The journey from the heavens to our heart can happen in the blink of an eye. But from the heart to the Heavens is a different story. Legal battles may stand in the way. Today, we look at the downfall of a king accountable only to the Gods above; the wandering Jews in search of a promised land and only facing rejection, and finally the legal battle for a board game in the wake of the financial crisis and its pernicious values.
Mary Pilon, “The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board Game.” The way the Parker Brothers tells it, Monopoly, the world’s most famous board game, was invented by an out-of-work salesman in the depths of the Great Depression, who sold his invention. A fabulous rags-to-riches story to say the least. But as Pilon explains it: “it’s just not quite exactly true”.
Charles Spencer, “Killers of the King” relates for the first time to the shocking stories and fascinating fates of the 59 men who signed Charles I of England’s death warrant in 1649. This act not only changed British history forever, reverberated across the ocean to the young British colonies in American, which more than 100 years later also rose up against their king, but also became their death sentence.
Roger Cohen, “The Girl From Human Street” trails the upheavals of a family saga, with none of the comfort of a happy ending. Through the decades, the Jewish sense of “otherness” is pervasive, and Cohen finds it has been significant factor in his family’s history of manic depression. A moving portrait and an elegy to his mother, June, who struggled most mightily with her illness. But also a tale of remembrance and repression, moral ambivalence, suicide, and amazing resilience.
If there is enough food for three, chances are there is enough for four. We are what we eat. But what about if you don’t like the diet you eat? What would you become? We gather at a table every week, and yet we still have not had a panel about health and food. This week, we are discussing about health, physical and emotional, and how good and bad food impacts our general well-being.
Greg O’Brien, “On Pluto” is a first person account with Alzheimer. O’Brien speaks freely about what it is like to lose your mind and “see slices of your very identity being shaved off” on a daily basis. The story is a beacon of hope to anyone who can read and listen.
Jena La Flamme, “Pleasurable Weight Loss.” For Jena “the key to losing weight is not about enjoying less, it’s about enjoying more.” This radical insight has allowed thousands of her students to lose weight without food plans, arduous rules, or punishing exercises. Pleasure is the secret to switching off the stress triggers.
Charlotte N. Markey, in “Smart People Don’t Diet: How Psychology, Common Sense, and the Latest Science Can Help You Lose Weight Permanently,” Markey uses psychology and brain chemistry and more than 100 years of research and scientific findings to provide an accessible approach to weight loss that yields sustainable, long-term results.
Below is an excerpt of the campaign . . . Looking forward to having your support!
What is Our Program?
“Books du Jour” is a weekly literary TV series about books and the people who write them, currently broadcasting in the North-East on LIFE 25 (NYC), Wednesdays at 10:30 pm. The program also re-runs 5 times a week at various times. “Books du Jour” has a simple premise: each week, the host, Frederic Colier, invites three authors to lunch in one of New York’s finest restaurants to talk about books, ideas, society, culture, and of course the world at large. “Books du Jour” covers all genres and types of books and writers, even self-published ones. We have grown tremendously since our modest beginning and, achieving syndication on PBS is a sign that we are taking steps in the right direction.
How Does PBS Work?
As a result of the strong interest in our series, its growing audience and high production value, we have been accepted for syndication with American Public Television (APT), the main supplier of programs for PBS affiliates. We want to deliver 12 to 16 episodes for our next season. Because our program falls under the life-style category, it is not eligible to receive licensing fees. In other words, we have to raise money to pay for our broadcasting fees, closed-caption, various delivery formats, and data storage units. All the money raised goes towards these expenses.
We are hopeful that once we broadcast nationwide on PBS, that Sponsors will help us cover the series’ production costs.
Our History
Our “Books du Jour” did not start as the large production at all. The series is the outcome of an older program, Book Case TV, which started with two people in a cluttered NY studio apartment, producing short one-on-one author interviews, which were then posted on YouTube. The segments were shot with a single camera, Iphones and still cameras.
Just six weeks after starting our venture, NYC LIFE offered us a TV deal. Suddenly, we had access to a 20-million-people reach in the NY Metro area. It did not take long to build word of mouth and get the attention of the creative and publishing industry. The demand for interviews grew so fast that we had to rethink our strategy. Our one-on-one interviews were too limiting. We ended up doing 34 x 30 mn episodes of BCTV. Books du Jour was born from the success of BCTV.
Our two-first seasons include 25 episodes shot with five cameras, a full production team and elaborate graphics. Our partner, NYC Media, has been instrumental in the growth of the program by providing massive logistic support: from crew to post-sound and a successful marketing campaign in subway, buses, and taxis, while LIFE 25 contributed to our growing momentum by broadcasting and rerunning the episodes 4-5 times throughout the week.
Why Should You Support Us?
If you are an avid reader and love learning, immersing yourself in romance, sci-fi, thrillers, science, literary fiction, sociology, history, memoirs, or whatever you like, you know that chances of seeing your favorite authors on TV, unless he or she is already famous, are dismal. If you want the chance to get to know your favorite authors, here is your chance to get directly involved. Your small contribution will get them in your own living room and on your personal device. In helping us, you bring books, reading, and knowledge to the world.
What’s in it for You?
To get to broadcast across the country, we need your support to cover closed-captions, data storage, and the main expense: our broadcasting fees. For your support, we are offering obviously a wide selection of books (we have hundreds to give away) but we wanted also to mark your support with something special. Depending on the amount of your contribution, we are giving you artworks: photos and drawings in various sizes, signed by the artist, and if requested framed.
Risks and challenges
We have already succeeded in getting our program off the ground, as it is already broadcasting in the North-East. This was the hardest step.
But do not think that the next one is easier. Growth implies careful planning and outside help.
Our goal is to make our program accessible nationwide since, clearly, there exists a voracious reading audience across the country.
Should we fail at raising the funds, not only our hope to go national would be compromised, delayed for sure, but we will also be depriving the reading and book communities with wonderful opportunities to hear new voices. This program is a public necessity: good for everyone: authors, publishers, retailers, and of course readers.
Going National with your support would certainly facilitate our task.
Risks and challenges
We have already succeeded in getting our program off the ground, as it is already broadcasting in the North-East. This was the hardest step.
But do not think that the next one is easier. Growth implies careful planning and outside help.
Our goal is to make our program accessible nationwide since, clearly, there exists a voracious reading audience across the country.
Should we fail at raising the funds, not only our hope to go national would be compromised, delayed for sure, but we will also be depriving the reading and book communities with wonderful opportunities to hear new voices. This program is a public necessity: good for everyone: authors, publishers, retailers, and of course readers.
We are facing a two-prong challenge: raising money for Broadcast and for Production. We have managed to produce our program on shoe-string budgets. No one gets paid. We have showed incredible resilience in the face of challenging time schedule and demand.
We are already actively looking for sponsors to help us make this program a full-time venture. Failure to raise money will put set us back a year or two with our goals, and will force us to pedal twice as hard to get there. But we will keep on pushing forth and make bigger waves until we reach our goals.
Going National with your support would certainly facilitate our task.
Whether based on a real event or on the spur of the moment, crime stories never cease to fascinate audiences around the world. All of them boil down to a handful of simple premises: how is the criminal going to get caught? Who did it? And we, the readers, cruise through the pages to find out. The three books this week do not escape these cardinal rules.
Okey Ndibe, “Foreign Gods, Inc.” tells the story of Ike, a New York Nigerian cab driver who sets out to steal the statue of an ancient Wa deity from his home village to sell it to a New York art gallery. Ike’s plan is fueled by desperation. Despite a degree in economics from a major American college, Ike has a strong accent, which bars him from the corporate world.
Nina Darnton, “The Perfect Mother” explores the painful relationship between a beloved daughter who acts against her privileged upbringing and her devoted mother who experiences unimaginable fears. Inspired by the infamous Amanda Knox case, the novel examines the complex questions of how well do we know our children, and how far we would go to protect them.
Bradford Morrow, “The Forgers” starts with the death of a reclusive rare book collector, whose hands have been severed, then shifts to Meghan and her lover, who specializes in forging the handwriting of Sir Conan Doyle. But when they receive threatening handwritten letters penned by long dead authors, a gripping tale of love and an exploration of the tenuous nature of authenticity follow.
Mary Pilon, “The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board Game.” The way the Parker Brothers tells it, Monopoly, the world’s most famous board game, was invented by an out-of-work salesman in the depths of the Great Depression, who sold his invention. A fabulous rags-to-riches story to say the least. But as Pilon explains it: “it’s just not quite exactly true”.
Charles Spencer, “Killers of the King” relates for the first time to the shocking stories and fascinating fates of the 59 men who signed Charles I of England’s death warrant in 1649. This act not only changed British history forever, reverberated across the ocean to the young British colonies in American, which more than 100 years later also rose up against their king, but also became their death sentence.
Roger Cohen, “The Girl From Human Street” trails the upheavals of a family saga, with none of the comfort of a happy ending. Through the decades, the Jewish sense of “otherness” is pervasive, and Cohen finds it has been significant factor in his family’s history of manic depression. A moving portrait and an elegy to his mother, June, who struggled most mightily with her illness. But also a tale of remembrance and repression, moral ambivalence, suicide, and amazing resilience.
