KPFA - Bookwaves/Artwaves

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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. 5d ago

    Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 18, 2026: Michael Cunningham – Dan Simmons

    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.

    1 hr
  2. Jun 11

    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.

    1 hr
  3. Jun 4

    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.

    1 hr
  4. May 28

    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.

    1 hr
  5. Apr 30

    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.

    1 hr
  6. Apr 23

    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.

    1 hr
  7. Apr 16

    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.

    1 hr
  8. Apr 9

    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.

    1 hr

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
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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.

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