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KPFA - Bookwaves/Artwaves

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Rating
★★★★★
4.7
from
6 reviews
Categories
Country
United States
This podcast has
25 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
KPFA
Explicit
No
Date created
2015/04/23
Latest episode
2026/09/24
Average duration
57 min.
Release period
8 days

Description

Bookwaves/Artwaves presents in-depth interviews with authors of fiction and narrative non-fiction, delving deeply into political and social issues, literary technique, and the life of the author, along with interviews devoted to theatre and film, and archive interviews from Bookwaves and Probabilities. Hosted by Richard Wolinsky.

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Check latest episodes from KPFA - Bookwaves/Artwaves podcast


Encore: George Saunders, “Vigil,” 2026
2026/09/24
George Saunders, whose latest novel is Vigil, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky. George Saunders is the highly acclaimed author of several short story collections, including “Tenth of December,”  and “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline,” and others, along with political commentary that has appeared in The New Yorker and other magazines. He won the 2017 Booker Prize for his earlier novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo.” This latest novel, Vigil, takes place in the in-between time before death, when an elderly oil oligarch lies dying, and an angel of mercy, a ghost, named Jill, is on hand to comfort him. The question at hand concerns forgiveness, accountability, grace and several other issues that become involved when someone whose actions were deleterious to humankind and the planet is forced to examine their actions on earth. Justification, remorse, sin? What does it mean, and how do we, the living, deal with these issues when there are so many bad actors doing damage these days on the world and national stages. Recorded by computer on April 15, 2026. The post Encore: George Saunders, “Vigil,” 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – September 17, 2026: Mary Roach, America’s Funniest Science Author, Part One
2026/09/17
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   The Quirky Science World of Mary Roach The author of several non-fiction works that examine specific areas of life that are rarely covered elsewhere, Mary Roach brings a sharp eye and excellent research skills to explain how things work, how they don’t work, and the various things that happen in between. The author of eight books, she has appeared on Bookwaves and Bookwaves/Artwaves four times, with a fifth to air in October, 2026. These are two earlier interviews. Part One: Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void. What’s life like for astronauts? What is it like to be in Zero-G, or to find yourself doing a space walk? What kind of food do they eat, and what are astronauts and technicians really like? In this interview recorded in the KPFA studios on August 24, 2010, she discusses all these topics, as well as a look back to her earlier book, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. This interview has not aired in over fifteen years. Part Two: Fuzz: When Nature Breaks The Law. “Fuzz” deals with such issues as animals killing humans, pests in the fields, attempts to control invasive species, animal burglaries (watch out, Yogi Bear!) and even birds destroying flowers in the Vatican. In this interview, she discusses many of these issues, plus adds some information that never found its way into her book. Recorded by computer September 16, 2021. An interview recorded September 15, 2026 about Mary Roach’s latest book, Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy will air in October, 2026 Review of “The Cook”, at Berkeley Rep Peets Theatre through October 11, 2026.  Review of “African Stew” presented by Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, at The Magic Theatre through September 27, 2026. The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – September 17, 2026: Mary Roach, America’s Funniest Science Author, Part One appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – Sept. 10, 2026: Kate Christensen, Novelist, Essayist, Memoirist, 2026
2026/09/10
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Kate Christensen: Novelist, Essayist, “Good Company,” 2026 Kate Christensen, whose latest novel is titled “Good Company,” in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. Kate Christensen is the author of ten novels, including “The Great Man,” which won the PEN/Faulker Award for fiction, Trouble, and Welcom Home, Stranger. She’s also written two memoirs along with essays published in a wide variety of publications and anthologies. She has also written a mystery under a pseudonym.. A graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, her books focus on contemporary issues such as homophobia, climate change, and specifically in “Good Company,” on misogyny. In thjis interview, she focuses on her writing process, on political issues that find their way into the novel, and on specifics inside the novel. Kate Crhistensen was interviewed on “Bookwaves” in 2009 and this interview picks up where that one left off. This interview was recorded in August, 2026.   Review of “The White Chip”, at Marin Theatre through September 20, 2026.  The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – Sept. 10, 2026: Kate Christensen, Novelist, Essayist, Memoirist, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – September 3, 2026: Two Science Fiction Masters: Ursula K. Le Guin and Gene Wolfe
2026/09/03
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018): Science Fiction/Fantasy Giant, 2000 Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018), who broke the artificial wall between science fiction and literature, died on January 22nd, 2018 at the age of 88. An essayist and poet along with being a fiction writer, she transcended all genres with the quality of her prose and the allegorical nature of her work. Best known for her novels The Left Hand of Darkness, which dealt with gender; The Dispossessed, which dealt with a utopian civilization; her series of novels in the fantasy realm of Earthsea; and her short stories, especially “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” Ursula K. Le Guin broke ground in several directions over the course of her writing life. But she started in science fiction fantasy. On September 29th, 2000, Richard Wolinsky and his then co-host Richard A. Lupoff spoke with Ursula K. Le Guin about her career as a writer and about her latest novel, a political and social science fiction allegory, “The Telling.” An extended version of this interview can be found as a Radio Wolinsky podcast.   Gene Wolfe (1931-2019): Science Fiction Grandmaster, 1982 Gene Wolfe, from a 1982 video. Gene Wolfe (1931-2019), author of several science fiction novels and short stories, including “The Book of the New Sun,” interviewed by Richard Wolinsky, Lawrence Davidson and Richard A. Lupoff at Bay Con, Thanksgiving weekend, 1982. The noted fantasy and science fiction writer Gene Wolfe died on April 14, 2019, one month shy of his 88th birthday. By the time of his death, he’d achieved a lifetime achievement award from the World Fantasy Convention, he’d been acclaimed a science fiction Grand Master from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, had won several awards from various organizations in the field, and was considered a writer’s writer. Digitizing, remastering & re-editing by Richard Wolinsky in 2019. Sound quality is variable. Complete Radio Wolinsky podcast The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – September 3, 2026: Two Science Fiction Masters: Ursula K. Le Guin and Gene Wolfe appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – August 27, 2026: Carl Hiaasen, Master of the Satiric Detective Novel
2026/08/27
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Carl Hiaasen: Creating Satire in the Age of Trump, “Fever Beach,” now out in trade paper Carl Hiaasen is a novelist best known for writing humorous and satiric crime thrillers set in Florida. His latest novel, now out in trade paperback, Fever Beach, satirizes the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, corrupt nepo Florida Congress-critters, and rich right-wing geriatric  billionaires. Until 2021, he was a regular columnist for The Miami Herald, appearing every Sunday to discuss political and social issues. He is interviewed by host Richard Wolinsky. In this in-depth interview, he discusses the writing of “Fever Beach” and how difficult it has been to create satire during the Trump years, his views on what’s happening in Washington and Florida, the adaptation of his novel “Bad Monkey” for Apple Plus, and his process of writing. Recorded August 13, 2025.           The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – August 27, 2026: Carl Hiaasen, Master of the Satiric Detective Novel appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – August 20, 2026: Ursula Hegi (1946-2026), Acclaimed Novelist and Short Story Author, 1991
2026/08/20
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Ursula Hegi (1946-2026): Two Interviews, 2001 and 2004 Ursula Hegi (1946-2026), who died at the age of eighty on July 27, 2026, best known for her novel “Stones from a River,” about life in a small town in Germany in the days leading up to World War II, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky. Two interviews, the first recorded November 6, 2001 while on tour for her short story collection, “Hotel of the Saints,” and the second, recorded January 8, 2004, for her novel, “Sacred Time,” less than a year after the invasion of Iraq. Ursula Hegi was a German born novelist and short story writer whose work focused on life in Germany before, during and after World War II along with German and German-American identity, and the nature of moral complicity. She was best known for her novel, Stones from a River, published in 1994, which formed part of a series of novels and stories which came to be known as the Burgdorf cycle, taking place in the fictional small town of Burgdorf, Germany during the middle of the twentieth century. At the time of her death from complications from a stroke, there were nine novels, two short story collections, a children’s book, and one non-fiction work from 1998, Tearing the Silence: On Being German in America. Her last novel, The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls, was published in 2020. The 2001 interview, one of the last Bookwaves interviews recorded on analog tape, was digitized, remastered and edited August 14-16, 2026.   Review of “R.O.I. (Return on Investment)”, a San Francisco Playhousere  production at the Creativity Theatre through September 5, 2026       The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – August 20, 2026: Ursula Hegi (1946-2026), Acclaimed Novelist and Short Story Author, 1991 appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – August 13, 2026: Probabilities Mystery Archive: Robert B. Parker – Nancy Pickard
2026/08/13
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   The Probabilities Archive: Robert B. Parker (1932-2010), The Spenser Novels, 1992 Robert B. Parker (1932-2010), in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff, recorded June 13, 1992 while on tour for the Spenser novel, “Double Deuce.” Mystery and suspense author Robert B. Parker died at the age of 77 on January 18, 2010. His career encompassed 38 novels in his popular Spenser detective series during his life, with another three published posthumously, plus nine novels in the Jesse Stone series, four in the Cole and Hitch series, six in the Sonny Randall series, nine other novels, and four books of non-fiction. There were two Probabilities interviews with Robert B. Parker. The first time, co-hosted with Lawrence Davidson, was recorded in Parker’s hotel room in the spring of 1981. At the time he’d just switched publishers and with Looking for Rachel Wallace and then Early Autumn, he was finally having success as an author. His success would explode exponentially over the next eleven years, and by the time of this interview. Robert Parker had written an additional ten Spenser novels, the TV series Spencer for Hire starring Robert Urich had run for three seasons, and a spin-off, A Man Called Hawk had had a 13 episode run. In addition, he’d completed an unfinished Philip Marlowe novel by Raymond Chandler, and followed that up with a sequel. This interview was digitized, remastered and re-edited in January 2024 by Richard Wolinsky and has only been posted as a podcast.   The Probabilities Archive: Nancy Pickard, The Jenny Cain Mysteries, 1990 Nancy Pickard, author of the Jenny Cain mysteries, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff, recorded April 4, 1990 in the KPFA studios while on tour for the novel “Bum Steer.” Originally a journalist, Nancy Pickard turned to mysteries in 1984 with Generous Death, which would eventually lead to ten Jenny Cain novels. As of 2026, there are also three novels in the Marie Lightfoot series, three non-series novels, plus three in the Eugenia Potter series, four collections and one co-authored non-fiction work. Her most recent novel to date, The Scent of Rain and Lightning, was published in 2010 and was adapted into a film in 2017. As of 2025, she continues to speak at various mystery conferences and conventions. In the late 1980s, crime and mystery fiction by women skyrocketed. Even so, awards were still being given to mostly male writers, and in 1987, the organization Sisters in Crime was formed. 

In Berkeley, at KPFA, Richard Lupoff and I, the hosts of the Probabilities radio program, having drifted from science fiction into mysteries and later into general fiction and narrative non-fiction, noticed the trend pretty early on, and began interviewing these pioneer writers, one by one, local writers like Marcia Muller and Sue Dunlap, and writers from out of town, such as Sue Grafton, or from overseas, such as P.D. James.

These interviews, the Sisters in Crime interviews, were all conducted in the 1980s and 1990s, and because of the switch from analog tape to digital, were not heard since the new century began, and are now being digitized, one by one. This is the second in the Sisters In Crime series of interviews. This interview was digitized, remastered and edited on August 8, 2026. It was first aired in 1990 and then rebroadcast in 1991. (Note: the audio incorrectly calls her series the “Jenny Crain” mystery novels. As noted, her heroine was Jenny Cain.) Review of “Orpheus Descending” at Oakland Theatre Project through August 23, 2026     The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – August 13, 2026: Probabilities Mystery Archive: Robert B. Parker – Nancy Pickard appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – August 6, 2026: Robert Bloch (1917-1994), Author of “Psycho”
2026/08/06
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   The Probabilities Archive: Robert Bloch (1917-1994), Pulp Magazine Writer and Novelist Robert Bloch (1917-1994), who died on September 23, 1994 at the age of 77, began his career writing fantasy and horror for the pulp magazines, and graduated after World War II to writing psychological thriller novels, often focusing on serial killers. He is best known today for having written the novel “Psycho,” which was adapted into the classic 1959 film by Alfred Hitchcock. From the 1950s through 1970s, he also wrote for episode television (most notably “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”) and made for television films. In all, there were countless short stories, over thirty published novels, and several non-fiction articles. On March 4, 1982, the late Probabilities co-host Richard A. Lupoff (1935-2020) ninterviewed Robert Bloch before an audience. There were no major science fiction conventions at the time, so it’s not clear exactly where this interview took place). In the first part of the interview, Bloch discusses his friendship with H.P. Lovecraft, his work with the legendary Fictioneers writing group, and the creation of his Lefty Feep series of short stories. The second part of the interview takes him to his novel-writing days, with a look at the creation of his most famous character, Norman Bates of “Psycho.” Digitized and edited August 1-2, 2026 and introduced by host Richard Wolinsky. Portions of this interview found their way into “Space Ships! Ray Guns! Martian Octopods: Interviews with Science Fiction Legends,” edited by Richard Wolinskky and published by Tachyon Books in 2025.   The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – August 6, 2026: Robert Bloch (1917-1994), Author of “Psycho” appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – July 30, 2026: Nature Writer Robert Macfarlane, “Is A River Alive?”
2026/07/30
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Robert Macfarlane: “Is A River Alive?” Robert Macfarlane, whose book “Is a River Alive,” was just released in trade paperback,  in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. The best-selling nature writer, and author of “Underland” and “The Old Ways” discusses the relationship of the human race to nature in the context of the rights of natural phenomena, specifically rivers. What rights does the earth have in terms of man’s hegemony? Where do we fit in nature? In this interview, recorded recorded June 11, 2025, he talks about his journey to three rivers: a cloud forest in South America, a dying river in India, and a river that runs through eastern Canada, along with a look at the spring near his home in England, and puts them all in context of environmentalism and politics. He is the author of several books, including “”Mountains of the Mind” and “Ghostways,” Robert Macfarlane teaches at Cambridge University. His most recent book, co-authored with Jackie Morris, is “The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss,” commentary and drawings about our avian friends.   Review of “Hairspray” at San Francisco Playhouse through September 12, 2026   The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – July 30, 2026: Nature Writer Robert Macfarlane, “Is A River Alive?” appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – July 16, 2026: From the Archive: Sara Paretsky – Ian Watson
2026/07/16
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Sara Paretsky: author of the V.I. Warshawski Mysteries Sara Paretsky in 2019. Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski mysteries, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff as part of the “Probabilities” radio series, recorded in the KPFA s studio on March 16, 1991 following the publication of “Burn Marks” and before the publication of “Guardian Angel.” In the late 1980s, crime and mystery fiction by women skyrocketed. Even so, awards were still being given to mostly male writers, and in 1987, the organization Sisters in Crime was formed. In Berkeley, at KPFA, Richard Lupoff and Richard Wolinsky, the hosts of the Probabilities radio program, having drifted from science fiction into mysteries and later into general fiction and narrative non-fiction, noticed the trend pretty early on, and began interviewing these pioneer writers, one by one, local writers like Marcia Muller and Sue Dunlap, and writers from out of town, such as Sue Grafton, or from overseas, such as P.D. James. These interviews, the Sisters in Crime interviews, were all conducted in the 1980s and 1990s, and because of the switch from analog tape to digital, have not been heard since the new century began. Until now. It is appropriate to begin this series of interviews with the first president of Sisters in Crime, Sara Paretsky, recorded March 16, 1991 while she was in the Bay Area for a mystery conference. At the time, six V.I. Warshawski novels had been published, and a film starring Kathleen Turner would be released a few months later. It would turn out to be the only time V.I. Warshawski stories were adapted for film or television.

As of July, 2026, Sara Paretsky has published 22 novels in the V.I. Warshawski mystery series, and two non-series novels, along with three short story collections and two works of nonfiction. The most recent V.I. novel, Pay Dirt, was published in 2024.   Ian Watson (1943-2025) Iconic Science Fiction and Fantasy Author Ian Watson. Photo: Glenn Hall. Wikipedia Commons Ian Watson (1943-2026), unconventional British science fiction and fantasy writer, who died on April 13, 2026 at the age of 82, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff for the Probabilities radio program, recorded in Oakland at Westercon 40 on July 2, 1987. Ian Watson (1943-2026) who died on April 13, 2026 at the age of 82, was an unconventional author whose works brimmed with ideas and philosophical turnings. Author of over thirty one novels, not including several written in the world created by the Warhammer 40,000 game, there were also eleven collections of short stories, plus a catalogue of poems. An avowed socialist, he also stood in elections as a Labour Party candidate in the days before Tony Blair. His novel, The Power, discussed in the interview, was published later in 1987, and can now be found, along with many of his novels, as Kindle book through Amazon. In early 1990, Ian Watson received a call from the assistant to legendary film-maker Stanley Kubrick to work on a science fiction film based on a story about a robot boy written by Brian Aldiss. For the next several months, he and Kubrick hammered out a screenplay treatment until Kubrick, in December of that year, said it was what he wanted, barring some changes, but shortly thereafter began work on what would be his final film, Eyes Wide Shut. Kubrick died on March f7, 1999 at the age of seventy. Shortly afterward, Steven Spielberg, using Watson’s treatment, wrote a screenplay which became his film, A.I. Artificial Intelligence. You can find Ian Watson’s essay about his work with Kubrick by going to this link. This interview was digitized, remastered and edited on May 2, 2026. Sound quality (speed) is variable.   Review of “The Employee Dharma Handbook” at TheatreWorks Palo Alto through August 2, 2026.   The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – July 16, 2026: From the Archive: Sara Paretsky – Ian Watson appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – July 9, 2026: Lisa See, Best Selling Novelist, “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” 2026
2026/07/09
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Lisa See, author of “Daughters of the Sun and Moon”  Lisa See, whose latest novel is “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, recorded in Culver City, California on June 28, 2026. Lisa See’s best-selling books include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, China Dolls, The Island of Sea Women more recently, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. Each novel, thus far, focuses on the role and lives of women of East Asian descent in various countries, including Korea, Japan, China and the United States. Some of the novels focus on a mystery, others take place within the context of historical events. Daughters of the Sun and Moon takes place in 1870, from China to Los Angeles, California, and focuses on the lives of three women, Moon, the wife of a doctor, Dove, the bound-foot daughter of a lesser bureaucrat, and Petal, the daughter of farmers. Moon has come to the United States with her husband, whom she’s known since childhood. Dove was married off to an older man she’s never met, and Petal was sold into sexual slavery and would find herself in a small brothel in the Chinese neighborhood, in what is now downtown L.A.       The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – July 9, 2026: Lisa See, Best Selling Novelist, “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves Artwaves, July 2, 2026: Vauhini Vara, Tech Journalist Discussing AI
2026/07/02
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Vauhini Vara, AI and the Search for Self in the Digital World Vauhini Vara, Pulitzer Prize finalist for her novel, “The Immortal King Rao,” and former tech journalist for the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere, discusses her book, “Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age” with host Richard Wolinsky, just out in trade paperback. “Searches” is an exploration of how the internet and digital technologies influence and reshape our personal identities and self-perception, and the quest for meaning in contemporary society. The interview focuses on various aspects of her book, most notably the relation of the tech giants and corporations to politics, and specifically, the ins and outs of the corporate product known as “A.I.”   Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize Winning Novelist, 2005 Michael Cunningham in the KPFA studios, 2010. Photo: Richard Wolinsky. Michael Cunningham in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, recorded while on the book tour for “Specimen Days,” recorded in the KPFA studios, June 24, 2005. This is the conclusion of a previously aired interveiw. Michael Cunningham is a celebrated author of eight novels, along with several short stories, and two produced screenplays to date. His novel The Hours, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1999, was adapted into an award winning film in 2003.         The post Bookwaves Artwaves, July 2, 2026: Vauhini Vara, Tech Journalist Discussing AI appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 25, 2026: David Sedaris, “The Land and Its People”
2026/06/25
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   David Sedaris, Humorist, author of “The Land and Its People” David Sedaris, author of the new essay collection, “The Land and Its People,” in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. Originally known for his commentaries on “This American Life” on NPR, David Sedaris has now written 14 books, all of which have become best-sellers, including the early “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” and later “Calypso,” “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls,” and collections of his diaries. He has a home in North Carolina, and lives in England. In this wide-ranging interview he discusses a wide variety of topics, including his relationship with his family, how he puts together an essay, his views on small talk and finding connections, and how growing old has affected his writing. Recorded June 9, 2026 at Book Passage bookstore in Corte Madera. California. Photo by Richard Wolinsky.     Edmund White (1940-2025), “The Married Man,” 2000 Edmund White (1940-2025) discusses his novel “The Married Man” in a newly digitized interview conducted in the KPFA studios on June 10, 2000 with host Richard Wolinsky. Digitized, remastered and edited on June 20, 2026 and heard for the first time in over a quarter century. Edmund White wrote novels, memoirs, plays, essays, biographies, and various hybrids. He was the co-author of The Joy of Gay Sex, and worked extensively in the gay community during the AIDS crisis and later.By the time of his death, he’d published sixteen novels, one play, six works of non-fiction, three biographies, and six volumes of memoirs.     The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 25, 2026: David Sedaris, “The Land and Its People” appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 18, 2026: Michael Cunningham – Dan Simmons
2026/06/18
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Pride Special: Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize Winning Novelist, 2005 Michael Cunningham in the KPFA studios, 2010. Photo: Richard Wolinsky. Michael Cunningham in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, recorded while on the book tour for “Specimen Days,” recorded in the KPFA studios, June 24, 2005. Michael Cunningham is a celebrated author of eight novels, along with several short stories, and two produced screenplays to date. His novel The Hours, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1999, was adapted into an award winning film in 2003. As with several interviews recorded during the presidency of George W. Bush, talk turned to the rise of fascism in America and the dangers of corporatism and rampant Capitalism. His novel Nightfall came out in 2010, followed by The Snow Queen in 2014 and Day in 2023. He was also a part of the writers room for the first season of the TV series Masters of Sex and the Netflix season of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City.The film discussed in the interview, “Good Grief” starring Julia Roberts, was never made. This interview comes from the Bookwaves archives and has never before been posted or aired in its entirety and is the first of three Bookwaves conversations.     Dan Simmons (1948-2026), Hugo Award Winning Novelist, 1991 Dan Simmons (1948-2026), Huge and World Fantasy Award winning novelist and short story writer, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff, recorded September 22, 1991 while on tour for the novel “Summer of Night.” Dan Simmons, who died February 21, 2026 at the age of 77, was the author of the now classic science fiction novels “Hyperion” and “Fall of Hyperion” along with horror novels “The Terror” and “Carrion Comfort,” never achieved the popularity of peers like Stephen King and Dean Koontz, but was a genre master in his own right. Winner and nominee for several genre literary awards, his page turning books bristled with originality. Despite several attempts, “Hyperion” never became a film or series, and its sequel books in the Endymion series are still in development. “The Terror” became season one of a series also titled “The Terror.” There would be a second interview in 1997 following the release of “Endymion Rising.” In his later career, Dan Simmons turned to mysteries as well as continuing his work in horror, fantasy and science fiction. His final novel, “Omega Canyon” was scheduled to be published in 2025 and then again in 2026 but has yet to see the light of day. His previous novel, “The Fifth Heart” was published in 2015.   The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 18, 2026: Michael Cunningham – Dan Simmons appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 11, 2026: The Films of Stanley Kubrick
2026/06/11
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Jeff Griffith-Perham, Stanley Kubrick Retrospective at Pacific Film Archive Jeff Griffith-Perham is the curator of a retrospective “A Complete Stanley Kubrick” at Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), running from June 12 through August 30, 2026. He is interviewed by host Richard Wolinsky. Stanley Kubrick was one of the most acclaimed film directors of the Twentieth Century. Though he only made 13 feature films, several of them made international headlines and one, “2001: A Space Odyssey” changed movie history. Among his other works are “Dr. Strangelove, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb,” the gorgeous “Barry Lyndon,” his controversial “A Clockwork Orange,” and the stunning horror film, “The Shining.” Jeff Griffith-Perham is an Associate Film Curator at BAMPFA, and has curated other retrospectives focusing mostly on documentaries. He is considered an expert on the films of documentarian Frederick Wiseman. In this interview, each of Kubrick’s films are discussed, along with ideas about Kubrick’s antiwar viewpoint, his working process and his place in film history.   Paths of Glory (photo courtesy BAMPFA) 2001: A Space Odyssey (photo courtesy BAMPFA)       The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 11, 2026: The Films of Stanley Kubrick appeared first on KPFA.

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