Dec 14, 2023
Ryan Bedsaul explores how Anthony Bourdain’s on-screen work, especially "Parts Unknown," helped him connect to and navigate the vast, enigmatic city of Los Angeles. In this week's podcast and in his recent article for Current Affairs, Bedsaul reflects on his experiences of living in Los Angeles and how Bourdain’s...
Dec 7, 2023
John King, urban design critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, explores how San Francisco’s Ferry Building mirrors the city's evolution and broader urban American challenges in his book new "Portal." More than a historic transportation hub, the Ferry Building's journey from glory to neglect and resurgence symbolizes...
Nov 30, 2023
Jonathan Taplin, a film producer, scholar, and director emeritus of the Annenberg Innovation Lab, is a vocal critic of excessive techno-optimism. In his book, "The End of Reality: How Four Billionaires are Selling a Fantasy Future of the Metaverse, Mars, and Crypto," he argues that the California-centric billionaires...
Nov 16, 2023
The narrative in Katya Cengel's new memoir "Straitjackets and Lunch Money" is set in motion by her volunteer work at a juvenile detention facility in the Bay Area in 2012. The experience served as a catalyst, unearthing memories of her own past. In 1986, at the age of 10, Cengel was hospitalized in the now...
Nov 2, 2023
Conor Friedersdorf, a California-based staff writer for The Atlantic, joins us to discuss his recent article, "A Uniquely Terrible New DEI Policy." In it, he dissects controversial new diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates at California's community colleges, the largest higher education system in the U.S. These...