nationality notableworks name language genre article_title birth_name occupation
us '' pirate radio '' , new york : scribner , 2004 40 watts from nowhere , a journey into susan `` sue '' carpenter english non-fiction susan carpenter
 susan carpenter writer , pirate radio personality
susan carpenter

susan carpenter is a writer and media personality known for operating two illegal pirate radio stations and writing about unconventional adventures she has undertaken in order to experience them firsthand .
a university of wisconsin -- madison graduate , carpenter was working as a legal secretary in san francisco , california in 1995 when she began pseudonymously running an illegal all-music pirate radio station , which she named `` kpbj '' after the sandwich .
the station operated for three and a half years before the fcc shut it down .
during those years , kpbj grew from interviewing relatively unknown guests to hosting live performances by such bands as the red hot chili peppers and jane 's addiction .
in 1998 , carpenter took a job as editor of the niche culture magazine `` uhf '' and moved to los angeles , where , under the alias `` paige jarrett '' , she founded a new pirate station , `` kblt '' , also named after the sandwich , in the hipster los angeles community of silver lake .
kblt 's djs included bob forrest , mike watt and keith morris. , performers included mazzy star , who played a benefit to help pay her legal fees , and the station featured bootleg world premieres of songs by beck , madonna , and jesus and mary chain .
a former feature writer for `` the los angeles times '' and senior contributor to `` jane '' magazine , carpenter 's writing has also appeared in `` george , '' `` marie claire '' , and `` cosmopolitan '' .
she has written about topics as diverse as working as a hooters girl , posing nude for `` playboy '' magazine , joining the army , working on a chain gang , competing in a hawaiian tropic tanning contest , and trying out for the la lakers dance squad , the laker girls , and has provided insider commentary about pirate radio happenings .
in october 2012 , carpenter moved to the `` orange county register '' as automobile and motorcycle columnist .
in 2004 , carpenter wrote a book about her experiences as a pirate radio operator which has been described as '' `` sine qua non '' for anyone who aspires to run any kind of community-style radio station '' due to the details it provides about the college/community/pirate scene .
