KUCI: Get the Funk Out!

Emma Brockes joins Janeane Bernstein to talk about her hilarious memoir!

A hilarious and bracingly honest memoir about the life-changing decision to conceive
a child on one's own via assisted reproduction
When Emma Brockes decides to become pregnant, she quickly realizes that, being single, 37, and in the early stages of a same-sex relationship, she’s going to have to be untraditional about it. AN EXCELLENT CHOICE: Panic and Joy on My Solo Path to Motherhood chronicles Brockes’s journey to single motherhood, from selecting a fertility doctor, through multiple trials of IUI, to giving birth to twins, and the many “ups, downs and pharmaceuticals along the way.” The result is a most delightful, extraordinary memoir that comes at a time when more and more women are exploring fertility treatment options and becoming single mothers by choice.
Phone Interview Opportunity
EMMA BROCKES
Author of
AN EXCELLENT CHOICE:
Panic and Joy on My Solo Path to Motherhood
Thursday, June 28
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM EDT
Brockes quizzes her friends on the pros and cons of personally knowing one’s sperm donor, grapples with esoteric medical jargon and the existential brain-melt of flipping through donor catalogues, and conjures with the politics of her Libertarian OB/GYN—all the while exploring the cultural circumstances and choices that have brought her to this point. Anxious that biological children might not be possible, she wonders, should she resent society for how it regards and treats women who try and fail to have children?
AN EXCELLENT CHOICE comes from a unique place. Having grown up in the U.K., where residents have access to universal health care, and now pregnant stateside, Brockes brings an outsider’s perspective to the many idiosyncrasies and frustrations of the U.S. health care system. She writes with charming self-effacing humor about being a gay British woman undergoing fertility treatment in the U.S., poking fun at the starkly different attitude of Americans.

Brockes also deftly uses her own story to examine how and why an increasing number of women are using fertility treatments in order to become parents—and are doing it solo. This is still relatively uncharted social territory, as Brockes is uncomfortably reminded every time she’s asked “who’s the father?” But it may not be in the future.
AN EXCELLENT CHOICE grapples with what it means, on a both personal and societal level, to embrace the amazing new reproductive possibilities women today and in the future are and will be afforded by technology.
www.emmabrockes.com
Twitter: @emmabrockes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emma Brockes is the author of She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me. She writes for The Guardian's Weekend magazine and has contributed to The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Economist and Vogue. She is the winner of two British Press Awards—Young Journalist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year—and while at Oxford won the Philip Geddes Memorial Prize for Journalism. She lives in New York.

6/25/18 - Today on KUCI 88.9fm - Award-winning author Rebecca Makkai joined Janeane to talk about her latest novel, The Great Believers

In her stunning new novel, award-winning author Rebecca Makkai weaves together 1980s Chicago with contemporary Paris, to tell a story of survivors who were forever affected by the AIDS crisis. THE GREAT BELIEVERS is the first novel about the AIDS epidemic in Chicago, and Makkai, a Chicago native, digs deep into the history and heart of how AIDS affected her hometown, and turns her research into a beautifully poignant novel that feels almost too real to be fiction.
With themes of governmental indifference, a broken healthcare system, and survivors’ guilt, THE GREAT BELIEVERS captures the panic and rage of the period, reminds us of those who were needlessly lost, and exposes similarities to the political and social climate in the U.S. today. Makkai’s novel is more than a beautiful work of literary fiction; it is an ever-present account of the lives of those affected by AIDS.

6/25/18 - 9:30am pst - Director Michael Grodner joins Janeane to talk about his film The Icarus Line Must Die

“The greatest rock group of the 21st Century” - The Guardian
Punk's not dead in this cool AF drama riffing on actual events. THE ICARUS LINE MUST DIE is a dramatic narrative feature set against the backdrop of the current LA underground music scene. The film tracks Joe Cardamone, front man of notorious punk bad boys The Icarus Line as he navigates his way through the ups and downs of the modern music landscape. With a new record completed and a major label deal within sight, Joe fights to keep his band, his relationship and his life from completely falling apart.
Ariel Pink, Keith Morris (Black Flag/Circle Jerks), Pearl Charles, Melissa Brooks (The Aquadolls), Justin Pearson (RETOX, The Locust), Rafael Reyes (Prayers) and Jerry Stahl (Permanent Midnight) are featured along with performances by Pink Mountaintops, Together Pangea, The Icarus Line, Retox, Obliterations and Annie Hardy of Giant Drag. The film was directed by Michael Grodner and written by Michael Grodner and Joe Cardamone.
THE ICARUS LINE MUST DIE will open in LA on June 22 at the Laemmle Royal and will rollout theatrically over the summer by Dark Star Pictures. The film will be available on digital on 7/10 (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, Fandango Now, Xbox and local Cable Providers). The film has a running time of 83 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.
There will be a special LA premiere followed by a concert on June 20 at the Regent Theater.
Live Sets Following The Screening Include:
Joe Cardamone (The Icarus Line)
Annie Hardy (Giant Drag)
Melissa Brooks (The Aquadolls)
DJ Sets By:
Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks, OFF!)
Together Pangea
Tickets for the event are available here:
https://www.ticketfly.com/event/1685464-icarus-line-must-die-official-los-angeles/

6/25/18 - 9:00am pst - Filmmaker and chairman of the Dean’s Arts Council of the UCI Claire Trever School of Arts, Ivan Williams, joinsJaneane live on ...

ABOUT IVAN WILLIAMS
Ivan Williams is a filmmaker and an executive with a Hollywood story development firm and someone who is also playing a key role in helping UC Irvine move to the next level on across several areas. From the filmmaking front, Ivan has followed up the successful release of M.F.A., with several other key projects. This includes the distribution of the documentary KIM SWIMS, the production of the animated feature THE AARDVARK AND THE ARK, post-production work on documentary titled GENDER IN HOLLYWOOD, and the development of a film that is based on the adapted screenplay of Patrick Dennis’ novel GENIUS.

6/18/18 8:30am pst - Janeane speaks with Pamela Druckerman about her latest book There are No Grown-Ups: A Midlife Coming-of-Age Story

PAMELA DRUCKERMAN
Bestselling author and New York Times contributor investigates the modern 40s —marriage, the midlife crisis, owning what you know, and cracking a personal fashion code—in her new book of essays, THERE ARE NO GROWN-UPS: A Midlife Coming-of-Age Story
In the same frank and funny voice loved by readers of Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting, bestselling author Pameia Druckerman explores friendships and relationships, careers, and the challenge of managing both young kids and old parents during this in-between decade. Along the way, she shows how the French do 40 better. Like in her runaway global bestsellerBébé, Druckerman’s charming blend of memoir and journalism captures behaviors and truths previously unnamed. With the intimate, self-deprecating tone of a best friend, she shares her fears and her victories, and makes readers smile in recognition of both their insecurities and their strengths.
Join Pamela Druckerman as she shares her collection of essays that delve into this period of life, some on more serious themes (the terrorist attacks in Paris, surviving cancer) and some lighter (throwing her own “aspirational” birthday party, persuading a boutique owner to offer style advice). She discusses how:
· Forty isn’t middle-aged anymore…it’s much younger than it used to be: lifespans in rich countries have been increasing by 2.3 years per decade.
· Almost nobody has a midlife crisis: we’re too busy to have a breakdown…we don’t even have time to go to the movies!
· We’re more fertile than previously thought: since 1990, the rate of babies born to American women ages 40-44 has nearly doubled.
· The downside to our 40’s: there are mental and physical declines – we’re more easily distracted and digest information more slowly than our younger counterparts
· The upside to our 40’s: according to psychological research, we’re less neurotic and more perceptive. And there really is wisdom: what we lack in processing power, we make up for in maturity, insight and experience.
· Still, we need to dress differently…trying to look younger is the fastest way to look old! The French approach is to try to be the best version of the age you are.
Druckerman leads us on a quest both for self-knowledge and the right pair of pants. Peppered throughout with “You Know You’re In Your Forties” lists that perfectly diagnose this age (i.e. You Know You’re in Your Forties… when you become impatient scrolling down to your year of birth), this is the book for anyone trying to find their place in the world.

6/18/18 9:45am pst - bestselling, critically acclaimed author, Ann Hood, (The Knitting Circle) on her new book, SHE LOVES YOU (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)

Bestselling author Ann Hood crafts a funny, heartfelt story of a girl growing up in the heart of Beatlemania.
PRAISE FOR SHE LOVES YOU:
· "Filled with love, hope and longing, this is a novel for readers of all ages." -- Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting By 7s
· "This charming coming-of-age story acts as a time capsule, offering contemporary readers a glimpse into life in the 1960s while exploring issues young people face in every generation." -- Publishers Weekly
· "Hood, known primarily for her adult novels, offers up a coming-of-age story steeped in nostalgia, humor, and heart. There's obvious appeal for Beatles fans, but Trudy, irrepressible in her struggle to maintain friendships in a changing world, will win many admirers of her own." – Booklist
· “Trudy's voice and her relationships with parents and peers ring true to an adolescent slowly making sense of her life and the people in it. Her perseverance, cleverness, and sense of humor will keep readers turning the pages to see if she does meet her favorite Beatle.” – Kirkus Review
Author Bio:
Ann Hood is the author of the best-selling novels The Book That Matters Most, The Obituary Writer, Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine, The Red Thread, and The Knitting Circle, as well as the memoir Comfort: A Journey Through Grief, which was a New York Times Editor's Choice and chosen as one of the top ten nonfiction books of 2008 by Entertainment Weekly. She has won two Pushcart Prizes as well as a Best American Spiritual Writing Award, two Best American Food Writing Award, and a Best American Travel Writing award. A regular contributor to the New York Times, Hood's short stories and essays have appeared in many publications, including Ploughshares, Tin House, Traveler, Bon Appetit, O, More, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Paris Review, and others. She is the editor of the anthologies Knitting Yarns: Writers Writing About Knitting, Knitting Pearls: More Writers Writing About Knitting, and Providence Noir. Hood is also the author of books for children, including the middle-grade novel, How I Saved My Father (And Ruined Everything Else), and the ten-book Treasure Chest series for young readers. Her new memoir, Morningstar: Growing Up with Books, will be published in August. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and New York City, and is married to the writer Michael Ruhlman.

6/18/18 9:30am - PLANET FUNNY How Comedy Took Over Our Culture by JEOPARDY! champion and NYT bestselling author Ken Jennings

Ken's latest book, PLANET FUNNY: How Comedy Took Over Our Culture --explains how we are living in a golden age of comedy and funniness is paramount. PLANET FUNNY explores our brave new comedic world and what it means—or doesn’t—to be funny in it now.

6/18/18 9:15am pst Jet Widick , the author and poet behind the popular Gluten Free Sage blog, wellness expert and advocate for Celiac disease

WELLNESS EXPERT BRINGS JOY TO POETRY
A beautifully illustrated, uplifting collection of poems for adults and children encourages readers of all ages to unplug and appreciate the present.
NASHVILLE, TN – Author Jet Widick challenges the generations-old notion that well-written and powerful poetry is poetry saturated with melancholy themes and bleak perspectives in her latest illustrated collection, White Wild Indigo
After living with silent Celiac disease for 15 years, Jet’s diagnosis presented an opportunity for her to seize control of her life from a once unknown assailant. As she fought to improve her physical health, she realized that her story could serve to help others on their journeys to wellness, and in doing so discovered the deep healing power of writing.

6/18/18 9:00am pst - JUST WHEN YOU GET COMFORTABLE IN YOUR SKIN IT STARTS TO SAGE by Amy Nobile

With the voice of a close friend, this clever and witty guide from bestselling duo Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile takes women through the new and sometimes challenging midlife phase, with chapters including:
- Redefining what beauty means after age 40... and that there is beauty after age 40!
- How to care for yourself when you're also caring for growing children and aging parents
- Navigating midlife relationships and dating (did someone say dating apps??)
- Discovering new career paths and new meaning in your life

6/4 KUCI 88.9fm - Director Adam Sobel joins Janeane to talk about The Workers Cup

With the recent news on FIFA’s plan to expand the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, I would like to bring to your attention THE WORKERS CUP, a captivating documentary that provides an inside look at this country’s labor camps where millions of migrant workers are tasked with building the facilities for the biggest sporting event in the world.
With unprecedented access, the film follows a team of migrant workers who are laboring to build sport’s grandest stage while competing in a soccer tournament on their own known as the Workers Cup. But more than a film about a game, THE WORKER'S CUP is an examination of the poorest residents in the world’s richest country as they endure backbreaking work for low pay and agree to strict contracts under false pretenses. With the illusion they might play (real) soccer dangled in front of them, their hope and the love of the game keeps them going, despite their desperate and heartbreaking circumstances.