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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.

  1. 1 day ago

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 11, 2026: The Films of Stanley Kubrick

    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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  2. 4 Jun

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 4, 2026: Helen Benedict, Journalism Professor & Novelist

    Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Helen Benedict, “The Soldier’s House,” Iraqi Refugees in the United States Helen Benedict, Columbia Profesysor of Journalism and author of the novel, “The Soldier’s House,” about the lives of Iraqi refugees in America in 2010, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. “The Soldier’s House” tells the story of a refugee from Baghdad, Naemi, who comes to America in 2010, sponsored by an American soldier whose translator was killed after the invasion. She, her young son Tariq and her mother in law have come to the United States, to the Albany area, after a time in Damascus, hoping to find a new life. A pediatrics physician over there, she can only gain the lowest levels of employment in America. Helen Benedict has focused her literary career on the plight of refugees in America and Europe as she teaches young journalists the ways to keep digging for the truth and for justice. In this interview, she discusses how Iraqi and Afghanistani refugees have fared in this country and talks in detail about the legacy press and the challenges young journalists face as they come into the profession.   Review of “The Lunchbox” at Berkeley Rep Roda Theatre through July 5, 2026.           The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 4, 2026: Helen Benedict, Journalism Professor & Novelist appeared first on KPFA.

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  3. 28 May

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – May 28, 2026: John Lanchester, British Novelist and Essayist

    Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues John Lanchester:  Novelist, “Look What You Made Me Do,” 2026 John Lanchester, whose latest novel is “Look What You Made Me Do,” in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded May 6, 2026 via computer. John Lanchester is the author of five previous novels, one collection of stories,Reality and Other Stories, published in 2020, and four works of non-fiction. He’s recently written essays for the London Review of Books and the Guardian on such issues as generation divides and the push toward A.I. His latest novel, Look What You Made Me Do hones in on the generation divide and can be seen as a satire and as a psychological thriller of sorts involving a woman who discovers, shortly after her husband’s death, that their most intimate conversations are being heard in a new hit Netflix series that everyone is talking about. John Lanchester’s previous novel, The Wall, concerns a future in which Britain has built a wall around itself in order to keep immigrants from arriving. It’s a dystopia of a world overrun by the oceans and climate disaster. You can find the interview about that book here.  Review of “Pictures from Home” at Marin Theatre through May 31, 2026. Review of “Dracula, A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really” at San Francisco Playhouse through June 27, 2026,         The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – May 28, 2026: John Lanchester, British Novelist and Essayist appeared first on KPFA.

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  4. 30 Apr

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 30, 2026: George Saunders, “Vigil” 2026

    Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   George Saunders:  Award-winning Novelist and Short Story Author 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.   Review of “Come from Away” at TheatreWorks Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts through May 10, 2026.         The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 30, 2026: George Saunders, “Vigil” 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

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  5. 23 Apr

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 23, 2026: Margaret Atwood – Walter Mosley

    Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Margaret Atwood:  “Maddaddam,” 2013 Margaret Atwood 2013. Photo: Jean Malek Margaret Atwood, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded in the KPFA studios OCtober 3, 2013 while on tour for the novel “Maddaddam.” These days, the great Canadian author Margaret Atwood is best known for her books The Handmaid’s Tale and its 2019 sequel, The Testaments, both of which have become acclaimed television series and miniseries, respectively. But along with several other novels, story and essay collections, there’s a somewhat satirical dystopian speculative fiction series, known collectively as the Maddadam trilogy, consisting of Oryx and Crake, the Year of the Flood and Maddaddam. I interviewed Margaret Atwood for each book in the series, and this interview, the most recent interview to date, concerned that third novel, Maddaddam. This is the last of eight interviews with Margaret Atwood conducted between the years 1989 and 2013, and has not aired in over a decade.     Walter Mosley: The Easy Rawlins and King Oliver Suspense Novels, 2025 Walter Mosley in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded March 5, 2025 discussing his two recent novels, “Been Wrong So Long It Looks Like Right,”  a Joe King Oliver novel, and “Farewell, Amethystine,” an Easy Rawlins novel, now out in trade paperback. Today, Walter Mosley is one of America’s leading authors. He is best known for his series of mystery novels featuring the characters of Easy Rawlins and Mouse. To date, there are now twenty non-series novels by Walter Mosley, the most recent titled Touched, published in 2023, Along with three Fearless Jones novels, six Leonid McGill mysteries, three Socrates Fortlow books, three books in the Crosstown to Oblivion series, three books in the King Oliver series, plus two graphic novels, two plays, and six works of non-fiction. Always Outnumbered became a television film in 1998 starring Laurence Fishburne, and a TV miniseries titled The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray, based on Walter Mosley’s book, starring Samuel L. Jackson, on Apple+. At present, an adaptation of his novel The Man in My Basement is in post-production. Walter Mosley’s follow-up Easy Rawlins novel, Grey Dawn, was published in September 2025. The next King Oliver novel, Hanging and Burning, will be published in October 2026. A stand-alone novel, Ghalen: A Romance in Black, will be published in May, 2026.   The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 23, 2026: Margaret Atwood – Walter Mosley appeared first on KPFA.

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  6. 16 Apr

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 16, 2026: Patrick Dooley, Artistic Director Shotgun Players

    Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Patrick Dooley: Artistic Director, Shotgun Players Patrick Dooley, Artistic Director of Shotgun Players theatre company, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. Patrick Dooley founded Shotgun Players in 1992, which originally produced plays in the basement of LaVal’s Pizza Parlor in Berkeley, California. Surviving with multiple venues over the years, Shotgun bought the Ashby Stage in 2004, where the company has resided ever since. Originally from rural Virginia, Patrick came to Berkeley to visit his brother, wound up being invited to act in a play at LaVal’s, and within a short time decided to create a theatre company, which has now lasted over thirty years. Surviving the pandemic, and with a very loyal audience, Shotgun has continued to sell out many of its shows, creating a uniquely Berkeley community theatre. In the interview, he discusses his own history with theatre the origins of Shotgun Players (including what the name means) , his views on such issues as the age of the audience and the subscription model, as well as the rest of the 2026 theatrical season.   Review of “The Monsters” at Berkeley Rep Peets Theatre through May 3, 2026.     The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 16, 2026: Patrick Dooley, Artistic Director Shotgun Players appeared first on KPFA.

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  7. 9 Apr

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 9, 2026: Mary Roach – Gemma Whelan

    Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Mary Roach:  “Gulp: Adventures in the Alimentary Canal,” 2013 Mary Roach in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, recorded May 2, 2013 while she was on tour for Gulp: Adventures in the Alimentary Canal. 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. In this book, Mary Roach investigates the science of eating, saliva, stomach mechanics, and elimination, tackling “taboo” questions about how the body processes food.      Gemma Whelan: “Painting Through The Dark,” 2023 Gemma Whelan, whose latest novel is titled “Painting Through The Dark,” in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, recorded on April 5, 2023. A staged reading of “Painting Through The Dark” will be presented at the Magic Theatre in Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on April 12, 2026. ‘Painting Through the Dark” concerns a young ex-nun in Ireland, Ashling, who comes to America in 1981, specifically San Francisco, in order to get away from her family and from the control of the Catholic Church in Ireland. A dedicated painter, after spending time attempting to get a job at a local gallery, she takes a position with a family in a rural home outside Mendocino. This is Gemma Whelan’s second novel. Her first, “Fiona: Stolen Child,” was published in 2011. Gemma is an award-winning director, screenwriter, and educator. She was the founding Artistic Director of Wilde Irish Productions in the San Francisco Bay Area, and of Corrib Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Her short film The Wake was the winner of the Silver Knight Award at the Golden Knight Film Festival, Malta; her feature screenplay Eye of the Storm won the Robert and Ellen Little Screenwriting Award; and her screenplay Wedding Bells won the American Gem Short Screenplay award and was optioned by Fox Broadcasting.   Review of “Flex” at San Francisco Playhouse through May 2, 2023. The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 9, 2026: Mary Roach – Gemma Whelan appeared first on KPFA.

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  8. Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 2, 2026 – Tracy Kidder – Joseph Kanon

    2 Apr

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 2, 2026 – Tracy Kidder – Joseph Kanon

    Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues   Tracy Kidder (1945-2026):  Pulitzer Winning Non-Fiction Author Tracy Kidder (1945-2026), Pulitzer Prize winning author of literary non-fiction, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded in the KPFA studios during the book tour for “Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness, ” which focuses on the extraordinary true story of Deo, a young man who arrives in America from Burundi in search of a new life. Tracy Kidder, who died of lung cancer on March 24, 2026 at the age of eighty, was best known for his literary journalism, for turning non-fiction narratives into literary masterpieces. The author of eleven books, he won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 1982 for The Soul of A New Machine, which looked at the tech environment during the birth of the modern computer. His 1990 book, Among Schoolchildren, a close look at American education, focusing on twenty students in a Massachusetts elementary school, won several literary awards. In the years after the interview, Tracy Kidder went on to write three more non-fiction books. His final book to date, Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O’Connell’s Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People was published in 2023. Paul Farmer, the subject of Tracy Kidder’s 2003 book “Mountains Beyond Mountains”, died in February, 2022.   Joseph Kanon: Spy Thriller Novelist Joseph Kanon, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded June 17, 2017 during the book tour for the spy thriller “Defectors.” Over the course of the last thirty years, Joseph Kanon has established himself as one of the best spy novelists around, in the vein of John Le Carre, Alan Furst, Graham Greene and Eric Ambler. His latest novel, “Defectors,” is about what happens after a Soviet mole defects to Russia. What is their life like? What happens then? Set in the early 1960s, “Defectors,” through copious research, sets up what life must have been like for people like Kim Philby and other Russian spies forced to leave the West to survive. Joseph Kanon’s most recent novel, “Shanghai” was published in 2024.   Review of “The Goat or Who Is Sylvia”” at Shotgun Players Ashby Stage through April 28, 2026.     Book Interview/Events and Theatre Links updated June 5, 2026 Note: Shows may unexpectedly close early or be postponed due to actors’ positive COVID tests. Check the venue for closures, ticket refunds, and mask requirements before arrival. Dates are in-theater performances unless otherwise noted. Some venues operate Tuesday – Sunday; others for shorter periods each week. All times Pacific Time. Closing dates are sometimes extended. Book Stores Bay Area Book Festival  See website for video & audio from this year’s Festival. Book Passage.  Monthly Calendar. Mix of on-line and in-store events. Books Inc.  Mix of on-line and in-store events. The Booksmith.  Monthly Event Calendar. BookShop West Portal. Monthly Event Calendar. Center for Literary Arts, San Jose. See website for Book Club guests in upcoming months. Green Apple Books. Events calendar. Kepler’s Books  On-line Refresh the Page program listings. Live Theater Companies Actors Ensemble of Berkeley.  Alice in Wonderland, July 3-19, weekends, John Hinkel Park, free; reservations encouraged.  . Actor’s Reading Collective (ARC).  Outside the Box ’26 coming in July. See website for details. African American Art & Culture Complex. See website for calendar. American Conservatory Theatre Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, adapted and directed by Emma Rice, Sept 22 – Oct 18, Toni Rembe (Geary). See website for Conservatory & community shows and special events. Awesome Theatre Company. See website for information. BATS Improv Improvised theatre. See website for schedule. BATS Bayfront Theatre, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. Berkeley Playhouse. Cats, May 22 – June 21.  Berkeley Rep. The Lunchbox, World Premiere Musical, May 17 – extended to July 12, Berkeley Shakespeare Company See website for upcoming productions. Brava Theatre Center: See calendar for events listings. BroadwaySF: Phantom of the Opera, thru June 21, Orpheum. Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, July 14 – August  9, Orpheum .See website for complete listings for the Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theaters. note: BroadwaySF is now ATG Tickets. Broadway San Jose  The Sound of Music, July 21-26, Center REP: Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill, The Musical, May 31 – June 28. Central Stage. See website for upcoming productions, 5221 Central Avenue, Richmond Central Works The Prince, Parts I & 2 by Gary Graves, July 18 – Sept. 26. Rotating. See website for schedule. Cinnabar Theatre. The Secret Garden, June 12 – 28. Club Fugazi. Dear San Francisco, ongoing. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Contra Costa Civic Theatre A Chorus Line, June 6 – 21, 2026. See website for other events and concerts. Golden Thread Arab Spring by Denmo Ibrahim (co-production with SFBATCO), June 19 – July12. Potrero Stage. Hillbarn Theatre: Pickleball by Jeff Daniels,  August 20 – September 13. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. 2026 season:African Stew by Dr. Lisa B. Thompson, Sept. 10-27. Magic Theatre; Soulful Christmas, December, Magic Theatre. Los Altos Stage Company. The Toxic Avenger, thru June 28. Anastasia, the Youth Edition, July 24 – August 2. Lower Bottom Playaz  Going to St. Ives by Lee Blessing, July 9 – 26. Magic Theatre. A Trojan Woman by Sara Farrington, June 10 – 14. See website for other productions. Marin Shakespeare Company: As You Like It, June 19 – July 19, Julius Caesar, August 14 – Setpember 13, See website for schedule. Marin Theatre: The White Chip by Sean Daniels, August 27 – September 20. Masquers Playhouse, Point Richmond. Little Shop of Horrors, July 10 – August 2. by Ken Ludwig, April 24 – May 17. New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) Hedwig and the Angry Inch, through June 14.  New Performance Traditions.  See website for upcoming schedule Oakland Theater Project. The Fre by Taylor Mac, June 18-28. Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams, August 7-23. Odd Salon: Upcoming events in San Francisco & New York, and streaming. Palace of Fine Arts Theater.  See website for event listings. Pear Theater. God of Carnage by Yazmina Reza, June 12 – 28. See website for staged readings and other events. Play Space. Four new short plays, June 10-13, Eclectic Box Theatre, SF. Playful People Productions. See website for classes and upcoming events. . Presidio Theatre. See website for complete schedule of events and performances. Ray of Light: Urinetown, July 31 – August 29. New Venue: The Barbary Stage (formerly The Gateway), Jackson Square, SF. Ross Valley Players: See website for New Works Sunday night readings and other events. San Francisco Playhouse. Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really by Kate Hamill. May 15 – June 27. Hairspray, July 10 – September 12. SFBATCO.  See website for streaming and in- theater shows. San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Antony and Cleopatra, July and August. See website for more information. San Jose Stage Company: We Will Rock You, June 3 – 28. Shotgun Players.  Continuity by Bess Wohl, May 23 – June 21. South Bay Musical Theatre: Once Upon a Mattress,  Sept. 26 – October 17. SPARC: See website for upcoming events. Stagebridge: See website for events and productions. Storytime every 4th Saturday. The Breath Project. Streaming archive. The Marsh: Calendar listings for Berkeley, San Francisco and Marshstream. Theatre Lunatico  See website for upcoming productions.. Theatre Rhino  La Cage aux Folles, May 7 –  extended to June 14. Streaming: Essential Services Project, conceived and performed by John Fisher, all weekly performances now available on demand. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley The Employee Dharma Handbook by Geetha Ready, world premiere, July 8 – Aug 2, Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto. Word for Word.  See website for upcoming productions. Misc. Listings: BAMPFA: On View calendar for Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Berkeley Symphony: See website for listings. Chamber Music San Francisco: Calendar, 2025 Season. Dance Mission Theatre. On stage events calendar. Fort Mason Center. Events calendar. Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Calendar listings and upcoming shows. San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. See schedule for upcoming SFGMC performances. San Francisco Opera. Calendar listings. San Francisco Symphony. Calendar listings. Filmed Live Musicals: Searchable database of all filmed live musicals, podcast, blog. League of Livestream Theatre: See website for streaming plays. If you’d like to add your bookstore or theater venue to this list, please write Richard@kpfa.org   . y. The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – April 2, 2026 – Tracy Kidder – Joseph Kanon appeared first on KPFA.

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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    KPFA
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026KPFA 312700
  • Show Website
    KPFA - Bookwaves/Artwaves

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