Legacy of Secrecy

Guest: Lamar Waldron

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Taking Woodstock with Elliot Tiber

Without Elliot Tiber, author of the true-story memoir Taking Woodstock, there would have been no Woodstock. Now that the acclaimed movie from Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) is being shown all summer long on national cable channels, this is the perfect time for you to talk with the real-life Elliot Tiber about those amazing times back in 1969—and how, on the eve of the 41st anniversary of the Woodstock festival, things have changed (or not changed) since those times.

• How he managed to convince a narrow-minded town to allow thousands of hippies to celebrate peace, love... and skinny-dipping!
• How, as the Bethel Chamber of Commerce president, Elliot was able to provide the crucial concert permit to the Woodstock organizers, and also how he played a part in helping bring them together with Max Yasgur to lease his farm for the concert in August 1969—after the original festival site in Wallkill, New York fell through.
• What it was like to watch and be a part of the Woodstock phenomenon as it electrified the sleepy little town of Bethel, New York.
• His current plans, which include a busy lecturing schedule; a brand-new memoir he is writing about his pre-Woodstock life experiences titled Palm Trees on the Hudson: A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland, and Interior Decorating (to be published by Square One Publishers); and just how things are going these days with his new little Yorkie terrier named “Woody Woodstock.”

If you haven’t yet seen the film or read the book (cowritten by Tom Monte), here’s how it all went down: The summer of 1969 found Elliot Tiber working in Greenwich Village while also trying to make a go with his parents of their broken-down motel in upstate New York. All the while, he managed to keep his gay life a secret from his family. Then something changed, and Tiber found himself forever tied to the wild and tie-dyed revelry that was Woodstock.

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A Line in the Sand Cpt Dr. Ray Wiss

A Line In The Sand. An impassioned insider’s view of the Canadian soldier’s war in Afghanistan and why it matters.

A Line in the Sand takes up where the bestselling FOB Doc left off—this time, with a focus on the Canadian soldier in Afghanistan. What Captain Wiss saw in Afghanistan during his first tour there in 2007–08 convinced him that this conflict was a rare example of a moral war. When the Canadian Forces asked him to return to the combat area, he agreed. Once again, he kept a diary. This time, he wrote something completely different.

The conflict in Afghanistan continues to command the nation’s attention. Written in an accessible and engaging style, A Line in the Sand’s goal is to ensure that the efforts, sacrifices and achievements of those Canadians who served with such distinction are never forgotten. Illustrated with over 50 colour photographs, A Line in the Sand tells us about virtually every kind of soldier fighting in Afghanistan: the bomb technician, the woman who lugs heavy artillery shells, the engineer, the tank driver, the combat medic, the “grunt.” We accompany Dr. Wiss as he treats the casualties of war—Canadian, Afghan (civilian and military) and Taliban. We follow combat patrols through dangerous terrain. We learn about the Afghans, from whom we are seemingly so different yet with whom we share so much.

All profits from A Line in the Sand will be donated to the Military Families Fund, created by former chief of the defence staff General Rick Hillier to assist military families.

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Sayeh Hassan- Pro Democracy Movement inside Iran

Sayeh Hassan is a Toronto based Criminal Defense Lawyer with Walter Fox and Associates. Ms. Hassan is an Iranian pro-democracy activist who has been involved with this movement for the past eight years. She is also the author of the shiro-khorshid-forever blog which focuses on human rights and the pro-democracy movement in Iran. Through her human rights work she stays in close contact with dissidents inside Iran as well retains contact with numerous Iran based human rights organizations. Her writings often focus on the plight of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, with a particular interest in the persecution of the Kurdish and Baha'i communities. Ms. Hassan writes regularly for online publications such as Canada Free Press, Persian Journal and the Kurdish Herald.

Alex Traiman Iranium

A documentary so explosive that the Iranian embassy in Ottawa made threats if it was screened in Canada.Narrated by Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Award Winning Iranian actress, Shohreh Aghdashloo, the 60-minute film uses rare footage from Iran and interviews with 25 politicians, Iranian dissidents, and leading experts on Middle East policy, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation."We encourage concerned citizens around the world to view this timely film and see firsthand the statements of Iranian leaders on their intentions for America and the international community," said Alex Traiman, director of IRANIUM.