• Bookwaves Artwaves, July 2, 2026: Vauhini Vara, Tech Journalist Discussing AI
    Jul 2 2026
    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.
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  • Bookwaves/Artwaves – July 9, 2026: Lisa See, Best Selling Novelist, “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” 2026
    Jul 9 2026
    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.
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  • Bookwaves/Artwaves – July 16, 2026: From the Archive: Sara Paretsky – Ian Watson
    Jul 16 2026
    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.
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  • Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 25, 2026: David Sedaris, “The Land and Its People”
    Jun 25 2026
    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.
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  • Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 18, 2026: Michael Cunningham – Dan Simmons
    Jun 18 2026
    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.
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  • Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 11, 2026: The Films of Stanley Kubrick
    Jun 11 2026
    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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  • Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 4, 2026: Helen Benedict, Journalism Professor & Novelist
    Jun 4 2026
    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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  • Bookwaves/Artwaves – May 28, 2026: John Lanchester, British Novelist and Essayist
    May 28 2026
    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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