5/18 - William Martin , Sean Phillips, Pete Fornatale, Maureen Blaha,

William Martin - "City of Dreams"
William Martin, recipient of the 2005 New England Book Award, is the author of nine novels, an award-winning PBS documentary, and a horror movie now considered a cult classic. His first novel, Back Bay (1980) spent fourteen weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List, and eighth, The Lost Constitution, appeared on the Mass Market List in 2008. The works in between have established him, in the words of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, as a "master story-teller." At the publication of Annapolis, a saga about the U.S. Navy, Publisher's Weekly said "Martin is the maritime Michener." Of his biographical novel, Citizen Washington, USA Today wrote, "Deft, spicy, and excitingly readable... This fiction is so complex in its understanding of humanity as to seem actually true."  And he has joined the historical novel and the mystery-thriller to create a genre all its own. In Back Bay, Cape Cod, Harvard Yard, The Lost Constitution, and now, City of Dreams, his characters track the passage of priceless artifacts through American history while, in alternating chapters, the history comes to life. 

Maureen Blaha - Executive Director - National Runaway Switchboard

Maureen Blaha is the executive director of the National Runaway Switchboard, a position she has held since November 2000. The organization has made great strides under her leadership – the visibility of NRS has grown, and support has increased in both personnel and finances. Also under Blaha’s leadership, NRS co-created National Runaway Prevention Month. During this interview Maureen will discuss why youth run away from home and findings from the research study as well as provide advice for parents having a difficult time with their child, talk about alternatives for children who are thinking about running away from home and explain why the hotline is so important.

Pete Fornatale - "BACK TO THE GARDEN"
BACK TO THE GARDEN: The Story of Woodstock and How It Changed a Generation (Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster), famed New York radio disc jockey Pete Fornatale goes behind the scenes at the world’s most iconic rock concert to tell Woodstock’s untold stories. Separating myth from reality and fiction from fact, he brings the experience to vivid life through original interviews with Roger Daltrey, Joan Baez, David Crosby, Richie Havens, Joe Cocker, and dozens of headliners, organizers, and fans.  Peter ("Pete") Fornatale is a New York City disc jockey, who was born on August 23, 1945. He was an important figure in the progressive rock era of FM broadcasting. Starting with WOR-FM in 1966, FM was demonstrating a large rift from AM broadcasting. Fornatale was a key figure in this trend with his weekly program, "Campus Caravan," which was heard on Fordham University's WFUV from 1964 to 1970. He began professionally in 1969 at WNEW-FM and also worked at WXRK (nee WKTU). He returned to WFUV in 2001 and is heard weekly on his current shows, "Mixed Bag" and "Mixed Bag Radio," which is also on XM satellite radio. He won the Armstrong Excellence in Broadcasting Award in 1983 . He is a native of the Belmont section of the Bronx and attended Fordham Preparatory School and Fordham University, where he received a B.A. in Communication Arts in 1967. He is a member of the board of World Hunger Year.  Fornatale has also written many books on popular music culture. He has hosted many rock-related programs on WNET, PBS's station in New York City. He has been an on-air consultant for rock music shows and specials on VH1, MTV and HBO

Jeff Lorber - "Now is the Time"
Jeff Lorber Recaptures The Spirit Of Jazz Fusion On "Now Is The Time" .  Playboy Jazz Festival  SAX FOR STAX featuring Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum and Jeff Lorber 6/12/2010.  Over three decades after breaking ground as leader of the pioneering Jeff Lorber Fusion, the Philly-born and bred composer, producer and keyboard legend is still keeping the vibes fresh and the grooves funky, inspiring contemporary jazz fans everywhere to exclaim with each new musical excursion: Heard That. On his highly anticipated Peak Records debut, Lorber keeps the soulful momentum going, collaborating brilliantly on pop, jazz, R&B and blues-influenced tracks--and even harkening back a bit to his early 80s Fusion heyday--with one of urban jazz's top hit makers and sonic architects, Rex Rideout.

Sean Phillips - Yahoo Movies Executive Producer 

 Do you think you are a movie buff who has seen all the classics? -- Yahoo! Movies, one of the prominent movies websites, has released today its list of “100 Movies to See Before You Die: The Modern Classics,” arranged chronologically and they are all notably familiar from awards circuit coverage focused on the last 20 years of cinema from Hollywood and beyond, to name a few such as: James Cameron's 3-D gold mine “Avatar”, Quentin Tarantino's “Inglourious Basterds” and Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow's “The Hurt Locker.” These classics movies - all of which were made between 1990 and 2009 - were chosen based on their artistry, originality, and pure cinematic entertainment, Yahoo! said in a statement. These are the movies that molded pop culture over the past 20 years, offered the most quotable lines, and worked their way into this generation's heart and memory. “Twenty-one of the 100 films are foreign films,” said Yahoo Movies executive producer Sean Phillips. “Hong Kong cinema, you have got French directors, sort of everything across the board.” Some of the movies are from way back, but some are current, and that is what creates an interesting mix of critically acclaimed features "Brokeback Mountain; “American Beauty” with movies that were more admired by the moviegoers themselves.