Whether or not you believe in the hereafter, or in communicating with those who have "passed on," Lisa Williams is a delight to speak with. Her exuberance is catching and her openness is assuring. She doesn't hesitate in her communications; she doesn't evaluate a spin, but lets it all out, not concerning herself with how you'll take it. That's not to say she doesn't care, but she's not preoccupied with convincing anyone. She knows what she is doing is real to her, and if it's not real to others, she's comfortable with their choice.

Not having cable TV, I'd never seen Lifetime Television's "Lisa Williams - Life Among the Dead," but many of my friends had. So, while preparing for my interview I looked to them for questions and explored her website. Below is an edited transcript of a phone interview I had with her on Wednesday, April 30.

City: Do you still do private readings?

Lisa Williams: I was doing private readings up until a month ago, because it's started to get crazy with the book tour and other appearances. It's just so exhausting to do those appearances and all the traveling, that to do private readings on top of that is just too much. I've made a decision recently to not do any more private readings until I get a month off, and I'm not doing large events because physically I just can't do it. You can get a comedian or someone standing on stage and they have an act to do, but obviously, I'm expelling a lot more energy. And then with the traveling, it's just really tiring. I also think that doing the live appearances, you can get to so many more people.

How did you get started and what was your first big break?

I started doing private readings in England about eight to nine years ago in my home, and then I got an office. It started to expand from there and I gave up my full-time job to give readings full-time. I never advertised. My grandmother -- also a medium -- said to me that a good medium should never have to advertise, so I didn't. It was just word of mouth. Then I started working at spiritual churches and in front of live audiences, and it just expanded.

Then we had the opportunity to come over to America for a vacation, and we had to extend our stay for an extra 10 days because I had a health issue. It was in those extra 10 days that I did a reading for someone who worked for Merv Griffin. And I met Merv Griffin the following day and he created the TV show around me. That's how it all came about.

So your health issue became a gift.

There are so many times that my health has set me back, but I've realized I needed the break, or it put me onto a certain pathway, or different area, or it's given me time to like other things. So it's incredible how it happened.

I've talked to some of my friends about this interview, and I've said it has to be more than, "You talk to dead people? I believe you. Done."

You do get a lot of people who are skeptics, but at the end of the day we're all open to our own beliefs. It's up to everyone to find their own, what they believe in. I often say to people that in death you can be so much closer that you were in life.

I heard that wearing your hat keeps the spirits away. Do you find yourself wearing a hat more often than not? Is this a method you devised?

It's a method I devised. I wear my hat more often than not because, one, it hides a bad hair day. But then I had a psychic attack. I shoved the hat on and went off to find some witchy-woo shops and found some crystals and stuff. This woman told me that I put my hat on to block and shut down my aura. She said that I was highly intuitive, and shutting down my aura was my way of shutting down the world. So as much as I thought I was just shutting a metal door across my head, my hat obviously helps as well. That's where that all came from.

You say you hear the spirits. Do you actually hear them talking, or is it more sensing what they're saying?

It's both. I do hear them, and I hear them very clearly. Like I'm talking to you. Then sometimes I only hear snippets of a sentence and I have to put it all together and try to make sense of it. I've started to understand that you can never put logic into what they're going to say, so trying to make sense of it just won't work. So you just give what you get. I use all of my senses. Obviously, my hearing is my more predominant one. Then my sight, so I see them. Then I feel them. Then I have to intuitively interpret what I'm actually hearing, or seeing, or feeling, or saying. And I get the tastes as well, and the smells. You have to really interpret what it is you're getting. You have to use all your senses.

I don't want to know anything [about her clients]. Because if I know something about a client, then I will start to put my own viewpoints into it. That's also the reason why I don't read for family or friends. I get too emotionally involved and start putting my own slant on things.

How do you decide which spirits to listen to in an audience?

Half an hour before I go on stage I meditate. I often find some forceful and pushy spirits coming in. So I sit there with a pen and paper and write down who I've got to communicate with. I take that paper on stage that has the names and details of all the people who've come to me during my meditation.

Sometimes I'll be half-way through a reading and others will come in and I'll have to organize them.

When is your show coming back?

We're in the process of discussing another show idea. Similar to "Life Among the Dead," but different. We're very close to sorting it out. Fingers crossed!

How is your book doing?

My book is doing amazing. I can't believe it. It's been about two to three weeks and it's already sold 7000 copies.

[Following her Rochester appearance, Williams will be available to sign her book. But, BYOBook, as they will not be sold at the venue. "Life Among the Dead" is available at Barnes & Noble and Borders Book Stores.]

If spirits are always around, isn't it just wild that there are no secrets?

[Laughing] There are absolutely no secrets. We have to get used to that. But they're not always watching us. Only at certain moments.

How much hip fat have you donated to the universe to date?

[Laughing] I keep trying to donate it to the universe, but it's not going. It doesn't want to leave. It's driving me insane. I keep doing visualizations, releasing it into the universe. And it will, it will! The universe needs energy. I'm donating my energy!

They may be able to run cars on fat someday.

I know! In that case, I'll just go forever!

Lisa Williams will perform at the Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main Street, on Wednesday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m. Call 585-232-1900 or go to ticketmaster.com for tickets.

It would be impossible for anyone to see all the films offered at the Rochester High Falls International Film Festival -- obviously, since many of the films screen simultaneously. But there's also the question of just how many films a person can watch in five days. And how many parties can one attend? And still have a life. But I tried my best.

The opening night party for the Rochester High Falls International Film Festival was similar to a family reunion for the local film community. Even Jerry Stoeffhaas, past executive director of the Rochester/Finger Lakes Film & Video Office, came back into town. At this, and each subsequent reception, a roving spotlight was set up outside the venue. It's a nice celebratory touch, announcing where the "movie stars" and "beautiful people" are.

The City Hall Atrium is a lovely place to hold an affair. I have a feeling the food servers had watched last week's "Grey's Anatomy" and were having their own competition. I've never been offered so much food so many times. Really, it was insistent. The vittles were pretty good, too.

At each showing there were signs clearly instructing where a person should go if you had a one-time or all-films pass, or if you needed to purchase tickets. Volunteers kept the lines moving smoothly and really did a great job of directing patrons. Also, at each premiere you were handed a survey to complete and a ballot. Everyone I talked to had the same complaints about the survey. It was too long -- six pages -- and many of the questions were not relative to locals.

Friday's gathering at Java's was sweet and intimate. I hadn't seen any films that day, having gone to see "Hair" at Brockport again, but everyone I talked to said "Phoebe in Wonderland" was great. (It went on to win Audience Award - Narrative.) Bill Pullman attended and he seems a right sweet guy, taking his time with people and graciously agreeing to the many photo requests. As usual, the food and beverage spread was great, with the omnipresence of bowls of Luna Bars, a sponsor of the fest. The fest really takes care of their VIPs. Simply the amount of food and drink one can consume during the five days is more than worth the price of a $175 All-Access Pass.

Saturday's gathering at Edibles with Pullman and Rita Moreno was another intimate affair. Both were easily accessible and freely chatted with anyone who approached them.

The Gala Night Award Ceremony at The Little Theatre was heavily attended. In a three-part "tease" of a short speech, a small wrestle with a "live" wiggling brooch, and an enjoyable film presentation of her extensive career, Pullman managed to present the Susan B. Anthony "Failure is Impossible" Award to Rita Moreno. Moreno's acceptance speech, rewritten the night before after her positive experiences with the festival staff, was a joyful stroll through someone's love of their life. If it seemed that some attendees did not remain for the film, it shouldn't be taken personally. I felt like the event peaked with her warm presentation and couldn't fathom sitting for an hour and a half of subtitles. Like doing so would steal my sunshine, and many of the people I met outside agreed.

The reception at Riverside Court was elegant. A jazz band played while people made their way around the food stations. This night was the crème de la crème of "beautiful people" sightings. Both Pullman and Moreno were in attendance. I had a great time listening to Jerry Stoeffhaas  and City Newspaper's film critic George Grella discuss critiquing films and film critics.

Next up: Lilac Festival

The timing for the Lilac Festival is just right this year. The opening weekend weather was ideal. The bushes and trees are bursting with colorful blooms, and their fragrances practically force a person to pause to inhale a deep breath. But with this perfection came its own set of problems -- crawling traffic, long hikes from the parking lots, long lines at the vendors, and almost fear-inducingly crushing crowds. Returning later in the week, and earlier in the day, I still noticed a stronger attendance than in years past. The Lilac Festival has become quite the destination.

One newcomer is the children's area. Like a carnival, it has rides -- a mini caged Ferris wheel, saucers, a slide -- midway games, a train, and even pony rides. Tickets are $1 each, 10 for $8, and 20 for $14, with most rides costing three tickets.

The food was to be expected. Hots, burgers, gyros, steak sandwiches, Indian, Asian...all the yummy, greasy, salty combinations you can think of, plus a hearty dose of sugary treats -- cotton candy, funnel cakes, etc. --  with fruity smoothies available for the less adventurous. An amusing addition was the inclusion of a McCafe -- Micky D's version of a gourmet coffee stand. Cashing in on the festival circuit is a brilliant marketing idea. I wonder what they paid if they had to outbid Starbucks...

Surrounding the food vendors are service vendors. Too many, IMHO. Does anyone really purchase a soft-side hot tub or a water purification unit at a festival?

As for amenities, there are plenty of crescent moon studios (porta-potties). Inside, they're not too bad, and even offer sanitizing hand goo. Not the typical blue or green, these babies are purple. Which begs the question: did the fest commission them? And is this fest their only engagement?

The only complaint I have is the golf carts. There are lots of them, bringing artists and vendors to and fro. Which I don't have a problem with. But I do have a problem with how fast they moved, and their constant pushing me off the sidewalk to make way. And so did my friends. They made me feel like I was in a grocery store and someone behind me was going to catch my heels with their shopping cart. It also made it seem like the visitors were not a priority.

But, overall, for Rochester's first outdoor festival of the ever-growing festival season, this one is sweet. Sweet smelling, sweet price, sweet entertainment, and the yummy sweets.

Next up: Altered Books

I made my son a book safe when he was about 10. With an Exacto knife, I cut out the middle of the pages from a used hardcover book. It wasn't long before I realized it wasn't a one-sitting project, and that it would take days. The more pages I cut through, the harder it was to keep them still and straight. So after cutting an inch or so, I applied glue to the inner sides, and waited for it to dry before cutting some more. (You can glue the outside of the pages, but then it really does look like a book that's been made into a safe, therefore rendering it not at all "safe.") I think I got about three quarters of the way done when I declared it finished. That was my first experience in altering a book, other than the occasional comments written into the margins, highlighted passages - and most likely childhood crayon scribbles in some adult's book.

Let me just say they've come a long way in the altering of books since the idea of book safes. At the Central Library's "Altered Book Workshop" on Tuesday, May 20, a teacher at the Visual Studies Workshop showed about a dozen of us some of the many ways books can be altered to become art. Some took text from books and arranged it into an object. Some folded pages to become accordion-esque. The most creative one to me was the carving away of all the text, leaving just the pictures, which created a 3-D rendering of the book.

Each table got its own scissors and glue stick, and there were three other tables topped with every imaginable crafty item - buttons, bows, bindings, etc. We each took a discarded book and began to create. Physical crafts aren't my strong point, but I did manage to cut all the picture pages out of an animal book, sew it together with twine, and then re-bind it with the original book spine. Hey, I altered it. And art is in the opinion of the beholder.

Next up: Bob Dylan Birthday Party

For the past month now a familiar group of professional and amateur musicians have been invited to host-band Hunu?'s basement clubhouse-like rehearsal space on University Avenue to prepare for the Bob Dylan Birthday Party. Each Monday evening was spent with the band learning and re-learning Dylan songs. With 34 acts and almost as many musicians, there are a lot of arrangements to collaborate on and instruments to plug in or change hands. This is the same every year.

As each new act shows up -- hopefully with a six-pack in hand -- the band's members discuss the details with them. Those details can be easy (just play the song like it is on the record) or more challenging (change the key, mic this, incorporate another instrument, play it in this style, etc.). The song is rehearsed one, maybe two, sometimes three times, and then the band is ready for the next act. Through it all, singer Rita Coulter takes notes. These cheat sheets are given to all the band members on show night. This is the same every year.

On show night, you look for the posted song list to see when you'll be up. You then try not to drink too much, or you decide to drink too much, before it's your turn. The band opens with a few songs, and then the guests begin to take the stage. This is the same every year.

Yet, within these parameters of a Bob Dylan Birthday Party, there are no boundaries. Once the night begins, it feeds off its own steam. As everyone gathers, it takes on the feel of a family reunion. The performers and fans are their own community. It's rockin' warm and fuzzy.

This year The Bop Shop and Bodhi's Café took up the cause and offered up Village Gate's atrium as the venue. With the space larger than most live music bars, the added stairs and balcony views, and two temporary drink stands, all trepidations were soon squashed. The crowd piled in, even larger than usual. The Bop Shop's Tom Kohn told me he couldn't imagine it ever being anywhere else from now on.

Without going through all the performances, I would like to point out a few. Having the bathrobed Buzzo blow his horn during my song felt like I'd received a blessing. Watching the guitar make-out session between City's own Frank De Blase and HUNU? guitarist Don Christiano was hot! Tuned in and turned on! And Suzi Willpower closed the house with her loving memorial wail.

Next up: Greek Fest