Wrapping up the year with Janeane Bernstein

                                       

photo credit: Brett Jordan Unsplash

An important message from Janeane

For some of you, the holiday season is anything but relaxing and stress-free. You might be struggling mentally and emotionally, reflecting on your rocky road over the past few years or perhaps your entire lifetime. You are not alone.

In my end of year message, I share the importance of boundaries, mindfulness and taking time to connect and nurture yourself mentally, physically and emotionally. Remember to be good to you. 

As a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Westside Los Angeles, I want to share some NAMI mental health resources, support groups and the HelpLine. Take time to explore the NAMI website, because there are resources for teens and young adults, as well, and plenty of other helpful information.

www.nami.org

Remember to check in with yourself and others, and especially the happy ones. 

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Guest pitches are now being accepted for 2024 shows.
E-mail your brief pitch (no informercial type of pitches - e.g. products and services, etc.)

janeane@kuci.org
www.janeanebernstein.com

12/20/23 at 9:30am - upcoming Dark Comedy with a Warm Heart entitled MERRY GOOD ENOUGH in partnership with Freestyle Digital Media starring Ray Levine Spielberg, Sawyer Spielberg, Susan Gallagher (Cobra Kai), and Joel Murray (God Bless America). On today's show, Janeane is in conversation with lead cast members Raye Levine Spielberg and Sawyer Spielberg, and Directors Caroline Keene and Dan Kennedy

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Ah, the holidays. Lucy Raulie (Raye Levine Spielberg) has always had a complicated relationship with her dysfunctional family, but when her mother disappears on Christmas Eve (and it’s maybe Lucy’s fault...) it’s going to be up to Lucy to bring her family back together again, whether she knows it or not.

Directors Caroline Keene and Dan Kennedy are releasing an upcoming Dark Comedy with a Warm Heart titled MERRY GOOD ENOUGH in partnership with Freestyle Digital Media starring Ray Levine Spielberg, Sawyer Spielberg, Susan Gallagher (Cobra Kai), and Joel Murray (God Bless America). The film will bring unconventional Holiday cheer to audiences as they follow the less-than-perfect Raulie family this Holiday Season. You can check out the trailer here. The film is releasing on VOD on 12/19.

LOGLINE

Lucy has a complicated relationship with her dysfunctional family, but when her mother disappears on Christmas Eve, she must bring her family back together whether she knows it or not.


SYNOPSIS

Ah, the holidays. Lucy Raulie (Raye Levine) has always had a complicated relationship with her dysfunctional family, but when her mother (Susan Gallagher) disappears on Christmas Eve (and it’s maybe Lucy’s fault...) it’s going to be up to Lucy to bring her family back together again, whether she knows it or not.

Joined in forces (sort of...) by her older brother Tim (Daniel Desmarais) and younger sister Cynthia (Comfort Clinton) the Raulie kids may get more than they all bargained for when their eccentric father George (Joel Murray) shows up to “help” in the search. Featuring vintage songs and a stand-out ensemble cast that also includes Sawyer Spielberg, Marcia DeBonis, Neil Casey and Sophie von Haselberg, Merry Good Enough is at once warm-hearted and sharp, a new
holiday classic in the making.

On today's show, Janeane is in conversation with Raye Levine Spielberg, Sawyer Spielberg, and Directors Caroline Keene and Dan Kennedy.

RAYE LEVINE as Lucy Raulie
Raye Levine is a New York-based actor. Selected film credits: A View of the World from 5th Ave, Pink Flags,
Follow the Roses, The Great Pretender. Selected theatre credits: Guild Halls production of Extinction,
Leviticus at EST & Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and more.

SAWYER SPIELBERG as Sam McGrath
Sawyer is a New York-based actor and has starred in the independent features: Honeydew, Christmas Eve
In Miller's Point, and The Martyr of Gowanus. He will soon be seen in a recurring role on Apple TV+’s
upcoming series, Masters of the Air.

CAROLINE KEENE (writer/co-director)
Caroline Keene is a writer and director from Marion, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of UT Austin’s MFA
in Screenwriting program. This is her first feature.

DAN KENNEDY (co-director/producer)
Dan Kennedy is a director, cinematographer, and producer with a rich narrative filmmaking background.
The last feature he produced, Honeydew, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

CO-DIRECTORS:

Caroline Keene

Dan Kennedy

WRITER:

Caroline Keene

PRODUCERS:

Shawn Gauvain

Dan Kennedy

Krista Minto

Jamieson Shea

Genevieve Skehan

CAST:

Raye Levine Spielberg

Joel Murray

Comfort Clinton

Sawyer Spielberg

Susan Gallagher

Daniel Desmarais

RUNNING TIME:

97 Minutes

DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT
Dan and I met in Boston in 2017 while working on a short film of mine. Soon after, I sent him Merry Good Enough, a project that is very personal to me, with its themes of family struggle and ultimately acceptance and hope. Dan’s support and connection to the script was immediate. As the years went by, the story, characters, and New England setting began to feel more like a project that was not just mine, but both of ours and the decision to direct the movie as a team came naturally.

Filmmaking is a collaborative effort at every level. In working together from the top, we were able to share that spirit of shared passion and commitment with all of our actors and crew. This movie feels lived-in due to the many people who added their own ideas and life forces to the production. Whether it was our producer Krista Minto who found the perfect old blue Toyota for the movie, or our process of co-selecting the film’s music with our music supervisor Taylor Rowley, where we drew from from classical pieces like Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, to present-day independent artists like Paul Rosevear, who’s single “Ain’t It Good” plays in a pivotal part of the film as Raye Levine’s character, Lucy, drives through her hometown - we worked together every step of the way to bring the story of the fictional Raulie family to life. 

The result, we hope, is a movie that is a reflection of our own unique sensibilities - setting a raw, indie-film perspective on family dynamics alongside a more classical, slightly heightened type of storytelling. Our shared goal was always the same: to make something fresh, entertaining, and
real in a genre of movies we both respect and love: the holiday.



For additional information or requests, please contact:

MERRYGOODENOUGH@mprm.com

UC Irvine’s Basic Needs Center launched a mobile food pantry on Nov. 15 and Andrea Mora, Director of UCI's Basic Needs Center, joins host Janeane to share details

Andrea Mora, Director of UCI's Basic Needs Center, joins host Janeane on November 20th to talk about the launch of the mobile food pantry

LISTEN
to today's show

Irvine, Calif., Nov. 13, 2023 — The Basic Needs Center at the University of California, Irvine will unveil its new mobile food pantry, a 22-foot-long customized delivery van, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at the Pereira Drive roundabout in front of the Aldrich Hall flagpoles. The first 200 attendees will receive collapsible Tupperware products.

The center will also launch its ZotFunder campaign, running until Dec. 31, to raise money to stock the mobile pantry, which is designed to make food more accessible to all enrolled students at UCI and bring it nearer to where they live.

The UCI Basic Needs Center received an innovation grant of $245,000 from the UC Office of the President to purchase and adapt the van, now painted blue and adorned with colorful images of produce and anteaters. Food distributions will begin on Dec. 8 at Arroyo Vista housing and on Dec. 15 at Verano 8 housing. The winter-quarter distribution schedule is pending, but the vehicle will be at these locations once per month on Fridays.

“For years, we’ve been hearing from students that access is really important to them. We envisioned a second pantry model that would bring food closer to students, and with the mobile food pantry, it’s now available,” said Andrea Mora, director of the UCI Basic Needs Center.

Once students check in at the vehicle, they will select items from a menu of perishables (milk, almond milk, eggs, yogurt, tofu and frozen prepared meals), nonperishables (bread, pasta, oats, peanut butter, tuna, soup and beans) and produce (apples, oranges, lemons, yams, potatoes, onions and carrots). They will also be screened for CalFresh benefits eligibility and have access to informational resources.

The mobile food pantry will operate in tandem with the UCI Basic Needs Center’s FRESH Pantry, which will be open Tuesdays through Thursdays as of Dec. 8.

Students wishing to use the mobile pantry will be told its location when they make an appointment through the UCI Basic Needs Center website. Appointments are currently required, but this may change based on the first distribution. The center may start taking walk-ins around 2 p.m. on Dec. 15.

“We’re excited to take this new effort out to the community,” Mora said.

Watch UCI's mobile food pantry on ABC News.

UCI’s Brilliant Future campaign: Publicly launched on Oct. 4, 2019, the Brilliant Future campaign aims to raise awareness and support for the university. By engaging 75,000 alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment, UCI seeks to reach new heights of excellence in student success, health and wellness, research and more. Learn more at https://brilliantfuture.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Coming up Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 @9:00am LIVE on KUCI - Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, an author, attorney, meditation teacher, and popular lecturer. Rabbi Spitz shares details of his latest book - Duets on Psalms and more

 

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to today's show featuring
Rabbi Spitz

Elie Kaplan Spitz is an author, rabbi, attorney, meditation teacher, and popular lecturer. He served as the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Israel of Tustin, CA for over 33 years and as a member of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee of Jewish Law and Standards for twenty years. He has published four books: Does the Soul Survive? Jewish Views of the Afterlife, Past Lives, and Living with Purpose (2000, 2015); Healing from Despair: Choosing Wholeness in a Broken World (2008), and Increasing Wholeness:  Jewish Wisdom and Guided Meditations to Strengthen and Calm Body, Heart, Mind and Spirit (2015), and Duets on Psalms: Drawing New Meanings from Ancient Words (2023).  

His writings address topics of both Jewish and universal concern, including:

> How would a contemporary juror view survival of the soul?

> How to live a balanced life and sleep better at night

> How are Biblical writings relevant to us today?

Rabbi Spitz will also share:

> His journey to becoming a Rabbi

> How the Psalms in his new book can apply to anyone of any faith

> How these messages bring solace in a time of divisiveness, etc

> What he would like readers to take away from his new book

Psalms are our people’s songs, an ancient playlist that still strikes a chord in our hearts. From lamentation to celebration, the Psalms speak to us from generation to generation.

Rabbis Elie Spitz and Jack Riemer take us into a deeper exploration of the Psalms, going beyond the surface meaning of the words with new, thoughtful interpretations, taking a fresh look at these ancient texts and the relevance they can hold for us today. These contemporary translations of the ancient text reveal new facets of insight and understanding.

It is a testament to their lasting power that the Psalms continue to provide readers with solace, challenge, inspiration, and more. Duets on Psalms will inspire you to revisit these ancient texts and see them with fresh eyes because, in the end, it’s not what the psalmist intended that matters but the meaning you gain from each psalm, making their words your own.

“Rarely do we get to sit by the side of two spiritual leaders at the height of their powers, to savor their wisdom as they unveil the deep wisdom and compassionate heart in the Book of Psalms. These ancient poems, newly translated, have spoken to seeking souls across the generations. Thanks to Rabbis Riemer and Spitz, they can speak to us now!”

—Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, Dean of Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University, author God of Becoming and Relationship: The Dynamic Nature of Process Theology

“In Duets on Psalms, two remarkable rabbis breathe new life into the ancient words of The Book of Psalms. Rabbi Elie Spitz and Rabbi Jack Riemer perfectly complement one another offering us close readings, new translations, modern scholarship and timeless wisdom. They give us the tools to allow the words of the Psalms to open our minds and enter our hearts. This illuminating work is a literary journey filled with faith, wisdom, hope, healing, meaning and inspiration.”

—Rabbi Naomi Levy, author of Einstein and the Rabbi and To Begin Again

“Not just rabbis and pastors, but everyone who loves the Psalms should own this wonderful book. Rabbi Jack and Rabbi Elie have not only learned the Psalms all their lives, they have lived the Psalms through decades of ministry to people in every possible phase and crisis of life. This book oozes with authentic wisdom that only comes from investing a lifetime in both God’s Word and God’s world.”

—Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life

“In Duets on the Psalms, Rabbis Riemer and Spitz, two of the master teachers of our times, prove the truth of the rabbinic adage, ‘Turn [the Scripture] over and over again, for all is in it,’ by providing new readings of familiar texts. Through their multi-layered explorations of and commentaries upon eleven psalms that address the gamut of human emotions and aspirations, they provide the reader with new insights and meanings into the human condition that stimulate the mind but more significantly transform the soul. Theirs is a spiritual masterpiece!”

—Rabbi David Ellenson, Chancellor Emeritus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

“What a brilliant combination. Rabbis Jack Riemer and Elie Spitz, two of Judaism’s most inspirational teachers, offer a lifetime of insights on the Bible’s most inspired book. A work to read and reread and to return to for inspiration.”

—Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of Jewish Literacy and Words that Hurt Words that Heal

“When great souls come together, there can be sparks. When they unite to find new meaning in the sacred songs and poems of the book of Psalms, a fire burns.”

—Craig Taubman, singer and composer

The Power of Purpose-Driven Initiatives during the holidays and throughout the year! Here are some ways you can volunteer in Orange County right now

There are numerous volunteer opportunities throughout Orange County during the holidays and throughtout the year. Oranizations of all sizes need your help, from animal shelters to homeless outreach and food banks. Here is a link filled with resources!


Volunteer Opportunities | Enjoy OC (enjoyorangecounty.com)

Wednesday November 15th - Kelly Sather, winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize for her forthcoming powerhouse of a book, Small in Real Life.

Kelly Sather, winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize for her forthcoming powerhouse of a book, Small in Real Life. As a former entertainment lawyer, and screenwriter, Kelly has really captured the emotion, ambition, humanity, and conflict in her characters on their search for power, fame, love, and the possibility of and redemption. Kelly's writing is undeniably moving and sharp-- an easy read with so much to discuss-- the dark side of the quest for a better life.

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ABOUT THE BOOK
Small in Real Life invokes the myth and melancholy of Southern California glamor, of starry-eyed women and men striving for their own Hollywood shimmer and the seamy undersides and luxurious mystique of the Golden State. Exiled to a Malibu rehab, an alcoholic paparazzo spies on his celebrity friend for an online tabloid. Down to her last dollar, a Hollywood hanger-on steals designer handbags from her dying friend’s bungalow. Blinded by grief, an LA judge atones after condescending to a failed actress on a date. When hunger for power, fame, and love betrays the senses, the characters in these nine stories must reckon with false choices and their search for belonging with the wrong people. Small in Real Life offers an insider’s view of California and the golden promises of possibility and redemption that have long made the West glitter.

ABOUT KELLY SATHER

Kelly Sather is the author of SMALL IN REAL LIFE (Oct. 2023), her debut short story collection, and winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, a book that evokes the myth and melancholy of Los Angeles. A former entertainment lawyer and screenwriter, she pulls back the curtain to reveal the power, desire, and illusions beneath the California Dream. Her work has appeared in Santa Monica Review, J Journal, Pembroke Magazine, PANK, and elsewhere. She grew up in L.A. and lives in Northern California.

“Kelly Sather is a clear-eyed observer. These stories remind the readers of the thrills and dangers of living, and that we are never far from the undercurrent of human emotions, both mysterious and meaningful.”
—Yiyun Li, author of The Book of Goose

2023 Drue Heinz Literature Prize Winner explores the seamy undersides and luxurious mystique of California

Pittsburgh, PA – Kelly Sather of Larkspur, CA is the 2023 winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for a collection of short stories. Sather's debut book, Small in Real Life, was selected by author Deesha Philyaw. The University of Pittsburgh Press will publish Small in Real Life on October 3, 2023.

“This compact but mighty collection explores both the heights and depths of the unsavory business of being human,” says Philyaw, National Book Award finalist and author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. “With exquisite, emotionally rich prose, every single story surprises and unsettles. Tenderness co-exists with terror, beauty alongside betrayal. Characters are at turns earnest and terrible as they grapple with longing, lust, grief, regret, and disappointment in these utterly original stories. The heart of this brilliant collection is chaos––the way the universe is chaotic, unpredictable, and simply dazzling.”

The stories in Small in Real Life invoke the myth and melancholy of Southern California glamour, of starry-eyed women and men striving for their own Hollywood shimmer no matter the consequences. Exiled to a Malibu rehab, an alcoholic paparazzi spies on his celebrity friend for an online tabloid. Down to her last dollar, a Hollywood hanger-on steals designer handbags from her dying friend’s bungalow. Blinded by grief, an LA judge atones after condescending to a failed actress on a date. When hunger for power, fame, and love betrays the senses, we must reckon with false choices and our human struggle to appear brighter to our beholders. Small in Real Life offers an insider’s view of California, and the golden promises of possibility and redemption that have long made the West glitter.

“I’m thrilled and honored Deesha Philyaw selected my story collection for the Drue Heinz Prize,” reflected Sather. “When I submitted the manuscript I imagined this step towards publishing, but to hear the good news, that my stories were selected by a writer I admire so much and my first book will be published this year, was tremendous. I’m grateful to Deesha Philyaw, Drue Heinz and University of Pittsburgh Press for their support of the short story.

Kelly Sather is a writer, former entertainment lawyer, and screenwriter. Her stories and reviews have appeared in Santa Monica Review, J Journal, Pembroke Magazine, PANK, ZYZZYVA, and elsewhere. She grew up in Los Angeles. and lives in Northern California.

In addition to publication by UPP, the Drue Heinz award also includes a cash prize of $15,000. Drue Heinz, who passed away in 2018, created the endowment for this accolade in 1981. Jane McCafferty is the managing editor for the Drue Heinz Prize.

###

Small in Real Life by Kelly Sather, will be published by the University of Pittsburgh Press with an on-sale date of October 3, 2023 · 150 pp · 6 x 9 · ISBN 9780822947998 · Cloth $24.00 · eBook available.

PRAISE

“Small in Real Life is a heart-piercing and haunting debut. Kelly Sather is a writer possessed of rare courage—the courage to render our darkest tendencies and the last flicker of light we are terrified to lose. Each of these gorgeous, unflinching stories is the shard of broken mirror, refracting pieces of our impossible lives, showing us what we’ve done and what we look like right now.”
—Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Remember Me Like This


“This compact but mighty collection explores both the heights and depths of the unsavory business of being human. With exquisite, emotionally rich prose, every story surprises and unsettles. Tenderness coexists with terror, beauty alongside betrayal. Characters are at turns earnest and terrible as they grapple with longing, lust, grief, regret, and disappointment. The heart of this brilliant collection is chaos––the way the universe is chaotic, unpredictable, and simply dazzling.”

— Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies and finalist for the National Book Award


“In Kelly Sather’s phenomenal short story collection, she compresses the daily commotion of life into riveting moments of reckoning, whether earned or forced. Desire can obscure or illuminate, and in these compelling stories, Sather’s characters deal with the complications of wanting and existing in the world. Sentence by sentence, Small in Real Life is one of the best debuts I’ve ever read.”
—Michele Filgate, editor of What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About


“Reading this very brilliant debut feels like holding a live wire, receiving a kind of shock our current literature seldom gives. It’s a shock we need. Kelly Sather’s characters, seeking escape from unbearable lives, are canny, naïve, cruel, bewildered, sometimes a little despicable, always entirely human—and utterly indifferent to our sympathy. Small in Real Life has a rare wisdom, born of freedom from illusions most of the rest of us can’t bear to let go of. This is among the most impressive new books of fiction I have read in years.”

— Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness

Irvine, Calif., Nov. 13, 2023 — The Basic Needs Center at the University of California, Irvine will unveil its new mobile food pantry, a 22-foot-long customized delivery van, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15

NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


https://news.uci.edu/2023/11/13/uc-irvines-basic-needs-center-to-launch-mobile-food-pantry-on-nov-15/



Contact: Cara Capuano

949-501-9192

ccapuano@uci.edu


UC Irvine’s Basic Needs Center to launch mobile food pantry on Nov. 15

Delivery vehicle will expand student access to essential provisions



Irvine, Calif., Nov. 13, 2023 — The Basic Needs Center at the University of California, Irvine will unveil its new mobile food pantry, a 22-foot-long customized delivery van, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at the Pereira Drive roundabout in front of the Aldrich Hall flagpoles. The first 200 attendees will receive collapsible Tupperware products.

The center will also launch its ZotFunder campaign, running until Dec. 31, to raise money to stock the mobile pantry, which is designed to make food more accessible to all enrolled students at UCI and bring it nearer to where they live.

The UCI Basic Needs Center received an innovation grant of $245,000 from the UC Office of the President to purchase and adapt the van, now painted blue and adorned with colorful images of produce and anteaters. Food distributions will begin on Dec. 8 at Arroyo Vista housing and on Dec. 15 at Verano 8 housing. The winter-quarter distribution schedule is pending, but the vehicle will be at these locations once per month on Fridays.

“For years, we’ve been hearing from students that access is really important to them. We envisioned a second pantry model that would bring food closer to students, and with the mobile food pantry, it’s now available,” said Andrea Mora, director of the UCI Basic Needs Center.

Once students check in at the vehicle, they will select items from a menu of perishables (milk, almond milk, eggs, yogurt, tofu and frozen prepared meals), nonperishables (bread, pasta, oats, peanut butter, tuna, soup and beans) and produce (apples, oranges, lemons, yams, potatoes, onions and carrots). They will also be screened for CalFresh benefits eligibility and have access to informational resources.

The mobile food pantry will operate in tandem with the UCI Basic Needs Center’s FRESH Pantry, which will be open Tuesdays through Thursdays as of Dec. 8.

Students wishing to use the mobile pantry will be told its location when they make an appointment through the UCI Basic Needs Center website. Appointments are currently required, but this may change based on the first distribution. The center may start taking walk-ins around 2 p.m. on Dec. 15.


“We’re excited to take this new effort out to the community,” Mora said.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.