Topic: Alex Friedman

Take a rare peek inside the Coast Guard's heavy-weather vessel Menemsha. This boat doesn't need a life raft; Menemsha can sustain 30-foot surf, 30-knot winds, and run upside-down.

Senior Chief Stephen Barr of the Coast Guard station in Menemsha invites Plum TV in to talk shop. From distress calls to enforcing the laws of homeland security, the Coast Guard does it all. Just remember, if you're a bad guy, the Coast Guard are the last people you want to see. But if you're a good guy, the Coast Guard are the first people you want to see.

Alex Friedman talks with Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Geraldine Brooks. They discuss her early beginnings as a journalist, the notion of writer's block, and Geraldine's love for Iran. Now a resident of the Vineyard, she actually had a pen pal in Menemsha while growing up in Sydney, the small world drew her in, and the island is better for it.