City Arts & Lectures

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Michael Pollan Aug 07, 2022

Show notes

For more than thirty years, Michael Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where the human and natural worlds intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in our minds. His many acclaimed titles include How to Change Your Mind, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and The Botany of Desire. In his recent essay collection, This is Your Mind on Plants, Pollan takes a deep dive into three psychoactive plants: opium, caffeine, and mescaline. Pollan co-founded the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. The center combines research, training, and public education to explore the psychological and biological effects of psychedelics on cognition, perception and emotion.

Pollan was interviewed on stage at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco on July 26, 2022, by Lauren Schiller. She is the co-author of the forthcoming book It’s a Good Day to Change the World, and the creator and host of Inflection Point, an award-winning podcast and public radio show about how women rise up, build power and lead change.

Medicine and Injustice - Rupa Marya and Raj Patel Jul 31, 2022

Show notes

This week, we look at the connection between the state of our bodies and the state of the planet, with physician Rupa Marya and journalist Raj Patel, Their new book Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice, draws on Dr. Marya’s work as a physician, as well as scientific research and scholarship on the social and environmental causes of poor health. On July 21, 2022, the two spoke to author Anna Lappé about how we ought to be re-thinking medicine, and the links between illnesses that reside inside our bodies and the injustices that exist in society at large.

Crosstalk Part Two: Genre is Cancelled Jul 24, 2022

Show notes

An encore of a two-part miniseries from 2020, in which past City Arts & Lectures guests talk across, among, and around one another.

In the second half of Crosstalk, our guests discuss genre. What is a novel? What is autofiction? What is poetry, a fable, creative nonfiction, a short story? Does perfect writing exist? Then, some of our writers speak to cancel culture – the contentious concept of striking from the cultural ledger figures who have villainous personal histories, whose actions are deemed too abhorrent to allow us to continue consuming their work. Finally, these artists celebrate the other artists they are engaging with, and sharing community among.

Meg Wolitzer, Ocean Vuong, Zadie Smith, Ben Lerner, Marlon James, Rebecca Solnit, Sally Rooney, Rachel Cusk, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and more defend, dismiss, and celebrate.

Crosstalk, Pt 1: Writing Identity Jul 17, 2022

Show notes

An encore presentation from 2020: Crosstalk is a two-part series of compiled conversations between City Arts & Lectures guests from recent years discussing literary identity and the sometimes pleasurable, sometimes painful, act of writing. Guests include Ocean Vuong, Zadie Smith, Marlon James, Ottessa Moshfegh, Tommy Orange, Eileen Myles, Rebecca Solnit, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Crosstalk is produced by Juliet Gelfman-Randazzo.

An Expert's Guide to Sleep with Matt Walker Jul 10, 2022

Show notes

A conversation on the science of sleep and how we can improve it for better health with Dr. Matt Walker. Walker is a professor of neuroscience and psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science whose research examines the impact of sleep on human health and disease. He is the author of Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreaming and over 100 scientific research studies on everything from sleep’s effects on memory, diet and motor skills to the consequences of sleep deprivation. Indre Viskontas is a cognitive neuroscientist with the University of California, San Francisco and a faculty member at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has published groundbreaking work on the neural basis of memory and creativity, and co-hosts the popular science podcast Inquiring Minds. This program was recorded at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco on June 10, 2022.

Kim Stanley Robinson with Bill McKibben Jul 03, 2022

Show notes

In The Ministry for the Future, science fiction novelist Kim Stanley Robinson imagines a near-future where climate change has wreaked havoc, from severe heat waves, to flooding, limited resources, and a global refugee crisis. It’s a terrifying set of circumstances. But it’s not without hope - and Robinson brings to life a possible path for survival. Robinson has also published a memoir, The High Sierra: A Love Story. On June 7, 2022, Kim Stanley Robinson talked with his friend, author and environmental activist, Bill McKibben, about his work, the challenges facing environmentalists, and how older people can play an important role. This program also includes an excerpt from the audiobook of The High Sierra read by the author, courtesy Hachette Books.

Amor Towles Jun 26, 2022

Show notes

This week, a conversation with one of today’s most beloved and historically imaginative authors: Amor Towles. Towles earned wide critical acclaim and a loyal international audience with his 2016 novel, A Gentleman in Moscow. His new book, The Lincoln Highway, follows four boys on an exhilarating ten-day trip across America, from the farmlands of Nebraska to the bustling streets of New York City. On June 7, 2022, Amor Towles came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk with Steven Winn.

Angela Davis with Alonzo King Jun 19, 2022

Show notes

Our guest is writer, scholar, and activist Angela Davis. For more than 5 decades, Davis has been fighting for Black liberation, equal rights for women, queer and transgender people. Davis first received national attention in 1969, after being removed from her teaching position at UCLA for her social activism and membership to the Communist Party. In 1970, she was placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted List” on false charges, which culminated in one of the most famous trials in recent U.S. history. A massive international “Free Angela Davis” campaign was organized, leading to her acquittal in 1972. Davis is a founding member of Critical Resistance, a national organization dedicated to dismantling the prison-industrial complex, and the author of books including Freedom is a Constant Struggle and Women, Race & Class. On May 24, 2022, Angela Davis came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to choreographer and activist Alonzo King.

David Mitchell with Pico Iyer Jun 12, 2022

Show notes

This week, we’ll listen to a conversation with David Mitchell and Pico Iyer, recorded on May 8, 2021. David Mitchell’s many novels include Cloud Atlas, The Bone Clocks, and Ghostwritten. . His most recent novel, Utopia Avenue, follows the strangest British band you’ve never heard of. Mitchell’s stories often weave together the supernatural and the philosophical. He’s also one of the most structurally inventive writers of our time, featuring nonlinear storylines and multiple genres within a single book. Pico Iyer is a travel writer, essayist, and novelist, whose many books include Video Night in Kathmandu and The Lady and the Monk.

Michael Lewis and Dave Eggers Jun 05, 2022

Show notes

This week, journalist Michael Lewis is in conversation with his fellow writer and friend Dave Eggers. Michael Lewis is the author of books including Moneyball and The Big Short, and most recently The Premonition: A Pandemic Story. It’s a nonfiction thriller filled with the unforgettable characters that Lewis is known for. His knack for storytelling is also what makes his podcast Against the Rules so captivating. It’s about the state of “fairness” in American life – and each episode tackles the issue through the lens of people who depend on public trust - from sports referees to health care providers. On May 19, 2022, Michael Lewis came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Dave Eggers about season three of the podcast, and share stories of his own life too.

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