Once upon a time there was a storyteller named Martha Cinader who had an extraordinary experience which, being a storyteller, she felt compelled to share with everyone. So, when her listeners gathered around, in cafes, schools, galleries, and nightclubs, she told the story of how she met a woman from another planet, and what happened after that. It didn't bother her that no one appeared to believe the story, ("she's a storyteller" she would hear them disclaim to each other), because whether true or false, the message remained the same.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's go back. Martha was also in the habit of going around to WBAI Radio NY, every Tuesday, to tell historical stories on the Afternoon Arts Magazine. The Arts Director was Anthony Sloan, who was always recruiting people to participate in his extraordinary live radio dramas. She played the snail in Pinocchio and her flute in The Phantom Tollbooth, and during these productions she loved to watch Matthew Finch, a fellow arts producer, create sound effects with found objects. After seeing how it all worked, she produced a few of her own. That's also when she started collaborating with Jeannie Hopper. Jeannie was having labor pains at the time, and soon gave birth to the Liquid Sound Lounge radio show. On the very first show, in the wee hours of the morning, (which is when most radio shows are born), Martha chose to tell her own story. The one about how she met a woman from another planet. They met in Central Park, and Martha discovered soon after that, that SpaceWoman was on a mission to Earth to find "just exactly and matter-of-factly what love means." Jeannie spun a very unique soundtrack and invited Jay Rodriguez to accompany the story on his saxophone.

Next they started getting together on Tuesday nights in the East Village at the University of the Streets, and invited everyone to join a party they called Listen & Be Heard. Anthony was the engineer and audio documentarian. Jeannie played a new mix every week while the local poets improvised their poetry. Martha was the MC. Then it occurred to her that this was the perfect place to tell Mission of Love as a radio soap opera. Everyone who came, the poets, storytellers, musicians and "I just came to watch" folks too, were recruited to play roles or create sound effects. Martha usually played the role of EarthWoman and Jeannie filled in as SpaceWoman. Sylvia Collins, recently arrived from London, became the weekly narrator. The only problem with that arrangement was that there was no one at the door to greet new comers, and latecomers. Enter Charlotte Taylor, Jeannie's friend from Hunter College days who was a painting restorer by day, and became Queen Charlotte on Tuesday nights. Over the next year thirty three episodes of Mission of Love were churned out of Martha's little lap top and handed out on Tuesday nights.

And so my friends, you will now recognize that this story is only beginning but I must part from thee, for this story can not be told in one sitting. But I will come back soon to tell you some more, and might even need your help. Since you have been so attentive I would like to give you your very own Mission of Love sticker. Just send me an envelope with your address and a stamp on it, and I will return it to you with a sticker inside.