In the winter of 2007, long time radio producer, Phil Printz, and Village Books founder, Chuck Robinson, collaborated on a grand vision for a variety-style radio show seasoned with contemporary literature and dished out with a nostalgia-inducing aroma of the golden age of radio.

For a long time Chuck, prompted by knowledge of a radio show in Oxford, Mississippi, had thought about doing a similar program. When Phil approached him Chuck was exuberant about the idea of a radio show that would feature best-selling authors of elite status, as well as local favorites of equal nobility and grandeur.

There was to be music to set the tone and rock peoples’ socks off or calm their nerves, as well as a poetry corner, essay readings and witty (or, perhaps, half-witty) banter between the show’s announcer, Rich Donnelly, and Chuck himself.

The dream was to have it broadcast all over Bellingham from the Museum of Radio and Electricity's radio station, KMRE 102.3. The museum, it would seem, would be the ideal venue for the recordings to take place. Another perfect thing about broadcasting it on KMRE would be that people outside of broadcast range could tune in online. It was all so fantastic.

Soon the stage would be set, and the fulfillment of one man’s life-long quest would at last come to fruition. All that was needed was an author to be booked. Coincidentally, Erik Larson, who penned the bestsellers Devil in the White City and Thunderstruck, was slated to do a reading at Village Books on the very same night that the first taping of the radio show was to commence.

This was just too perfect. The only thing they needed to do was convince Mr. Larson to show up at the museum instead of the bookstore, and do a little Q&A with Western Washington University journalism professor emeritus, and esteemed Seattle Times opinion writer, Floyd McKay.

Well, Mr. Larson had no problem with that, and on a snowy January night in a museum in downtown Bellingham, the pilot show was taped in front of a live audience, and a boyhood dream was finally realized.

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