City Arts & Lectures

This week, legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog. He’s made over 70 movies – most of them documentaries like Fitzcarraldo, Aguirre, the Wrath of God, and Grizzly Man. Herzog’s style is so distinctive that his films are recognizable practically from the moment they start. His techniques can be controversial too, when it comes to his unusual casting, and his own presence in the stories he’s telling. On Oct 21st, 2023, Herzog came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Caterina Fake about filmmaking and writing, including his new memoir, Every Man for Himself and God Against All.

This week, comedian Maria Bamford. She’s been called one of the most unusual – and bizarre – comedians performing today - addressing her own mental health struggles including obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. You can see her semi-autobiographical television series, Lady Dynamite, on Netflix. On October 14th, 2023, Bamford came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to podcaster and author Anna Sale about her work and experiences – much of which is explored in her memoir, Sure I’ll Join Your Cult.

This week, we’ll hear from journalist Michael Lewis about a year in the life of crypto-currency king Sam Bankman-Fried. The FTX founder became the world’s youngest billionaire. Now, he’s been convicted of taking billions of dollars in customer deposits to fund political donations, luxury real estate and his own personal investments. It’s the subject of Lewis’ newest book, Going Infinite. On November 13, 2023, Lewis came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Indre Viskontas about Bankman-Fried’s rise and fall.

This week, a conversation about global aid efforts, and another one about the power of art to address humans’ relationships with animals. In the first part of the program, Dr. Raj Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, talks about his work addressing global health crises and economic challenges both within the private sector and government. It’s the topic of his new book, Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens. On October 25th, 2023, Shah came to the KQED studios in San Francisco to talk to Indre Viskontas. Award-winning photographer Jo-Anne MacArthur’s work explores our complex relationship with animals. From conservation efforts to the fashion and food industry, her images show the ways in which humans impact the lives of animals. On October 18th, 2023, MacArthur came to KQED studios in San Francisco to talk to Indre Viskontas about the challenges of her work - which includes shooting in feedlots and other restricted areas. Her photos are featured in a new book: Women Photographers Expose our Planet.

Our guest this week is writer Jhumpa Lahiri. Her debut short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies, earned Lahiri a Pulitzer Prize in 2000. Many short story collections followed, as well as novels like The Namesake, which was the basis of a 2006 film directed by Mira Nair. Lahiri now translates and produces her own work in Italian too. On October 13, 2023, Jhumpa Lahiri came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Peter Stein about her latest collection, Roman Stories - which centers around Rome, not as a setting, but as a protagonist. Translated from Italian, the stories capture Rome as both a metropolis and a monument, multi-faceted and metaphysical, suspended between past and future – and prove that Lahiri is now master of form in her adopted language.

Comedian Keegan-Michael Key is best known for his work with Jordan Peele, performing in numerous skits as half of the comedy duo “Key & Peele.” One of his most famous roles was President Obama’s anger translator, a part he played at the 2015 White House Correspondents’ Dinner with Obama himself. Now, alongside wife and collaborator Elle Key, he’s written a book – The History of Sketch Comedy.” On October 7th, 2023, the Keys came to The Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk about it with Jesse Thorn, host of the podcast “Bullseye.” The program was co-presented with SF Sketchfest.

This week, George Saunders, a wildly inventive writer with an equally colorful background: Saunders worked as a geophysical prospector in Indonesia, a roofer in Chicago, and a doorman in Beverly Hills. Saunders’ short stories are often funny and frequently take place in a slightly futuristic, dystopian America. His novel “Lincoln in the Bardo” earned him the prestigious Man Booker Prize. On October 11th, 2023, George Saunders came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk with KQED’s Alexis Madrigal.

This week, Sir Patrick Stewart, best known for the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek. After a working-class childhood in Yorkshire, Stewart trained as a classical actor at England’s Royal Shakespeare Company, where he appeared on stage for more than two decades. In 1986, he was invited to star in the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. No one could predict the success of the program, in fact, when Stewart traveled to California to take the role, he didn’t expect the show to last beyond than that first season. The program continued for seven years, and was followed by four films and three seasons of a sequel starring Stewart, "Star Trek: Picard". On October 8th, 2023, Stewart came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Alexis Madrigal on the occasion of the publication of his memoir “Making It So”.

It doesn’t feel so long ago that Zadie Smith exploded onto the literary scene with her stunning debut novel, “White Teeth.” Twenty-three years later, she has cemented her reputation as one of the most important voices of her generation, whether in the form of fiction, criticism, or cultural observation. Her many novels include “Swing Time” and “On Beauty” - and her new book - “The Fraud. ” It’s a work of historical fiction set in Victorian England. On September 22th, 2023, Smith came to The Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk with Cathy Park Hong, poet and author of “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning.”

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 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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

In 2020, Brandon Taylor burst onto the literary scene with Real Life, a novel about a gay black doctoral student and his predominantly white colleagues. A finalist for the Booker Prize, Real Life offered a comedic take on themes like privilege and prejudice. Taylor followed that with another book about young creatives, the short story collection Filthy Animals. His highly anticipated new novel, The Late Americans, follows a circle of lovers and friends during a volatile year of self-discovery. On June 2, 2023, Brandon Taylor came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an on-stage conversation with Kate Schatz. Schatz is the bestselling author of the “Rad Women” book series, and Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book, co-written with W. Kamau Bell.