California Sun Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The California dream inspired and destroyed Robin Williams May 23, 2019

Show notes

Robin Williams' story is woven into the fabric of both the Bay Area and Hollywood. His drive for success and fame, coupled with always wanting to show us a piece of ourselves, is a very California story — especially as told by N.Y. Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff, whose book "Robin," is just out in paperback.

Roy Choi on bridging the food divide May 16, 2019

Show notes

When Roy Choi was growing up in Southern California, he led a double life around food. What was in his refrigerator at home was not what he wanted to be seen eating in the school lunchroom. It gave him insights about the ways food was really about culture, and about how, later in life, he might use his culinary skills to bridge divides and change the world.

David Talbot and a tale of San Francisco gone wrong May 07, 2019

Show notes

David Talbot has never been accused of being shy about his views. The founder of Salon and longtime voice for so-called San Francisco values now sees his adopted home as a tale of two cities. In his best selling book "Season of the Witch," he celebrated the "flowers in your hair" culture that brought a new generation to San Francisco in the 1960s. Today, he sees a global center of tech capitalism that is fighting for its soul and worse yet, may be co-opted by Los Angeles.

Leslie Berlin on Silicon Valley's origin story May 01, 2019

Show notes

Leslie Berlin wrote the book on Silicon Valley. The Project Historian for the Silicon Valley Archives at Stanford, she has profiled microchip discoverer Robert Noyce, and her book "Troublemakers," about Silicon Valley in the 1970s, has been called a "landmark event." Berlin takes us back to the '70s, when Ronald Reagan referred to those in the valley as "pioneers of tomorrow." She still sees the region today as "the golden child of the Golden State."

Randy Shaw on the sabotaging of California housing Apr 24, 2019

Show notes

Randy Shaw, executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, is a long-time housing activist in the Bay Area and author of the book, "Generation Priced Out." He shares his views about the controversial housing measure SB 50, gentrification, the tech boom, rent control, and the consequences of 30 years of failing to build enough housing in California.

Richard Walker on the crises and contradictions of Silicon Valley Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

Richard Walker, professor emeritus of geography at U.C. Berkeley, is a student of the renown Marxist geographer David Harvey. Walker brings an approach to his analysis that includes, economics, urban design, politics, and the environment, as well as the history of California. He's the author of several books, including his most recent: "Pictures of a Gone City: Tech and the Dark Side of Prosperity in the San Francisco Bay Area

Nancie Clare on Beverly Hills and the birth of celebrity politics Apr 11, 2019

Show notes

Nancy Clare, a longtime Southern California journalist, explains why Beverly Hills is no ordinary city. She tells how the gilded enclave shaped the region's politics, movies, and the battle for water, and gave it a special place in the evolution of Los Angles.

Audrey Cooper on the future of local news Mar 25, 2019

Show notes

Audrey Cooper, the editor in chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, reminds us that while we often turn our eyes toward Washington, it's local and regional journalism that actually shapes how we live, vote, and earn a living. She shares her vision of local news and the Chronicle's future.

Dr. Tom Hoffman on the Mars-California connection Mar 22, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Tom Hoffman has had an interplanetary journey without ever leaving NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. It's taken him from Neptune to his current role as project director on the Mars InSight mission. He gives us an up-close look at Mars exploration and explains how JPL is ground zero in the quest for interplanetary travel.

Mike Fitzgerald on Stockton and the "other California" Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

Mike Fitzgerald just retired after 30 years as a reporter and columnist for the Stockton Record. He is one of those rare journalists who comes to embody the place he writes about. Fitzgerald discusses his hometown's branding problem and why he holds such a deep appreciation for Stockton, the Delta, and the San Joaquin Valley.

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