week

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Media@dhs.lacounty.gov

“WHAT IF IT WERE THEM?”

LA County Offers Free Hands-Only CPR Training in Long Beach
Helping Prepare the Public to Save their Loved Ones in Case of Cardiac Arrest


Los Angeles, CA – LA County residents can learn how to save a loved one in cardiac arrest using Hands-Only CPR, during a free community event. Participants will receive one-on-one instruction from first responders and will practice on manikins. 

Hands-Only CPR – pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest until EMS arrives – is easy to learn, can be performed by anyone, and can help save lives during a cardiac emergency.
LA County’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the Fire Departments of Long Beach and LA County are teaming up with the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, and Long Beach area hospitals to provide free Hands-Only CPR training to LA County residents during the 2024 Sidewalk CPR event, part of National CPR & AED
Awareness Week.

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States and early bystander CPR can triple the chances of survival. Less than half of the victims in cardiac arrest in LA County receive CPR before paramedics arrive. More than 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home, learning to recognize cardiac arrest, and taking immediate action can be truly lifesaving
for the people you love.

What: Free Hands-Only CPR Training for CPR & AED Awareness Week
Where: El Dorado Park West – Good Neighbor Park
2800 Studebaker Road, Long Beach, CA 90815
Enter off Studebaker Road
When: THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.


Visuals: First responders in uniform and fire truck. CPR manikins. Training booths where medical professionals will be teaching the public. Spanish, English, Tagalog, and Khmer CPR demonstrations.

Who: Nichole Bosson, Medical Director, Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency

Richard Tadeo, Director, Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency

Rex Richardson, Long Beach Mayor

Daryl Supernaw, Long Beach 4th District Council

Julia Mockeridge, Health Deputy, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Fourth District

Jeanette Christian, Long Beach Deputy, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Fourth District

Dennis Buchanan, Fire Chief, Long Beach Fire Department

Anh Pham, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Optum California, and volunteer expert with the American Heart Association

Steven Munatones, cardiac arrest survivor, and his son Skyler who helped save his life

John Zaragoza, cardiac arrest survivor, and his nephew Larry who helped save his life


###

Singer/Songwriter Molly Miller will be joining Janeane live on KUCI 88.9fm over the summer - details TBA!

Guitar is everything to Molly Miller, who has been playing music since age seven, originally performing in a family band with her four siblings and drawing inspiration from artists like Jimi Hendrix, Mickey Baker, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. In high school, she got into jazz, an obsession that continued into her years studying at USC, where she eventually earned her BA, MA, and doctorate in musical arts. A few weeks after graduating in 2016, Jason Mraz asked Molly to play with him. The same year, she became the chair of the guitar department at the Los Angeles College of Music. 

Since then, Molly has balanced performance and teaching, becoming a professor of studio guitar at USC in 2022. Along with Mraz, she’s played with artists such as the Black Eyed Peas, Scary Pockets, Sin Bandera, and Pomplamoose at the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall, and Coachella, andMolly Miller Trio has toured as an opening act for Mraz and performed at Monterey Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s at Lincoln Center, and SF Jazz.

Molly is now out on the road promoting her forthcoming Molly Miller Trio album The Ballad of Hotspur, released on May 3. The instrumental Americana Jazz album is tinged with surf rock and showcases Molly's exceptional creative phrasing and genre-blending. The trio paints sonic landscapes that could be Ennio Morricone scores for a Quentin Tarantino-style western, to avant-garde and heavy-hitting guitar and drum work that is reminiscent of legendary afrobeat drummer Tony Allen.

The album draws its name from a character in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1, based on the 14th-century English knight Sir Henry Percy, who fought in numerous battles against the French in the Hundred Years War. He was given the nickname “Hotspur” as a tribute to his speed in advance and readiness to attack. The album was written during the pandemic trading tracks back and forth, then into Valentine Studios in Los Angeles, after over a year of writing, to record all the songs in two days, to capture the dynamic energy of the group’s live show. Molly and the trio will be doing headlining shows through May, and then will be opening for Jason Mraz through the rest of the summer, where Molly will be doing double duty, opening for Jason and playing in his band. Links to the music are below. Thank you for giving this your attention. I appreciate it and look forward to hearing from you.


 WEBSITE // FACEBOOK // YOUTUBE // INSTAGRAM



“her mastery of the musical vocabulary, spoken fluently as a second language” - GUITAR.COM


“California native Molly Miller has the chops…but she takes a straighter path to musical enlightenment - one steeped in creative phrasing and genre-blending, like the music she plays in the Molly Miller Trio.” - GUITAR WORLD

“Eloquent and passionate, Miller’s style blends moody chord voicings with cathartic single-note lines and reverb-drenched dynamics.” - VINTAGE GUITAR

“ What sets her apart is her exuberance and contagious joy, which is immediately evident and impossible to ignore when watching her play.” - FRETBOARD JOURNAL

“ I sat up front through the whole show and was totally blown away. Her compositions were amazing. She had that Western country soloing intertwined with jazz lines mixed with funk and blues. The chordal movement on her guitar was like watching Chet Atkins play.” - JAZZ GUITAR TODAY

T.H.E. Human Side chronicles the journeys of audiophiles and music enthusiasts searching for the perfect listening experience and dives into the human connection to music, the desire to create a deeper connection to it through various musical avenues focused around HiFi and high end audio/audiophile experiences, and explores reasons why an elevated listening experience is vital.

"T.H.E. Human Side", the documentary short by US filmmaker Emiko Carlin, has received an official release through Amazon Prime, following a successful festival run and its premiere at TCL Theatre in Hollywood, CA (formerly the legendary Grauman’s Chinese Theatre). This included the Impact Doc Awards where it won the Award of Recognition, the Tokyo Film Awards where it won Best Short Documentary, the Vegas Movie Awards where it won the Award of Prestige - Best Documentary Short, and the Golden Horse International Film Festival, where it won Best Writer, Best Director, and Best Documentary.

The internationally award-winning short film thought provokingly explores the complex tapestry of emotions, relationships, and the innate desire for connection through HiFi. Directed by Emiko Carlin, this 27-minute documentary captivates audiences by shining a spotlight on the raw, unfiltered stories of individuals from diverse backgrounds who are all brought together by a common journey - the search for the perfect sound.

Through candid interviews, personal reflections, and heartwarming interactions, "T.H.E. Human Side" explores the universal themes of togetherness and the quest for living the fullest life with deeper meaning, in these cases, being achieved through finding the most elevated listening experiences possible. Through this journey, we meet not only the creators of music, but we learn the impact music has had on people - in some cases, how it has saved lives. The film also highlights the power of the human connection and the transformative impact of music and Hi-Fi, encouraging viewers to look, and listen, beyond the surface and connect with one another on a deeper level.

Carlin said this of her involvement in the film:
“I was approached by a man - then a random stranger - as I sat in a hotel lobby of The Home Entertainment Show, North America’s longest running Hi-Fi audio show, who wanted some advice on creating a podcast to preserve the stories of lifelong friendships he had fostered. As he told me his stories, it became evident to me that this was not a podcast. This was meant to be a documentary. The stories - living history about how three unsuspecting people all with very different backgrounds and life experiences were now permanent panels in the tapestry of this friendship – all because of their common love of Hi-Fi.

T.H.E. Human Side was my way of not only documenting these stories and relationships but inviting everyone - literally EVERYONE - into the world of the elevated listening experience. As we traveled deeper into the world of Hi-Fi, what was clear was this isn’t just a hobby or an industry. This is a lifelong obsession for many people. A beacon for those who felt alone, misunderstood, overlooked, and often “on the outside.” And yet, the very thing that was least talked about what the aspect that needed the biggest spotlight - the human beings who keep the torches lit and the flames burning.”


Carlin, alongside her work as an award-winning filmmaker, is a renowned composer, having lent her talents to over 20 television series’. Emiko (who is a mononym in her music career) has been recognized in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and appeared in numerous major music publications including Billboard, Music Connection, FM Sound and Keyboard Magazine, and has played with Cyndi Lauper, appearing with Major Lazer featuring Marcus Mumford, and more.

Emiko has signed on as a director and composer for the upcoming doc-series, "They Walk Among Us: The Long Way Home," "Finding Frank," and the new thriller series based on the critically acclaimed mystery novel, "A Corpse in the Koryo," as well as “Code Stroke,” a film chronicling the journeys of young stroke survivors, something which speaks personally to her own life experiences as a two-time stroke survivor.

Polymath PR

For press queries, please contact Tom Brumpton at (+44) 7956 043 498

tom@polymath-pr.com

As we prepare to wrap-up Mental Health Awareness Month, Professor Jason Schiffman joins host Janeane Live on KUCI 88.9fm at 9:00am pt!

LISTEN

ABOUT Dr. Jason Schiffman

Dr. Jason Schiffman is Professor of Clinical Science and the inaugural Director of Clinical Training for UCI’s Clinical Psychology program. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern California in 2003. Dr. Schiffman is founder and past Co-Director of the Maryland Early Intervention Program’s Strive for Wellness Clinic.

Dr. Schiffman’s research seeks to refine the identification of young people at risk for psychotic disorders, better understand the effects of psychosocial interventions for adolescents with psychosis, and uncover mechanisms that can reduce stigma against people with serious mental health concerns. 

UC Irvine psychological science professor Jason Schiffman discusses increasing awareness of mental health challenges, decreasing associated stigma, and taking care of ourselves, each other and the dedicated mental health care workforce serving our communities.

 

Schiffman heads a research team that has published over 200 scientific articles and acquired over $15 million in funding for their work on psychosis. He also trains and consults for clinics across the county on best practices for supporting people on the psychosis continuum. As the director of UCI’s Clinical Psychology Program, he helps guide cohorts of graduate students who are similarly compelled to provide mental health care for others.

 

UC Irvine’s new Psychological Services Center currently offers individual therapy for adults over the age of 18 who reside in California. Schiffman provides details on what it would look like for community members interested in inquiring about low-cost, evidence-based assessment and therapy for depression, anxiety, trauma and stressor-related disorders, and other mental health concerns.

Listen to Professor Schiffman on UCI's Podcast:
 latest episode of The UCI Podcast.

"Exploring psychosis, stigma, inclusion and well-being" 
Jason Schiffman shares his wide-ranging expertise on the UCI Podcast during Mental Health Awareness Month

Topics discussed in the UCI podcast include:

What is psychosis and what do we know about it?
Why do mental health challenges like psychosis still have a pervasive stigma and how can our community come together to change that?
How is UC Irvine playing its part in providing mental health services with its new Psychological Services Center, and how can community members access care? What are some simple steps we can all take to protect and improve our own well-being? Schiffman answers these questions and more in this episode of the UCI Podcast.

Join us Live Wednesday at 9:30am pt for this insightful conversation!

 

Coming up 5/22 at 9:30am - Haleigh Marcello, Founder and Executive Director, Orange County Queer History Project, PhD Candidate - Graduate Feminist Emphasis, Department of Gender & Sexuality Studies

UCI PhD candidate, Haleigh Marcello,

joins Janeane to talk about some OC Queer History events coming up!

LISTEN
to today's show
featuring Haleigh Marcello

About Haleigh Marcello(she/her/hers)

Ph.D. candidate in American history at the University of California, Irvine, interested in the histories of gender and sexuality in the mid-to-late 20th century United States.

Lecturer in Women's Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills




More information on the events is available at ocqueerhistory.org/events


Haleigh Marcello
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of HistoryGraduate Feminist Emphasis, Department of Gender & Sexuality Studies

University of California, Irvine
Founder and Executive Director, Orange County Queer History Project

hmarcell@uci.edu | haleighmarcello.com

Wednesday May 22nd @ 9:00am LIVE on KUCI 88.9fm - Benjamin Wagner - a creative, consultant, coach, and founder of Essential Industries Incorporated.

Watch the Trailer

LISTEN
to today's show with Benjamin Wagner.

About Benjamin Wagner

Benjamin Wagner is a creative, consultant, coach, and founder of Essential Industries Incorporated.

Essential Industries (named after the Saint-Exupéry quote that “What is essential is invisible to the eye”) is a boutique consulting firm specializing in individual and organizational strategy, transformation, communication, and collaboration.

Benjamin consults and coaches executives, high potential professionals and teams seeking to build their business, sharpen their skills, and effectively manage themselves and others. Clients gain the skills to communicate and collaborate effectively, face uncertainty with confidence, lead through transformation and facilitate a positive, respectful, and inclusive workplace culture.

Benjamin’s expertise is shaped by thirty years of leadership as a technology and media executive, award-winning journalist and filmmaker, and Columbia University Punch Sulzberger Fellow. 

In a career spanning print (Rolling Stone, The Saratogian), radio (WCZN-AM, KOTO-FM), broadcast and digital (Lifetime, MTV), and social media (Facebook, Instagram), Benjamin has accrued a strong record leveraging creative, editorial, operational and team leadership strength to build brands, sustainable platforms and global programs at scale while accelerating results.

 From his half-decade helping launch Facebook’s Journalism Project globally and his tenure transforming MTV News from a 9-to-5 TV to a 24/7 digital-first news organization, to his award-winning PBS documentary, Mister Rogers & Me, podcast or forthcoming documentary, Benjamin's hallmark is the essential nature of our shared human experience.

 As half of the filmmaking duo, Wagner Brothers, he researched, interviewed, wrote, voiced, scored, co-directed, produced, and marketed the documentary, Mister Rogers & Me. The film unearths the roots of Mister Rogers' values, unmasks the forces acting against depth and simplicity, and helps viewers develop the means to lead deeper, simpler lives.

The 80-minute feature seized top prize at numerous film festivals before bowing on PBS in 2012. The film aired thousands of times across the country, often as the cornerstone of pledge drives, and garnered coverage in The New York Times, Washington Post, and more. 

In October 2023, Benjamin premiered his second documentary, Friends & Neighbors, in which he “looks for the helpers” who are helping to heal a deeply anxious and uncertain America. The film is screening in independent theatres throughout Mental health Awareness Month, and is slated for wide release in May 2025.

Benjamin released his tenth studio album, Constellations, recorded at Muscle Shoal’s legendary FAME Studios, in 2022.

 

###

Friends & Neighbors

Website:

www.friendsandneighbors.mov

Contact:

Benjamin Wagner

benjaminbwagner@gmail.com

Wagner Brothers
Wherever You Go (Music Video)
Benjamin Wagner Dot Com (Website)

Brief Description:

When Wilmington filmmaker Benjamin Wagner was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome, he saw the impact of trauma and adverse stress all around him. Inspired by Fred Rogers, the subject of his 2012 PBS documentary "Mister Rogers & Me," he decided to "look for the helpers” healing our anxious and uncertain communities.

Long Description:

When Iowa-born filmmaker Benjamin Wagner was diagnosed with PTSD in 2021, he suddenly saw the impact of trauma, trauma, adverse and chronic stress all around: in rising incidences of gun violence and hate crime, growth of antidepressant uses and binge drinking, and a mental health crisis so urgent that it prompted a national hotline.

And so he decided – as Fred Rogers, the subject of his 2012 PBS documentary, Mister Rogers & Me, always encouraged him – to “look for the helpers.”

In Friends & Neighbors, Wagner returns to his own developmental traumas to better understand their causes, context, and impact.

He interrogates his career to recognize how adverse stress maladapts our nervous systems and drives unhealthy coping mechanisms and poor health outcomes. He seeks insight from the people who are working to make the communities around them whole by helping heal a deeply anxious and uncertain population.

And he, in the words of his hero, one-time neighbor, and the subject of his 2012 PBS documentary, Mister Rogers & Me, Fred Rogers, always encouraged him, “looks for the helpers” in post-pandemic America, the people who are working to make themselves and the communities around them whole by helping heal a deeply anxious and uncertain population.

People like friend, Anne Kubitsky, who's Look for the Good Project is bringing social-emotional wellness, resilience and hope to grammar schools across America.

People like neighbor, Sarah McBride, whose election as America’s first transgender state senator accelerated dignity, equality, and a level playing field for all.

People like friend, Michael Tyler, who channeled the traumas of troubled inner-city childhood into the Carl Sandburg Literary Award-winning children’s book, The Skin You Live In.

People like neighbor Logan Herring, whose purpose-built community development is combating decades of structural racism, wealth inequality, and systemic neglect through affordable food, housing, and health care.

And people like friend Kelli Rae Powell, whose music therapy brings relief and joy to terminally ill patients.
By sharing these stories and journeys, we make space for others to do the same, and provide roadmaps for healing, and strategies for healthier lives and communities. Because, as Fred Rogers often said, when we "make the mentionable manageable,” we find a way forward together. And “when we look for the helpers, we know that there’s hope.”



Credits

· Written, Produced & Directed by Benjamin Wager

· Edited by Christofer Wagner

· Director of Photography Ismail Abdus-Saleem

Coming up May 8th 9:00am - Tom Seeman's forthcoming book, ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds

LISTEN

“When Tom Seeman told me the story of his childhood, I immediately said that he should write it all down and share it with the world. I am so glad he did. Animals I Want To See is a terrific and moving memoir about dreaming big and making great things happen.”

–President Bill Clinton


“Tom Seeman has penned an extraordinarily engaging book about his struggles as a youngster, the many folks who 'packed his parachute,' his spiritual journey culminating in finding deep meaning, and the joy he feels in helping others. Read it and be inspired.”

–Deepak Chopra, New York Times bestselling author


From child janitor to the Ivy League—a luminous, uplifting coming-of-age story

ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE

A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds

By TOM SEEMAN

When Tom Seeman was seven, he moved with his parents and nine siblings from a cramped, dingy tenement to a house on Bronson Street. It was only a fifteen-minute drive to their new neighborhood in North Toledo, which didn’t look that different from their old neighborhood in East Toledo. Their home still belonged to the Housing Authority, and when they stepped inside and turned on a light, scores of cockroaches skittered in every direction. But their new house was bigger than the one they had before, with a field in the back that teemed with treasures: wild animals who made their homes among the trash that littered the weeds. To young Tom, it seemed like paradise.

In Animals I Want To See: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds (Post Hill Press; May 14, 2024, $30.00 hardcover), Tom Seeman, who went on to graduate summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale, nail a perfect score on his LSATs, and attend Harvard Law, looks back on his hardscrabble childhood in Toledo, Ohio, during the turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s. He doesn’t sugarcoat his neighborhood encounters with bullies, dog bites, broken glass, and other dangers—or his moments of shame over second-hand clothes and food stamps. Yet throughout, he focuses on the simple joys of friendship and holidays, unexpected acts of kindness and generosity, and the welcoming neighbors who made Bronson Street a community.

The fifth child of a brood that would reach a dozen, Tom was different from his siblings and often escaped their close quarters by working. Whether scrubbing toilets, cleaning coal chutes, planting vegetable gardens, or amassing a sizable paper route, he was grateful for every job and possessed a talent for finding wonder in the most unexpected places. Powered by a dream of one day getting to travel the world and see an ever-growing list of wild animals, Tom spent a lot of time alone, mapping out not only where he wanted to go, but who he wanted to be.


Blonde and Catholic, Tom was also different from most of the other kids in the projects, who battled racism along with poverty, and Animals I Want To See puts a fresh lens on the notion of separateness by viewing cross-racial friendships through the eyes of a child. The book follows Tom through his education at Catholic private schools on scholarships supplemented by his afterschool and weekend work as a janitor; his dedication as an altar server and struggles with his faith; his dream of getting into an Ivy League college; and his determination to achieve success. While getting caught up in Tom’s adventures, readers will meet and reflect on:


His Mom, “a seemingly endless well of calm,” who wound up married young to a man who drank too much. She gave birth to twelve children in fifteen years and channeled her creativity, resourcefulness, and sheer will into making the seemingly impossible possible. Whether baking cookies, turning scraps of fabric and sundries into clothes for her children and their stuffed animals (which she also made), or always finding a way to fill twelve Easter baskets, she had a knack for stretching a dollar and for making life’s ordinary moments feel magical.


His Dad, who rarely interacted with his children, preferring to spend his time at home sitting in his corner of the couch with a paperback novel, a cigar, and a beer—and his mother’s bachelor brothers, Uncle Dick and Harold, who took Tom and his siblings on duck feeding outings and secretly made sure that Santa never skimped on Christmas gifts.


The three Black men Tom counted among his heroes—Muhammad Ali; Mr. Noble, the neighbor who took him fishing; and Mr. Everett, the tough-to-impress teacher who encouraged him to shine in an interscholastic speech contest by reciting a poem about slavery by Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Black poet from Ohio, with “zest” and “soul.”


His boyhood friend, Jeffrey, who was smart and funny, and who didn't shy away from sharing his views; his adolescent foray into petty crime as part of The Halfs, a group of friends named for its two white and two Black members; and his resolve at age thirteen, after heaving pumpkins off a bridge and into traffic below, to choose a different path than delinquency, prison, and despair.


Thanks to his hard work and reliability, and the kindness and trust of neighbors, teachers, priests, coaches, bosses, mentors, and strangers, Tom’s impoverished childhood was filled with enriching experiences from summer camp to art lessons to meeting Jimmy Carter, which ultimately gave him the confidence to aim high and the conviction to live a purposeful life.


Tom Seeman shares the most important lesson he’s learned: “Every act of kindness, no matter how small makes a difference.” And every day, he tries to do something kind for a stranger. “Some days it’s something small, like letting someone into my lane in traffic,” he acknowledges, “and some days it’s something sizable, like creating a scholarship for underserved kids… Most days, my promise falls somewhere in between.” He hopes Animals I Want To See will inspire readers to both believe in their own ability to defy odds and be kinder to others.


More early praise for Animals I Want To See:


“Tom Seeman's Animals I Want To See is the book we need now. Tender, wise, gracefully written, this memoir tells one boy's life, but it does so much more: it revitalizes a sense of American optimism. … I couldn't put it down.”

–Thomas Christopher Greene, bestselling author of The Headmaster’s Wife


“Tender and insightful, Animals I Want To See takes readers on a profound journey from an impoverished community to the American Dream as a young boy defies expectations and succeeds against all odds. Prepare to be moved and inspired as you discover the transformative power of determination and the resilience of the human spirit.”

–David Ambroz, bestselling author of A Place Called Home: A Memoir




KIRKUS REVIEW


A philanthropist and business leader recounts a youth marked by poverty and other challenges.

Seeman grew up in a family of 14 in a housing project in Toledo, Ohio, a shoddy place where his mother stepped into a second-story hallway and nearly fell through to the floor below. It was a place where the bridge over a local roadway offered a useful metaphor: “On one side of it looms prison, despair, hunger of all sorts. On the other, freedom, pleasure, and the untold treasures that come from living a purposeful life.” He adds, “Which way will I go? Statistics say I will not choose wisely.” Allowing for a few mishaps, though, the author chose well, urged on by a wise football coach who cheered him and his teammates through losses as well as victories and by a teacher who raised difficult topics instead of “the solid kinds of questions that had unequivocal answers.” Seeman was aspirational from a young age; his title comes from a bucket list that he kept in school, quite literally enumerating animals that he wanted to see in their natural habitat. Years later, he succeeded in that goal—just in time in some cases, for the tigers he sought out in India have since been wiped out by poachers. So, too, were many of his young friends swept up by that despair and its sequelae—even as the author took every opportunity to gain an education, eventually winning a scholarship to Yale, where he continued his relentless work, “studying at the library until the last possible minute before running to make it on time to the next new experience.” His lists and life rules expanded accordingly, including one that guides him today: “Do something kind for a stranger.”

Inspirational without mawkishness, a satisfying rags-to-riches yarn.

ABOUT TOM SEEMAN

TOM SEEMAN grew up in a family of fourteen on welfare and food stamps in the projects of Toledo, Ohio, and went on to own and lead several businesses. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Yale, where he rowed on the crew team and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, before going on to earn his Juris Doctor at Harvard Law. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He funded a scholarship that actively seeks disadvantaged students to attend St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo—the same school that generously gave him a scholarship and that he credits for helping him fulfill his dream of attending a top college. He has worked across the globe, lived in five countries, and traveled to over one hundred. He makes his home in Massachusetts with his wife, four children, three dogs, and a cat.


ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE

A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds

By Tom Seeman

Release date: May 14, 2024

ISBN: 9798888453568