City Arts & Lectures

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Bettina Love and W. Kamau Bell Oct 01, 2023

Show notes

This week, Dr. Bettina Love… Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and author of “We Want to Do More Than Survive.” Her writing, research, teaching, and educational advocacy focus on abolitionist teaching, antiracism, Black joy, and educational reparations. Love’s new book “Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal” is an unflinching reckoning with the impact of forty years of racist public school policy on generations of Black lives. On September 19th, 2023, Dr. Bettina Love came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to comedian, activist, and W. Kamau Bell. You can see Bell’s new documentary, “1000% Me: Growing up Mixed.” on HBO. The evening was presented in association with San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora. Join us now for a conversation with Dr. Bettina Love and W. Kamau Bell.

Bobby Berk Sep 24, 2023

Show notes

Bobby Berk is the interior designer on the hit Netflix series Queer Eye. It’s a reality makeover show in which Berk and 4 other hosts, each an expert in a different category, transform peoples homes, wardrobes, and cultural tastes. The series has won two Emmys. On September 16th, 2023, Berk came to one of the San Francisco locations of independent bookstore Books Inc., to talk to writer Rebecca Handler*,* author of the novel “Edie Richter is Not Alone.” The two discussed Berk’s role on Queer Eye, and his new book “Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good for the Mind.”

Ann Patchett Sep 17, 2023

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Our guest is writer, bookstore owner, and literary evangelist Ann Patchett. She’s the author of several novels including the best-selling Bel Canto, about a hostage situation at a lavish opera-themed birthday party. Patchett’s other books include The Patron Saint of Liars, and Commonwealth; and her newest novel, Tom Lake. It’s the story of three sisters in their 20s as they return home to Michigan during the pandemic, and the lives their parents lived before they were born. .On September 8th, 2023, Ann Patchett came to The Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Steven Winn about the new book, her early experiences as a budding writer, and her book recommendations.

Natalie Diaz and Hilton Als Encore Sep 10, 2023

Show notes

This week, our guest is poet Natalie Diaz in conversation with essayist and author Hilton Als. Natalie Diaz is an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian community and is the director of the Fort Mojave Language Recovery Program, where she works with the last remaining speakers of the Mojave language. Language and loss are explored throughout Diaz’s poetry, in collections including When My Brother Was an Aztec and Postcolonial Love Poem, which won her the Pulitzer Prize.

Hilton Als is another writer whose work explores American identity, in theater reviews, articles, and essays for The New Yorker, where he’s contributed since 1989. Als received the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Criticism, “for bold and original reviews that strove to put stage dramas within a real-world cultural context.” His writing explores race, sexuality, class, art, and American identity provocatively, exploding the boundaries of the genre in which it is contained. His most recent book is a memoir, My Pinup.

On February 9, 2023, Natalie Diaz and Hilton Als came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an onstage conversation, during which Diaz read from her work.

Carmela Ciuraru and Paul Madonna Sep 03, 2023

Show notes

In the first half of this program, literary critic Carmela Ciuraru talks about her new book, Lives of the Wives, which shines a light on the lesser-known partners of historic literary giants. Weaving together themes of marriage, power, ego, and equity, this riveting deep dive explores relationship dynamics that are still relevant today.

Then, artist and author Paul Madonna, who’s known for combining drawing and stories in a wide range of genres - from his enigmatic art series All Over Coffee which ran for twelve years in the San Francisco Chronicle, to his large-scale public murals, to his entertaining and sharply-plotted mystery novels. Madonna’s new book, The Commissions, is a riveting mystery set between San Francisco and Amsterdam.

Simone Stolzoff and Wendy MacNaughton Aug 27, 2023

Show notes

This week, we talk to the authors of two new books – one about our relationship to work, and another one about hospice and art. In the first half of this program, we talk to Simone Stolzoff. He’s the author of a new book, “The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming life from Work”. It takes a critical look at the way work has become so central to our identities - oftentimes at the expense of family, community and health.

For artist Wendy MacNaughton, drawing is a vehicle for connection. Her subjects are often people and places typically over-looked. That’s certainly the case with her new book, “How to Say Goodbye.” It’s a collection of portraits she drew during her time as artist in residence at a hospice center in San Francisco. MacNaughton was joined in this interview by her colleague Ladybird Morgan - a nurse, social worker, and palliative care consultant.

Both interviews were conducted in the studios of KQED in San Francisco on August 14, 2023, by neuroscientist, musician, and podcaster Indre Viskontas.

Justice Stephen Breyer and Judge Charles Breyer Aug 20, 2023

Show notes

This week, a conversation with two brothers, both distinguished members of the federal judiciary, Justice Stephen Breyer and his brother, Judge Charles Breyer. Stephen Breyer retired in summer 2022 after nearly 28 years as a member of the Supreme Court. Prior to that, he served nearly 14 years as a Court of Appeals Judge. He is especially appreciated for his pragmatism, issuing decisions most often informed by their real life consequences, and his firm belief that judges are loyal to the law, not to a political party. Born in San Francisco, both he and brother Judge Charles Breyer attended Lowell High School. Their father served as legal counsel to the San Francisco Board of Education, and their mother focused on public service. Senior United States District Judge Charles Breyer has served on the bench for 25 years. He was an assistant special prosecutor on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force from 1973 to 1974, and then entered private practice 1974 to 1997, interrupted by a brief stint as chief assistant district attorney of San Francisco in 1979. On January 7, 2023, the Breyer brothers appeared on stage at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an on-stage conversation with Judge Vince Chhabria, who served as a law clerk for both Breyers. This is an encore presentation of a program which originally aired in January 2023.

John Waters and Aubrey Plaza Aug 13, 2023

Show notes

This week, a conversation between two unconventional artists, director, visual artist and author, John Waters and Aubrey Plaza, actor, comedian and producer.

For nearly 50 years, John Waters has been making subversive films that playfully push all sorts of boundaries - movies like “Pink Flamingos”, “Hairspray”, and “Serial Mom”.

Actor and comedian Aubrey Plaza cites Waters as a major influence of hers. She's best known for roles in “Parks and Recreation” and the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus”.

On May 9, 2023, John Waters and Aubrey Plaza came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for a rapid-fire conversation on a variety of topics - including Waters’ first novel, “Liar Mouth: A Feel-Bad Romance”. As any fan of John Waters would expect, the night was as filthy as it was hilarious, so this program may not be suitable to all listeners.

Ocean Vuong Aug 06, 2023

Show notes

Ocean Vuong was not quite 30 years old when his debut novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, became a major literary sensation. It’s a coming of age story about a queer Vietnamese refugee, set against a backdrop of violence, poverty, and addiction. Much of it parallels Vuong’s own upbringing. Vuong is also the author of the poetry collections Night Sky with Exit Wounds and a new collection, Time is a Mother. On June 9th, 2023, Vuong came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San francisco to talk to writer/director Mike Mills, whose films include Beginners, 20th Century Women, and C’mon C’mon.

Monica Gandhi Jul 30, 2023

Show notes

Epidemiologist Dr. Monica Gandhi will talk about the lessons learned from COVID-19 and why she thinks new vaccines and public health methods make us well-prepared for future pandemics. It’s the subject of her new book “Endemic: A Post-Pandemic Playbook”. She’s director at Ward 86, the HIV clinic at San Francisco General Hospital, and a professor at the University of California San Francisco. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Gandhi was a leading voice on every aspect of the disease, from its transmission to its treatments. On July 24, 2023, Gandhi talked to Indre Viskontas at the studios of KQED in San Francisco.

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