Storied: San Francisco

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S3E40, Part 2: Ida McCray Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

We saved Part 2 of Ida McCray's podcast with us for a good reason. We didn't want her incredible story to get lost in the chaos and uncertainty that marked last week. And we suspect that you, like us, feel a little better heading into this week, so ...

Ida picks up where she left off in Part 1, with her release from prison when she was a teenager. She shares the story of when she helped hijacked a plane from San Francisco to Los Angeles and ended up in Cuba.

Fast-forward to 16 years later, when a member of her family turned her in. She served a little more than a decade in federal prison, and when she got out, she started working at the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, where she stayed for more than 20 years, as a rehabilitation coordinator. She also started teaching wellness for the formerly incarcerated at City College.

Ida ends this podcast talking about needing a break from The City she loves but doesn't recognize lately.

We recorded this podcast outside of Ida's home in the Excelsior in October 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E40, Part 1: Ida McCray Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Ida McCray has left San Francisco.

In this podcast, Ida, who was born and raised in The City, takes us back to around the time of her birth. Her dad was in and out of trouble and her mom put Ida in Catholic school. An only child, she loved books but school never excited her. She got into her own trouble as a teenager, and found herself in and out of Juvenile Hall. After graduating high school at 16, Ida got involved in the movement of those days and converted to Islam. This came after roughly a year and a half of her life locked up on a petty theft charge.

Please join us Thursday for Part 2, when Ida will continue sharing the story of her life.

We recorded this podcast outside of Ida's home in the Excelsior in October 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E39, Part 2: Poet and Author Alan Kaufman Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Alan tells us about his discovery of Israel. A friend told him all about the country, smashing Alan's preconceived ideas about the place, and so he went and lived there for a number of years. He shares stories of his return to NYC, drunken addiction, and homelessness. He was in a downward spiral before a friend told him to snap out of it and get help. He did, and roughly a week later, he was headed for San Francisco. He quickly got involved in the early '90s poetry scene here, and tells some great stories around that. He goes on to describe what it was like to get discovered as a writer as well as his work with "outlaw" artists here in The City. He also shares the story of a student strike he led while he taught at the Academy of Art University. Alan ends this podcast comparing the San Francisco of today with the city he moved to 30 years ago, and tells us all about the poets strike he led back in the early '90s. If you missed Part 1, please go back and listen to learn about Alan's parents and his upbringing in New York City. We recorded this podcast outside of Alan's home in Oakland in October 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E39, Part 1: Poet and Writer Alan Kaufman Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

Alan Kaufman is lucky to be alive.

In this podcast, the writer and poet traces his lineage back to his parents, who met in New York in the 1940s. His dad was a Jewish gangster, as Alan describes it, and his mom was a French Jewish Holocaust survivor.

Alan details a trip to Europe he took in 2014. His hosts in Zurich drove him to the mountains in Northern Italy where his mother and grandmother hid during World War II.

He fast-forwards to his parents' meeting and starting a family in the Bronx. When he was a teenager, he picked up a copy of On the Road, and the book ended up inspiring his move out west.

Please check back Thursday for the continuation of Alan's story.

We recorded this podcast outside of Alan's home in Oakland in October 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E38, Part 2: Business Owner Temi Adamolekun Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Temi picks up where she left off in Part 1, talking about founding Pembroke, her PR firm here in The City. She goes on to describe how the company transitioned during the onset of shelter-in-place earlier this year.

Then Temi pivots to her own experiences with racism and her awakening to racial and social justice. She ends the podcast talking about joining Represent Collaborative, for whom this podcast was produced. REP CO is a media hub for stories about under-represented folks, and we're honored to be part of that effort. We recorded this podcast in Hayes Valley in October 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E38, Part 1: Business Owner Temi Adamolekun Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

Temi Adamolekun moved to San Francisco sight unseen.

Temi was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but raised mostly in London. Her family visited their hometown often after their move to Europe, so Temi grew up with a good sense of where she was from despite her British upbringing.

After boarding school and university, she got a job at Condé Nast doing PR work. As a side hustle of sorts, she started making handbags, and through that, met the man she'd eventually marry.

The young couple had a chance to move to San Francisco and seized on it, sight unseen. That was a dozen or so years ago, and today, they're raising a child here in The City.

Please check back Thursday for Part 2, when Temi will talk about launching her own PR firm, her racial justice awakening, and the work she's been doing with REP CO.

We recorded this podcast in Hayes Valley in October 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E37, Part 2: Polo Player Dale Johnson Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Dale picks up where he left off in Part 1, with his college years in Santa Clara. After he graduated, he moved to LA where he worked in shipping. He had a few other jobs, mostly in data systems.

Dale was living in Scottsdale, Arizona, and his then-girlfriend/now wife was taking care of her father, who was ill, while also going to SF State. So, in 2010, Dale moved back to the Bay Area to help her out, and the couple has been living in Ingleside ever since.

He goes on to talk about discovering polo. All we'll say is that the story involves Argentina and boots. And if you wanna learn more about the sport, please listen in.

Dale ends his episode telling us about Heels Down, Fists Up, a Bay Area equestrian protest group that arose this summer after the murder of George Floyd.

Special thanks to Liz Beeson of Caring Cowgirl for connecting us with Dale and Sunny.

We recorded this podcast at Madonna Creek Ranch in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E37, Part 1: Polo Player Dale Johnson Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

Dale Johnson is the descendent of Black cowboys.

In this podcast, Dale traces the history of his family, from New York state and a Black settlement in Texas called High Prairie to the Bay Area. His parents met at a park in the East Bay and Dale was born seven years later.

He grew up in "deep" East Oakland. He touches on some of the changes that he remembers, with industrial jobs being off-shored and drugs coming into previously prosperous, Black neighborhoods, comparing that to some of what has been happening in the so-called Rust Belt of the US and the different responses to each situation.

Special thanks to Liz Beeson of Caring Cowgirl for connecting us with Dale.

We recorded this podcast at Madonna Creek Ranch in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E36, Part 1: Street Artist Ricky Rat Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

There's a battle going on in the world of San Francisco street art.

In this episode, we get to know street artist Ricky Rat. Ricky's grandparents come from many different heritages. His parents moved to San Francisco, separately, in the '80s and met at a Halloween party in the Mission. Ricky spent some time with his dad (also a comic artist) in the Mission in the 1990s (fun fact—his dad took him to see Josiah Luis Alderete read poetry back in the day), but they moved up to Marin. In the podcast, Ricky shares what it was like to grow up there.

He went to UC Davis and graduated before returning to The City earlier this decade. Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Ricky will tell us how he took his cartoon art to the streets.

We recorded this podcast at Fly Bar on Divisadero in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

S3E35, Part 2: 111 Minna's Michelle Delaney and Alex Kivelstadt Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

In this podcast, Michelle and Alex pick up where they left off in Part 1, discussing how the sale of 111 Minna that left them as co-owners went down. The original owner, Ei Ming, left Michelle in charge, and there was a lot of stuff she had to figure out how to do. A few years down the road, she brought Alex in to help, and soon enough, the two ended up buying the place from Ei Ming.

111 Minna Gallery is still closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. But they're fundraising and hosting virtual events from time to time. Please follow them on Twitter and Instagram and check their website for more info.

This episode concludes our Small Business September promotions. That doesn't mean we'll stop introducing you to small business owners all over The City. And please, do your part to ensure that these businesses survive these strange times.

We recorded this podcast at 111 Minna in September 2020.

Photography by Michelle Kilfeather

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