Light Hearted

There are two interviews in this episode. The first concerns a beautiful new book, “Atlantic Coast Lighthouses.” Charles Ziga is the publisher and principal of Ziga Media. His past photographic book projects have included “New York Landmarks,” “The Lighthouse Book,” “The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses,” and “Anatomy of a Lighthouse.” Atlantic Coast Lighthouses is his first illustrated book project. Judith Cressy is a writer and editor with a focus on nature, history, and art, and she has been writ

This is an edited version of an interview first heard in April 2021. Angeli Perrow taught elementary school for 30 years. Maine’s maritime history has provided material for much of her writing, including four of her children’s books, Captain’s Castaway, Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, Sirius the Dog Star, and Love from the Sky. One of Angeli’s favorite subjects is hero dogs at lighthouses. Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, Angeli’s most popular book, tells the true story a keeper’s dog named Spot at

This episode features the audio from our live stream on October 7. The guest is Ben Ridings, the curator for Cape May MAC in New Jersey. The organization manages the Cape May Lighthouse and two other historic properties. The 1859 Cape May Lighthouse is at the southernmost point in the state of New Jersey, on the north side of the entrance to Delaware Bay. Today the lighthouse is a major tourist attraction, and more than 3 million people have climbed it since it opened to the public in 1988. Be

This is an edited version of an interview first heard in May 2020. The guest is Richard Skidmore, who was the modern day keeper of Gay Head Lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts for 31 years. The light station at Gay Head was the first on Martha’s Vineyard, beginning service in 1799. The light station at Gay Head was the first on Martha’s Vineyard, beginning service in 1799. The 1856 brick lighthouse tower that stands today is perched on the famous Gay Head cliffs, which were named fo

This is the audio from a live stream on September 16, 2026. The guest is Lenore Skomal, author of an acclaimed book about the celebrated lighthouse heroine Ida Lewis. Lenore Skomal Ida Lewis began tending Lime Rock Light in Newport, Rhode Island, at the age of fifteen after her father, the keeper of the light, was disabled by a stroke. Ida was officially appointed to the job in 1879, and she remained at Lime Rock until her death in 1911. Ida saved at least 18 lives during her light keeping care

This is the audio from the Light Hearted Live episode of September 9. The guest is the acclaimed maritime historian and author Eric Jay Dolin. Eric grew up near the beaches of New York and Connecticut, and from an early age he was fascinated by the ocean. He earned a masters degree in environmental management from Yale, then a Ph.D. in environmental policy and planning from MIT. Eric has written 17 books and many articles on American history. His books include Leviathan: The History of Whaling