window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"arts_13950704": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13950704",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950704",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13950698,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.33.28-AM-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.33.28-AM-160x115.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 115
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.33.28-AM-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.33.28-AM.png",
"width": 1394,
"height": 1000
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.33.28-AM-1020x732.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 732
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.33.28-AM-800x574.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 574
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.33.28-AM-768x551.png",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 551
}
},
"publishDate": 1705948426,
"modified": 1705948501,
"caption": "A moment from ‘The Eyes and the Impossible.’",
"description": null,
"title": "A moment from ‘The Eyes and the Impossible.’",
"credit": "Knopf Books for Young Readers",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "An illustration of a dog running through the woods.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13950512": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13950512",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950512",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13950482,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-17-at-12.27.24-PM-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-17-at-12.27.24-PM-160x105.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 105
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-17-at-12.27.24-PM-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-17-at-12.27.24-PM.png",
"width": 1872,
"height": 1226
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-17-at-12.27.24-PM-1020x668.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 668
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-17-at-12.27.24-PM-1536x1006.png",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 1006
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-17-at-12.27.24-PM-800x524.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 524
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-17-at-12.27.24-PM-768x503.png",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 503
}
},
"publishDate": 1705523311,
"modified": 1705523436,
"caption": "Jon Bernthal and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor star in ‘Origin.’",
"description": null,
"title": "Jon Bernthal and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor star in ‘Origin.’",
"credit": "Atsushi Nishijima/ Neon via AP",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A white man and a Black woman stand outdoors with their foreheads touching, forlornly.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13950483": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13950483",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950483",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13950449,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Adjei-Brenyah_Nana-Kwame_Headshot_Photo-Credit-Alex-M-Philip-cropped-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Adjei-Brenyah_Nana-Kwame_Headshot_Photo-Credit-Alex-M-Philip-cropped-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Adjei-Brenyah_Nana-Kwame_Headshot_Photo-Credit-Alex-M-Philip-cropped-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Adjei-Brenyah_Nana-Kwame_Headshot_Photo-Credit-Alex-M-Philip-cropped.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Adjei-Brenyah_Nana-Kwame_Headshot_Photo-Credit-Alex-M-Philip-cropped-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Adjei-Brenyah_Nana-Kwame_Headshot_Photo-Credit-Alex-M-Philip-cropped-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Adjei-Brenyah_Nana-Kwame_Headshot_Photo-Credit-Alex-M-Philip-cropped-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Adjei-Brenyah_Nana-Kwame_Headshot_Photo-Credit-Alex-M-Philip-cropped-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1705516164,
"modified": 1705516240,
"caption": "Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenhyah.",
"description": null,
"title": "Adjei-Brenyah_Nana Kwame_Headshot_Photo Credit-Alex M Philip-cropped",
"credit": "Alex M. Philip",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah sits on a staircase while looking at the camera with one hand on his face.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13950448": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13950448",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950448",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13940524,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER-160x90.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER.png",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1152
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER-1020x574.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER-1536x864.png",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 864
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER-1920x1080.png",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 1080
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER-800x450.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/DeadInLongBeach_COVER-768x432.png",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1705448432,
"modified": 1705448628,
"caption": "The debut novel from Venita Blackburn, who teaches creative writing at California State University, Fresno, is out Jan. 23, 2024.",
"description": null,
"title": "DeadInLongBeach_COVER",
"credit": "Photo by Ronnie Pittman/Flickr; Collage by Sarah Hotchkiss",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Bright red book cover against background of yellow palm trees and blue sky",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13940280": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13940280",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13940280",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13940276,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.21.10-AM-1038x576.png",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.21.10-AM-160x96.png",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 96
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.21.10-AM-672x372.png",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.21.10-AM.png",
"width": 1682,
"height": 1014
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.21.10-AM-1020x615.png",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 615
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.21.10-AM-1536x926.png",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 926
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.21.10-AM-800x482.png",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 482
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.21.10-AM-768x463.png",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 463
}
},
"publishDate": 1704910889,
"modified": 1704910952,
"caption": "‘The Fetishist,’ Katherine Min.",
"description": null,
"title": "‘The Fetishist,’ Katherine Min.",
"credit": "G.P. Putnam’s Sons",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A purple book cover featuring a blowfish, mouth agape.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13940135": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13940135",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13940135",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13940133,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1125
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221-1920x1080.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1080
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1704740605,
"modified": 1704740827,
"caption": "The protagonist of Ying Chang Compestine's new children's book, 'Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu,' is a spunky Chinese princess who loves eating delicious food above all else.",
"description": null,
"title": "9780593533055_Interior_Image_3_495221",
"credit": "Crystal Kung/Penguin Random House",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Illustration of a Chinese princess playing with her pet dog.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13939896": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13939896",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939896",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13939895,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096.jpg",
"width": 2400,
"height": 1348
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-2048x1150.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1150
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-1020x573.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 573
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-1536x863.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 863
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-1920x1078.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1078
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-800x449.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 449
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/6-images-8-_custom-36b02ef59f97418d7ae694e481ddc4b029b96096-768x431.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 431
}
},
"publishDate": 1703836589,
"modified": 1703841354,
"caption": "Clockwise from left: ‘Cocaine Bear,’ Luke Macfarlane in ‘Platonic,’ Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino in ‘The Color Purple,’ Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies, the cover of the book ‘Starter Villain,’ Jessica Williams in ‘Shrinking.’",
"description": null,
"title": "Clockwise from left: ‘Cocaine Bear,’ Luke Macfarlane in ‘Platonic,’ Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino in ‘The Color Purple,’ Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies, the cover of the book ‘Starter Villain,’ Jessica Williams in ‘Shrinking.’",
"credit": "Universal Pictures; Apple TV+; Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures; Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images; Tor Books; Apple TV+",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": null,
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13939601": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13939601",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939601",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13939590,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083-160x82.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 82
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1019
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083-1020x520.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 520
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083-1536x783.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 783
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083-1920x978.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 978
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083-800x408.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 408
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2023cookbooks_custom-9a70ae06ca22b9dd3dbb22b3ae5932f104282083-768x391.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 391
}
},
"publishDate": 1702789479,
"modified": 1702790622,
"caption": "Book covers of: ‘Asada,’ ‘The Cookie That Changed My Life,’ ‘Ed Mitchell's Barbeque,’ ‘The Global Pantry Cookbook,’ ‘Invitation to a Banquet,’ ‘The Secret of Cooking,’ ‘A Splash of Soy,’ ‘Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook,’ ‘Tenderheart,’ ‘The World Central Kitchen Cookbook.’",
"description": null,
"title": "Book covers of: ‘Asada,’ ‘The Cookie That Changed My Life,’ ‘Ed Mitchell's Barbeque,’ ‘The Global Pantry Cookbook,’ ‘Invitation to a Banquet,’ ‘The Secret of Cooking,’ ‘A Splash of Soy,’ ‘Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook,’ ‘Tenderheart,’ ‘The World Central Kitchen Cookbook.’",
"credit": "NPR",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "10 cookbooks lined up in two rows.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13939183": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13939183",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939183",
"found": true
},
"parent": 0,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1334
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1025
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED-1920x1281.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1281
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED-800x534.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 534
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-39-MV-KQED-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1702320040,
"modified": 1702321240,
"caption": "Sophia Dahlin reads a poem during the eighth event of the Light Jacket Reading Series in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.",
"description": null,
"title": "231211-LIGHT JACKET READING SERIES-39-MV-KQED",
"credit": "Michaela Vatcheva for KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A person holding a book speaks in front of a group of people in a wooded area.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13939132": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13939132",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939132",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13939131,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88-160x90.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 90
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88.jpg",
"width": 2036,
"height": 1145
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88-1020x574.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 574
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88-1536x864.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 864
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88-1920x1080.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1080
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88-800x450.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 450
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-interior-sample-01_wide-ffe2a636450c674ff347cc2eb8548a89363faa88-768x432.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 432
}
},
"publishDate": 1702067281,
"modified": 1702067697,
"caption": "A page from ‘Transitions: A Mother's Journey.’",
"description": null,
"title": "A page from ‘Transitions: A Mother's Journey.’",
"credit": "Top Shelf Productions",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Three illustrations of a white woman with a pink bob and glasses. She is wearing a sweater the same color as her hair.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13937095": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13937095",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13937095",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13937049,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1280
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/20231013-Swifties-008-JY-KQED-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 512
}
},
"publishDate": 1698421316,
"modified": 1698421820,
"caption": "Elisheva Samson, 16, shows off her carabiner of friendship bracelets to trade while waiting in line for merch before seeing “Taylor Swift The Eras Tour” at AMC Kabuki in Japantown, San Francisco on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023.",
"description": null,
"title": "Swifties",
"credit": "Juliana Yamada/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "A persons wrists wear eight different bracelets with letters and bright beads on them. The person also holds a carribeaner with dozens more bracelets.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"arts_13939026": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "arts_13939026",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939026",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13939025,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8-160x77.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 77
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 963
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8-1020x491.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 491
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8-1536x740.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 740
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8-1920x924.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 924
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8-800x385.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 385
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/copy-of-untitled-design-15-_custom-701d9dda3e539fb517ef6900d7a027b725704df8-768x370.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 370
}
},
"publishDate": 1701913344,
"modified": 1701918015,
"caption": "‘Biography of X’; ‘The Covenant of Water’; ‘Family Lore’; ‘The Guest’; ‘Happy Place’; ‘The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store’; ‘I Have Some Questions for You’; ‘The Postcard’; ‘The Reformatory’; ‘The Vaster Wilds’; ‘The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck’, ‘Mutiny and Murder’; ‘Yellowface.’",
"description": null,
"title": "‘Biography of X’; ‘The Covenant of Water’; ‘Family Lore’; ‘The Guest’; ‘Happy Place’; ‘The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store’; ‘I Have Some Questions for You’; ‘The Postcard’; ‘The Reformatory’; ‘The Vaster Wilds’; ‘The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck’, ‘Mutiny and Murder’; ‘Yellowface.’",
"credit": "NPR",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "12 books lined up in two rows of six.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_arts_13950698": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13950698",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13950698",
"name": "Anastasia Tsioulcas",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_arts_13950482": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13950482",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13950482",
"name": "Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_arts_13940276": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13940276",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13940276",
"name": "Kristen Martin",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_arts_13939895": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13939895",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13939895",
"name": "Linda Holmes",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_arts_13939590": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13939590",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13939590",
"name": "Beth Novey",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_arts_13939131": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13939131",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13939131",
"name": "Tahneer Oksman",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_arts_13939025": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_arts_13939025",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_arts_13939025",
"name": "Beth Novey",
"isLoading": false
},
"shotchkiss": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "61",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "61",
"found": true
},
"name": "Sarah Hotchkiss",
"firstName": "Sarah",
"lastName": "Hotchkiss",
"slug": "shotchkiss",
"email": "shotchkiss@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Senior Editor",
"bio": "Sarah Hotchkiss is a San Francisco \u003ca href=\"http://www.sarahhotchkiss.com\">artist\u003c/a> and arts writer. In 2019, she received the Dorothea & Leo Rabkin Foundation grant for visual art journalism and in 2020 she received a Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California award for excellence in arts and culture reporting.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bc662df144b3d27fd8b1b6f1c2a420d34e91e53154d411bb7ad353cc8b6cea8d?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"Contributor",
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "artschool",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "spark",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "checkplease",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Sarah Hotchkiss | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bc662df144b3d27fd8b1b6f1c2a420d34e91e53154d411bb7ad353cc8b6cea8d?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bc662df144b3d27fd8b1b6f1c2a420d34e91e53154d411bb7ad353cc8b6cea8d?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/shotchkiss"
},
"gmeline": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "185",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "185",
"found": true
},
"name": "Gabe Meline",
"firstName": "Gabe",
"lastName": "Meline",
"slug": "gmeline",
"email": "gmeline@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Senior Editor, KQED Arts & Culture",
"bio": "Gabe Meline entered journalism at age 15 making photocopied zines, and has since earned awards from the Edward R. Murrow Awards, the Society for Professional Journalists, the Online Journalism Awards, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Prior to KQED, he was the editor of the \u003cem>North Bay Bohemian\u003c/em> and a touring musician. He lives with his wife and daughter in his hometown of Santa Rosa, CA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5bebe57be0d8bc2dd318934feb47299e2d2d10cba28d09d8d7afb389a2ce2bdd?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "artschool",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "hiphop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Gabe Meline | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor, KQED Arts & Culture",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5bebe57be0d8bc2dd318934feb47299e2d2d10cba28d09d8d7afb389a2ce2bdd?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5bebe57be0d8bc2dd318934feb47299e2d2d10cba28d09d8d7afb389a2ce2bdd?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/gmeline"
},
"esilvers": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "7237",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "7237",
"found": true
},
"name": "Emma Silvers",
"firstName": "Emma",
"lastName": "Silvers",
"slug": "esilvers",
"email": "esilvers@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Emma Silvers is an editor at KQED Arts and a former digital producer at KQED News. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she has previously been an arts and entertainment editor at the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>, \u003cem>SF Weekly\u003c/em> and the \u003cem>San Francisco Bay Guardian.\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.emmasilvers.com\">Her work\u003c/a> has also appeared in \u003cem>Rolling Stone\u003c/em>, Pitchfork and \u003cem>Mother Jones\u003c/em>. In 2017 she was the recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists-Northern California's award for arts and culture reporting. In 1993 she \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/16759/wait-what-my-coworker-was-a-voice-over-hyperventilator-for-jurassic-park\">hyperventilated in \u003cem>Jurassic Park\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/247beada39b88ea5759db1f51dba05cf?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "emmaruthless",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Emma Silvers | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/247beada39b88ea5759db1f51dba05cf?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/247beada39b88ea5759db1f51dba05cf?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/esilvers"
},
"ralexandra": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11242",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11242",
"found": true
},
"name": "Rae Alexandra",
"firstName": "Rae",
"lastName": "Alexandra",
"slug": "ralexandra",
"email": "ralexandra@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Reporter/Producer",
"bio": "Rae Alexandra is a Reporter/Producer for KQED Arts & Culture, and the creator/author of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/program/rebel-girls-from-bay-area-history\">Rebel Girls From Bay Area History\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bizarrebayarea\">Bizarre Bay Area\u003c/a> series. Her debut book, \u003ca href=\"https://citylights.com/politics-current-events-history/unsung-heroines35-women-who-changed/\">Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area\u003c/a> was published by City Lights in March 2026. In 2023, Rae was awarded an SPJ Excellence in Journalism Award for Arts & Culture. Rae was born and raised in Wales and subsequently — even after two decades in Northern California — still uses phrases that regularly baffle her coworkers.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/edfee8176c80cc0a382b051190f5341997df378a934a5774dcb0977732dfd401?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Rae Alexandra | KQED",
"description": "Reporter/Producer",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/edfee8176c80cc0a382b051190f5341997df378a934a5774dcb0977732dfd401?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/edfee8176c80cc0a382b051190f5341997df378a934a5774dcb0977732dfd401?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ralexandra"
},
"nvoynovskaya": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11387",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11387",
"found": true
},
"name": "Nastia Voynovskaya",
"firstName": "Nastia",
"lastName": "Voynovskaya",
"slug": "nvoynovskaya",
"email": "nvoynovskaya@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Editor and reporter",
"bio": "Nastia Voynovskaya is a reporter, editor and host at KQED Arts & Culture. She's been covering the arts in the Bay Area for over a decade, with a focus on music, queer culture, labor issues and grassroots organizing. She has edited KQED story series such as Trans Bay: A History of San Francisco's Gender-Diverse Community, and co-created KQED's Bay Area hip-hop history project, That's My Word. Nastia's work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists and San Francisco Press Club. She regularly appears on podcasts and radio programs, including NPR's All Songs Considered, and hosts live events where music, culture and conversation meet.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5025ee460e5a85d69ca20ea6c6f2f80d7e17795c828f61ea3aecfcd924e9042e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": "https://www.instagram.com/nananastia/",
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "pop",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "podcasts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "hiphop",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Nastia Voynovskaya | KQED",
"description": "Editor and reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5025ee460e5a85d69ca20ea6c6f2f80d7e17795c828f61ea3aecfcd924e9042e?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5025ee460e5a85d69ca20ea6c6f2f80d7e17795c828f61ea3aecfcd924e9042e?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/nvoynovskaya"
},
"ltsai": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11743",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11743",
"found": true
},
"name": "Luke Tsai",
"firstName": "Luke",
"lastName": "Tsai",
"slug": "ltsai",
"email": "ltsai@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Food Editor",
"bio": "Luke Tsai is KQED's food editor and resident stinky tofu connoisseur. Prior to KQED, he was an editor at Eater SF, \u003cem>San Francisco \u003c/em>magazine, and the \u003cem>East Bay Express\u003c/em>, and his work has also appeared in TASTE, the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>, and the \u003cem>Best Food Writing\u003c/em> anthology. When he isn't writing or editing, you'll find him eating most everything he can get his hands on.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1e59b45bf191526e7339d6ba46e33a57b2030d25c27660ecc64ea3cb863e34f7?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "theluketsai",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "bayareabites",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Luke Tsai | KQED",
"description": "Food Editor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1e59b45bf191526e7339d6ba46e33a57b2030d25c27660ecc64ea3cb863e34f7?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1e59b45bf191526e7339d6ba46e33a57b2030d25c27660ecc64ea3cb863e34f7?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ltsai"
},
"achazaro": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11748",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11748",
"found": true
},
"name": "Alan Chazaro",
"firstName": "Alan",
"lastName": "Chazaro",
"slug": "achazaro",
"email": "agchazaro@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "Food Writer and Reporter",
"bio": "Alan Chazaro is the author of \u003cem>This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album\u003c/em> (Black Lawrence Press, 2019), \u003cem>Piñata Theory\u003c/em> (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), and \u003cem>Notes from the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge\u003c/em> (Ghost City Press, 2021). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and a former Lawrence Ferlinghetti Fellow at the University of San Francisco. He writes about sports, food, art, music, education, and culture while repping the Bay on \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/alan_chazaro\">Twitter\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/alan_chazaro/?hl=en\">Instagram\u003c/a> at @alan_chazaro.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea8b6dd970fc5c29e7a188e7d5861df7?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "alan_chazaro",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Alan Chazaro | KQED",
"description": "Food Writer and Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea8b6dd970fc5c29e7a188e7d5861df7?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea8b6dd970fc5c29e7a188e7d5861df7?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/achazaro"
},
"omayeda": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11872",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11872",
"found": true
},
"name": "Olivia Cruz Mayeda",
"firstName": "Olivia Cruz",
"lastName": "Mayeda",
"slug": "omayeda",
"email": "omayeda@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "Reporter",
"bio": "Olivia Cruz Mayeda is a journalist covering style, culture and reparations in the Bay Area, a place that has been home to her family for over 100 years. Her writing has also appeared in the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em> and \u003cem>El Tecolote\u003c/em>.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a8c0baa30219ce1071a9474f4c14141f?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Olivia Cruz Mayeda | KQED",
"description": "Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a8c0baa30219ce1071a9474f4c14141f?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a8c0baa30219ce1071a9474f4c14141f?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/omayeda"
},
"udursun": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11883",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11883",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ugur Dursun",
"firstName": "Ugur",
"lastName": "Dursun",
"slug": "udursun",
"email": "udursun@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"arts"
],
"title": "Engagement Producer, KQED Arts & Culture",
"bio": "Ugur Dursun is a reporter and audience engagement producer for KQED Arts. Previously, her reporting has appeared on SFGate, East Bay Times, The Mercury News, KTVU, NBC Bay Area, The Stanford Daily, and other Bay Area local news outlets. In 2023, she was a recipient of Online News Association's \u003ca href=\"https://journalists.org/programs/mj-bear-fellowship/\">MJ Bear Fellowship\u003c/a>, which honors six standout journalists under the age of 30 who are pushing innovation in digital news.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c5fe6a93389635670fe02d7fa44666938055adfbfc2cfd7fffc1de9e29072a2?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"administrator"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ugur Dursun | KQED",
"description": "Engagement Producer, KQED Arts & Culture",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c5fe6a93389635670fe02d7fa44666938055adfbfc2cfd7fffc1de9e29072a2?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9c5fe6a93389635670fe02d7fa44666938055adfbfc2cfd7fffc1de9e29072a2?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/udursun"
},
"nelias": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11990",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11990",
"found": true
},
"name": "Naomi Elias",
"firstName": "Naomi",
"lastName": "Elias",
"slug": "nelias",
"email": "naomielias09@gmail.com",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c9aa8dce2790e4a3e4270e62946b54ae?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Naomi Elias | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c9aa8dce2790e4a3e4270e62946b54ae?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c9aa8dce2790e4a3e4270e62946b54ae?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/nelias"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"arts_category_literature": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_73",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "73",
"score": 12.793592
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Books",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Books Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 74,
"slug": "literature",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Books",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "arts",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 28
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/arts?category=literature",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 28
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"arts_13950698": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13950698",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950698",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1705948826000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "dave-eggers-wins-top-childrens-literature-award-for-the-eyes-and-the-impossible",
"title": "Dave Eggers Wins Top Children’s Literature Award for ‘The Eyes and the Impossible’",
"publishDate": 1705948826,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Dave Eggers Wins Top Children’s Literature Award for ‘The Eyes and the Impossible’ | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 137,
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cp>The top awards for children’s literature in 2024 were \u003ca href=\"https://www.ala.unikron.com/\">announced Monday\u003c/a> at the American Library Association’s annual Youth Media Awards. Author Dave Eggers won the John Newbery Medal, which is given to the most distinguished American children’s book published the previous year, for his middle grade book \u003cem>The Eyes and the Impossible\u003c/em>, which was illustrated by Shawn Harris. Author and illustrator Vashti Harrison won the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children, for her book \u003cem>Big\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview with \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/05/09/1175071465/author-dave-eggers-channels-a-stray-dog-for-his-new-book\">\u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em>\u003c/a> last May, Eggers said that writing from the voice of a stray dog, as he does in \u003cem>The Eyes and the Impossible\u003c/em>, was “the most sort of liberating and joyful kind of writing I’ve ever done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950701\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1028px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950701\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an illustration of a dog running through the woods.\" width=\"1028\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM.png 1028w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM-800x945.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM-1020x1205.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM-160x189.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM-768x907.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1028px) 100vw, 1028px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Eyes and the Impossible.’ \u003ccite>(Knopf Books for Young Readers)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Harrison, in her own \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173477768/author-illustrator-vashti-harrison-wants-her-book-and-the-word-big-to-affirm-kid\">\u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em>\u003c/a> interview last May, said that the impetus for \u003cem>Big\u003c/em>, which follows a little girl growing up, was “to make a story that followed a child on a journey towards self-love.” Both \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=260\">\u003cem>The Eyes and the Impossible\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"#ks/#year=2023&book=47\">\u003cem>Big \u003c/em>\u003c/a>were also named as two of NPR’s \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=260\">Books We Love\u003c/a> in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13950449']Harrison is the first Black woman to win the Caldecott Medal; her book \u003cem>Big\u003c/em> was also awarded both Coretta Scott King author and illustrator honors on Monday as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Five other Newbery honor books were also named Monday: \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=7\">\u003cem>Eagle Drums\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> written and illustrated by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson; \u003cem>Elf Dog and Owl Head\u003c/em>, written by M.T. Anderson and illustrated by Junyi Wu; \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=164\">\u003cem>Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>written and illustrated by Pedro Martín; \u003cem>Simon Sort of Says\u003c/em>, written by Erin Bow; and \u003cem>The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams\u003c/em>, written by Daniel Nayeri and illustrated by Daniel Miyares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four other books took Caldecott honors: \u003cem>In Every Life\u003c/em>, illustrated and written by Marla Frazee; \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=135\">\u003cem>Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> illustrated by Molly Mendoza and written by Aida Salazar; \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=325\">\u003cem>There Was a Party for Langston\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey, and written by Jason Reynolds; and \u003cem>The Truth About Dragons\u003c/em>, illustrated by Hanna Cha, and written by Julie Leung.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Dave+Eggers+wins+Newbery%2C+Vashti+Harrison+wins+Caldecott+in+2024+kids%27+lit+prizes&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The San Francisco-based author won the John Newbery Medal for his tale about a stray dog.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726771037,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 8,
"wordCount": 390
},
"headData": {
"title": "Dave Eggers Wins Top Children’s Literature Award for ‘The Eyes and the Impossible’ | KQED",
"description": "The San Francisco-based author won the John Newbery Medal for his tale about a stray dog.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Dave Eggers Wins Top Children’s Literature Award for ‘The Eyes and the Impossible’",
"datePublished": "2024-01-22T10:40:26-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T11:37:17-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Anastasia Tsioulcas",
"nprStoryId": "1226051457",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1226051457&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2024/01/22/1226051457/newbery-caldecott-win-dave-eggers-vashti-harrison?ft=nprml&f=1226051457",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:05:00 -0500",
"nprStoryDate": "Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:44:44 -0500",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:05:35 -0500",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13950698/dave-eggers-wins-top-childrens-literature-award-for-the-eyes-and-the-impossible",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The top awards for children’s literature in 2024 were \u003ca href=\"https://www.ala.unikron.com/\">announced Monday\u003c/a> at the American Library Association’s annual Youth Media Awards. Author Dave Eggers won the John Newbery Medal, which is given to the most distinguished American children’s book published the previous year, for his middle grade book \u003cem>The Eyes and the Impossible\u003c/em>, which was illustrated by Shawn Harris. Author and illustrator Vashti Harrison won the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children, for her book \u003cem>Big\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an interview with \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/05/09/1175071465/author-dave-eggers-channels-a-stray-dog-for-his-new-book\">\u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em>\u003c/a> last May, Eggers said that writing from the voice of a stray dog, as he does in \u003cem>The Eyes and the Impossible\u003c/em>, was “the most sort of liberating and joyful kind of writing I’ve ever done.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950701\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1028px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950701\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an illustration of a dog running through the woods.\" width=\"1028\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM.png 1028w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM-800x945.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM-1020x1205.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM-160x189.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-22-at-10.31.01-AM-768x907.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1028px) 100vw, 1028px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Eyes and the Impossible.’ \u003ccite>(Knopf Books for Young Readers)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Harrison, in her own \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173477768/author-illustrator-vashti-harrison-wants-her-book-and-the-word-big-to-affirm-kid\">\u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em>\u003c/a> interview last May, said that the impetus for \u003cem>Big\u003c/em>, which follows a little girl growing up, was “to make a story that followed a child on a journey towards self-love.” Both \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=260\">\u003cem>The Eyes and the Impossible\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"#ks/#year=2023&book=47\">\u003cem>Big \u003c/em>\u003c/a>were also named as two of NPR’s \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=260\">Books We Love\u003c/a> in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13950449",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Harrison is the first Black woman to win the Caldecott Medal; her book \u003cem>Big\u003c/em> was also awarded both Coretta Scott King author and illustrator honors on Monday as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Five other Newbery honor books were also named Monday: \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=7\">\u003cem>Eagle Drums\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> written and illustrated by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson; \u003cem>Elf Dog and Owl Head\u003c/em>, written by M.T. Anderson and illustrated by Junyi Wu; \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=164\">\u003cem>Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>written and illustrated by Pedro Martín; \u003cem>Simon Sort of Says\u003c/em>, written by Erin Bow; and \u003cem>The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams\u003c/em>, written by Daniel Nayeri and illustrated by Daniel Miyares.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four other books took Caldecott honors: \u003cem>In Every Life\u003c/em>, illustrated and written by Marla Frazee; \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=135\">\u003cem>Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> illustrated by Molly Mendoza and written by Aida Salazar; \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=325\">\u003cem>There Was a Party for Langston\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey, and written by Jason Reynolds; and \u003cem>The Truth About Dragons\u003c/em>, illustrated by Hanna Cha, and written by Julie Leung.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Dave+Eggers+wins+Newbery%2C+Vashti+Harrison+wins+Caldecott+in+2024+kids%27+lit+prizes&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13950698/dave-eggers-wins-top-childrens-literature-award-for-the-eyes-and-the-impossible",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13950698"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_75"
],
"tags": [
"arts_9943",
"arts_21882"
],
"affiliates": [
"arts_137"
],
"featImg": "arts_13950704",
"label": "arts_137"
},
"arts_13950482": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13950482",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950482",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1705523474000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts",
"term": 140
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1705523474,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ Is a Powerful, Artful Interpretation of ‘Caste’",
"headTitle": "Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ Is a Powerful, Artful Interpretation of ‘Caste’ | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Words like “important” and “vital” are thrown around possibly a little too much in film criticism. It’s not that we don’t mean it — it’s just that sometimes we (ok, I) can get a bit excited. And when watching and reviewing good films in real time, it’s impossible to know what is yet to come. Will there be something else that makes that superlative seem silly in retrospect? Often times, yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ava DuVernay’s new film \u003cem>Origin\u003c/em> is that something else. It is a powerful and artistic interpretation of an academic book that was anything but an obvious candidate for a narrative feature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13858815']The book in question is\u003cem> Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents\u003c/em>, in which Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson offers an overriding theory about power and hierarchy and systemic dehumanization in social structures, connecting the Black experience in America to the Dalits of India and Jewish people in Nazi Germany. \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em> reviewer called it one of the most powerful non-fiction books he’d ever encountered and “the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That \u003cem>Caste\u003c/em> was appealing to DuVernay, who has made documentaries like \u003cem>13th\u003c/em>, connecting slavery to mass incarceration of Black men, is not surprising. What’s she’s done with it is. Instead of rehashing the facts of the book, DuVernay has turned \u003cem>Caste\u003c/em> into an investigative, fictionalized drama in which we follow the character Isabel Wilkerson as she puts the pieces together while her life crumbles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With an unconventional structure, in which we are often transported to different stories in different times, in the American South, Nazi Germany and early 20th century India, \u003cem>Origin\u003c/em> is nonetheless alarmingly effective, a riveting and haunting journey to a kind of enlightenment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s27ETxdCUqw\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilkerson is played beautifully by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, an actor deep enough to engage with the academic and intellectual inquiries of the film, and charismatic enough to make what sounds like homework absorbing. Hers is the kind of 360-degree Black woman that we don’t see leading films very often: She is at once confident and full of doubt and vulnerability, accomplished but searching, determined and still wary. And she’s unafraid to pursue her hunch that everyone, civilians and book editors alike, seems to be telling her isn’t worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is a character who is surrounded by love when we meet her, with a fairly perfect and supportive husband (Jon Bernthal), her aging mother Ruby (Emily Yancy) and a cousin/confidant in Marion (Niecy Nash-Betts). She is not immediately interested in an assignment about Trayvon Martin, and is a bit stuck knowing that whatever she does, she’ll have to give herself over fully to it. In \u003cem>Origin\u003c/em>, a push comes in the form of loss and her research takes on a vital urgency to, not to be too hyperbolic, figure out why everything is rotten before she too leaves the earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13940387']DuVernay takes us into her findings as Wilkerson learns about a group of Harvard students, two Black, two white, who integrate themselves into a segregated Southern community to study it, a Nazi party member who fell in love with a Jewish woman, and an Indian intellectual who rose out of his lowly caste and advocated for Dalit rights. They feel a bit like different movies. But while it might not be the most elegantly stitched together anthology, it works on a gut level. DuVernay and Ellis-Taylor commit to the big swing, and audiences who give it a chance may find themselves changed — or at least a little more curious, a little more alert — because of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is it premature to say that \u003cem>Origin\u003c/em> might just be DuVernay’s magnum opus? Well, perhaps. But hopefully it’s the start of a vibrant and bold new era of storytelling for her, with those pesky wrinkles in time firmly in the rearview mirror.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Origin’ opens in the Bay Area on Jan. 17, 2024. It is released nationwide on Jan. 19.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 709,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 13
},
"modified": 1705523474,
"excerpt": "DuVernay has adapted Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson’s book for the big screen.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ Is a Powerful, Artful Interpretation of ‘Caste’",
"socialTitle": "Movie Review: Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin,’ Based on ‘Caste’ %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"ogTitle": "Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ Is a Powerful, Artful Interpretation of ‘Caste’",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "DuVernay has adapted Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson’s book for the big screen.",
"title": "Movie Review: Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin,’ Based on ‘Caste’ | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ Is a Powerful, Artful Interpretation of ‘Caste’",
"datePublished": "2024-01-17T12:31:14-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-17T12:31:14-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "ava-duvernay-origin-caste-our-discontents-isabel-wilkerson",
"status": "publish",
"templateType": "standard",
"nprByline": "Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"sticky": false,
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13950482/ava-duvernay-origin-caste-our-discontents-isabel-wilkerson",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Words like “important” and “vital” are thrown around possibly a little too much in film criticism. It’s not that we don’t mean it — it’s just that sometimes we (ok, I) can get a bit excited. And when watching and reviewing good films in real time, it’s impossible to know what is yet to come. Will there be something else that makes that superlative seem silly in retrospect? Often times, yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ava DuVernay’s new film \u003cem>Origin\u003c/em> is that something else. It is a powerful and artistic interpretation of an academic book that was anything but an obvious candidate for a narrative feature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13858815",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The book in question is\u003cem> Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents\u003c/em>, in which Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson offers an overriding theory about power and hierarchy and systemic dehumanization in social structures, connecting the Black experience in America to the Dalits of India and Jewish people in Nazi Germany. \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em> reviewer called it one of the most powerful non-fiction books he’d ever encountered and “the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That \u003cem>Caste\u003c/em> was appealing to DuVernay, who has made documentaries like \u003cem>13th\u003c/em>, connecting slavery to mass incarceration of Black men, is not surprising. What’s she’s done with it is. Instead of rehashing the facts of the book, DuVernay has turned \u003cem>Caste\u003c/em> into an investigative, fictionalized drama in which we follow the character Isabel Wilkerson as she puts the pieces together while her life crumbles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With an unconventional structure, in which we are often transported to different stories in different times, in the American South, Nazi Germany and early 20th century India, \u003cem>Origin\u003c/em> is nonetheless alarmingly effective, a riveting and haunting journey to a kind of enlightenment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/s27ETxdCUqw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/s27ETxdCUqw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Wilkerson is played beautifully by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, an actor deep enough to engage with the academic and intellectual inquiries of the film, and charismatic enough to make what sounds like homework absorbing. Hers is the kind of 360-degree Black woman that we don’t see leading films very often: She is at once confident and full of doubt and vulnerability, accomplished but searching, determined and still wary. And she’s unafraid to pursue her hunch that everyone, civilians and book editors alike, seems to be telling her isn’t worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is a character who is surrounded by love when we meet her, with a fairly perfect and supportive husband (Jon Bernthal), her aging mother Ruby (Emily Yancy) and a cousin/confidant in Marion (Niecy Nash-Betts). She is not immediately interested in an assignment about Trayvon Martin, and is a bit stuck knowing that whatever she does, she’ll have to give herself over fully to it. In \u003cem>Origin\u003c/em>, a push comes in the form of loss and her research takes on a vital urgency to, not to be too hyperbolic, figure out why everything is rotten before she too leaves the earth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13940387",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>DuVernay takes us into her findings as Wilkerson learns about a group of Harvard students, two Black, two white, who integrate themselves into a segregated Southern community to study it, a Nazi party member who fell in love with a Jewish woman, and an Indian intellectual who rose out of his lowly caste and advocated for Dalit rights. They feel a bit like different movies. But while it might not be the most elegantly stitched together anthology, it works on a gut level. DuVernay and Ellis-Taylor commit to the big swing, and audiences who give it a chance may find themselves changed — or at least a little more curious, a little more alert — because of it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Is it premature to say that \u003cem>Origin\u003c/em> might just be DuVernay’s magnum opus? Well, perhaps. But hopefully it’s the start of a vibrant and bold new era of storytelling for her, with those pesky wrinkles in time firmly in the rearview mirror.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Origin’ opens in the Bay Area on Jan. 17, 2024. It is released nationwide on Jan. 19.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13950482/ava-duvernay-origin-caste-our-discontents-isabel-wilkerson",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13950482"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_74",
"arts_75"
],
"tags": [
"arts_3850",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13950512",
"label": "arts_140"
},
"arts_13950449": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13950449",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13950449",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1705517522000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "oakland-arts-lectures-sistah-scifi-chain-gang-all-stars",
"title": "‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ Author Talks Abolition and Sci-Fi at Oakland Arts & Lectures",
"publishDate": 1705517522,
"format": "audio",
"headTitle": "‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ Author Talks Abolition and Sci-Fi at Oakland Arts & Lectures | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 140,
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.nanakwameadjei-brenyah.com/\">Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah\u003c/a>’s debut novel, \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i>, incarcerated people fight to the death for a chance at freedom in televised gladiator matches. These “hard action-sports” have become a wildly popular — and extremely profitable — form of entertainment in a not-so-distant, technologically advanced future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story is a searing indictment not only of the American prison system, but of the general public’s complicity in exploitation and injustice. And given that the Bay Area is a hub for abolitionist activism — and the place where many real-life dystopian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11969898/protesters-outside-google-in-san-francisco-call-for-immediate-end-to-project-nimbus\">technologies are developed\u003c/a> — \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i> makes a fascinating subject for the Feb. 4 launch of a new speaker series called \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oakland-arts-and-lectures-nana-kwame-adjei-brenyah-tickets-769413044127\">Oakland Arts & Lectures\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950484\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 641px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950484\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/chain-gang-all-stars-cover.jpg\" alt=\"The cover of 'Chain-Gang All-Stars' features an abstract painting of a scythe with multicolored blood spraying from it.\" width=\"641\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/chain-gang-all-stars-cover.jpg 641w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/chain-gang-all-stars-cover-160x250.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. \u003ccite>(Pantheon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the premise of \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i> may sound bleak, the 2023 bestseller has a rich emotional core. At its center, two Black women in love reach for connection despite their dehumanizing circumstances. It’s those seeds of hope that remind the reader that though our political landscape might feel like a flaming dumpster careening towards an abyss, there’s still good in humanity, and the potential to fight for a better world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My work is to try to remind us that we are \u003ci>it\u003c/i>,” says Adjei-Brenyah from his book-filled New York office over Zoom. “Even if we’re not the rule makers, we’re the rule carry-out-ers. We’re not only the victims, we are also the hand that’s holding the hammer. It can be scary, but it’s also powerful as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We \u003ci>are\u003c/i> the power to change things,” the 33-year-old author adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Oakland Arts & Lectures, Adjei-Brenyah will take the stage at Oakstop’s \u003ca href=\"https://oakstop.com/portfolio-item/gaines-gallery-suite/\">Gaines Gallery\u003c/a> in a conversation with Isis Asare, founder of \u003ca href=\"https://sistahscifi.com/\">Sistah Scifi\u003c/a>, an online bookstore and community centered on Black and Indigenous speculative fiction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sistah Scifi is helming the programming at Oakland Arts & Lectures. Inspired by City Arts & Lectures across the bridge in San Francisco, the City of Oakland-funded program’s aim is to connect the Town’s literary community to the national scene. That dovetails with Sistah Scifi’s mission of using speculative fiction to fuel activists’ imaginations. [aside postid='news_11941785']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can begin with talking about the book, but then also talk about larger societal themes and do that in community,” says Asare, who is also hosting upcoming in-person Sistah Scifi events in \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/checkout-external?eid=769874975777\">San Francisco\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/checkout-external?eid=782303138747\">Seattle\u003c/a>. “Once those conversations happen, it’s like, how can we move forward? How can we mobilize? How can we organize?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i> lends itself to those nuanced conversations. Far from a straightforward allegory of good versus evil, the novel gets under readers’ skin and forces us to examine our own capacity for violence. Adjei-Brenyah writes engrossing battle scenes that glue readers to the page while also implicating them, making horrifically clear how despicable forms of entertainment can become normalized. And though we root for the main characters, they’re not without deep flaws and dark pasts. By allowing us to see their complicated humanity, the novel affirms people’s capacity for remorse, healing and positive change. [aside postid='arts_13940524']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today’s social-justice movements and speculative fiction have a symbiotic relationship. \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i> references activist-scholar \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/magazine/prison-abolition-ruth-wilson-gilmore.html\">Ruth Wilson Gilmore\u003c/a> as characters grapple with how society should address interpersonal violence. And abolitionists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13893734/a-roadmap-away-from-cancel-culture-and-towards-transformative-justice\">adrienne maree brown\u003c/a> regularly turn to Octavia Butler, whose canonical novels grapple with the legacy of slavery and imagine futures in which Black people are liberators and change agents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me, activism is really like love taking action in the world,” Adjei-Brenyah says. Much like speculative fiction, “It requires you to see what’s in front of you and take an imaginative leap towards what could be instead.” [ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By putting Black and Indigenous sci-fi authors at the center, Sistah Scifi is creating intentional space for dialogues that encourage building new worlds both on and off the page.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Adjei-Brenyah puts it, “That perspective is exactly what we actually need to transform this world because of not only the way we’ve been oppressed, but also because of the way we thrive and how often that story is not told.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oakland-arts-and-lectures-nana-kwame-adjei-brenyah-tickets-769413044127\">Oakland Arts & Lectures with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Sistah Scifi\u003c/a> takes place on Feb. 4 at Oakstop’s Gaines Gallery (1740 Telegraph Ave., Oakland). Free.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s provocative bestseller kicks off the new event series Oakland Arts & Lectures. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726757343,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 16,
"wordCount": 795
},
"headData": {
"title": "‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ Author Talks Abolition, Sci-Fi in Oakland | KQED",
"description": "Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s provocative bestseller kicks off the new event series Oakland Arts & Lectures. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ Author Talks Abolition, Sci-Fi in Oakland %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ Author Talks Abolition and Sci-Fi at Oakland Arts & Lectures",
"datePublished": "2024-01-17T10:52:02-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T07:49:03-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/30703e54-13b1-44de-95d6-b10001358a78/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13950449/oakland-arts-lectures-sistah-scifi-chain-gang-all-stars",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.nanakwameadjei-brenyah.com/\">Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah\u003c/a>’s debut novel, \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i>, incarcerated people fight to the death for a chance at freedom in televised gladiator matches. These “hard action-sports” have become a wildly popular — and extremely profitable — form of entertainment in a not-so-distant, technologically advanced future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The story is a searing indictment not only of the American prison system, but of the general public’s complicity in exploitation and injustice. And given that the Bay Area is a hub for abolitionist activism — and the place where many real-life dystopian \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11969898/protesters-outside-google-in-san-francisco-call-for-immediate-end-to-project-nimbus\">technologies are developed\u003c/a> — \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i> makes a fascinating subject for the Feb. 4 launch of a new speaker series called \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oakland-arts-and-lectures-nana-kwame-adjei-brenyah-tickets-769413044127\">Oakland Arts & Lectures\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950484\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 641px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950484\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/chain-gang-all-stars-cover.jpg\" alt=\"The cover of 'Chain-Gang All-Stars' features an abstract painting of a scythe with multicolored blood spraying from it.\" width=\"641\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/chain-gang-all-stars-cover.jpg 641w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/chain-gang-all-stars-cover-160x250.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Chain-Gang All-Stars’ by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. \u003ccite>(Pantheon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the premise of \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i> may sound bleak, the 2023 bestseller has a rich emotional core. At its center, two Black women in love reach for connection despite their dehumanizing circumstances. It’s those seeds of hope that remind the reader that though our political landscape might feel like a flaming dumpster careening towards an abyss, there’s still good in humanity, and the potential to fight for a better world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My work is to try to remind us that we are \u003ci>it\u003c/i>,” says Adjei-Brenyah from his book-filled New York office over Zoom. “Even if we’re not the rule makers, we’re the rule carry-out-ers. We’re not only the victims, we are also the hand that’s holding the hammer. It can be scary, but it’s also powerful as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We \u003ci>are\u003c/i> the power to change things,” the 33-year-old author adds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Oakland Arts & Lectures, Adjei-Brenyah will take the stage at Oakstop’s \u003ca href=\"https://oakstop.com/portfolio-item/gaines-gallery-suite/\">Gaines Gallery\u003c/a> in a conversation with Isis Asare, founder of \u003ca href=\"https://sistahscifi.com/\">Sistah Scifi\u003c/a>, an online bookstore and community centered on Black and Indigenous speculative fiction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sistah Scifi is helming the programming at Oakland Arts & Lectures. Inspired by City Arts & Lectures across the bridge in San Francisco, the City of Oakland-funded program’s aim is to connect the Town’s literary community to the national scene. That dovetails with Sistah Scifi’s mission of using speculative fiction to fuel activists’ imaginations. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_11941785",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can begin with talking about the book, but then also talk about larger societal themes and do that in community,” says Asare, who is also hosting upcoming in-person Sistah Scifi events in \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/checkout-external?eid=769874975777\">San Francisco\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/checkout-external?eid=782303138747\">Seattle\u003c/a>. “Once those conversations happen, it’s like, how can we move forward? How can we mobilize? How can we organize?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i> lends itself to those nuanced conversations. Far from a straightforward allegory of good versus evil, the novel gets under readers’ skin and forces us to examine our own capacity for violence. Adjei-Brenyah writes engrossing battle scenes that glue readers to the page while also implicating them, making horrifically clear how despicable forms of entertainment can become normalized. And though we root for the main characters, they’re not without deep flaws and dark pasts. By allowing us to see their complicated humanity, the novel affirms people’s capacity for remorse, healing and positive change. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13940524",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today’s social-justice movements and speculative fiction have a symbiotic relationship. \u003ci>Chain-Gang All-Stars\u003c/i> references activist-scholar \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/magazine/prison-abolition-ruth-wilson-gilmore.html\">Ruth Wilson Gilmore\u003c/a> as characters grapple with how society should address interpersonal violence. And abolitionists like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13893734/a-roadmap-away-from-cancel-culture-and-towards-transformative-justice\">adrienne maree brown\u003c/a> regularly turn to Octavia Butler, whose canonical novels grapple with the legacy of slavery and imagine futures in which Black people are liberators and change agents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To me, activism is really like love taking action in the world,” Adjei-Brenyah says. Much like speculative fiction, “It requires you to see what’s in front of you and take an imaginative leap towards what could be instead.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By putting Black and Indigenous sci-fi authors at the center, Sistah Scifi is creating intentional space for dialogues that encourage building new worlds both on and off the page.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Adjei-Brenyah puts it, “That perspective is exactly what we actually need to transform this world because of not only the way we’ve been oppressed, but also because of the way we thrive and how often that story is not told.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oakland-arts-and-lectures-nana-kwame-adjei-brenyah-tickets-769413044127\">Oakland Arts & Lectures with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Sistah Scifi\u003c/a> takes place on Feb. 4 at Oakstop’s Gaines Gallery (1740 Telegraph Ave., Oakland). Free.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13950449/oakland-arts-lectures-sistah-scifi-chain-gang-all-stars",
"authors": [
"11387"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73"
],
"tags": [
"arts_928",
"arts_10278",
"arts_1143",
"arts_3797",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13950483",
"label": "arts_140"
},
"arts_13940524": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13940524",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13940524",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1705507213000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "dead-in-long-beach-california-review-venita-blackburn",
"title": "In ‘Dead in Long Beach, California,’ Grief Gives Way to Disastrous Decisions",
"publishDate": 1705507213,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "In ‘Dead in Long Beach, California,’ Grief Gives Way to Disastrous Decisions | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Imagine going through the seven stages of grief in seven days. That monumentally disorienting premise is the framework for Venita Blackburn’s debut novel, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374602826/deadinlongbeachcalifornia\">Dead in Long Beach, California\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. The novel centers on Coral Brown, a Black lesbian sci-fi writer, who walks into her brother Jay’s apartment in Long Beach and discovers he has died by suicide. The whole story takes place within the week she finds his body, one Friday to the next. Amidst chapters titled after days of the week, memory, grief, denial and time bleed into each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950445\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 432px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Author-Photo-Venita-Blackburn-credit-to-Virginia-Barnes.jpg\" alt=\"Person in plaid blazer with rose-tinted glasses\" width=\"432\" height=\"648\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950445\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Author-Photo-Venita-Blackburn-credit-to-Virginia-Barnes.jpg 432w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Author-Photo-Venita-Blackburn-credit-to-Virginia-Barnes-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Author Venita Blackburn. \u003ccite>(Virginia Barnes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Blackburn is an associate professor of creative writing at California State University, Fresno, and the founder and president of Live, Write, a nonprofit that offers free creative writing workshops to communities of color. She has previously published two short story collections. The most recent, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mcdbooks.com/books/how-to-wrestle-a-girl\">How to Wrestle a Girl\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, was a 2022 finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction. Reviewers praised the collection for its playfully inventive structure; in it Blackburn alternates between first and third person, uses her background as a flash fiction writer to pack big feelings and stories into small words counts, and blunts tragedy with farce. Echoes of these writing flourishes can be found in her latest offering. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Californians walked like they were underwater,” Blackburn writes in \u003cem>Dead in Long Beach\u003c/em>, “slow, with all the time in the universe.” This warped temporal reality is compounded in Compton, where she notes “even time moved like water … a thing to drown in, a thing necessary for life.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Blackburn, whose hometown is Compton, Coral is a South Los Angeles native. In suffusing the book with Coral’s memories — tender, bitter, formative — Blackburn effectively turns it into a love letter to the region. In the ’90s when Coral was young, the city was “a mecca, an Eden, a place to dream, honor; to buy liquor, doughnuts, fried chicken and greens; a place to loathe and protect.” Coral came of age in this place. She was familiar with its music and violence — a regularity she regarded as “white noise.” Still, death is not something you can prepare for. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Death IRL is an ice bath from the inside out,” the narrator reflects. Blackburn’s writing is similarly bracing. The book’s format is experimental and hard to pin down — the label “a novel” is in winking quotes on its cover. We meet the narrator in the opening sentence as a mysterious and nameless ‘we’ announces, “We are responsible for telling this story, mostly because Coral cannot.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This voice can alternately be interpreted as a representative of Coral’s split self (her grief has detached her from reality) or as the characters from her popular dystopian novel, \u003cem>Wildfire\u003c/em>, who speak in a similarly omniscient tone. In \u003cem>Wildfire\u003c/em>, the world has ended and the librarians (as they call themselves) have categorized all of humanity — including, but not limited to, helium, turkey bacon, motherhood and Velcro. “All of humanity is our firstborn, and each moment is a precious memory to be stored away,” they explain in the prologue of Coral’s book. “We are learning what precious is and what time is and how it attacks and soothes all at once and can leave without a trace.” The chapters of \u003cem>Wildfire\u003c/em> mingled with the main text of \u003cem>Dead in Long Beach\u003c/em> indicate the way grief is fracturing Coral’s mind. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You expect to deal with sadness after a loss. What you don’t expect after someone you love dies is the paperwork. Soon after finding his body Coral is faced with Jay’s paperwork: hospital bills, insurance papers. But we don’t linger on these details for long. They are mentioned more so to paint a picture of Coral’s growing mental load. She has already lost both of her parents and now her only brother, who was in his 40s, lived alone and didn’t keep his phone locked. The latter fact, while primarily evidence of his carelessness, also serves as an inciting incident for the book.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the EMTs remove his body from the apartment, Jay’s phone pings and Coral sees a text from his young adult daughter asking to reschedule dinner plans. She has not yet been informed of her father’s passing. Rather than tell her, rather than acquiesce to truth and linear time, Coral decides to attempt the impossible — to hit pause on a traumatic moment while she is still in it. She makes a spur of the moment, erratic and ultimately doomed choice to respond to her niece and the admittedly few contacts in Jay’s phone as her late brother. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We worship the ghosts of history, marvel at desiccated tombs, and play in their dust,” the omniscient ‘we’ shares. The dust kicked up by Jay’s death is fine and voluminous, enough to form a fog that clouds Coral’s vision and judgment. She is not so much playing in it as she is desperately grasping at it. She spends her week tucking herself away in memories while attempting to maintain the order of her life: going on dates, fulfilling professional obligations, texting strangers in the voice of her deceased brother. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The narrator, who has studied all human interaction and relationships and has indexed them as a way of understanding, explains Coral’s behavior with the help of dedicated ‘clinics’ into which memories and behaviors are compartmentalized. One of these is the Clinic for Excavating Repressed Memories in Search of Solutions to Current Crises. Another is the Clinic for Outrageous Disguises that Cloak All Existence of Frailty. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the Clinic for Telling Lies to Avoid Pending Death,” we learn, “there is a unit on living in good memories to dissociate from reality, like when we recall being fourteen in the front seat of our father’s Cadillac de Ville on the way to the Hollywood racetrack with our brother in the front seat … We were happy. We were safe. The sky was blue and we would never be there again.” In memories like these, Coral can both avoid and make sense of the present. The reader knows, however, that the comfort found in avoidance has a time limit; the book crescendos as this building tension is loosed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Dead in Long Beach, California\u003c/em> is the work of a gifted writer who understands love bonds, family, death and inevitability, but also has a sense of humor about all of the above. Blackburn’s novel presents grief as memory puzzle, grief as creative license, grief as fuel for delusion and awakening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12127869\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>‘Dead in Long Beach, California’ is out from \u003ca href=\"https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374602826/deadinlongbeachcalifornia\">MCD Books\u003c/a> on Jan. 23, 2024.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "In Venita Blackburn’s debut, experimental novel, a sci-fi writer responds to the shock of her brother’s death.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1769539948,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 16,
"wordCount": 1174
},
"headData": {
"title": "‘Dead in Long Beach, California’ Review: A Weird Week of Grief | KQED",
"description": "In Venita Blackburn’s debut, experimental novel, a sci-fi writer responds to the shock of her brother’s death.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "‘Dead in Long Beach, California’ Review: A Weird Week of Grief %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "In ‘Dead in Long Beach, California,’ Grief Gives Way to Disastrous Decisions",
"datePublished": "2024-01-17T08:00:13-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-01-27T10:52:28-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"name": "Arts"
},
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13940524/dead-in-long-beach-california-review-venita-blackburn",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Imagine going through the seven stages of grief in seven days. That monumentally disorienting premise is the framework for Venita Blackburn’s debut novel, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374602826/deadinlongbeachcalifornia\">Dead in Long Beach, California\u003c/a>\u003c/em>. The novel centers on Coral Brown, a Black lesbian sci-fi writer, who walks into her brother Jay’s apartment in Long Beach and discovers he has died by suicide. The whole story takes place within the week she finds his body, one Friday to the next. Amidst chapters titled after days of the week, memory, grief, denial and time bleed into each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13950445\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 432px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Author-Photo-Venita-Blackburn-credit-to-Virginia-Barnes.jpg\" alt=\"Person in plaid blazer with rose-tinted glasses\" width=\"432\" height=\"648\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13950445\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Author-Photo-Venita-Blackburn-credit-to-Virginia-Barnes.jpg 432w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Author-Photo-Venita-Blackburn-credit-to-Virginia-Barnes-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Author Venita Blackburn. \u003ccite>(Virginia Barnes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Blackburn is an associate professor of creative writing at California State University, Fresno, and the founder and president of Live, Write, a nonprofit that offers free creative writing workshops to communities of color. She has previously published two short story collections. The most recent, \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.mcdbooks.com/books/how-to-wrestle-a-girl\">How to Wrestle a Girl\u003c/a>\u003c/em>, was a 2022 finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction. Reviewers praised the collection for its playfully inventive structure; in it Blackburn alternates between first and third person, uses her background as a flash fiction writer to pack big feelings and stories into small words counts, and blunts tragedy with farce. Echoes of these writing flourishes can be found in her latest offering. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Californians walked like they were underwater,” Blackburn writes in \u003cem>Dead in Long Beach\u003c/em>, “slow, with all the time in the universe.” This warped temporal reality is compounded in Compton, where she notes “even time moved like water … a thing to drown in, a thing necessary for life.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Blackburn, whose hometown is Compton, Coral is a South Los Angeles native. In suffusing the book with Coral’s memories — tender, bitter, formative — Blackburn effectively turns it into a love letter to the region. In the ’90s when Coral was young, the city was “a mecca, an Eden, a place to dream, honor; to buy liquor, doughnuts, fried chicken and greens; a place to loathe and protect.” Coral came of age in this place. She was familiar with its music and violence — a regularity she regarded as “white noise.” Still, death is not something you can prepare for. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Death IRL is an ice bath from the inside out,” the narrator reflects. Blackburn’s writing is similarly bracing. The book’s format is experimental and hard to pin down — the label “a novel” is in winking quotes on its cover. We meet the narrator in the opening sentence as a mysterious and nameless ‘we’ announces, “We are responsible for telling this story, mostly because Coral cannot.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This voice can alternately be interpreted as a representative of Coral’s split self (her grief has detached her from reality) or as the characters from her popular dystopian novel, \u003cem>Wildfire\u003c/em>, who speak in a similarly omniscient tone. In \u003cem>Wildfire\u003c/em>, the world has ended and the librarians (as they call themselves) have categorized all of humanity — including, but not limited to, helium, turkey bacon, motherhood and Velcro. “All of humanity is our firstborn, and each moment is a precious memory to be stored away,” they explain in the prologue of Coral’s book. “We are learning what precious is and what time is and how it attacks and soothes all at once and can leave without a trace.” The chapters of \u003cem>Wildfire\u003c/em> mingled with the main text of \u003cem>Dead in Long Beach\u003c/em> indicate the way grief is fracturing Coral’s mind. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You expect to deal with sadness after a loss. What you don’t expect after someone you love dies is the paperwork. Soon after finding his body Coral is faced with Jay’s paperwork: hospital bills, insurance papers. But we don’t linger on these details for long. They are mentioned more so to paint a picture of Coral’s growing mental load. She has already lost both of her parents and now her only brother, who was in his 40s, lived alone and didn’t keep his phone locked. The latter fact, while primarily evidence of his carelessness, also serves as an inciting incident for the book.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the EMTs remove his body from the apartment, Jay’s phone pings and Coral sees a text from his young adult daughter asking to reschedule dinner plans. She has not yet been informed of her father’s passing. Rather than tell her, rather than acquiesce to truth and linear time, Coral decides to attempt the impossible — to hit pause on a traumatic moment while she is still in it. She makes a spur of the moment, erratic and ultimately doomed choice to respond to her niece and the admittedly few contacts in Jay’s phone as her late brother. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We worship the ghosts of history, marvel at desiccated tombs, and play in their dust,” the omniscient ‘we’ shares. The dust kicked up by Jay’s death is fine and voluminous, enough to form a fog that clouds Coral’s vision and judgment. She is not so much playing in it as she is desperately grasping at it. She spends her week tucking herself away in memories while attempting to maintain the order of her life: going on dates, fulfilling professional obligations, texting strangers in the voice of her deceased brother. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The narrator, who has studied all human interaction and relationships and has indexed them as a way of understanding, explains Coral’s behavior with the help of dedicated ‘clinics’ into which memories and behaviors are compartmentalized. One of these is the Clinic for Excavating Repressed Memories in Search of Solutions to Current Crises. Another is the Clinic for Outrageous Disguises that Cloak All Existence of Frailty. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the Clinic for Telling Lies to Avoid Pending Death,” we learn, “there is a unit on living in good memories to dissociate from reality, like when we recall being fourteen in the front seat of our father’s Cadillac de Ville on the way to the Hollywood racetrack with our brother in the front seat … We were happy. We were safe. The sky was blue and we would never be there again.” In memories like these, Coral can both avoid and make sense of the present. The reader knows, however, that the comfort found in avoidance has a time limit; the book crescendos as this building tension is loosed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Dead in Long Beach, California\u003c/em> is the work of a gifted writer who understands love bonds, family, death and inevitability, but also has a sense of humor about all of the above. Blackburn’s novel presents grief as memory puzzle, grief as creative license, grief as fuel for delusion and awakening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12127869\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>‘Dead in Long Beach, California’ is out from \u003ca href=\"https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374602826/deadinlongbeachcalifornia\">MCD Books\u003c/a> on Jan. 23, 2024.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13940524/dead-in-long-beach-california-review-venita-blackburn",
"authors": [
"11990"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73"
],
"tags": [
"arts_928",
"arts_769"
],
"featImg": "arts_13950448",
"label": "arts"
},
"arts_13940276": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13940276",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13940276",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1704911741000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts",
"term": 140
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1704911741,
"format": "aside",
"title": "‘The Fetishist’ Thoughtfully Examines Racial and Sexual Politics",
"headTitle": "‘The Fetishist’ Thoughtfully Examines Racial and Sexual Politics | KQED",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13940281\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13940281\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM.png\" alt=\"A purple book cover featuring a blowfish, mouth agape.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM-800x1163.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM-768x1116.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Fetishist,’ Katherine Min. \u003ccite>(G.P. Putnam’s Sons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Alma Soon Ja Lee encountered her first “rice king” — a man who fetishizes Asian women — as a 13-year-old Korean American cello prodigy rehearsing with a regional youth orchestra. An older blond clarinetist whispered in her ear, “Oriental girls are so sexy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Alma, one of the protagonists of Katherine Min’s novel \u003cem>The Fetishist\u003c/em>, it had felt like a “five-word pronouncement of immutable destiny,” heralding a parade of Asian fetishists who would march through her life. Being pursued by these men was double-edged, mixing “the promise of allure” with “the cost of self-erasure,” until “the twisted roots of racism had become so deeply embedded in desire that she could not dig them out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13939025']When Alma first slept with Daniel Karmody, an Irish American violinist and the novel’s titular fetishist, she told him, “Once Asian, never again Caucasian” — a joke meant to cement her control over their coupling, “as if joking about being racially interchangeable could protect her from it.” She hadn’t expected to be but the first in a series of Daniel’s sexual conquests that would mirror the march of her rice kings. But after their five-year relationship imploded, Daniel parlayed his looks and charisma into a career of Asian philandering that he never second-guessed — except to rue losing Alma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At outset of \u003cem>The Fetishist\u003c/em>, Alma and Daniel have been estranged for 20 years, and both are at their lowest lows. Alma’s late-stage multiple sclerosis has made playing cello a frustrating impossibility, and Daniel is divorced and washed-up, leading a string quartet called Thanatos that serenades the wealthy as they die. One night on opposite sides of the country, they each think of one another, Daniel with regret and longing, Alma with anger and wistfulness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This might seem a recipe for a second-chance romance driven by a racial reckoning, but Min is playing with different ingredients. Into this doleful tale, she injects a chaos agent in the form of a 23-year-old diminutive Japanese American punk — Kyoko Tokugawa, who plans to kidnap and murder Daniel to make him pay for his part in her mother Emi’s suicide. Per Kyoko, Daniel had used and discarded Emi like “sex doll” in a bout of “power-trip fetishizing” — and he had to pay for what he had done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kyoko’s vengeance sets into motion a fiery farce wherein Min picks at those tangled roots of racism and desire. Inspired by \u003cem>Lolita\u003c/em>, but with an Asian fetishist in the role of Humbert Humbert and the objects of his objectification given voice, \u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>presents a tightly crafted examination of racial and sexual politics that is at once nuanced and no-holds-barred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13939131']In many ways, Min’s novel feels of-the-moment, coming amid a push for more Asian American representation and after both the COVID-fueled surge of anti-Asian hate crimes and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.vox.com/first-person/22338462/atlanta-shooting-georgia-spa-asian-american\">2021 Atlanta spa shootings\u003c/a> that forced a reckoning with the sexual stereotyping of Asian women. But Min actually finished \u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>a decade ago — five years before her death of breast cancer at age 60. She hadn’t sought to publish the novel in her lifetime; her diagnosis marked a turn away from a long career in fiction, the high point of which was her 2006 debut novel \u003cem>Secondhand World\u003c/em>, a finalist for the PEN-Bingham Award. Instead, she turned to writing essays, telling her daughter Kayla Min Andrews, “I need to spend the time I have left understanding myself, my life, and the world around me, unadorned.” A fiction writer herself, Min Andrews has brought this abandoned novel to publication, providing readers with her mother’s fiction-mediated understanding of the thorny experience of being objectified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>is indeed adorned — a prefatory author’s note tells us that “this is a fairy tale of sorts” featuring “a giant, a buried treasure (a tiny one), a hero held captive, a kind of ogre (a tiny one), and a sleeping beauty.” Min unspools the tale in short chapters, alternating her third-person omniscient narration primarily among Alma, Daniel, and Kyoko, whose perspectives we dip into and out of in moments of free indirect discourse befitting a Victorian novel. Long, winding sentences filled with wordplay unfold virtuosically, especially when Min writes about Alma and Daniel performing classical music and Kyoko screaming out her demons with her punk band. The plot also includes a slapstick murder attempt, two foiled suicides, a cross-country road trip, and ample flashbacks to a summer in Italy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of this framing is ultimately in service of bringing Daniel and Alma to separate and mutual grapplings with the “exultation, laced with contempt” that formed the foundation of their relationship. What makes \u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>remarkable in this regard is not just that Min puts pressure on Daniel to come to terms with his sense of entitlement over Asian women, but that she also prods Alma to examine her own complicated relationship to being fetishized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13940133']It is Kyoko’s white-hot rage that forces this confrontation, but her chapters are the weakest in the novel. Kyoko’s perspective is blinkered and juvenile, her grief largely unexamined because it has “twisted to hate, hate hammered to anger, until the anger, the hate, and the grief had become grotesquely fused.” While Min does give Kyoko a brief moment of revelation toward the novel’s end, it feels unconvincingly pat. Worst of all — and despite the fact that Min’s omniscient narration and flashbacks could have allowed for it — we never actually access Emi’s interiority, never fully see her desires and disappointments as she experienced them. There is something ironic about a dead woman feeling like the missing center in a posthumously published novel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is always difficult to read a postmortem work without the fact of the author’s death hovering over it. Min Andrews writes in an afterword that steeping herself in her mother’s writing “made her feel so present, which emphasized her absence.” \u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>brings Min’s presence to bear in boisterous, prickly prose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Kristen Martin is working on a book on American orphanhood for Bold Type Books. Her writing has also appeared in ‘The New York Times Magazine,’ ‘The Believer,’ ‘The Baffler,’ and elsewhere. She tweets at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/twitter.com/kwistent__;!!Iwwt!H7wVnVZJJ3Dpum-jMLKuML7ytU_beY4dKPJxSUqeEvWf7VKkck5_W8HNUX_Y2g%24\">\u003cem>@kwistent\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=%27The+Fetishist%27+examines+racial+and+sexual+politics+&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1150,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 14
},
"modified": 1705002910,
"excerpt": "Katherine Min's well-crafted novel is inspired by ‘Lolita,’ but replaces Humbert Humbert with an Asian fetishist.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "‘The Fetishist’ Examines Racial and Sexual Politics",
"socialTitle": "Book Review: ‘The Fetishist’ by Katherine Min %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"ogTitle": "‘The Fetishist’ Examines Racial and Sexual Politics",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Katherine Min's well-crafted novel is inspired by ‘Lolita,’ but replaces Humbert Humbert with an Asian fetishist.",
"title": "Book Review: ‘The Fetishist’ by Katherine Min | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "‘The Fetishist’ Thoughtfully Examines Racial and Sexual Politics",
"datePublished": "2024-01-10T10:35:41-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-11T11:55:10-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "the-fetishist-thoughtfully-examines-racial-and-sexual-politics",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1223515116&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"templateType": "standard",
"nprStoryDate": "Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:19:46 -0500",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:19:46 -0500",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223515116/katherine-min-novel-the-fetishist-examines-racial-and-sexual-politics?ft=nprml&f=1223515116",
"nprImageAgency": "G.P. Putnam's Sons",
"nprStoryId": "1223515116",
"nprByline": "Kristen Martin",
"sticky": false,
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:19:00 -0500",
"path": "/arts/13940276/the-fetishist-thoughtfully-examines-racial-and-sexual-politics",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13940281\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13940281\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM.png\" alt=\"A purple book cover featuring a blowfish, mouth agape.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM-800x1163.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/Screen-Shot-2024-01-10-at-10.20.28-AM-768x1116.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Fetishist,’ Katherine Min. \u003ccite>(G.P. Putnam’s Sons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Alma Soon Ja Lee encountered her first “rice king” — a man who fetishizes Asian women — as a 13-year-old Korean American cello prodigy rehearsing with a regional youth orchestra. An older blond clarinetist whispered in her ear, “Oriental girls are so sexy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Alma, one of the protagonists of Katherine Min’s novel \u003cem>The Fetishist\u003c/em>, it had felt like a “five-word pronouncement of immutable destiny,” heralding a parade of Asian fetishists who would march through her life. Being pursued by these men was double-edged, mixing “the promise of allure” with “the cost of self-erasure,” until “the twisted roots of racism had become so deeply embedded in desire that she could not dig them out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13939025",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When Alma first slept with Daniel Karmody, an Irish American violinist and the novel’s titular fetishist, she told him, “Once Asian, never again Caucasian” — a joke meant to cement her control over their coupling, “as if joking about being racially interchangeable could protect her from it.” She hadn’t expected to be but the first in a series of Daniel’s sexual conquests that would mirror the march of her rice kings. But after their five-year relationship imploded, Daniel parlayed his looks and charisma into a career of Asian philandering that he never second-guessed — except to rue losing Alma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At outset of \u003cem>The Fetishist\u003c/em>, Alma and Daniel have been estranged for 20 years, and both are at their lowest lows. Alma’s late-stage multiple sclerosis has made playing cello a frustrating impossibility, and Daniel is divorced and washed-up, leading a string quartet called Thanatos that serenades the wealthy as they die. One night on opposite sides of the country, they each think of one another, Daniel with regret and longing, Alma with anger and wistfulness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This might seem a recipe for a second-chance romance driven by a racial reckoning, but Min is playing with different ingredients. Into this doleful tale, she injects a chaos agent in the form of a 23-year-old diminutive Japanese American punk — Kyoko Tokugawa, who plans to kidnap and murder Daniel to make him pay for his part in her mother Emi’s suicide. Per Kyoko, Daniel had used and discarded Emi like “sex doll” in a bout of “power-trip fetishizing” — and he had to pay for what he had done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kyoko’s vengeance sets into motion a fiery farce wherein Min picks at those tangled roots of racism and desire. Inspired by \u003cem>Lolita\u003c/em>, but with an Asian fetishist in the role of Humbert Humbert and the objects of his objectification given voice, \u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>presents a tightly crafted examination of racial and sexual politics that is at once nuanced and no-holds-barred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13939131",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In many ways, Min’s novel feels of-the-moment, coming amid a push for more Asian American representation and after both the COVID-fueled surge of anti-Asian hate crimes and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.vox.com/first-person/22338462/atlanta-shooting-georgia-spa-asian-american\">2021 Atlanta spa shootings\u003c/a> that forced a reckoning with the sexual stereotyping of Asian women. But Min actually finished \u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>a decade ago — five years before her death of breast cancer at age 60. She hadn’t sought to publish the novel in her lifetime; her diagnosis marked a turn away from a long career in fiction, the high point of which was her 2006 debut novel \u003cem>Secondhand World\u003c/em>, a finalist for the PEN-Bingham Award. Instead, she turned to writing essays, telling her daughter Kayla Min Andrews, “I need to spend the time I have left understanding myself, my life, and the world around me, unadorned.” A fiction writer herself, Min Andrews has brought this abandoned novel to publication, providing readers with her mother’s fiction-mediated understanding of the thorny experience of being objectified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>is indeed adorned — a prefatory author’s note tells us that “this is a fairy tale of sorts” featuring “a giant, a buried treasure (a tiny one), a hero held captive, a kind of ogre (a tiny one), and a sleeping beauty.” Min unspools the tale in short chapters, alternating her third-person omniscient narration primarily among Alma, Daniel, and Kyoko, whose perspectives we dip into and out of in moments of free indirect discourse befitting a Victorian novel. Long, winding sentences filled with wordplay unfold virtuosically, especially when Min writes about Alma and Daniel performing classical music and Kyoko screaming out her demons with her punk band. The plot also includes a slapstick murder attempt, two foiled suicides, a cross-country road trip, and ample flashbacks to a summer in Italy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All of this framing is ultimately in service of bringing Daniel and Alma to separate and mutual grapplings with the “exultation, laced with contempt” that formed the foundation of their relationship. What makes \u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>remarkable in this regard is not just that Min puts pressure on Daniel to come to terms with his sense of entitlement over Asian women, but that she also prods Alma to examine her own complicated relationship to being fetishized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13940133",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It is Kyoko’s white-hot rage that forces this confrontation, but her chapters are the weakest in the novel. Kyoko’s perspective is blinkered and juvenile, her grief largely unexamined because it has “twisted to hate, hate hammered to anger, until the anger, the hate, and the grief had become grotesquely fused.” While Min does give Kyoko a brief moment of revelation toward the novel’s end, it feels unconvincingly pat. Worst of all — and despite the fact that Min’s omniscient narration and flashbacks could have allowed for it — we never actually access Emi’s interiority, never fully see her desires and disappointments as she experienced them. There is something ironic about a dead woman feeling like the missing center in a posthumously published novel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is always difficult to read a postmortem work without the fact of the author’s death hovering over it. Min Andrews writes in an afterword that steeping herself in her mother’s writing “made her feel so present, which emphasized her absence.” \u003cem>The Fetishist \u003c/em>brings Min’s presence to bear in boisterous, prickly prose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Kristen Martin is working on a book on American orphanhood for Bold Type Books. Her writing has also appeared in ‘The New York Times Magazine,’ ‘The Believer,’ ‘The Baffler,’ and elsewhere. She tweets at \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/twitter.com/kwistent__;!!Iwwt!H7wVnVZJJ3Dpum-jMLKuML7ytU_beY4dKPJxSUqeEvWf7VKkck5_W8HNUX_Y2g%24\">\u003cem>@kwistent\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=%27The+Fetishist%27+examines+racial+and+sexual+politics+&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13940276/the-fetishist-thoughtfully-examines-racial-and-sexual-politics",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13940276"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_75"
],
"tags": [
"arts_585"
],
"affiliates": [
"arts_137"
],
"featImg": "arts_13940280",
"label": "arts_140"
},
"arts_13940133": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13940133",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13940133",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1704741958000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1704741958,
"format": "standard",
"title": "Stinky Tofu Is the Unlikely Star of a New Children’s Book",
"headTitle": "Stinky Tofu Is the Unlikely Star of a New Children’s Book | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>In my years as the Bay Area’s most dedicated stinky tofu evangelist, I have preached the pungent virtues of fermented bean curd to anyone who would listen — in blog posts and glossy magazine features, on obscure internet \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910817/chowhound-shutting-down-rip\">discussion forums\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893028/all-you-can-eat-funky-foods-we-arent-supposed-to-love-but-do\">live public radio\u003c/a>. And in real life, I’ve wheedled friends, family members and random Taipei night market strangers into at least giving the dish a fair shake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I never expected, though, was for stinky tofu to be the subject — and the unlikely hero — of a children’s book published here in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that’s precisely what East Bay author Ying Chang Compestine has created with \u003ca href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/710497/ra-pu-zel-and-the-stinky-tofu-by-ying-chang-compestine-illustrated-by-crystal-kung/\">\u003ci>Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, her new riff on the classic Rapunzel fairy tale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13940137\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13940137\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of the children's book 'Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu' shows a princess with a long, black braid surrounded by many bowls of Chinese food.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1995\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-800x798.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-1020x1017.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-768x766.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-1536x1532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-1920x1915.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Compestine’s book is a retelling of ‘Rapunzel.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Penguin Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Compestine is no stranger to writing about Chinese food: She’s a seasoned cookbook author who used to be a food editor for Martha Stewart’s \u003ci>Whole Living\u003c/i>, and her more recent pivot to writing \u003ca href=\"https://www.yingc.com/picture-books.html\">stories for children\u003c/a> has been almost entirely food-centric\u003ci>.\u003c/i> And fried stinky tofu, specifically, was one of Compestine’s favorite childhood treats, sold by street vendors throughout her hometown of Wuhan, China.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Compestine explains that when she was growing up in Wuhan during the Cultural Revolution in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the Communist Party had banned all Western books, including fairy tales like “Rapunzel.” But Compestine and her friends would read the stories in secret, then regale each other with their own retellings. She remembers especially loving Rapunzel’s dress: “We all had to wear Mao’s uniform,” she recalls. “I never had colorful clothes or long hair.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Compestine found boring, however, even as a young girl, was the standard storyline about a princess falling for a handsome prince. In the “Rapunzel” stories that she improvised as a child, the prince was only ever able to win over his beloved through her belly, with a steady supply of candy and snacks — including, of course, stinky tofu, which remains a popular local delicacy in Wuhan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Food was on my mind at the time,” Compestine says. “I was hungry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13937806,arts_13924997,arts_13897272']\u003c/span>In many ways, then, \u003ci>Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu\u003c/i> is just a more fully realized version of those early retellings, brought to vivid life through Pixar character designer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/crystaleatsyourbrain/?hl=en\">Crystal Kung\u003c/a>’s delightfully expressive, watercolor-like illustrations. In Compestine’s version of “Rapunzel,” Pu Zel, the princess heroine, isn’t kidnapped by an evil witch. Instead, she locks \u003ci>herself\u003c/i> in the high tower because it’s the only place where she isn’t burdened by the demands and expectations of the imperial court — and where she’s free to cook and eat what she likes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the young street vendor who (spoiler alert) finally entices the spunky princess to come down again? Let’s just say that it’s a refreshing change from most portrayals of stinky tofu here in the West, where the pungent dish is still largely relegated to some category of extreme eating — something so gross and funky that only the most adventurous eaters would dare to give it a try.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for Taiwanese Americans like myself, in particular, the night market staple is a point of national pride and, more simply, just a delicious everyday food. I often talk about what a radicalizing moment it was for me when a surprisingly \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjGZg4gHOJw\">weak-sauce Andrew Zimmern\u003c/a> was so disgusted by stinky tofu on \u003ci>Bizarre Foods\u003c/i> that he couldn’t swallow a single bite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I love, then, about \u003ci>Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu \u003c/i>is how little Compestine dwells on the strangeness or stinkiness of the dish. “It smells like a sweaty ox!” exclaims one old man. But within the span of a few sentences, Pu Zel is admiring how delicious and “irresistible” the tofu is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13940138\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13940138\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223.jpg\" alt=\"A spread from a picture book shows a young chef cooking a big pot of stinky tofu, as birds and squirrels flee from the dish's strong odor.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-1020x510.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-768x384.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-1920x960.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the end, a delicious pot of stinky tofu is what saves the day. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Penguin Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Compestine says her goal wasn’t necessarily to convince every child who reads the book to eat stinky tofu. She finished the book during the pandemic, right around the time when Wuhan was receiving so much \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-20/hundreds-gather-in-san-francisco-for-rally-against-anti-asian-attacks-racism\">negative publicity\u003c/a> — and when there was a wave of anti-Asian sentiment here in the U.S. “Through my book, I want people to understand my hometown,” she says. “And I wanted to portray a very strong female character. I wanted to change the perception that Asians are weak.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if readers feel inspired to eat a big plate of tofu after they finish the book? There’s a (non-stinky) recipe in the back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/710497/ra-pu-zel-and-the-stinky-tofu-by-ying-chang-compestine-illustrated-by-crystal-kung/\">Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu\u003c/a> is available where books are sold. Compestine and Kung, the illustrator, will appear at Hicklebee’s (1378 Lincoln Ave., San José) on Saturday, Jan. 13, for storytime and a drawing demonstration.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 879,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 17
},
"modified": 1705002919,
"excerpt": "An East Bay author offers a delicious new spin on ‘Rapunzel.’",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "An East Bay author offers a delicious new spin on ‘Rapunzel.’",
"title": "Stinky Tofu Is the Unlikely Star of a New Children’s Book | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Stinky Tofu Is the Unlikely Star of a New Children’s Book",
"datePublished": "2024-01-08T11:25:58-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-11T11:55:19-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "stinky-tofu-childrens-book-ra-pu-zel",
"status": "publish",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/food",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"source": "Food",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13940133/stinky-tofu-childrens-book-ra-pu-zel",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In my years as the Bay Area’s most dedicated stinky tofu evangelist, I have preached the pungent virtues of fermented bean curd to anyone who would listen — in blog posts and glossy magazine features, on obscure internet \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13910817/chowhound-shutting-down-rip\">discussion forums\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893028/all-you-can-eat-funky-foods-we-arent-supposed-to-love-but-do\">live public radio\u003c/a>. And in real life, I’ve wheedled friends, family members and random Taipei night market strangers into at least giving the dish a fair shake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I never expected, though, was for stinky tofu to be the subject — and the unlikely hero — of a children’s book published here in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But that’s precisely what East Bay author Ying Chang Compestine has created with \u003ca href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/710497/ra-pu-zel-and-the-stinky-tofu-by-ying-chang-compestine-illustrated-by-crystal-kung/\">\u003ci>Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu\u003c/i>\u003c/a>, her new riff on the classic Rapunzel fairy tale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13940137\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13940137\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of the children's book 'Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu' shows a princess with a long, black braid surrounded by many bowls of Chinese food.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1995\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-800x798.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-1020x1017.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-768x766.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-1536x1532.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/ra-pu-zel-cover-1920x1915.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Compestine’s book is a retelling of ‘Rapunzel.’ \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Penguin Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Compestine is no stranger to writing about Chinese food: She’s a seasoned cookbook author who used to be a food editor for Martha Stewart’s \u003ci>Whole Living\u003c/i>, and her more recent pivot to writing \u003ca href=\"https://www.yingc.com/picture-books.html\">stories for children\u003c/a> has been almost entirely food-centric\u003ci>.\u003c/i> And fried stinky tofu, specifically, was one of Compestine’s favorite childhood treats, sold by street vendors throughout her hometown of Wuhan, China.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Compestine explains that when she was growing up in Wuhan during the Cultural Revolution in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the Communist Party had banned all Western books, including fairy tales like “Rapunzel.” But Compestine and her friends would read the stories in secret, then regale each other with their own retellings. She remembers especially loving Rapunzel’s dress: “We all had to wear Mao’s uniform,” she recalls. “I never had colorful clothes or long hair.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Compestine found boring, however, even as a young girl, was the standard storyline about a princess falling for a handsome prince. In the “Rapunzel” stories that she improvised as a child, the prince was only ever able to win over his beloved through her belly, with a steady supply of candy and snacks — including, of course, stinky tofu, which remains a popular local delicacy in Wuhan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Food was on my mind at the time,” Compestine says. “I was hungry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13937806,arts_13924997,arts_13897272",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>In many ways, then, \u003ci>Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu\u003c/i> is just a more fully realized version of those early retellings, brought to vivid life through Pixar character designer \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/crystaleatsyourbrain/?hl=en\">Crystal Kung\u003c/a>’s delightfully expressive, watercolor-like illustrations. In Compestine’s version of “Rapunzel,” Pu Zel, the princess heroine, isn’t kidnapped by an evil witch. Instead, she locks \u003ci>herself\u003c/i> in the high tower because it’s the only place where she isn’t burdened by the demands and expectations of the imperial court — and where she’s free to cook and eat what she likes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the young street vendor who (spoiler alert) finally entices the spunky princess to come down again? Let’s just say that it’s a refreshing change from most portrayals of stinky tofu here in the West, where the pungent dish is still largely relegated to some category of extreme eating — something so gross and funky that only the most adventurous eaters would dare to give it a try.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But for Taiwanese Americans like myself, in particular, the night market staple is a point of national pride and, more simply, just a delicious everyday food. I often talk about what a radicalizing moment it was for me when a surprisingly \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjGZg4gHOJw\">weak-sauce Andrew Zimmern\u003c/a> was so disgusted by stinky tofu on \u003ci>Bizarre Foods\u003c/i> that he couldn’t swallow a single bite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I love, then, about \u003ci>Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu \u003c/i>is how little Compestine dwells on the strangeness or stinkiness of the dish. “It smells like a sweaty ox!” exclaims one old man. But within the span of a few sentences, Pu Zel is admiring how delicious and “irresistible” the tofu is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13940138\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13940138\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223.jpg\" alt=\"A spread from a picture book shows a young chef cooking a big pot of stinky tofu, as birds and squirrels flee from the dish's strong odor.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-1020x510.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-160x80.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-768x384.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/9780593533055_Interior_Image_5_495223-1920x960.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the end, a delicious pot of stinky tofu is what saves the day. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Penguin Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, Compestine says her goal wasn’t necessarily to convince every child who reads the book to eat stinky tofu. She finished the book during the pandemic, right around the time when Wuhan was receiving so much \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-20/hundreds-gather-in-san-francisco-for-rally-against-anti-asian-attacks-racism\">negative publicity\u003c/a> — and when there was a wave of anti-Asian sentiment here in the U.S. “Through my book, I want people to understand my hometown,” she says. “And I wanted to portray a very strong female character. I wanted to change the perception that Asians are weak.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if readers feel inspired to eat a big plate of tofu after they finish the book? There’s a (non-stinky) recipe in the back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/710497/ra-pu-zel-and-the-stinky-tofu-by-ying-chang-compestine-illustrated-by-crystal-kung/\">Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu\u003c/a> is available where books are sold. Compestine and Kung, the illustrator, will appear at Hicklebee’s (1378 Lincoln Ave., San José) on Saturday, Jan. 13, for storytime and a drawing demonstration.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13940133/stinky-tofu-childrens-book-ra-pu-zel",
"authors": [
"11743"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_12276"
],
"tags": [
"arts_4672",
"arts_7446",
"arts_1683",
"arts_21727",
"arts_10278",
"arts_1297",
"arts_15151",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13940135",
"label": "source_arts_13940133"
},
"arts_13939895": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13939895",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939895",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1703841391000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts",
"term": 140
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1703841391,
"format": "standard",
"title": "NPR's Year in Review: 50 Wonderful Things From 2023",
"headTitle": "NPR’s Year in Review: 50 Wonderful Things From 2023 | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>I’ve been making annual lists of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1221652903&live=1\">50 Wonderful Pop Culture Things\u003c/a> since 2010. They include things you’ve probably heard of and things you might not have, things that are meaningful and things that are hilarious, things that matter and things that don’t at all. In this year in which TV and film were both interrupted for months as a result of labor disputes, there was plenty to admire even as production ground to a halt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13939862']The usual caveats apply: These are not objectively the best things; they are just wonderful things. There were far more than 50 wonderful things to admire this year, and there is far (far) more that I never saw or read or heard at all. But it never hurts to look back on the year and realize that in fact, delight was upon you over and over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>1. The best podcast I started listening to this year was\u003ca href=\"https://www.ifbookspod.com/\"> \u003cem>If Books Could Kill\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>hosted by Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri. The premise is that they dive into “airport books” from self-help to political posturing to investigate their claims. It’s very funny and deeply researched, and in a world where it’s easy to feel like you’re losing your grip, it’s a good reminder: your grip is fine. You’re just being handed a lot of slippery things. Start with their January episode \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-books-could-kill/id1651876897?i=1000596707945\">about John Gray’s \u003cem>Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. You never forget an episode that makes you cackle in your car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>2. It’s hard to pick a single moment from the scorching fourth and final season of \u003cem>Succession. \u003c/em>But the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH55hmX0-Uo&ab_channel=HBO\">balcony fight between Shiv and Tom\u003c/a> that went on and on and got worse and worse, more and more painful, encapsulated exactly what has worked so well about the show. It was a years-long story reaching its inevitable nuclear meltdown, and Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen played it brilliantly. “I think you are incapable of love.” Yikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH55hmX0-Uo\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>3. Rarely has a show come back from a truly great first season and made a truly great second season. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930853/the-bear-deftly-turns-the-corner-into-season-2\">\u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>\u003c/a> managed to do it with the help of an exquisite cast, both regulars and guest stars. There are enough powerful performances on that show to make five more just like it. When pastry chef Marcus went off to Copenhagen and studied with Luca, played by Will Poulter, the fact that the focus was far away from Carmy did nothing to detract from the episode’s power and its thematic connections to the season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>4. The changes to Amy’s (Ali Wong) hair over the course of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927211/ali-wong-steven-yeun-serve-up-epic-feud-in-netflixs-beef\">Beef\u003c/a> —\u003c/em> long and straight, blond and bobbed and parted on the side, dark and bobbed with bangs — are really effective at underscoring her struggle with who she is and wants to be. Hair department head Nicole Venables was clearly working at the top of her game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939915\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1866px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939915\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM.png\" alt=\"The same attractive Asian woman is seen with her hair worn in a black bob with bangs, a white bob and long and flowing.\" width=\"1866\" height=\"1060\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM.png 1866w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-800x454.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-1020x579.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-160x91.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-768x436.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-1536x873.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1866px) 100vw, 1866px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A look back at Amy’s hairstyles in ‘Beef.’ \u003ccite>(Andrew Cooper/ Netflix )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>5. Michael Schulman’s book \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/02/22/1158513159/oscar-wars-michael-schulman-academy-awards-controversies\">\u003cem>Oscar Wars\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is a great education in Hollywood history, but it’s also dishy as all get out. My highlight? A story about Joan Fontaine (supposedly!) telling people that she was considered for the role of Melanie in \u003cem>Gone With the Wind\u003c/em>, but was told she wasn’t plain enough, so she recommended her sister (and frenemy at best), Olivia de Havilland. That is so ice-cold, you could wrap it up and use it on your swollen ankle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>6. Greta Lee should be and likely will be in every awards conversation for her stellar work in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930006/past-lives-is-a-gorgeous-meditation-on-love-chance-and-the-choices-we-make\">\u003cem>Past Lives\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. But even on Apple’s inconsistent \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/09/13/1198991146/the-morning-show-season-3-review\">\u003cem>The Morning Show\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> she’s always a standout as Stella, a young entertainment executive who faced some terrible choices in the show’s third season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>7. Had I been involved in the making of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931753/allan-doll-michael-cera-greta-gerwig-barbie-movie-review\">\u003cem>Barbie\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, I would have cared about nothing so much as exactly what song all the Kens should play when they, soaking in a bath of toxic masculinity, attempt to impress and win over the Barbies. Whatever I settled on would have been nowhere near as perfect as “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJLgKXp375I&ab_channel=AtlanticRecords\">Push\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8Y57NWv5m0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>8. The bright romantic comedy \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1166717149/rye-lane-review\">\u003cem>Rye Lane\u003c/em>\u003c/a> has a lot to recommend it. But perhaps nothing stuck with me as much as its stunning colors — deep golds and yellows, bright pinks and reds, rich greens and blues. From director Raine Allen-Miller, it would be a stunner even with the sound off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>9. Whatever your feelings about the franchise, there is nothing to fault in the sequence in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/1185129902/mission-impossible-is-back-but-will-you-accept-it-or-will-it-self-destruct\">\u003cem>Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in which Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell are struggling to survive in a train that’s dangling off a cliff. A gas line, vats of oil, and a ratz-a-fratzin \u003cem>grand piano \u003c/em>all play into the gloriously silly, tooth-grindingly tense scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939901\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/shrinking_photo_010402_wide-42f66da259a6934d5edc408a57896cea18f00257-scaled-e1703838143772.jpg\" alt=\"A man in his seventies sits in a leather chair, his glasses propped on his forehead, looking concerned.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harrison Ford in ‘Shrinking.’ \u003ccite>(Apple TV+)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>10. Harrison Ford hasn’t made a lot of straight-up comedy in this stage of his career, so what a joy to see him in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/01/31/1152527309/shrinking-review-harrison-ford-jason-segel\">\u003cem>Shrinking\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, alongside Jason Segel and Jessica Williams. All three play therapists who work together, and Ford deploys his brutal deadpan to make completely ordinary dialogue feel like punchline after punchline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>11. About five minutes into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938143/may-december-movie-review-netflix-mary-kay-letourneau-julianne-moore\">\u003cem>May December\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Julianne Moore, seen in profile, opens the refrigerator in her sunny kitchen. The foreboding piano of the score (by Marcelo Zarvos, adapting a 1971 score by Michel Legrand for the film \u003cem>The Go-Between\u003c/em>) suddenly sounds loudly, and she stares into the refrigerator, as if she’s seeing the Ark of the Covenant. The camera pushes in. And then she says, “I don’t think we have enough hot dogs.” Is this a comedy? A drama? A horror movie? In that early moment, it is, as it will remain, hard to say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1424px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180.jpg\" alt=\"A crazed bear, howls in the woods, its tongue sticking out.\" width=\"1424\" height=\"801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180.jpg 1424w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1424px) 100vw, 1424px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The title ‘Cocaine Bear’ says it all, and the film delivers on that promise in 95 minutes. \u003ccite>(Universal Pictures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>12. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925388/cocaine-bear-is-here-to-strike-a-blow-to-staid-hollywood\">\u003cem>Cocaine Bear\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. The fact that they made it, the fact that they gave it that title, the fact that it’s so gory and gleeful and comfortable being what it is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>13. There is a scene near the end of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938358/saltburn-review-emerald-fennell-shocking-scenes-jacob-elordi\">\u003cem>Saltburn\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in which an elaborate lunch table full of wealthy people trying desperately to act normal under bizarre circumstances is plunged into haunting red light by the closing of the curtains. Emerald Fennell, who wrote and directed, simply doesn’t do anything halfway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939897\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939897\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/gro-09769_r-1-_wide-e73d26bb40e8b60f639bffe967b22f0abb2b2ba5-scaled-e1703838474386.jpg\" alt=\"Three women stand and gaze upwards. They are wearing superhero uniforms.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L-R): Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in ‘The Marvels.’ \u003ccite>(Laura Radford/ Marvel Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>14. Iman Vellani’s performance as Kamala Khan in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/10/1197956743/the-marvels-is-a-light-comedy-about-light-powers\">\u003cem>The Marvels\u003c/em>\u003c/a> bubbles with energy, and a scene where she and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) keep switching places, disappearing and reappearing in her parents’ house, is a kinetic, rambunctious delight. If you were put off by the talk about \u003cem>The Marvels \u003c/em>falling flat at the box office, don’t let that keep you from checking it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>15. My favorite food host of the year is a three-way tie. Sohla El-Waylly and her husband Ham have been doing the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVLIdFk-8no&list=PLYG6O_GQCZwikXIXw5p0vFQBif-RxUpHy&ab_channel=NYTCooking\">“Mystery Menu”\u003c/a> for the NYT cooking channel for a while now, but if you haven’t seen it — their experimentation with durian, for instance — check it out immediately. \u003cem>Also\u003c/em>: an equally good way to approach the NYT cooking channel is to watch absolutely anything \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyv6lO1SBS0&list=PLYG6O_GQCZwgKmY38LuycalANW67g_yYV&ab_channel=NYTCooking\">featuring Eric Kim\u003c/a>, who is enchanting. \u003cem>Also also\u003c/em>: Anything on the Epicurious channel with chef Saul Montiel will brighten your day. \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjyyDCPXy7k&list=PLz3-p2q6vFYWi_e0AWEkj2h22l0u1bqER&index=29&ab_channel=Epicurious\">Here he is making calzones.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1798px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2.jpg\" alt=\"A tall young man and a shorter, older man with a mustache stand side by side in a snowy field. \" width=\"1798\" height=\"1078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2.jpg 1798w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-800x480.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-1020x612.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-768x460.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-1536x921.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1798px) 100vw, 1798px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dominic Sessa, left, and Paul Giamatti in ‘The Holdovers.’ \u003ccite>(Focus Features)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>16. All of the performances in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937046/alexander-payne-keeps-real-emotion-at-bay-in-the-coyly-comic-holdovers\">\u003cem>The Holdovers\u003c/em>\u003c/a> are top-notch, but it was especially promising to discover Dominic Sessa, a young actor on the screen for the first time. Playing Angus Tully, a high school kid who’s both smart and foolish (as so many are), he offers exquisite touches of both swagger and insecurity, enough to keep up with towering performances from Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. All three leads deserve many award nominations; he may be the one who loses out. But bet on him in the future. He’ll be back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>17. The tense final moments of the suspense thriller \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935443/fair-play-review-netflix-gender-phoebe-dynevor#:~:text=Fair%20Play%20is%20visually%20moody,gray%20of%20their%20austere%20office.\">\u003cem>Fair Play\u003c/em>\u003c/a> had me unsure what I even \u003cem>wanted\u003c/em> to happen, and what actually happened was better than what I would have come up with anyway. That is exactly the ending you want from a psychologically complex story like this one, about a couple torn asunder by a promotion at work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/platonic_photo_010403_wide-a74509800a306a1af17583f3735bdaa794cf2065-scaled-e1703838852943.jpg\" alt=\"A 30-something man sits confidently at an office desk, smiling at someone somewhat awkwardly.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1079\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luke Macfarlane in ‘Platonic.’ \u003ccite>(Apple TV+)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>18. Luke MacFarlane is a veteran of holiday love stories (it’s probably adequate to note he was in films called both \u003cem>Sense & Sensibility & Snowmen \u003c/em>and \u003cem>A Shoe Addict’s Christmas\u003c/em>), and he made a splash with Billy Eichner in \u003cem>Bros\u003c/em> in 2022. This year, he was very funny in \u003ca href=\"https://tv.apple.com/us/show/platonic/umc.cmc.y7bc18x7co813l8i2tlsyb4l\">\u003cem>Platonic\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, playing the loving husband of a woman (Rose Byrne) whose friendship with an old pal (Seth Rogen) takes off anew. The part could be a real nothing; he makes it sing. (\u003cem>Platonic \u003c/em>runner-up: the scene, featuring Guy Branum, in which he throws electric scooters like a track star throws a discus is a sport. As it should be.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>19. There was nothing like the go-for-broke madness of Peacock’s\u003ca href=\"#1170610821\"> \u003cem>Mrs. Davis\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>an action-adventure comedic thriller about a nun who’s trying to resist the intrusions of an all-knowing AI who is suddenly in everyone’s ear. (Said AI is called Mrs. Davis, you see.) Betty Gilpin played Simone, the nun, with such control and flexibility that the wild plot developments around her didn’t distract from the character work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 776px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/nup_197587_00171_wide-5aaca6d0f9b84408cb67b0d3276fcda1a9256137.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with long shaggy blond hair stares worried into a phone screen. \" width=\"776\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/nup_197587_00171_wide-5aaca6d0f9b84408cb67b0d3276fcda1a9256137.jpg 776w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/nup_197587_00171_wide-5aaca6d0f9b84408cb67b0d3276fcda1a9256137-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/nup_197587_00171_wide-5aaca6d0f9b84408cb67b0d3276fcda1a9256137-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 776px) 100vw, 776px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Natasha Lyonne in ‘Poker Face.’ \u003ccite>(Phillip Caruso/ Peacock)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>20. Rian Johnson created the episodic mystery show \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924192/no-lie-natasha-lyonne-is-unforgettable-in-poker-face\">\u003cem>Poker Face\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, in which Natasha Lyonne played Charlie, a woman on the run who encounters a new mystery in every new town. Yes, the writing sparkled, and yes, the roster of guest stars — Judith Light! Lil Rel Howery! Hong Chau! Adrien Brody! — was top-tier. But at the center was Lyonne. From the minute she emerges from a trailer into the hot Nevada sun, sinks into a lawn chair, and grabs herself a beer and a smoke, the character already feels like an icon, and the show like a classic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>21. \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/01/15/1149054904/the-traitors-review-alan-cumming\">\u003cem>The Traitors\u003c/em> \u003c/a>is a fun reality competition show. But what set it apart was host Alan Cumming, whose pronunciation of “murrrrrder” and succession of impossibly debonair suits made him host of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>22. I had a spectacular time — spectacular! — watching the Philadelphia Phillies this fall. How do you not love Bryce Harper \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/video/harper-sprints-first-to-home\">running through a sign\u003c/a> from the third-base coach, scoring, and popping up on his toe?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939907\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939907\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/71nzsmfyhwl._sl1500__custom-1bdc6680756a679edab8654b3a8629a5f434f87d.jpg\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a cat in a suit.\" width=\"200\" height=\"308\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/71nzsmfyhwl._sl1500__custom-1bdc6680756a679edab8654b3a8629a5f434f87d.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/71nzsmfyhwl._sl1500__custom-1bdc6680756a679edab8654b3a8629a5f434f87d-160x246.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Starter Villain.’ \u003ccite>(Tor Books)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>23. I dare you not to giggle at least once as the weird world of John Scalzi’s novel, \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=232\">\u003cem>Starter Villain\u003c/em>\u003c/a> unwinds in front of you. Is there a labor dispute? Yes. Does it involve dolphins? Yes. Is there a volcano, and are there supervillains? Yes and yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>24. Sometimes it’s fun to just have something scare your socks off, and that’s what happened with \u003ca href=\"https://www.hulu.com/movie/9e96f51e-6806-4306-9773-e96b68d25305\">\u003cem>No One Will Save You\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, an eerie, almost dialogue-free “locked in the house and something terrible is happening” story starring Kaitlyn Dever. She hears a noise. She hides under the bed. She sees a pair of very upsetting feet go by. From there, she’s on her own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>25. Podcasts diving extra-deep into a particular film or show are of wildly differing quality. But\u003ca href=\"https://50mphpodcast.com/\"> \u003cem>50MPH\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> a planned 50-part (!!) series about the making of \u003cem>Speed\u003c/em>, has offered choice moments for the movie’s fans. Try \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/50-mph/id1691020723?i=1000625961446\">episode 12\u003c/a>, about the script development, which includes a detour into the involvement of one Joss Whedon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>26. Emma Cline’s novel \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/05/25/1178300477/in-the-guest-a-sex-worker-wreaks-havoc-on-the-glitzy-social-scene-at-the-hampton\">\u003cem>The Guest\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is about a woman whose boyfriend kicks her out and leaves her adrift in the Hamptons to survive with nothing. She imposes upon one person, then another, and Cline builds a sense of dread amid all the wealth: “No one on the shore noticed her, or looked twice. A couple walked past, heads bent, studying the sand for shells … Surely, if Alex had been in any real danger, someone would have reacted, one of these people would have stepped in to help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939908\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ap091207034728_wide-a1a2587a9eee11ca90b5d981b831f43c13702513-e1703839359528.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a grey suit and red bowtie gestures wildly, mouth agape.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Reubens, better known as Pee-wee Herman, died in July at age 70. \u003ccite>(Danny Moloshok/ AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>27. Paul Reubens, who created the character Pee-wee Herman, died on July 30, and was warmly and appropriately appreciated. What a delightful surprise, then, to see him in a cameo appearance in the affable comedy\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/08/1197956693/sandra-oh-and-awkwafina-are-perfect-opposites-in-quiz-lady\"> \u003cem>Quiz Lady\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>playing himself as the baffled target of a fan’s affections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13938757']28. I had trouble following the plot of the drama series \u003ca href=\"https://www.max.com/shows/full-circle/8996a19c-8e8b-4d8b-8f1a-fa146751d544\">\u003cem>Full Circle\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> which starred Claire Danes and Timothy Olyphant as a couple that learns their son has been kidnapped, which is only the very beginning of their problems. I did, however, greatly appreciate Vulture’s Kathryn VanArendonk \u003ca href=\"https://www.vulture.com/article/dennis-quaid-full-circle-braid-explained.html\">making a thorough investigation\u003c/a> of why on earth Dennis Quaid ended up wearing a braid. It involves a last-minute dash to a wig shop. It’s quite a tale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>29. Yes, Maureen Ryan is one of my very good friends and colleagues in the writing-about-television industry. But plenty of people agreed that as hard as it was to read, her book \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/03/1180008736/beloved-tv-show-lost-wasnt-immune-to-industrys-pervasive-toxic-culture\">\u003cem>Burn It Down\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, about abuse in Hollywood and the systems that enable it, was a tremendous example of dogged journalism that does what it sets out to do. Pleasant to read? No. Wonderful to know that this kind of work is still being done, and done so well? Yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kes2P4IC2bQ&t=3s\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>30. The Tiny Desk at NPR has been growing and growing in the breadth of its offerings, the devotion of its audience, and the vibrancy of its innovation. This year, nothing landed quite like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kes2P4IC2bQ&t=3s&ab_channel=NPRMusic\">appearance by Juvenile\u003c/a>, which is irresistible even to people who don’t necessarily think they’re “Back That Azz Up” people. Trombone Shorty was there! Jon Batiste flew in from London! What a wondrous thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13938881']31. Jimmy Tatro appeared in the comedy \u003ca href=\"https://www.hulu.com/watch/2e9ba993-a6a8-46e6-b2ac-6705badd7503\">\u003cem>Theater Camp\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, playing a character not dissimilar to the doofus jock he played in \u003cem>American Vandal\u003c/em>. Not to pigeonhole Tatro, but some actors have an eerily perfect touch with a particular kind of role, and Tatro is perhaps our foremost lovably lunkheaded bro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>32. Sam Sanders juggled two podcasts for much of the year: \u003ca href=\"https://www.vulture.com/into-it/\">\u003cem>Into It \u003c/em>\u003c/a>at Vulture and \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcherstudios.com/shows/vibe-check\">\u003cem>Vibe Check\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>which he does with his friends Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford. Disappointingly, \u003cem>Into It \u003c/em>was a victim of cutbacks, but \u003cem>Vibe Check \u003c/em>continues, and it provided \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-has-been-lifing-lately/id1637476174?i=1000620850273\">one of the most moving episodes of the year\u003c/a> in a discussion of grief following the death of Sam’s mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>33. There is a long history of shows making baffling choices when forced to replace a beloved host. When Padma Lakshmi decided to step away from \u003cem>Top Chef\u003c/em>, a lot of us thought, “They should pick somebody like [\u003cem>Top Chef \u003c/em>champion] Kristen Kish, but they won’t.” And then they did! Welcome the Kish era!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939909\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939909\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man and a white man sit side-by-side in a jury box.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-768x431.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-1536x862.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ishmel Sahid, left, and James Marsden play alternate jurors in the series ‘Jury Duty.’ \u003ccite>(Amazon Freevee)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>34. \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Jury-Duty-Season-1/dp/B0B8JM2BBS\">\u003cem>Jury Duty\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is the Amazon Freevee series in which a man named Ronald is called for jury duty, and he doesn’t know that everyone else from the judge to the other jurors to the lawyers and parties, is an actor. At the end, all is revealed to him — that he’s been sitting on a fake jury of a fake trial — and it could have been so, so painful to watch. But Ronald has a good sense of humor, and he chooses not to feel let down, even by his new pal, James Marsden (who plays himself in the fake scenario). They lucked out with Ronald, for sure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>35. There were some impressive videos of striking actors advocating for themselves and their colleagues as their strike (and the WGA strike) wore on. One of the best \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/LisaCullen/status/1656337549495762951?s=20\">came from Mandy Patinkin\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/LisaCullen/status/1656337549495762951?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>36. John Mulaney’s Netflix special\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928322/baby-j-john-mulaney-stand-up-review-netflix\">\u003cem> Baby J\u003c/em>\u003c/a> was deeply uncomfortable to watch, as he recounted his experiences with addiction, intervention and rehab. But the story of having an intervention with a room full of comedians sparkled. “Do you know what it’s like to have 12 people save your life?” he asks in a discussion of his indebtedness. “It’s too many people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>37. Last year in this space, I saluted Karina Longworth’s excellent podcast series \u003cem>You Must Remember This\u003c/em>, and its miniseries \u003cem>Erotic ’80s\u003c/em>. What happened this year? \u003cem>Erotic ’90s\u003c/em>, of course, and it was perhaps even better. Try the \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-must-remember-this/id858124601?i=1000607274568\">Julia Roberts episode\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939911\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939911\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/rev-1-tcp-05246_high_res_jpeg_wide-5c0544d47d9f6bbc91455c849ba94e8d7f075681-scaled-e1703839832634.jpe\" alt=\"One Black woman leans on the shoulder of another, outdoors in the sun.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino in ‘The Color Purple.’ \u003ccite>(Eli Adé/ Warner Bros. Pictures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>38. Danielle Brooks gives only one of several excellent performances in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939793/the-color-purple-successfully-squeezes-popular-entertainment-out-of-art\">\u003cem>The Color Purple\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. (What a joy to see Fantasia Barrino thriving, having watched her on \u003cem>American Idol \u003c/em>so many years ago.) But Brooks’ work is emotional and haunting and also tremendously funny — she plays Sofia, played in the Spielberg movie by Oprah Winfrey — and she never misses a step.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13939793']39. I don’t spend as much time dunking on terrible things as I used to, but there’s a particular pleasure to be found in an evisceration of something you very much disliked. Thus, please enjoy \u003ca href=\"https://buttnews.substack.com/p/fat-suit-fart-attack-the-whale\">Lindy West’s piece\u003c/a> on \u003cem>The Whale\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>40. In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936363/anatomy-of-a-fall-movie-review-sandra-huller-palme-dor-france\">\u003cem>Anatomy of a Fall\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Sandra Hüller plays a woman who might — or might not — have done something terrible. In effect, to sustain the uncertainty, she has to play two women simultaneously: one who is covering up guilt, and one who is being unfairly accused. It’s a remarkable trick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>41. It has sometimes been hard to remember, as Twitter becomes unusable for me, that it could be a genuine source of friendly small talk. As a salute to that particular piece of its history, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/lindaholmes/status/1633277824906797058\">enjoy this thread\u003c/a> in which a thousand people answered the call for pictures of their pets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939912\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939912\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/american-fiction-f_03320_r_rgb_custom-9c4efdd6045ee9b2208c20de69d920421838c08b-scaled-e1703840068351.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman and man walk down a grassy path, surrounded on both sides by tall shrubs and plants. They are smiling.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1279\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction.’ \u003ccite>(Claire Folger/ Orion Releasing LLC)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>42. Jeffrey Wright’s performance in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938160/american-fiction-based-on-erasure-jeffrey-wright-cord-jefferson-ross\">\u003cem>American Fiction\u003c/em>\u003c/a> as an intellectual convinced that he’s at the mercy of a foolish literary establishment (which is … probably right) is part of the movie’s appeal. But maybe even better is the part of the performance that focuses on the character’s complex, fractured relationships with his family. Wright is one of our very best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13932204']43. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931577/in-oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-builds-a-thrilling-serious-blockbuster-for-adults\">\u003cem>Oppenheimer\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is a category of movie we’ve seen before, in that it’s an examination of a very famous man with a complicated legacy. But director Christopher Nolan is a master of capturing the unthinkably enormous, so it’s unsurprising that his approach to presenting the detonation of a nuclear bomb is inventive and meticulously done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>44. The crime thriller \u003cem>Sharper \u003c/em>sort of came and went (\u003ca href=\"https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/sharper/umc.cmc.5ud0ivpwgqw2st0u4z73gwpar\">you can find it on Apple TV+\u003c/a>); it stars Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan and Justice Smith as three of the people tied up in a complicated (really complicated) plot that involves con artists, guns, money and a lot of beautiful people. There’s a kind of pleasure in twisty thrillers that you can’t quite get anywhere else, and the closing chapter of this one delivered it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939913\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939913\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/the_diplomat_s1_e4_-native-_00_38_18_16r_wide-4e9514c2c795b64e9326a8f746d70853f47cd2b6-scaled-e1703840309929.jpg\" alt=\"An attractive middle-aged woman holds a telephone to her ear. She looks concerned.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keri Russell in ‘The Diplomat.’ \u003ccite>(Netflix)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>45. After \u003cem>The Americans \u003c/em>and \u003cem>Felicity \u003c/em>(and, sure, \u003cem>Cocaine Bear\u003c/em>), nobody needs to prove the versatility of Keri Russell. But playing a new ambassador named Kate in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/04/19/1170685432/the-diplomat-review-keri-russell\">\u003cem>The Diplomat\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the way she moves from one room to another, the way she picks up and puts down various objects, even the way she squirms as someone puts makeup on her, all contribute to a vision of Kate as a superbly competent and capable person, which makes her spy-thriller adventures much easier to care about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13939092']46. The level of difficulty in Emma Stone’s performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938158/poor-things-movie-review-emma-stone-bella-baxter-mark-ruffalo-willem-dafoe\">\u003cem>Poor Things\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is extraordinary: she’s playing a woman who is, sort of, a child. But she rapidly grows emotionally and intellectually older, more and more independent and lustful. Stone makes it all seem like one performance, one character.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>47. I very much liked \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.bff6d26e-9aa3-47b3-9bbb-92acb9942cdb?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb\">\u003cem>Deadloch\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, an Australian comedy-crime series that is both a small-time crime series in the tradition of \u003cem>Broadchurch \u003c/em>and a send-up of those very shows. I didn’t know the actors, I didn’t know much about the show until I watched it, and I was delighted to discover it. Most of those things are also true of runner-up Australian comedy \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/12/04/1197958569/colin-from-accounts-deserves-a-raise\">\u003cem>Colin From Accounts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which is also worth a watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>48. I was slow to get attached to \u003cem>Only Murders in the Building\u003c/em>, which focused this season on the production of a musical. But Steve Martin’s delivery of the patter song \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piv19tK4lH4&t=2s&ab_channel=Hulu\">“Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did it?”\u003c/a> was the best reason of all to get on board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piv19tK4lH4&t=2s&ab_channel=Hulu\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>49. Hopefully, I can be forgiven for sneaking some older stuff in here by talking about a project that was great for me this year: The Criterion Collection continues to be a wonderful source for classic movies, and I used its collection of some of the films from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.criterionchannel.com/sight-sound-s-greatest-films-of-all-time\">Sight & Sound poll\u003c/a> as a way into movies including \u003cem>The Passion of Joan of Arc\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Black Orpheus\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Cleo from 5 to 7\u003c/em>, and the film that topped the list: \u003cem>Jean Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>50. This was the year I got (deeply) into \u003cem>The Flop House\u003c/em>, a podcast that’s been around since late 2007 (what? I was busy) and passed its 400th episode. Each week, hosts Dan McCoy, Stuart Wellington and Elliott Kalan talk about a movie that’s either a commercial or critical disappointment. There are guest hosts sometimes, there is a longstanding fixation on the more disposable work of Nicolas Cage (whom they rightly revere as an actor), and you can start right at the beginning of January with \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flop-house/id263585537?i=1000594413409\">their consideration of \u003cem>Black Adam\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. From the not-so-wonderful, the wonderful can sometimes emerge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=The+year+in+review%3A+50+wonderful+things+from+2023&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": true,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 3911,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 54
},
"modified": 1705002940,
"excerpt": "Pop culture critic Linda Holmes lists the big, small, inspirational and silly things that brought her joy in 2023.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "NPR's Year in Review: 50 Wonderful Things From 2023",
"socialTitle": "Best of 2023 Pop Culture: TV, Podcasts and Movies to Revisit%%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"ogTitle": "NPR's Year in Review: 50 Wonderful Things From 2023",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Pop culture critic Linda Holmes lists the big, small, inspirational and silly things that brought her joy in 2023.",
"title": "Best of 2023 Pop Culture: TV, Podcasts and Movies to Revisit | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "NPR's Year in Review: 50 Wonderful Things From 2023",
"datePublished": "2023-12-29T01:16:31-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-11T11:55:40-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "best-of-2023-pop-culture-npr-year-in-review-50-wonderful-things",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1221521153&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"templateType": "standard",
"nprStoryDate": "Wed, 27 Dec 2023 05:00:16 -0500",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Wed, 27 Dec 2023 14:21:43 -0500",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2023/12/27/1221521153/2023-50-wonderful-things?ft=nprml&f=1221521153",
"nprAudio": "https://play.podtrac.com/npr-191676894/ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2023/12/20231227_me_the_year_in_review_50_wonderful_things_from_2023.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1048&aggIds=1221652903,93568166&d=409&p=3&story=1221521153&ft=nprml&f=1221521153",
"nprImageAgency": "Universal Pictures; Apple TV+; Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures; Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images; Tor Books; Apple TV+",
"nprAudioM3u": "http://api.npr.org/m3u/11221762166-1cbe35.m3u?orgId=1&topicId=1048&aggIds=1221652903,93568166&d=409&p=3&story=1221521153&ft=nprml&f=1221521153",
"nprStoryId": "1221521153",
"nprByline": "Linda Holmes",
"sticky": false,
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Wed, 27 Dec 2023 14:21:00 -0500",
"path": "/arts/13939895/best-of-2023-pop-culture-npr-year-in-review-50-wonderful-things",
"audioUrl": "https://play.podtrac.com/npr-191676894/ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2023/12/20231227_me_the_year_in_review_50_wonderful_things_from_2023.mp3?orgId=1&topicId=1048&aggIds=1221652903,93568166&d=409&p=3&story=1221521153&ft=nprml&f=1221521153",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>I’ve been making annual lists of \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1221652903&live=1\">50 Wonderful Pop Culture Things\u003c/a> since 2010. They include things you’ve probably heard of and things you might not have, things that are meaningful and things that are hilarious, things that matter and things that don’t at all. In this year in which TV and film were both interrupted for months as a result of labor disputes, there was plenty to admire even as production ground to a halt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13939862",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The usual caveats apply: These are not objectively the best things; they are just wonderful things. There were far more than 50 wonderful things to admire this year, and there is far (far) more that I never saw or read or heard at all. But it never hurts to look back on the year and realize that in fact, delight was upon you over and over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>1. The best podcast I started listening to this year was\u003ca href=\"https://www.ifbookspod.com/\"> \u003cem>If Books Could Kill\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>hosted by Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri. The premise is that they dive into “airport books” from self-help to political posturing to investigate their claims. It’s very funny and deeply researched, and in a world where it’s easy to feel like you’re losing your grip, it’s a good reminder: your grip is fine. You’re just being handed a lot of slippery things. Start with their January episode \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-books-could-kill/id1651876897?i=1000596707945\">about John Gray’s \u003cem>Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. You never forget an episode that makes you cackle in your car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>2. It’s hard to pick a single moment from the scorching fourth and final season of \u003cem>Succession. \u003c/em>But the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH55hmX0-Uo&ab_channel=HBO\">balcony fight between Shiv and Tom\u003c/a> that went on and on and got worse and worse, more and more painful, encapsulated exactly what has worked so well about the show. It was a years-long story reaching its inevitable nuclear meltdown, and Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen played it brilliantly. “I think you are incapable of love.” Yikes.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/KH55hmX0-Uo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/KH55hmX0-Uo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>3. Rarely has a show come back from a truly great first season and made a truly great second season. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930853/the-bear-deftly-turns-the-corner-into-season-2\">\u003cem>The Bear\u003c/em>\u003c/a> managed to do it with the help of an exquisite cast, both regulars and guest stars. There are enough powerful performances on that show to make five more just like it. When pastry chef Marcus went off to Copenhagen and studied with Luca, played by Will Poulter, the fact that the focus was far away from Carmy did nothing to detract from the episode’s power and its thematic connections to the season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>4. The changes to Amy’s (Ali Wong) hair over the course of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13927211/ali-wong-steven-yeun-serve-up-epic-feud-in-netflixs-beef\">Beef\u003c/a> —\u003c/em> long and straight, blond and bobbed and parted on the side, dark and bobbed with bangs — are really effective at underscoring her struggle with who she is and wants to be. Hair department head Nicole Venables was clearly working at the top of her game.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939915\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1866px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939915\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM.png\" alt=\"The same attractive Asian woman is seen with her hair worn in a black bob with bangs, a white bob and long and flowing.\" width=\"1866\" height=\"1060\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM.png 1866w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-800x454.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-1020x579.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-160x91.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-768x436.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-29-at-8.10.47-AM-1536x873.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1866px) 100vw, 1866px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A look back at Amy’s hairstyles in ‘Beef.’ \u003ccite>(Andrew Cooper/ Netflix )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>5. Michael Schulman’s book \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/02/22/1158513159/oscar-wars-michael-schulman-academy-awards-controversies\">\u003cem>Oscar Wars\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is a great education in Hollywood history, but it’s also dishy as all get out. My highlight? A story about Joan Fontaine (supposedly!) telling people that she was considered for the role of Melanie in \u003cem>Gone With the Wind\u003c/em>, but was told she wasn’t plain enough, so she recommended her sister (and frenemy at best), Olivia de Havilland. That is so ice-cold, you could wrap it up and use it on your swollen ankle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>6. Greta Lee should be and likely will be in every awards conversation for her stellar work in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930006/past-lives-is-a-gorgeous-meditation-on-love-chance-and-the-choices-we-make\">\u003cem>Past Lives\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. But even on Apple’s inconsistent \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/09/13/1198991146/the-morning-show-season-3-review\">\u003cem>The Morning Show\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> she’s always a standout as Stella, a young entertainment executive who faced some terrible choices in the show’s third season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>7. Had I been involved in the making of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931753/allan-doll-michael-cera-greta-gerwig-barbie-movie-review\">\u003cem>Barbie\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, I would have cared about nothing so much as exactly what song all the Kens should play when they, soaking in a bath of toxic masculinity, attempt to impress and win over the Barbies. Whatever I settled on would have been nowhere near as perfect as “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJLgKXp375I&ab_channel=AtlanticRecords\">Push\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/x8Y57NWv5m0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/x8Y57NWv5m0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>8. The bright romantic comedy \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1166717149/rye-lane-review\">\u003cem>Rye Lane\u003c/em>\u003c/a> has a lot to recommend it. But perhaps nothing stuck with me as much as its stunning colors — deep golds and yellows, bright pinks and reds, rich greens and blues. From director Raine Allen-Miller, it would be a stunner even with the sound off.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>9. Whatever your feelings about the franchise, there is nothing to fault in the sequence in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/1185129902/mission-impossible-is-back-but-will-you-accept-it-or-will-it-self-destruct\">\u003cem>Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in which Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell are struggling to survive in a train that’s dangling off a cliff. A gas line, vats of oil, and a ratz-a-fratzin \u003cem>grand piano \u003c/em>all play into the gloriously silly, tooth-grindingly tense scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939901\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/shrinking_photo_010402_wide-42f66da259a6934d5edc408a57896cea18f00257-scaled-e1703838143772.jpg\" alt=\"A man in his seventies sits in a leather chair, his glasses propped on his forehead, looking concerned.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harrison Ford in ‘Shrinking.’ \u003ccite>(Apple TV+)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>10. Harrison Ford hasn’t made a lot of straight-up comedy in this stage of his career, so what a joy to see him in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/01/31/1152527309/shrinking-review-harrison-ford-jason-segel\">\u003cem>Shrinking\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, alongside Jason Segel and Jessica Williams. All three play therapists who work together, and Ford deploys his brutal deadpan to make completely ordinary dialogue feel like punchline after punchline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>11. About five minutes into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938143/may-december-movie-review-netflix-mary-kay-letourneau-julianne-moore\">\u003cem>May December\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Julianne Moore, seen in profile, opens the refrigerator in her sunny kitchen. The foreboding piano of the score (by Marcelo Zarvos, adapting a 1971 score by Michel Legrand for the film \u003cem>The Go-Between\u003c/em>) suddenly sounds loudly, and she stares into the refrigerator, as if she’s seeing the Ark of the Covenant. The camera pushes in. And then she says, “I don’t think we have enough hot dogs.” Is this a comedy? A drama? A horror movie? In that early moment, it is, as it will remain, hard to say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1424px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180.jpg\" alt=\"A crazed bear, howls in the woods, its tongue sticking out.\" width=\"1424\" height=\"801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180.jpg 1424w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/2549_fp_00298-1920x802-e909bc9_wide-342797280c20ccc911b09410342a0d34778da180-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1424px) 100vw, 1424px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The title ‘Cocaine Bear’ says it all, and the film delivers on that promise in 95 minutes. \u003ccite>(Universal Pictures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>12. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925388/cocaine-bear-is-here-to-strike-a-blow-to-staid-hollywood\">\u003cem>Cocaine Bear\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. The fact that they made it, the fact that they gave it that title, the fact that it’s so gory and gleeful and comfortable being what it is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>13. There is a scene near the end of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938358/saltburn-review-emerald-fennell-shocking-scenes-jacob-elordi\">\u003cem>Saltburn\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in which an elaborate lunch table full of wealthy people trying desperately to act normal under bizarre circumstances is plunged into haunting red light by the closing of the curtains. Emerald Fennell, who wrote and directed, simply doesn’t do anything halfway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939897\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939897\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/gro-09769_r-1-_wide-e73d26bb40e8b60f639bffe967b22f0abb2b2ba5-scaled-e1703838474386.jpg\" alt=\"Three women stand and gaze upwards. They are wearing superhero uniforms.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(L-R): Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in ‘The Marvels.’ \u003ccite>(Laura Radford/ Marvel Studios)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>14. Iman Vellani’s performance as Kamala Khan in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/10/1197956743/the-marvels-is-a-light-comedy-about-light-powers\">\u003cem>The Marvels\u003c/em>\u003c/a> bubbles with energy, and a scene where she and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) keep switching places, disappearing and reappearing in her parents’ house, is a kinetic, rambunctious delight. If you were put off by the talk about \u003cem>The Marvels \u003c/em>falling flat at the box office, don’t let that keep you from checking it out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>15. My favorite food host of the year is a three-way tie. Sohla El-Waylly and her husband Ham have been doing the series \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVLIdFk-8no&list=PLYG6O_GQCZwikXIXw5p0vFQBif-RxUpHy&ab_channel=NYTCooking\">“Mystery Menu”\u003c/a> for the NYT cooking channel for a while now, but if you haven’t seen it — their experimentation with durian, for instance — check it out immediately. \u003cem>Also\u003c/em>: an equally good way to approach the NYT cooking channel is to watch absolutely anything \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyv6lO1SBS0&list=PLYG6O_GQCZwgKmY38LuycalANW67g_yYV&ab_channel=NYTCooking\">featuring Eric Kim\u003c/a>, who is enchanting. \u003cem>Also also\u003c/em>: Anything on the Epicurious channel with chef Saul Montiel will brighten your day. \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjyyDCPXy7k&list=PLz3-p2q6vFYWi_e0AWEkj2h22l0u1bqER&index=29&ab_channel=Epicurious\">Here he is making calzones.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1798px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2.jpg\" alt=\"A tall young man and a shorter, older man with a mustache stand side by side in a snowy field. \" width=\"1798\" height=\"1078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2.jpg 1798w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-800x480.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-1020x612.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-768x460.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/holdovers_fp_00406_r_custom-6ade333ddba964cced852124fceb3e7c742a81a2-1536x921.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1798px) 100vw, 1798px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dominic Sessa, left, and Paul Giamatti in ‘The Holdovers.’ \u003ccite>(Focus Features)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>16. All of the performances in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937046/alexander-payne-keeps-real-emotion-at-bay-in-the-coyly-comic-holdovers\">\u003cem>The Holdovers\u003c/em>\u003c/a> are top-notch, but it was especially promising to discover Dominic Sessa, a young actor on the screen for the first time. Playing Angus Tully, a high school kid who’s both smart and foolish (as so many are), he offers exquisite touches of both swagger and insecurity, enough to keep up with towering performances from Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. All three leads deserve many award nominations; he may be the one who loses out. But bet on him in the future. He’ll be back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>17. The tense final moments of the suspense thriller \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935443/fair-play-review-netflix-gender-phoebe-dynevor#:~:text=Fair%20Play%20is%20visually%20moody,gray%20of%20their%20austere%20office.\">\u003cem>Fair Play\u003c/em>\u003c/a> had me unsure what I even \u003cem>wanted\u003c/em> to happen, and what actually happened was better than what I would have come up with anyway. That is exactly the ending you want from a psychologically complex story like this one, about a couple torn asunder by a promotion at work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/platonic_photo_010403_wide-a74509800a306a1af17583f3735bdaa794cf2065-scaled-e1703838852943.jpg\" alt=\"A 30-something man sits confidently at an office desk, smiling at someone somewhat awkwardly.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1079\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Luke Macfarlane in ‘Platonic.’ \u003ccite>(Apple TV+)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>18. Luke MacFarlane is a veteran of holiday love stories (it’s probably adequate to note he was in films called both \u003cem>Sense & Sensibility & Snowmen \u003c/em>and \u003cem>A Shoe Addict’s Christmas\u003c/em>), and he made a splash with Billy Eichner in \u003cem>Bros\u003c/em> in 2022. This year, he was very funny in \u003ca href=\"https://tv.apple.com/us/show/platonic/umc.cmc.y7bc18x7co813l8i2tlsyb4l\">\u003cem>Platonic\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, playing the loving husband of a woman (Rose Byrne) whose friendship with an old pal (Seth Rogen) takes off anew. The part could be a real nothing; he makes it sing. (\u003cem>Platonic \u003c/em>runner-up: the scene, featuring Guy Branum, in which he throws electric scooters like a track star throws a discus is a sport. As it should be.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>19. There was nothing like the go-for-broke madness of Peacock’s\u003ca href=\"#1170610821\"> \u003cem>Mrs. Davis\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>an action-adventure comedic thriller about a nun who’s trying to resist the intrusions of an all-knowing AI who is suddenly in everyone’s ear. (Said AI is called Mrs. Davis, you see.) Betty Gilpin played Simone, the nun, with such control and flexibility that the wild plot developments around her didn’t distract from the character work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 776px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/nup_197587_00171_wide-5aaca6d0f9b84408cb67b0d3276fcda1a9256137.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with long shaggy blond hair stares worried into a phone screen. \" width=\"776\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/nup_197587_00171_wide-5aaca6d0f9b84408cb67b0d3276fcda1a9256137.jpg 776w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/nup_197587_00171_wide-5aaca6d0f9b84408cb67b0d3276fcda1a9256137-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/nup_197587_00171_wide-5aaca6d0f9b84408cb67b0d3276fcda1a9256137-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 776px) 100vw, 776px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Natasha Lyonne in ‘Poker Face.’ \u003ccite>(Phillip Caruso/ Peacock)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>20. Rian Johnson created the episodic mystery show \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924192/no-lie-natasha-lyonne-is-unforgettable-in-poker-face\">\u003cem>Poker Face\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, in which Natasha Lyonne played Charlie, a woman on the run who encounters a new mystery in every new town. Yes, the writing sparkled, and yes, the roster of guest stars — Judith Light! Lil Rel Howery! Hong Chau! Adrien Brody! — was top-tier. But at the center was Lyonne. From the minute she emerges from a trailer into the hot Nevada sun, sinks into a lawn chair, and grabs herself a beer and a smoke, the character already feels like an icon, and the show like a classic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>21. \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/01/15/1149054904/the-traitors-review-alan-cumming\">\u003cem>The Traitors\u003c/em> \u003c/a>is a fun reality competition show. But what set it apart was host Alan Cumming, whose pronunciation of “murrrrrder” and succession of impossibly debonair suits made him host of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>22. I had a spectacular time — spectacular! — watching the Philadelphia Phillies this fall. How do you not love Bryce Harper \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/video/harper-sprints-first-to-home\">running through a sign\u003c/a> from the third-base coach, scoring, and popping up on his toe?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939907\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939907\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/71nzsmfyhwl._sl1500__custom-1bdc6680756a679edab8654b3a8629a5f434f87d.jpg\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a cat in a suit.\" width=\"200\" height=\"308\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/71nzsmfyhwl._sl1500__custom-1bdc6680756a679edab8654b3a8629a5f434f87d.jpg 200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/71nzsmfyhwl._sl1500__custom-1bdc6680756a679edab8654b3a8629a5f434f87d-160x246.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Starter Villain.’ \u003ccite>(Tor Books)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>23. I dare you not to giggle at least once as the weird world of John Scalzi’s novel, \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#year=2023&book=232\">\u003cem>Starter Villain\u003c/em>\u003c/a> unwinds in front of you. Is there a labor dispute? Yes. Does it involve dolphins? Yes. Is there a volcano, and are there supervillains? Yes and yes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>24. Sometimes it’s fun to just have something scare your socks off, and that’s what happened with \u003ca href=\"https://www.hulu.com/movie/9e96f51e-6806-4306-9773-e96b68d25305\">\u003cem>No One Will Save You\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, an eerie, almost dialogue-free “locked in the house and something terrible is happening” story starring Kaitlyn Dever. She hears a noise. She hides under the bed. She sees a pair of very upsetting feet go by. From there, she’s on her own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>25. Podcasts diving extra-deep into a particular film or show are of wildly differing quality. But\u003ca href=\"https://50mphpodcast.com/\"> \u003cem>50MPH\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> a planned 50-part (!!) series about the making of \u003cem>Speed\u003c/em>, has offered choice moments for the movie’s fans. Try \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/50-mph/id1691020723?i=1000625961446\">episode 12\u003c/a>, about the script development, which includes a detour into the involvement of one Joss Whedon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>26. Emma Cline’s novel \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/05/25/1178300477/in-the-guest-a-sex-worker-wreaks-havoc-on-the-glitzy-social-scene-at-the-hampton\">\u003cem>The Guest\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is about a woman whose boyfriend kicks her out and leaves her adrift in the Hamptons to survive with nothing. She imposes upon one person, then another, and Cline builds a sense of dread amid all the wealth: “No one on the shore noticed her, or looked twice. A couple walked past, heads bent, studying the sand for shells … Surely, if Alex had been in any real danger, someone would have reacted, one of these people would have stepped in to help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939908\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939908\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ap091207034728_wide-a1a2587a9eee11ca90b5d981b831f43c13702513-e1703839359528.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a grey suit and red bowtie gestures wildly, mouth agape.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Reubens, better known as Pee-wee Herman, died in July at age 70. \u003ccite>(Danny Moloshok/ AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>27. Paul Reubens, who created the character Pee-wee Herman, died on July 30, and was warmly and appropriately appreciated. What a delightful surprise, then, to see him in a cameo appearance in the affable comedy\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/11/08/1197956693/sandra-oh-and-awkwafina-are-perfect-opposites-in-quiz-lady\"> \u003cem>Quiz Lady\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>playing himself as the baffled target of a fan’s affections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13938757",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>28. I had trouble following the plot of the drama series \u003ca href=\"https://www.max.com/shows/full-circle/8996a19c-8e8b-4d8b-8f1a-fa146751d544\">\u003cem>Full Circle\u003c/em>,\u003c/a> which starred Claire Danes and Timothy Olyphant as a couple that learns their son has been kidnapped, which is only the very beginning of their problems. I did, however, greatly appreciate Vulture’s Kathryn VanArendonk \u003ca href=\"https://www.vulture.com/article/dennis-quaid-full-circle-braid-explained.html\">making a thorough investigation\u003c/a> of why on earth Dennis Quaid ended up wearing a braid. It involves a last-minute dash to a wig shop. It’s quite a tale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>29. Yes, Maureen Ryan is one of my very good friends and colleagues in the writing-about-television industry. But plenty of people agreed that as hard as it was to read, her book \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/03/1180008736/beloved-tv-show-lost-wasnt-immune-to-industrys-pervasive-toxic-culture\">\u003cem>Burn It Down\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, about abuse in Hollywood and the systems that enable it, was a tremendous example of dogged journalism that does what it sets out to do. Pleasant to read? No. Wonderful to know that this kind of work is still being done, and done so well? Yes.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/kes2P4IC2bQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/kes2P4IC2bQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>30. The Tiny Desk at NPR has been growing and growing in the breadth of its offerings, the devotion of its audience, and the vibrancy of its innovation. This year, nothing landed quite like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kes2P4IC2bQ&t=3s&ab_channel=NPRMusic\">appearance by Juvenile\u003c/a>, which is irresistible even to people who don’t necessarily think they’re “Back That Azz Up” people. Trombone Shorty was there! Jon Batiste flew in from London! What a wondrous thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13938881",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>31. Jimmy Tatro appeared in the comedy \u003ca href=\"https://www.hulu.com/watch/2e9ba993-a6a8-46e6-b2ac-6705badd7503\">\u003cem>Theater Camp\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, playing a character not dissimilar to the doofus jock he played in \u003cem>American Vandal\u003c/em>. Not to pigeonhole Tatro, but some actors have an eerily perfect touch with a particular kind of role, and Tatro is perhaps our foremost lovably lunkheaded bro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>32. Sam Sanders juggled two podcasts for much of the year: \u003ca href=\"https://www.vulture.com/into-it/\">\u003cem>Into It \u003c/em>\u003c/a>at Vulture and \u003ca href=\"https://www.stitcherstudios.com/shows/vibe-check\">\u003cem>Vibe Check\u003c/em>, \u003c/a>which he does with his friends Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford. Disappointingly, \u003cem>Into It \u003c/em>was a victim of cutbacks, but \u003cem>Vibe Check \u003c/em>continues, and it provided \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-has-been-lifing-lately/id1637476174?i=1000620850273\">one of the most moving episodes of the year\u003c/a> in a discussion of grief following the death of Sam’s mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>33. There is a long history of shows making baffling choices when forced to replace a beloved host. When Padma Lakshmi decided to step away from \u003cem>Top Chef\u003c/em>, a lot of us thought, “They should pick somebody like [\u003cem>Top Chef \u003c/em>champion] Kristen Kish, but they won’t.” And then they did! Welcome the Kish era!\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939909\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939909\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man and a white man sit side-by-side in a jury box.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-768x431.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/ishmel-sahid-l-and-james-marsden_custom-90be34d67efc99b6446f46e8d096d995dd66cf83-1536x862.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ishmel Sahid, left, and James Marsden play alternate jurors in the series ‘Jury Duty.’ \u003ccite>(Amazon Freevee)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>34. \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Jury-Duty-Season-1/dp/B0B8JM2BBS\">\u003cem>Jury Duty\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is the Amazon Freevee series in which a man named Ronald is called for jury duty, and he doesn’t know that everyone else from the judge to the other jurors to the lawyers and parties, is an actor. At the end, all is revealed to him — that he’s been sitting on a fake jury of a fake trial — and it could have been so, so painful to watch. But Ronald has a good sense of humor, and he chooses not to feel let down, even by his new pal, James Marsden (who plays himself in the fake scenario). They lucked out with Ronald, for sure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>35. There were some impressive videos of striking actors advocating for themselves and their colleagues as their strike (and the WGA strike) wore on. One of the best \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/LisaCullen/status/1656337549495762951?s=20\">came from Mandy Patinkin\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "singleTwitterStatus",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"id": "1656337549495762951"
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>36. John Mulaney’s Netflix special\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13928322/baby-j-john-mulaney-stand-up-review-netflix\">\u003cem> Baby J\u003c/em>\u003c/a> was deeply uncomfortable to watch, as he recounted his experiences with addiction, intervention and rehab. But the story of having an intervention with a room full of comedians sparkled. “Do you know what it’s like to have 12 people save your life?” he asks in a discussion of his indebtedness. “It’s too many people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>37. Last year in this space, I saluted Karina Longworth’s excellent podcast series \u003cem>You Must Remember This\u003c/em>, and its miniseries \u003cem>Erotic ’80s\u003c/em>. What happened this year? \u003cem>Erotic ’90s\u003c/em>, of course, and it was perhaps even better. Try the \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-must-remember-this/id858124601?i=1000607274568\">Julia Roberts episode\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939911\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939911\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/rev-1-tcp-05246_high_res_jpeg_wide-5c0544d47d9f6bbc91455c849ba94e8d7f075681-scaled-e1703839832634.jpe\" alt=\"One Black woman leans on the shoulder of another, outdoors in the sun.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino in ‘The Color Purple.’ \u003ccite>(Eli Adé/ Warner Bros. Pictures)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>38. Danielle Brooks gives only one of several excellent performances in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939793/the-color-purple-successfully-squeezes-popular-entertainment-out-of-art\">\u003cem>The Color Purple\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. (What a joy to see Fantasia Barrino thriving, having watched her on \u003cem>American Idol \u003c/em>so many years ago.) But Brooks’ work is emotional and haunting and also tremendously funny — she plays Sofia, played in the Spielberg movie by Oprah Winfrey — and she never misses a step.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13939793",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>39. I don’t spend as much time dunking on terrible things as I used to, but there’s a particular pleasure to be found in an evisceration of something you very much disliked. Thus, please enjoy \u003ca href=\"https://buttnews.substack.com/p/fat-suit-fart-attack-the-whale\">Lindy West’s piece\u003c/a> on \u003cem>The Whale\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>40. In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936363/anatomy-of-a-fall-movie-review-sandra-huller-palme-dor-france\">\u003cem>Anatomy of a Fall\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Sandra Hüller plays a woman who might — or might not — have done something terrible. In effect, to sustain the uncertainty, she has to play two women simultaneously: one who is covering up guilt, and one who is being unfairly accused. It’s a remarkable trick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>41. It has sometimes been hard to remember, as Twitter becomes unusable for me, that it could be a genuine source of friendly small talk. As a salute to that particular piece of its history, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/lindaholmes/status/1633277824906797058\">enjoy this thread\u003c/a> in which a thousand people answered the call for pictures of their pets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939912\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939912\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/american-fiction-f_03320_r_rgb_custom-9c4efdd6045ee9b2208c20de69d920421838c08b-scaled-e1703840068351.jpg\" alt=\"A Black woman and man walk down a grassy path, surrounded on both sides by tall shrubs and plants. They are smiling.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1279\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction.’ \u003ccite>(Claire Folger/ Orion Releasing LLC)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>42. Jeffrey Wright’s performance in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938160/american-fiction-based-on-erasure-jeffrey-wright-cord-jefferson-ross\">\u003cem>American Fiction\u003c/em>\u003c/a> as an intellectual convinced that he’s at the mercy of a foolish literary establishment (which is … probably right) is part of the movie’s appeal. But maybe even better is the part of the performance that focuses on the character’s complex, fractured relationships with his family. Wright is one of our very best.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13932204",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>43. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931577/in-oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-builds-a-thrilling-serious-blockbuster-for-adults\">\u003cem>Oppenheimer\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is a category of movie we’ve seen before, in that it’s an examination of a very famous man with a complicated legacy. But director Christopher Nolan is a master of capturing the unthinkably enormous, so it’s unsurprising that his approach to presenting the detonation of a nuclear bomb is inventive and meticulously done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>44. The crime thriller \u003cem>Sharper \u003c/em>sort of came and went (\u003ca href=\"https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/sharper/umc.cmc.5ud0ivpwgqw2st0u4z73gwpar\">you can find it on Apple TV+\u003c/a>); it stars Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan and Justice Smith as three of the people tied up in a complicated (really complicated) plot that involves con artists, guns, money and a lot of beautiful people. There’s a kind of pleasure in twisty thrillers that you can’t quite get anywhere else, and the closing chapter of this one delivered it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939913\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939913\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/the_diplomat_s1_e4_-native-_00_38_18_16r_wide-4e9514c2c795b64e9326a8f746d70853f47cd2b6-scaled-e1703840309929.jpg\" alt=\"An attractive middle-aged woman holds a telephone to her ear. She looks concerned.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keri Russell in ‘The Diplomat.’ \u003ccite>(Netflix)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>45. After \u003cem>The Americans \u003c/em>and \u003cem>Felicity \u003c/em>(and, sure, \u003cem>Cocaine Bear\u003c/em>), nobody needs to prove the versatility of Keri Russell. But playing a new ambassador named Kate in \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/04/19/1170685432/the-diplomat-review-keri-russell\">\u003cem>The Diplomat\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the way she moves from one room to another, the way she picks up and puts down various objects, even the way she squirms as someone puts makeup on her, all contribute to a vision of Kate as a superbly competent and capable person, which makes her spy-thriller adventures much easier to care about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13939092",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>46. The level of difficulty in Emma Stone’s performance in Yorgos Lanthimos’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938158/poor-things-movie-review-emma-stone-bella-baxter-mark-ruffalo-willem-dafoe\">\u003cem>Poor Things\u003c/em>\u003c/a> is extraordinary: she’s playing a woman who is, sort of, a child. But she rapidly grows emotionally and intellectually older, more and more independent and lustful. Stone makes it all seem like one performance, one character.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>47. I very much liked \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.bff6d26e-9aa3-47b3-9bbb-92acb9942cdb?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb\">\u003cem>Deadloch\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, an Australian comedy-crime series that is both a small-time crime series in the tradition of \u003cem>Broadchurch \u003c/em>and a send-up of those very shows. I didn’t know the actors, I didn’t know much about the show until I watched it, and I was delighted to discover it. Most of those things are also true of runner-up Australian comedy \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/12/04/1197958569/colin-from-accounts-deserves-a-raise\">\u003cem>Colin From Accounts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which is also worth a watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>48. I was slow to get attached to \u003cem>Only Murders in the Building\u003c/em>, which focused this season on the production of a musical. But Steve Martin’s delivery of the patter song \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piv19tK4lH4&t=2s&ab_channel=Hulu\">“Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did it?”\u003c/a> was the best reason of all to get on board.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/Piv19tK4lH4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Piv19tK4lH4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>49. Hopefully, I can be forgiven for sneaking some older stuff in here by talking about a project that was great for me this year: The Criterion Collection continues to be a wonderful source for classic movies, and I used its collection of some of the films from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.criterionchannel.com/sight-sound-s-greatest-films-of-all-time\">Sight & Sound poll\u003c/a> as a way into movies including \u003cem>The Passion of Joan of Arc\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Black Orpheus\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Cleo from 5 to 7\u003c/em>, and the film that topped the list: \u003cem>Jean Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>50. This was the year I got (deeply) into \u003cem>The Flop House\u003c/em>, a podcast that’s been around since late 2007 (what? I was busy) and passed its 400th episode. Each week, hosts Dan McCoy, Stuart Wellington and Elliott Kalan talk about a movie that’s either a commercial or critical disappointment. There are guest hosts sometimes, there is a longstanding fixation on the more disposable work of Nicolas Cage (whom they rightly revere as an actor), and you can start right at the beginning of January with \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flop-house/id263585537?i=1000594413409\">their consideration of \u003cem>Black Adam\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. From the not-so-wonderful, the wonderful can sometimes emerge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=The+year+in+review%3A+50+wonderful+things+from+2023&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13939895/best-of-2023-pop-culture-npr-year-in-review-50-wonderful-things",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13939895"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_74",
"arts_69",
"arts_75",
"arts_990"
],
"tags": [
"arts_3837",
"arts_585"
],
"affiliates": [
"arts_137"
],
"featImg": "arts_13939896",
"label": "arts_140"
},
"arts_13939590": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13939590",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939590",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1702914213000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1702914213,
"format": "standard",
"title": "A Buffet of 2023 Cookbooks for the Food Lovers on Your List",
"headTitle": "A Buffet of 2023 Cookbooks for the Food Lovers on Your List | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>There are a \u003cem>lot \u003c/em>of cooks at NPR. Every year when we ask our staff for recommendations for Books We Love — \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">NPR’s annual, year-end books guide\u003c/a> — we get back a veritable smorgasbord of cookbook offerings. Scroll down to find out what our staffers were up to in the kitchen this year, and to explore selections from food writer, author and NPR contributor \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/10593559/t-susan-chang\">T. Susan Chang. \u003c/a>This is just a sampling of our food recommendations in 2023 — to see the full list, head over to \u003ca href=\"http://stage-apps.npr.org/orderly-slander/#tags=cookbooks+%26+food&view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cstrong>Books We Love.\u003c/strong> \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling\u003c/em> by Bricia Lopez with Javier Cabral\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939604 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.26.52-PM-e1702790889803.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"190\">Restaurateur Bricia Lopez says her cookbook \u003cem>Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling\u003c/em> is a love letter to Los Angeles. It’s an expression of both her Oaxacan and American identity. An asada is a smoky barbecue filled with family, friends, music and drinks. And backyard asada culture reigns supreme in the streets of LA. Lopez’s cookbook covers everything you need to know to throw an asada, from making marinades to refreshing agua frescas. — \u003cem>Milton Guevara, associate producer, ‘Morning Edition’ and ‘Up First’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>The Cookie That Changed My Life\u003c/em> by Nancy Silverton with Carolynn Carreño\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939605 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.28.45-PM-e1702790959367.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"283\">If you’re like me, every cookie is the “cookie that changed my life.” But in the case of veteran baker Nancy Silverton, it was a giant peanut butter cookie from an LA bakery. “Perfection!” Silverton thought — before setting out to make it even more perfect. Every recipe in this book similarly gilds the lily: Walnut oil and ground walnuts intensify the dough for Walnut Sandies. Black cocoa powder, cacao nibs, bittersweet chocolate and flaky salt marry in the Ultimate Chocolate Cookie — which takes hours. But you will want to change your life to make time for it. — \u003cem>T. Susan Chang, food writer\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque\u003c/em> by Ed Mitchell and Ryan Mitchell with Zella Palmer\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939606 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.30.51-PM-e1702791086869.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"314\">This book is a tribute to the “unspoken cuisine of America” and to the authors’ enslaved ancestors, the first pitmasters of eastern North Carolina. The recipes are delectable. The star is whole hog BBQ, pit-roasted over hot embers with a vinegar-based sauce, and traditional sides, like Tobacco Barn Brunswick Stew, Church Ladies’ Candied Yams, and Ed’s Shindig Slaw. But we also get some fresh takes, like Smoked Collard Green Dip, Bougie Barbequed Whole Turkey, and Smoked Tofu Burnt Ends. This is one of those special regional cookbooks that reads as a rich cultural and historical memoir told through the lens of foodways. — \u003cem>Debbie Elliott, correspondent, National Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>The Global Pantry Cookbook\u003c/em> by Scott Mowbray and Ann Taylor Pittman\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939608 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.32.02-PM-e1702791167289.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"311\">I collect cookbooks. I especially love ones with stories about how recipes reflect local culture and history. This new collection goes around the world to “taste the umami of human history.” The authors are test kitchen superstars, and the book is an encyclopedia of flavors with an introduction that explains how they were first introduced to American cooks. It includes a glossary of interesting ingredients to try, like anyuls vinegar, kecap manis and ras el hanout (try it in chicken salad!). Ann Taylor Pittman showcases her Korean and Mississippi roots in her Smokey Pimento Kim Cheese recipe. It’s fun to make — you fashion a stovetop smoker with a foil pan to smoke the pimento and add chopped kimchi for punch. Delicious! — \u003cem>Debbie Elliott, correspondent, National Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food\u003c/em> by Fuchsia Dunlop\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939609 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.33.18-PM-e1702791231842.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"395\">Fuchsia Dunlop finds it a pity that Chinese food is among the world’s favorites, yet one of the least understood. This is partly because, in her view, there are few Chinese gastronomy critics who can both cook dishes and write prose. In \u003cem>Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food\u003c/em>, Dunlop — who in the 1990s became the first foreigner to study at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine in Chengdu — tries to take on that role. It’s a personal journey filled with history of some of the best-known and occasionally exotic dishes, told in lip-smacking detail. It’s an invitation hard to resist. — \u003cem>Vincent Ni, Asia editor, International Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen\u003c/em> by Bee Wilson\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939610 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.34.22-PM-e1702791293728.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"355\">More than a cookbook, this is an empathetic guide to how to make cooking work for you — and even become a joy (or a joy again). Sure, Bee Wilson says, cooking is easy if you have all afternoon, no kids pulling on you and someone prepping your ingredients. But what if you have picky eaters, a full-time job and a kitchen with only half the ingredients the recipe calls for? This book has the answers, explaining everything from how to figure out what flavors go together, to how to build a repertoire of favorites, to how to cut yourself some slack when everything goes wrong. The book’s simple, delicious recipes are treated more like blueprints — if something in a recipe doesn’t work for you, Wilson is happy for you to try putting in something that will. — \u003cem>Jennifer Vanasco, editor and reporter, Culture Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia\u003c/em> by Lara Lee\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939611 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.35.30-PM-e1702791365367.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"325\">If your personal gastronomic paradise is centered somewhere off the South China Sea, this one’s for you. Australian food writer Lara Lee draws inspiration from foodways spanning the Eastern Hemisphere; she’ll lead you on a lemongrass-scented, tamarind-flecked, coconut-infused frolic through the aisles of your local Asian grocery. We tore our way through Sambal Shrimp with Coconut and Cashews, Tom Yum Roast Chicken, Pickled Ginger Soba Noodle Salad, Tofu and Cabbage Okonomiyaki, Lemongrass Pork Burgers and much more. By the end, way more than a splash of soy adorned my copy — and I bet it’ll be the same for yours. — T. Susan Chang, food writer\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook\u003c/em> by Sohla El-Waylly\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939612 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.36.49-PM-e1702791443432.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"328\">I really can’t think of a better kitchen mentor than Sohla El-Waylly. She’s created some of my most favorite recipes, and Start Here will teach you any technique you need — whether it’s new to you, or you’re just a bit rusty or unsure — to make your food taste incredible. My family inhaled her Baked White Beans with Dates, and I got over my fear of cooking with dried legumes, thanks to her gentle but authoritative guidance. Next up? Maybe Turmeric Potatoes with a Whole Lotta Lemon. Yum. — \u003cem>Sarah Handel, senior editor, ‘All Things Considered’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds\u003c/em> by Hetty Lui McKinnon\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939613 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.38.00-PM-e1702791508854.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"367\">Prolific cookbook author and daughter of a produce wholesaler Hetty Lui McKinnon knows her way around her greens. While many vegetable cookbooks worship at the altar of the unadorned plant, Tenderheart advocates an exuberant, over-the-top vegetarianism, enhanced with innovative homemade chili crisps, pickles, aiolis, harissas. King Oyster Mushrooms with Whipped Almonds, Roasted Broccoli and Crispy Chickpeas with Sichuan Dukkah, and Sticky Gochujang Brussels Sprouts are like nothing you ever encountered in the Moosewood generation. With mouthwatering, high-def photography and a pristine layout, this one’s eminently giftable, too. — \u003cem>T. Susan Chang, food writer\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>The World Central Kitchen Cookbook\u003c/em> by José Andrés and World Central Kitchen with Sam Chapple-Sokol\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939614 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.39.08-PM-e1702791581100.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"307\">This is much more than a cookbook: It’s a chronicle of World Central Kitchen’s profound work nourishing millions of people worldwide in the wake of natural disasters and other crises. WCK founder and chef José Andrés has organized the recipes into WCK’s core principles, like “empathy,” “adaptation,” “resilience” and the like. The inspiring text and photos highlight WCK’s work all over the globe, including in Haiti, Lebanon and Indonesia, as well as across the United States. Several of the dishes here have already become weeknight family favorites in my own home, including the tangy Chicken Chili Verde, the flavorful one-pot Turkey Bolognese and the mouthwatering Venezuelan Banana Bread. — \u003cem>Anastasia Tsioulcas, correspondent, Culture Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>This is just a sampling of the titles in the \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#tags=cookbooks+%26+food&view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Cookbooks & Food section\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong> of \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Books We Love\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>. Check out \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#tags=cookbooks+%26+food&view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>all of this year’s selections,\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong> and stick around to browse picks from the last 11 years.\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=A+buffet+of+2023+cookbooks+for+the+food+lovers+on+your+list&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1451,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 14
},
"modified": 1705002961,
"excerpt": "NPR staffers recommend a veritable smorgasbord of cookbook offerings.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "A Buffet of 2023 Cookbooks for the Food Lovers on Your List",
"socialTitle": "The Best Cookbooks of 2023, According to NPR Staffers%%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"ogTitle": "A Buffet of 2023 Cookbooks for the Food Lovers on Your List",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "NPR staffers recommend a veritable smorgasbord of cookbook offerings.",
"title": "The Best Cookbooks of 2023, According to NPR Staffers | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "A Buffet of 2023 Cookbooks for the Food Lovers on Your List",
"datePublished": "2023-12-18T07:43:33-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-11T11:56:01-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "a-buffet-of-2023-cookbooks-for-the-food-lovers-on-your-list",
"status": "publish",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1218792445&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"templateType": "standard",
"nprStoryDate": "Sat, 16 Dec 2023 05:01:12 -0500",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Sat, 16 Dec 2023 05:01:12 -0500",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2023/12/16/1218792445/cookbooks-2023?ft=nprml&f=1218792445",
"nprImageAgency": "NPR",
"source": "Food",
"nprStoryId": "1218792445",
"sourceUrl": "/food/",
"nprByline": "Beth Novey",
"sticky": false,
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Sat, 16 Dec 2023 05:01:00 -0500",
"path": "/arts/13939590/a-buffet-of-2023-cookbooks-for-the-food-lovers-on-your-list",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>There are a \u003cem>lot \u003c/em>of cooks at NPR. Every year when we ask our staff for recommendations for Books We Love — \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">NPR’s annual, year-end books guide\u003c/a> — we get back a veritable smorgasbord of cookbook offerings. Scroll down to find out what our staffers were up to in the kitchen this year, and to explore selections from food writer, author and NPR contributor \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/10593559/t-susan-chang\">T. Susan Chang. \u003c/a>This is just a sampling of our food recommendations in 2023 — to see the full list, head over to \u003ca href=\"http://stage-apps.npr.org/orderly-slander/#tags=cookbooks+%26+food&view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cstrong>Books We Love.\u003c/strong> \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling\u003c/em> by Bricia Lopez with Javier Cabral\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939604 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.26.52-PM-e1702790889803.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"190\">Restaurateur Bricia Lopez says her cookbook \u003cem>Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling\u003c/em> is a love letter to Los Angeles. It’s an expression of both her Oaxacan and American identity. An asada is a smoky barbecue filled with family, friends, music and drinks. And backyard asada culture reigns supreme in the streets of LA. Lopez’s cookbook covers everything you need to know to throw an asada, from making marinades to refreshing agua frescas. — \u003cem>Milton Guevara, associate producer, ‘Morning Edition’ and ‘Up First’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>The Cookie That Changed My Life\u003c/em> by Nancy Silverton with Carolynn Carreño\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939605 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.28.45-PM-e1702790959367.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"283\">If you’re like me, every cookie is the “cookie that changed my life.” But in the case of veteran baker Nancy Silverton, it was a giant peanut butter cookie from an LA bakery. “Perfection!” Silverton thought — before setting out to make it even more perfect. Every recipe in this book similarly gilds the lily: Walnut oil and ground walnuts intensify the dough for Walnut Sandies. Black cocoa powder, cacao nibs, bittersweet chocolate and flaky salt marry in the Ultimate Chocolate Cookie — which takes hours. But you will want to change your life to make time for it. — \u003cem>T. Susan Chang, food writer\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque\u003c/em> by Ed Mitchell and Ryan Mitchell with Zella Palmer\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939606 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.30.51-PM-e1702791086869.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"314\">This book is a tribute to the “unspoken cuisine of America” and to the authors’ enslaved ancestors, the first pitmasters of eastern North Carolina. The recipes are delectable. The star is whole hog BBQ, pit-roasted over hot embers with a vinegar-based sauce, and traditional sides, like Tobacco Barn Brunswick Stew, Church Ladies’ Candied Yams, and Ed’s Shindig Slaw. But we also get some fresh takes, like Smoked Collard Green Dip, Bougie Barbequed Whole Turkey, and Smoked Tofu Burnt Ends. This is one of those special regional cookbooks that reads as a rich cultural and historical memoir told through the lens of foodways. — \u003cem>Debbie Elliott, correspondent, National Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>The Global Pantry Cookbook\u003c/em> by Scott Mowbray and Ann Taylor Pittman\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939608 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.32.02-PM-e1702791167289.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"311\">I collect cookbooks. I especially love ones with stories about how recipes reflect local culture and history. This new collection goes around the world to “taste the umami of human history.” The authors are test kitchen superstars, and the book is an encyclopedia of flavors with an introduction that explains how they were first introduced to American cooks. It includes a glossary of interesting ingredients to try, like anyuls vinegar, kecap manis and ras el hanout (try it in chicken salad!). Ann Taylor Pittman showcases her Korean and Mississippi roots in her Smokey Pimento Kim Cheese recipe. It’s fun to make — you fashion a stovetop smoker with a foil pan to smoke the pimento and add chopped kimchi for punch. Delicious! — \u003cem>Debbie Elliott, correspondent, National Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food\u003c/em> by Fuchsia Dunlop\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939609 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.33.18-PM-e1702791231842.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"395\">Fuchsia Dunlop finds it a pity that Chinese food is among the world’s favorites, yet one of the least understood. This is partly because, in her view, there are few Chinese gastronomy critics who can both cook dishes and write prose. In \u003cem>Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food\u003c/em>, Dunlop — who in the 1990s became the first foreigner to study at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine in Chengdu — tries to take on that role. It’s a personal journey filled with history of some of the best-known and occasionally exotic dishes, told in lip-smacking detail. It’s an invitation hard to resist. — \u003cem>Vincent Ni, Asia editor, International Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen\u003c/em> by Bee Wilson\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939610 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.34.22-PM-e1702791293728.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"355\">More than a cookbook, this is an empathetic guide to how to make cooking work for you — and even become a joy (or a joy again). Sure, Bee Wilson says, cooking is easy if you have all afternoon, no kids pulling on you and someone prepping your ingredients. But what if you have picky eaters, a full-time job and a kitchen with only half the ingredients the recipe calls for? This book has the answers, explaining everything from how to figure out what flavors go together, to how to build a repertoire of favorites, to how to cut yourself some slack when everything goes wrong. The book’s simple, delicious recipes are treated more like blueprints — if something in a recipe doesn’t work for you, Wilson is happy for you to try putting in something that will. — \u003cem>Jennifer Vanasco, editor and reporter, Culture Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia\u003c/em> by Lara Lee\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939611 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.35.30-PM-e1702791365367.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"325\">If your personal gastronomic paradise is centered somewhere off the South China Sea, this one’s for you. Australian food writer Lara Lee draws inspiration from foodways spanning the Eastern Hemisphere; she’ll lead you on a lemongrass-scented, tamarind-flecked, coconut-infused frolic through the aisles of your local Asian grocery. We tore our way through Sambal Shrimp with Coconut and Cashews, Tom Yum Roast Chicken, Pickled Ginger Soba Noodle Salad, Tofu and Cabbage Okonomiyaki, Lemongrass Pork Burgers and much more. By the end, way more than a splash of soy adorned my copy — and I bet it’ll be the same for yours. — T. Susan Chang, food writer\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook\u003c/em> by Sohla El-Waylly\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939612 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.36.49-PM-e1702791443432.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"328\">I really can’t think of a better kitchen mentor than Sohla El-Waylly. She’s created some of my most favorite recipes, and Start Here will teach you any technique you need — whether it’s new to you, or you’re just a bit rusty or unsure — to make your food taste incredible. My family inhaled her Baked White Beans with Dates, and I got over my fear of cooking with dried legumes, thanks to her gentle but authoritative guidance. Next up? Maybe Turmeric Potatoes with a Whole Lotta Lemon. Yum. — \u003cem>Sarah Handel, senior editor, ‘All Things Considered’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds\u003c/em> by Hetty Lui McKinnon\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939613 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.38.00-PM-e1702791508854.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"367\">Prolific cookbook author and daughter of a produce wholesaler Hetty Lui McKinnon knows her way around her greens. While many vegetable cookbooks worship at the altar of the unadorned plant, Tenderheart advocates an exuberant, over-the-top vegetarianism, enhanced with innovative homemade chili crisps, pickles, aiolis, harissas. King Oyster Mushrooms with Whipped Almonds, Roasted Broccoli and Crispy Chickpeas with Sichuan Dukkah, and Sticky Gochujang Brussels Sprouts are like nothing you ever encountered in the Moosewood generation. With mouthwatering, high-def photography and a pristine layout, this one’s eminently giftable, too. — \u003cem>T. Susan Chang, food writer\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>The World Central Kitchen Cookbook\u003c/em> by José Andrés and World Central Kitchen with Sam Chapple-Sokol\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939614 alignleft\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-16-at-9.39.08-PM-e1702791581100.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"307\">This is much more than a cookbook: It’s a chronicle of World Central Kitchen’s profound work nourishing millions of people worldwide in the wake of natural disasters and other crises. WCK founder and chef José Andrés has organized the recipes into WCK’s core principles, like “empathy,” “adaptation,” “resilience” and the like. The inspiring text and photos highlight WCK’s work all over the globe, including in Haiti, Lebanon and Indonesia, as well as across the United States. Several of the dishes here have already become weeknight family favorites in my own home, including the tangy Chicken Chili Verde, the flavorful one-pot Turkey Bolognese and the mouthwatering Venezuelan Banana Bread. — \u003cem>Anastasia Tsioulcas, correspondent, Culture Desk\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>This is just a sampling of the titles in the \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#tags=cookbooks+%26+food&view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Cookbooks & Food section\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong> of \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Books We Love\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>. Check out \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#tags=cookbooks+%26+food&view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>all of this year’s selections,\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong> and stick around to browse picks from the last 11 years.\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=A+buffet+of+2023+cookbooks+for+the+food+lovers+on+your+list&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13939590/a-buffet-of-2023-cookbooks-for-the-food-lovers-on-your-list",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13939590"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_12276"
],
"tags": [
"arts_16106",
"arts_585"
],
"affiliates": [
"arts_137"
],
"featImg": "arts_13939601",
"label": "source_arts_13939590"
},
"arts_13939264": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13939264",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939264",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1702413084000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts",
"term": 140
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1702413084,
"format": "standard",
"title": "This Unpretentious Poetry Series Roams the Pockets of Golden Gate Park",
"headTitle": "This Unpretentious Poetry Series Roams the Pockets of Golden Gate Park | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>On a brisk afternoon in Golden Gate Park’s Monarch Bear Grove, \u003ca href=\"https://www.amyberko.com/\">Amy Berkowitz\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://lucidtraversal.blogspot.com/\">Erick Saenz\u003c/a> are taking turns reading Google reviews about this secluded spot at the western edge of the AIDS Memorial Grove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nice trees to walk through but easy to miss if you are here for the museums,” Berkowitz reads from her phone. An audience of several dozen people comfortably arranged on picnic blankets and stone blocks chuckles lightly — they aren’t here for the museums, they’re here for poetry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the eighth event in the cheerily easygoing \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lightjacketreadingseries/\">Light Jacket Reading Series\u003c/a>, an outdoor, roving poetry reading hosted by Berkowitz and Saenz since March 2023. Over the past nine months, they’ve featured 32 readers, mostly from the Bay Area, in casual and unamplified meet-ups in various nooks and crannies of the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939180\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939180\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two people sit next to each other in a wooded area, looking at the camera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hosts Erick Saenz and Amy Berkowitz near Monarch Bear Grove. \u003ccite>(Michaela Vatcheva for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saenz and Berkowitz, poets themselves, are not new to hosting. Before the pandemic hit, Saenz had just started putting together events at the since-closed San José arts space 3F, and Berkowitz was running a reading series called Amy’s Kitchen Organics out of her Upper Haight home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early this year, after Saenz moved back to San Francisco, he announced his desire to pick up where he left off. “I wanted,” he says, “to try to create some sort of lit scene that I could be a part of that felt local and felt good and felt kind of punk and DIY. And so Amy was a perfect person to collaborate with on that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The timing — and concept — appealed to Berkowitz, who craved a return to curating and reading, but like many chronically ill people, wasn’t interested in entering unventilated indoor spaces where she might be the only one in a mask. “For me, it feels really nice to be doing poetry readings outdoors,” she says. “I sometimes see people show up who feel more comfortable wearing a mask outside and I’m like, ‘Great, I’m glad this is here for you.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, she says, “I fell in love with the park during the pandemic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939186\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939186\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people sit together smiling in a wooded area.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Audience members listen during Light Jacket Reading Series #8 in Golden Gate Park. \u003ccite>(Michaela Vatcheva for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meeting up at the \u003ca href=\"https://maps.app.goo.gl/s5dA1FqSh7ZDx5qh6\">Ghirardelli Card Shelter\u003c/a> or in a field near the Rhododendron Dell, Light Jacket sheds any semblance of institutional formality. “It was just like the wackiest idea that I could think of,” Saenz says of holding the readings outdoors. “We’ve all been to readings where it’s kind of weird and stuffy and people are trying to be too quiet. It’s just awkward to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0LuZdSOHZU/\">Dec. 9\u003c/a>, poets Lindsey Boldt, Sophia Dahlin, Danielle Freiman and Christine Imperial raised their voices over the sounds of a helicopter, passing mountain bikers and the repetitive thud of a nearby handball court. The limits of projection necessitated a cozy circle of audience members; at one point, a squirrel perched on a branch seemed to pause and listen. Berkowitz announced the final reader with her 14-month-old perched apprehensively on her hip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most poetry readings aren’t as family or kid-friendly — nor do they have playgrounds located conveniently nearby. As Light Jacket leans into comfort and accessibility for its audiences, the series also becomes truly public in a way few readings are. At the first event back in March, Saenz says, “People were stopping and listening to a poem or two and then carrying on — it was really cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939179\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939179\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person holds a thin book marked with pink tabs.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Poet Danielle Freiman reads from her chapbook at Light Jacket Reading Series #8. \u003ccite>(Michaela Vatcheva for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://scoutfaller.com/\">Scout Faller\u003c/a>, a San Francisco poet who might hold the record for attending the most Light Jackets, was hooked from the get-go. “I first messaged Light Jacket before I knew the names of the organizers or anything,” Faller says. “I just had this excessive enthusiasm about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faller says they mostly associate the poetry scene with Oakland and Berkeley (and told Berkowitz as much at some point). “I was like, ‘Excuse me!’” Berkowitz laughs. “So to spite them, when we invited them to read, I curated the other readers to all be people from San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faller met stevie redwood, Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta and Felix Dina for the first time at that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct3CGwArF8v/\">July 8 reading\u003c/a>; the poets have stayed in close touch ever since. “I talk to stevie every single day,” Faller says. “It’s like my dream of what would happen at a poetry reading but never quite does.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At December’s event, the poets’ styles and subjects varied — Dahlin read from a collection devoted to Bernadette Mayer, Boldt included a piece written on the N-Judah earlier that day — and yet the whole thing hung together effortlessly, with space for all the tones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939267\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Person with shoulder-length black hair and glasses reads from paperback in wooded area\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christine Imperial reads a poem during Light Jacket Reading Series #8. \u003ccite>(Michaela Vatcheva for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I can think of certain reading series in the Bay Area that have had the same dozen people read multiple times over the last dozen years — and that’s fine,” Berkowitz says. “But that’s not what I want to do. I want to put people in front of an audience who hasn’t seen them yet. I want to give people a chance to do their first-ever poetry reading.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next Light Jacket will be another kind of first — the first time readings will take place virtually instead of in-person. The Jan. 4 event is co-hosted by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/exquisitesbk/?hl=en\">Exquisites\u003c/a>, a queer reading series in Brooklyn, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hotpinkmag.com/\">Hot Pink Magazine\u003c/a>, poets yet to be announced. (The timing is right for a screen-bound gig: January is too chilly, even in San Francisco, for just a light jacket.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on Dec. 9, even when the last shafts of warm sunlight were long gone, the crowd remained rapt. After the applause for Christine Imperial faded away, about an hour after the whole thing began, Berkowitz stepped back into the circle to close the event: “As I always say, feel free to hang around, it’s public space!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Follow \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lightjacketreadingseries/?hl=en\">Light Jacket Reading Series on Instagram\u003c/a> to stay up to date on future events, including a Jan. 4 virtual reading at 5 p.m.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1113,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 21
},
"modified": 1705002989,
"excerpt": "Light Jacket Reading Series, hosted by Amy Berkowitz and Erick Saenz, features Bay Area poets at outdoor readings.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "This Unpretentious Poetry Series Roams the Pockets of Golden Gate Park",
"socialTitle": "Light Jacket Reading Series Brings Poetry to Golden Gate Park %%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"ogTitle": "This Unpretentious Poetry Series Roams the Pockets of Golden Gate Park",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Light Jacket Reading Series, hosted by Amy Berkowitz and Erick Saenz, features Bay Area poets at outdoor readings.",
"title": "Light Jacket Reading Series Brings Poetry to Golden Gate Park | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "This Unpretentious Poetry Series Roams the Pockets of Golden Gate Park",
"datePublished": "2023-12-12T12:31:24-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-01-11T11:56:29-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "light-jacket-reading-series-poetry-golden-gate-park",
"status": "publish",
"templateType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"sticky": false,
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13939264/light-jacket-reading-series-poetry-golden-gate-park",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On a brisk afternoon in Golden Gate Park’s Monarch Bear Grove, \u003ca href=\"https://www.amyberko.com/\">Amy Berkowitz\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://lucidtraversal.blogspot.com/\">Erick Saenz\u003c/a> are taking turns reading Google reviews about this secluded spot at the western edge of the AIDS Memorial Grove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nice trees to walk through but easy to miss if you are here for the museums,” Berkowitz reads from her phone. An audience of several dozen people comfortably arranged on picnic blankets and stone blocks chuckles lightly — they aren’t here for the museums, they’re here for poetry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the eighth event in the cheerily easygoing \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lightjacketreadingseries/\">Light Jacket Reading Series\u003c/a>, an outdoor, roving poetry reading hosted by Berkowitz and Saenz since March 2023. Over the past nine months, they’ve featured 32 readers, mostly from the Bay Area, in casual and unamplified meet-ups in various nooks and crannies of the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939180\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939180\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"Two people sit next to each other in a wooded area, looking at the camera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-23-MV-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hosts Erick Saenz and Amy Berkowitz near Monarch Bear Grove. \u003ccite>(Michaela Vatcheva for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saenz and Berkowitz, poets themselves, are not new to hosting. Before the pandemic hit, Saenz had just started putting together events at the since-closed San José arts space 3F, and Berkowitz was running a reading series called Amy’s Kitchen Organics out of her Upper Haight home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early this year, after Saenz moved back to San Francisco, he announced his desire to pick up where he left off. “I wanted,” he says, “to try to create some sort of lit scene that I could be a part of that felt local and felt good and felt kind of punk and DIY. And so Amy was a perfect person to collaborate with on that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The timing — and concept — appealed to Berkowitz, who craved a return to curating and reading, but like many chronically ill people, wasn’t interested in entering unventilated indoor spaces where she might be the only one in a mask. “For me, it feels really nice to be doing poetry readings outdoors,” she says. “I sometimes see people show up who feel more comfortable wearing a mask outside and I’m like, ‘Great, I’m glad this is here for you.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, she says, “I fell in love with the park during the pandemic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939186\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939186\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people sit together smiling in a wooded area.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-29-MV-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Audience members listen during Light Jacket Reading Series #8 in Golden Gate Park. \u003ccite>(Michaela Vatcheva for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meeting up at the \u003ca href=\"https://maps.app.goo.gl/s5dA1FqSh7ZDx5qh6\">Ghirardelli Card Shelter\u003c/a> or in a field near the Rhododendron Dell, Light Jacket sheds any semblance of institutional formality. “It was just like the wackiest idea that I could think of,” Saenz says of holding the readings outdoors. “We’ve all been to readings where it’s kind of weird and stuffy and people are trying to be too quiet. It’s just awkward to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C0LuZdSOHZU/\">Dec. 9\u003c/a>, poets Lindsey Boldt, Sophia Dahlin, Danielle Freiman and Christine Imperial raised their voices over the sounds of a helicopter, passing mountain bikers and the repetitive thud of a nearby handball court. The limits of projection necessitated a cozy circle of audience members; at one point, a squirrel perched on a branch seemed to pause and listen. Berkowitz announced the final reader with her 14-month-old perched apprehensively on her hip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most poetry readings aren’t as family or kid-friendly — nor do they have playgrounds located conveniently nearby. As Light Jacket leans into comfort and accessibility for its audiences, the series also becomes truly public in a way few readings are. At the first event back in March, Saenz says, “People were stopping and listening to a poem or two and then carrying on — it was really cool.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939179\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939179\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person holds a thin book marked with pink tabs.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/231211-LIGHT-JACKET-READING-SERIES-13-MV-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Poet Danielle Freiman reads from her chapbook at Light Jacket Reading Series #8. \u003ccite>(Michaela Vatcheva for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://scoutfaller.com/\">Scout Faller\u003c/a>, a San Francisco poet who might hold the record for attending the most Light Jackets, was hooked from the get-go. “I first messaged Light Jacket before I knew the names of the organizers or anything,” Faller says. “I just had this excessive enthusiasm about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faller says they mostly associate the poetry scene with Oakland and Berkeley (and told Berkowitz as much at some point). “I was like, ‘Excuse me!’” Berkowitz laughs. “So to spite them, when we invited them to read, I curated the other readers to all be people from San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faller met stevie redwood, Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta and Felix Dina for the first time at that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct3CGwArF8v/\">July 8 reading\u003c/a>; the poets have stayed in close touch ever since. “I talk to stevie every single day,” Faller says. “It’s like my dream of what would happen at a poetry reading but never quite does.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At December’s event, the poets’ styles and subjects varied — Dahlin read from a collection devoted to Bernadette Mayer, Boldt included a piece written on the N-Judah earlier that day — and yet the whole thing hung together effortlessly, with space for all the tones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939267\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000.jpg\" alt=\"Person with shoulder-length black hair and glasses reads from paperback in wooded area\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Light-Jacket-Reading-Series-15_2000-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christine Imperial reads a poem during Light Jacket Reading Series #8. \u003ccite>(Michaela Vatcheva for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I can think of certain reading series in the Bay Area that have had the same dozen people read multiple times over the last dozen years — and that’s fine,” Berkowitz says. “But that’s not what I want to do. I want to put people in front of an audience who hasn’t seen them yet. I want to give people a chance to do their first-ever poetry reading.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next Light Jacket will be another kind of first — the first time readings will take place virtually instead of in-person. The Jan. 4 event is co-hosted by \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/exquisitesbk/?hl=en\">Exquisites\u003c/a>, a queer reading series in Brooklyn, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hotpinkmag.com/\">Hot Pink Magazine\u003c/a>, poets yet to be announced. (The timing is right for a screen-bound gig: January is too chilly, even in San Francisco, for just a light jacket.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on Dec. 9, even when the last shafts of warm sunlight were long gone, the crowd remained rapt. After the applause for Christine Imperial faded away, about an hour after the whole thing began, Berkowitz stepped back into the circle to close the event: “As I always say, feel free to hang around, it’s public space!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12127869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-768x75.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Follow \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lightjacketreadingseries/?hl=en\">Light Jacket Reading Series on Instagram\u003c/a> to stay up to date on future events, including a Jan. 4 virtual reading at 5 p.m.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13939264/light-jacket-reading-series-poetry-golden-gate-park",
"authors": [
"61"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73"
],
"tags": [
"arts_10278",
"arts_1496",
"arts_585"
],
"featImg": "arts_13939183",
"label": "arts_140"
},
"arts_13939131": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13939131",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939131",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1702069185000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "transitions-a-mothers-journey-transgender-child-graphic-novel-durand",
"title": "‘Transitions’ Explores the Process of a Mother’s Acceptance of Her Child’s Gender",
"publishDate": 1702069185,
"format": "aside",
"headTitle": "‘Transitions’ Explores the Process of a Mother’s Acceptance of Her Child’s Gender | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 140,
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939133\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1937px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939133\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an illustration of a woman painting her own arm. The bottom half of the book is painted in rainbow colors.\" width=\"1937\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-scaled.jpg 1937w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-800x1057.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-1020x1348.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-160x211.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-768x1015.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-1162x1536.jpg 1162w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-1549x2048.jpg 1549w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-1920x2538.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1937px) 100vw, 1937px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Transitions: A Mother’s Journey.’ \u003ccite>(Top Shelf Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the opening to Élodie Durand’s visual narrative, \u003cem>Transitions: A Mother’s Journey\u003c/em>, a mother in her early 40s sits with her newly 19-year-old at a therapist’s office. The therapist is explaining the ways people in France are typically placed into oversimplified categories, boy or girl, from birth. “But in reality,” she continues, “there are multiple possibilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13939025']The guarded mother only reluctantly engaging in this conversation beside her mostly silent teenager is Anne Marbot, a French university biologist who, until this point, as she later admits, has generally considered herself to be open-minded. Anne’s teenager, who was assigned female at birth and has been living her life until recently as “Lucie,” came out to her as a boy just a few months earlier. This session, with her child’s therapist, is intended to help Anne become a better ally to her son because, until now, the mother has not taken the announcement well. Instead, through nonacceptance she has driven a deep rift between them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had no role model,” she later admits. “I was not prepared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Originally published in French in 2021 as \u003cem>Journal d’Anne Marbot\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Transitions\u003c/em> is a welcome addition to the growing number of graphic novels and comics exploring transgender as well as genderqueer identities. These include perhaps most famously Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir \u003cem>Gender Queer \u003c/em>— which has faced challenges around the country — alongside works like L. Nichols’ \u003cem>Flocks\u003c/em> and Sabrina Symington’s fictional \u003cem>First Year Out\u003c/em>. A distinguishing characteristic of \u003cem>Transitions \u003c/em>in relation to these other works is that the focus of the story is what Alex’s mother refers to as her own different kind of transition, from shades of denial and rejection to unqualified support and acceptance of her child. As the therapist tells Marbot, who is riddled with anxiety, grief, and a host of other emotions for months following Alex’s announcement: “You fear that Alex will be marginalized, but the first and foremost marginalization is family rejection. That is in your hands.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939139\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1004px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939139\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM.png\" alt=\"An illustration of a young person with short hair telling a woman with pink hair that they are a boy.\" width=\"1004\" height=\"1348\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM.png 1004w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM-800x1074.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM-160x215.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM-768x1031.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A page from ‘Transitions: A Mother’s Journey.’ \u003ccite>(Top Shelf Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Transitions \u003c/em>is shaped by the real-life story of Anne and Alex (all names have been fictionalized), as told to French artist and illustrator Durand. In addition to illustrating numerous children’s books, Durand also recently published a graphic memoir, \u003cem>Parenthesis\u003c/em>, in which she draws and writes of her own experiences having a brain tumor and its assorted effects on her everyday life and sense of self. Here in \u003cem>Transitions\u003c/em>, a biography of sorts, she animates exchanges between various family members, people she spent three years learning from and listening to, through her thoughtful, kaleidoscopic layouts and illustrations. Large chunks of narration, distinguishable through their typescript, come directly from Marbot’s own diary, which she started keeping nearly a year after her son told her he was male. Mixing text-heavy comics with pages of wordless, evocative drawings, most of \u003cem>Transitions \u003c/em>is drawn in black, white, and grayscale, while splashes of bright colors — including an eye-popping hot pink — thread through, tracing the protagonist mother’s many emotional ups and downs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The end of the book includes six pages of illustrated text taken verbatim from an email eventually sent from Alex to his mother nearly three years after that appointment with the therapist. In this way, readers get to hear Alex’s direct perspective after experiencing most of the story primarily through his mother’s eyes. Alex is unsparing, if also deeply loving and compassionate, in his assessment of his mother’s journey. He tells of how he has had to deal with his family’s doubts and prejudices on top of his own and the rest of the world’s, added burdens in his time of greatest need. “Beyond the immense freedom that there is in being oneself,” he writes finally of his transition, “I learned to listen to myself. I learned what I wanted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939140\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 938px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939140\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM.png\" alt=\"An illustration of a therapist's office. A woman and a young person with short hair sit in separate armchairs.\" width=\"938\" height=\"1252\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM.png 938w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM-800x1068.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM-160x214.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM-768x1025.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 938px) 100vw, 938px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘A page from Transitions: A Mother’s Journey.’ \u003ccite>(Top Shelf Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Transitions \u003c/em>is a moving, demanding read, not least because it candidly traces a disjunction between an otherwise loving parent and her response to an unexpected situation in which her own intolerances get in the way of her relationship with her child. It is only when Alex reaches out to his parents in the middle of the night, reeling from a friend’s suicide attempt, that Marbot is finally shaken enough to recognize the damage she has been inflicting on her son. As a biologist, it turns out she is in fact primed to see the fallacies and limitations of a system in which gender is divided into oversimplified categories. When she finally begins to move past her own preconceptions, this scientific training becomes an advantage. “Our classical scientific conception of male and female isn’t relevant at all,” she recognizes, and in pages of creative diagramming and other forms of visual mapping, a different, more complex version of the world is presented both to her and to readers. She even brings her changed outlook back to the workplace, suggesting a Philosophy of Science course for her institution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13922811']“I feel I’ve taken on a new identity that I like,” Marbot declares by the end of the book, having elected for a deep, renewed commitment to her son, marked both by educating herself and affirming her child through concrete actions and behaviors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a satisfying end to a story that in real life often ends in heartbreak. Many parents and other family members are still hesitant to support transgender children and teens, despite how crucial that support is to their well-being. Durand’s book is a welcome reminder that taking children and young people seriously is any parent’s or caregiver’s greatest responsibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Tahneer Oksman is a writer, teacher, and scholar specializing in memoir as well as graphic novels and comics. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=%27Transitions%27+explores+the+process+of+a+mother%27s+acceptance+of+her+child%27s+gender&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "First published in French in 2021 as ‘Journal d'Anne Marbot,’ Élodie Durand's book is based on a real-life mom and son.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726757437,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 12,
"wordCount": 1067
},
"headData": {
"title": "‘Transitions’ Explores the Process of a Mother’s Acceptance of Her Child’s Gender | KQED",
"description": "First published in French in 2021 as ‘Journal d'Anne Marbot,’ Élodie Durand's book is based on a real-life mom and son.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "‘Transitions’ Explores the Process of a Mother’s Acceptance of Her Child’s Gender",
"datePublished": "2023-12-08T12:59:45-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T07:50:37-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Tahneer Oksman",
"nprImageAgency": "Top Shelf Productions",
"nprStoryId": "1214223991",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1214223991&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2023/12/08/1214223991/book-review-elodie-durand-graphic-novel-transitions?ft=nprml&f=1214223991",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Fri, 08 Dec 2023 10:03:00 -0500",
"nprStoryDate": "Fri, 08 Dec 2023 10:00:00 -0500",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Fri, 08 Dec 2023 10:03:48 -0500",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13939131/transitions-a-mothers-journey-transgender-child-graphic-novel-durand",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939133\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1937px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939133\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an illustration of a woman painting her own arm. The bottom half of the book is painted in rainbow colors.\" width=\"1937\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-scaled.jpg 1937w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-800x1057.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-1020x1348.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-160x211.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-768x1015.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-1162x1536.jpg 1162w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-1549x2048.jpg 1549w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/transitions-cover_custom-41077e1a7628622bd05442a228c436e450c7d1a1-1920x2538.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1937px) 100vw, 1937px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Transitions: A Mother’s Journey.’ \u003ccite>(Top Shelf Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the opening to Élodie Durand’s visual narrative, \u003cem>Transitions: A Mother’s Journey\u003c/em>, a mother in her early 40s sits with her newly 19-year-old at a therapist’s office. The therapist is explaining the ways people in France are typically placed into oversimplified categories, boy or girl, from birth. “But in reality,” she continues, “there are multiple possibilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13939025",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The guarded mother only reluctantly engaging in this conversation beside her mostly silent teenager is Anne Marbot, a French university biologist who, until this point, as she later admits, has generally considered herself to be open-minded. Anne’s teenager, who was assigned female at birth and has been living her life until recently as “Lucie,” came out to her as a boy just a few months earlier. This session, with her child’s therapist, is intended to help Anne become a better ally to her son because, until now, the mother has not taken the announcement well. Instead, through nonacceptance she has driven a deep rift between them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had no role model,” she later admits. “I was not prepared.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Originally published in French in 2021 as \u003cem>Journal d’Anne Marbot\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Transitions\u003c/em> is a welcome addition to the growing number of graphic novels and comics exploring transgender as well as genderqueer identities. These include perhaps most famously Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir \u003cem>Gender Queer \u003c/em>— which has faced challenges around the country — alongside works like L. Nichols’ \u003cem>Flocks\u003c/em> and Sabrina Symington’s fictional \u003cem>First Year Out\u003c/em>. A distinguishing characteristic of \u003cem>Transitions \u003c/em>in relation to these other works is that the focus of the story is what Alex’s mother refers to as her own different kind of transition, from shades of denial and rejection to unqualified support and acceptance of her child. As the therapist tells Marbot, who is riddled with anxiety, grief, and a host of other emotions for months following Alex’s announcement: “You fear that Alex will be marginalized, but the first and foremost marginalization is family rejection. That is in your hands.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939139\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1004px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939139\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM.png\" alt=\"An illustration of a young person with short hair telling a woman with pink hair that they are a boy.\" width=\"1004\" height=\"1348\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM.png 1004w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM-800x1074.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM-160x215.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.37.59-PM-768x1031.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A page from ‘Transitions: A Mother’s Journey.’ \u003ccite>(Top Shelf Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Transitions \u003c/em>is shaped by the real-life story of Anne and Alex (all names have been fictionalized), as told to French artist and illustrator Durand. In addition to illustrating numerous children’s books, Durand also recently published a graphic memoir, \u003cem>Parenthesis\u003c/em>, in which she draws and writes of her own experiences having a brain tumor and its assorted effects on her everyday life and sense of self. Here in \u003cem>Transitions\u003c/em>, a biography of sorts, she animates exchanges between various family members, people she spent three years learning from and listening to, through her thoughtful, kaleidoscopic layouts and illustrations. Large chunks of narration, distinguishable through their typescript, come directly from Marbot’s own diary, which she started keeping nearly a year after her son told her he was male. Mixing text-heavy comics with pages of wordless, evocative drawings, most of \u003cem>Transitions \u003c/em>is drawn in black, white, and grayscale, while splashes of bright colors — including an eye-popping hot pink — thread through, tracing the protagonist mother’s many emotional ups and downs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The end of the book includes six pages of illustrated text taken verbatim from an email eventually sent from Alex to his mother nearly three years after that appointment with the therapist. In this way, readers get to hear Alex’s direct perspective after experiencing most of the story primarily through his mother’s eyes. Alex is unsparing, if also deeply loving and compassionate, in his assessment of his mother’s journey. He tells of how he has had to deal with his family’s doubts and prejudices on top of his own and the rest of the world’s, added burdens in his time of greatest need. “Beyond the immense freedom that there is in being oneself,” he writes finally of his transition, “I learned to listen to myself. I learned what I wanted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939140\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 938px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939140\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM.png\" alt=\"An illustration of a therapist's office. A woman and a young person with short hair sit in separate armchairs.\" width=\"938\" height=\"1252\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM.png 938w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM-800x1068.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM-160x214.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-08-at-12.40.22-PM-768x1025.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 938px) 100vw, 938px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘A page from Transitions: A Mother’s Journey.’ \u003ccite>(Top Shelf Productions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Transitions \u003c/em>is a moving, demanding read, not least because it candidly traces a disjunction between an otherwise loving parent and her response to an unexpected situation in which her own intolerances get in the way of her relationship with her child. It is only when Alex reaches out to his parents in the middle of the night, reeling from a friend’s suicide attempt, that Marbot is finally shaken enough to recognize the damage she has been inflicting on her son. As a biologist, it turns out she is in fact primed to see the fallacies and limitations of a system in which gender is divided into oversimplified categories. When she finally begins to move past her own preconceptions, this scientific training becomes an advantage. “Our classical scientific conception of male and female isn’t relevant at all,” she recognizes, and in pages of creative diagramming and other forms of visual mapping, a different, more complex version of the world is presented both to her and to readers. She even brings her changed outlook back to the workplace, suggesting a Philosophy of Science course for her institution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "arts_13922811",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I feel I’ve taken on a new identity that I like,” Marbot declares by the end of the book, having elected for a deep, renewed commitment to her son, marked both by educating herself and affirming her child through concrete actions and behaviors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a satisfying end to a story that in real life often ends in heartbreak. Many parents and other family members are still hesitant to support transgender children and teens, despite how crucial that support is to their well-being. Durand’s book is a welcome reminder that taking children and young people seriously is any parent’s or caregiver’s greatest responsibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Tahneer Oksman is a writer, teacher, and scholar specializing in memoir as well as graphic novels and comics. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=%27Transitions%27+explores+the+process+of+a+mother%27s+acceptance+of+her+child%27s+gender&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13939131/transitions-a-mothers-journey-transgender-child-graphic-novel-durand",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13939131"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73"
],
"tags": [
"arts_10629",
"arts_3226",
"arts_585",
"arts_702"
],
"affiliates": [
"arts_137"
],
"featImg": "arts_13939132",
"label": "arts_140"
},
"arts_13939092": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13939092",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939092",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1702057187000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "bay-area-trends-of-2023",
"title": "The Bay Area's Hottest, Weirdest, Worst and Funniest Trends of 2023",
"publishDate": 1702057187,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "The Bay Area’s Hottest, Weirdest, Worst and Funniest Trends of 2023 | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Welcome to our list of Bay Area arts and culture trends in 2023. Notably, it was a year that few are describing as “the worst year ever,” as many year-end listmakers were understandably wont to do for a while. We also suppose this list could have included things like AI, driverless cars, robot deliveries and the metaverse. It was just Tom Waits’ birthday; \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/195963-we-are-buried-beneath-the-weight-of-information-which-is\">let’s let him weigh in\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s to you all, individually and collectively, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8AMZmWqgRM\">love and happiness\u003c/a> in 2024. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937426\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A blonde woman with a microphone is on stage performing.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1815\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-800x567.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-1020x723.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-768x544.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-1536x1089.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-2048x1452.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-1920x1361.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour at Levi’s Stadium on July 28, 2023 in Santa Clara. \u003ccite>(Jeff Kravitz/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Return of the Monoculture\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Twelve years after Touré’s defining treatise “\u003ca href=\"https://www.salon.com/2011/09/29/how_niches_killed_culture/\">Why I Miss the Monoculture\u003c/a>,” the monoculture is back, for better or for worse. Taylor Swift alone absolutely dominated the \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-top-album-sales-chart-1235464968/\">recording\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.normantranscript.com/community/taylor-swift-is-spotify-s-most-streamed-artist-of-2023-ending-bad-bunnys-3-year/article_daecf7f8-8fa4-11ee-8337-5f9be5f11a35.html\">streaming\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-eras-tour-top-grossing-global-tour/\">touring\u003c/a> industry, while captivating the \u003ca href=\"https://ew.com/movies/taylor-swift-eras-tour-concert-film-tops-box-office-breaks-global-record/\">box office\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937413/uc-berkeleys-taylor-swift-business-class-set-for-2024\">UC system\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/6342806/person-of-the-year-2023-taylor-swift/\">\u003cem>TIME\u003c/em> magazine\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931892/dear-city-leaders-stop-with-the-taylor-swift-pandering-already\">our nation’s elected officials\u003c/a> — and Beyoncé was \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/2023/music/news/beyonce-record-most-grammy-wins-all-time-1235513412/\">not far behind\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Barbie\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Oppenheimer\u003c/em> took the nation’s multiplexes \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/summer-box-office-hits-4-billion-barbie-oppenheimer-1235712314/\">by storm\u003c/a>, and superhero franchises like \u003cem>Guardians of the Galaxy\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Spider-Man\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Ant-Man\u003c/em> filled out the \u003ca href=\"https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2023/\">Top 10 box office list\u003c/a>. In other words, if you needed common ground to talk about with coworkers, you had plenty to pick from this year.\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13894605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13894605\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Immersive van Gogh at SVN West, San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The End of Immersive ‘Art Experiences’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Let me tell you one thing I didn’t miss this year: being immersed in a so-called art experience. 2022 was full of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13894558/immersive-van-gogh-review-san-francisco\">Immersive van Gogh\u003c/a> spawn (a frankly offensive Frida Kahlo, a fine-by-comparison \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909273/review-imagine-picasso-immersive-san-francisco\">Picasso thing\u003c/a> at the Armory). Those events, in turn, were the immaterial outcome of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13804930/no-filter-necessary-in-sfs-instagram-ready-color-factory\">Color Factory\u003c/a>, the Museum of Ice Cream and (my personal least favorite) the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13861247/the-90s-experience-instagram\">90’s Experience\u003c/a>. Strangely, we’ve now come full circle: the immersive photo-op has phase-shifted back into physical artwork and taken up residence at our largest museum, courtesy of SFMOMA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935810/yayoi-kusama-sfmoma-infinite-love-review\">Yayoi Kusama exhibition\u003c/a>, which literally costs $10 a minute. If museums learned one thing from all the immersive offshoots over the years, it’s that people will pay top dollar for a limited amount of time in an audio-visual experience utterly stripped of context.\u003cem>—Sarah Hotchkiss\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939100\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 848px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"848\" height=\"566\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401.jpg 848w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">If San Francisco’s new marketing campaign slogan sounds familiar, well… (seen here: a sign in Las Vegas.) \u003ccite>(Darren Asay/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>San Francisco Spending Millions Trying to Rebrand Itself\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Imagine you live elsewhere, and your understanding of San Francisco is essentially Fox News footage of people pillaging Walgreens. But wait! You encounter a bus ad: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/19/us/san-francisco-ad-campaign.html\">It All Starts Here\u003c/a>.” Are you overcome with desire to travel to SF? How about “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RkuigBlSLg\">Always San Francisco\u003c/a>,” does that do anything for you? This is, as far as I can tell, the scenario on which city leaders and a handful of tech billionaires wagered a combined $10 million in 2023, attempting to reverse reputational damage caused by a dearth of affordable housing, an absurd cost of living and a devastating fentanyl crisis \u003cem>with marketing\u003c/em>. Does this feel a little like the captain of the Titanic launching a social media rebrand mid-collision? Sure! Do nuanced discussions of public health, inequality and long-term investments in the arts make for snappy copy in politicians’ campaign materials? Not really! But hey, maybe we just haven’t come up with the right slogan yet. In the meantime, we have this new “\u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2023/10/04/san-francisco-anthem-premiere-johns-grill/\">San Francisco theme song\u003c/a>,” about which I will say: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931922/tony-bennett-san-francisco-remembrance\">We miss you, Tony Bennett\u003c/a>.\u003cem>—Emma Silvers\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13925324\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop.jpg\" alt=\"A hand reaches to pick up an icy pink beverage. There's also a iced chocolate drink and a plate of corn roti on the table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13925324\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dek Doi Cafe’s Thai-style “pink milk” and street food style sweet roti.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Bay Area’s (Mom-and-Pop) Restaurant Scene Isn’t Dead Yet\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>These days, keeping a restaurant afloat in the Bay Area seems like an impossible task — an unwinnable battle against \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/oakland-restaurants-crime-closure-18373900.php\">thieves\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz2mhcvLNwW/\">vandals\u003c/a> and an overall “\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/cafe-international-lower-haight-18339072.php\">sea of lawlessness\u003c/a>.” Or so goes the prevailing narrative, anyway. A few Oakland restaurateurs even declared a (\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/09/27/strike-oakland-business-closure-protest/\">largely overblown, hour-long\u003c/a>) “strike” in protest. And it’s true that crime (and, nearly as bad, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933006/hina-yakitori-closing-grilled-chicken-omakase-san-francisco\">the \u003cem>perception\u003c/em> of crime\u003c/a>) is a real concern. This isn’t an economy that leaves much margin for error, and the sheer economics of the Bay have snuffed out a lot of \u003ca href=\"https://www.bonappetit.com/story/sf-bay-area-dining-problem-opinion\">innovation at the highest end\u003c/a>. Still, anyone lamenting the death of Bay Area food hasn’t been eating out at the same places we have — not when 2023 has gifted us with S-tier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936332/tchaka-haitian-restaurant-oakland\">Haitian comfort food\u003c/a>, idiosyncratic little Thai cafes serving dessert rotis and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925310/dek-doi-cafe-pink-milk-thai-bl-oakland\">gay pink milk\u003c/a>,” and joyously off-kilter \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/egglicious-india-san-jose-18193681.php\">Indian egg restaurants\u003c/a>. Now as always, when it comes to niche, street-level mom-and-pops, the Bay remains undefeated.\u003cem>—Luke Tsai\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939096\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939096\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans of the Oakland A’s gather during a reverse boycott at the Oakland Coliseum to protest the ownership of the baseball team on June 13, 2023. \u003ccite>(Aryk Copley/ KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The A’s Resent You\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Well, the A’s \u003cem>owners\u003c/em> do, at least. That much was confirmed in 2023, during which, instead of my usual seven or eight games at \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/gmeline/status/1179463946631184384\">the greatest ballpark in America\u003c/a>, I could only bring myself to go to one. Finally, after years of neglect, the A’s owner — I’d say his name, but it’d have to be accompanied by the foulest string of obscenities imaginable — acquired approval from Major League Baseball to move the whole sad, desiccated team southward to sad, desiccated Las Vegas. Sure, there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968536/new-oakland-ballers-baseball-team-aims-to-keep-the-sport-in-the-city\">another baseball team coming to town\u003c/a>. But 2023 was the year of the “SELL” T-shirt, and the broken hearts of longtime fans.\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937172\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A person stands holding a sign with a building in the background.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937172\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soha Leach, 42, poses in front of a marching crowd at the ‘Stop the Genocide in Gaza’ rally at the Embarcadero in San Francisco on Saturday, Oct. 28. \u003ccite>(Olivia Cruz Mayeda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Pro-Palestinian Uprising Larger Than Ever\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This year saw the largest, most cohesive wave of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937170/the-art-of-protest-in-san-francisco-5-messages-from-the-gaza-rally\">pro-Palestinian protests\u003c/a> ever. In the Bay Area, Richmond became the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/richmond-city-council-passes-resolution-showing-solidarity-with-gaza/\">first American city\u003c/a> to pass a ceasefire resolution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968400/oakland-city-council-set-to-vote-on-gaza-cease-fire-resolution\">followed by Oakland\u003c/a>. Bay Area artists, in particular, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938450/400-bay-area-artists-palestine-bds-pacbi-letter\">rallied in protest\u003c/a> of Israel’s most recent siege of Gaza, which has so far killed \u003ca href=\"https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/gaza-death-toll-passes-15000-palestinian-official-says?nid=322376&topic=Israel-Palestine%2520war&fid=491046\">more than 15,000\u003c/a> Palestinians. Artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937219/bay-area-artists-palestinian-childrens-relief-fund-continental-club\">raised upwards of $13,000\u003c/a> for Palestinian children at a November fundraiser in Oakland, matched in the restaurant scene with support for and by Palestinian \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/israel-hamas-war-giving-back-to-gaza-fundraiser-san-jose-business-el-halal-amigos/13968097/\">businesses and eateries\u003c/a> here in the Bay Area. Even local surfers got involved, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937866/local-surfers-screening-gaza-surf-club\">screening\u003c/a> the documentary \u003cem>Gaza Surf Club\u003c/em> to call upon their community to advocate for a ceasefire. With their dollars, poetry, policy, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938619/porch-party-oakland-pop-up-art-activism-community\">food\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938450/400-bay-area-artists-palestine-bds-pacbi-letter\">organized boycotts\u003c/a>, Bay Area folks are showing up for Palestinians now more than ever.\u003cem>—Olivia Mayeda\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13848951\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1100px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_.jpg\" alt=\"Signage at Bandcamp's new Oakland offices goes up on Jan. 17, 2019.\" width=\"1100\" height=\"751\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13848951\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_.jpg 1100w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_-800x546.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_-768x524.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_-1020x696.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signage at Bandcamp’s Oakland offices goes up on Jan. 17, 2019. The downtown Oakland performance space and record showroom closed in 2023 shortly after Bandcamp’s sale to Songtradr. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Music Industry Making it Harder to Be an Artist — and Fan\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2023, we convinced ourselves that paying Ticketmaster hundreds of dollars in fees would be a fair exchange for experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934154/beyonce-review-levis-stadium-2023-renaissance-world-tour\">Beyoncé tour\u003c/a>. But throughout the year, the ubiquitous ticketing company drove up prices for large and small concerts alike with those exorbitant add-on fees, all while its parent company, Live Nation, pocketed record profits. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935406/fillmore-live-nation-on-road-again-touring-artists\">independent touring musicians\u003c/a> continued to lose money amidst post-pandemic gas prices and inflation. Songtradr bought Bandcamp and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936509/idiotic-and-cruel-musicians-slam-layoffs-at-bandcamp\">laid off staff\u003c/a> including the entire union bargaining committee, prompting a labor complaint, and Spotify announced that it will stop paying royalties on songs with under 1,000 streams. The music industry is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893314/how-musicians-are-navigating-streaming-algorithms-ai-and-automation\">increasingly stacked against up-and-coming musicians\u003c/a>, which is why it’s all the more important to be intentional about supporting our local artists.\u003cem>—Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Rubber gloved hand sprinkles chopped cilantro onto an oversized pupusa topped the meat.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938220\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Irma Morales sprinkles cilantro on a Birria Pupusa Pizza in the kitchen at Pupuseria Las Cabańas in Hayward, Calif. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Watch Me Eat This Pupusa The Size of Your Head and sMasH tHaT LiKe bUtToN!!\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anyone chronically on TikTok and Instagram has probably already noticed this year’s biggest food trend: the proliferation of local, raucous, personality-driven food influencers. From the humorous caricatures of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thesnacksensei/?hl=en\">The Snack Sensei\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bayareafoodz/\">BayAreaFoodz\u003c/a> to the health-focused feed of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915889/berkeley-vegan-food-festival-bizerkeley-vegan\">Bizerkeley Vegan\u003c/a> and lavish outings of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/allie.eats/?hl=en\">Allie Eats\u003c/a> (nearly half a million followers combined between the four accounts), there’s more bombastic food-related content than ever from the Bay Area. Viral videos of an oversized pupusa or a pan dulce big enough to use as a literal pillow has fueled a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936325/social-media-biggest-pupusas-burritos-instagram-tiktok-latinextravagant-bay-area\">new wave of extravagant restaurateurs\u003c/a> catering to the frenzy by super-sizing, quadruple-dipping and gold-flaking everything under the sun — often collabing with foodie accounts to build hype. And all of our internet-marinated brains seem to be eating it up.\u003cem>—Alan Chazaro\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931700\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1630px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM.png\" alt='A blue sky background with a large Barbie logo in the center and a United airplane. Text around it reads: \"This Barbie is a dream. Now flying.\"' width=\"1630\" height=\"1196\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13931700\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM.png 1630w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-800x587.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-1020x748.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-160x117.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-768x564.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-1536x1127.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1630px) 100vw, 1630px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Barbie isn’t a Barbie. Now, knock it off, United. \u003ccite>(Instagram/ @united)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Barbie Burnout\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At first it was like, yay, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933011/its-billiongirlsummer-taylor-beyonce-and-barbie-made-for-one-epic-trifecta\">girly pop culture moment\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931981/greta-gerwig-box-office-record-female-directors\">female director from Sacramento making hella bank\u003c/a>, but then it was like, why is every commercial this very specific shade of pink and why are all the makeup stores pink, and the clothing stores, and the shoe stores, and why is that Burger King burger pink, and why is my Google search pink, and is it okay that everyone’s making \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931677/barbenheimer-barbie-oppenheimer-box-office-greta-gerwig-christopher-nolan\">memes that combine Barbie and the actual atomic bomb\u003c/a>, and what the hell is an Ice Spice Munchkin, and isn’t it a bit weird that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931533/taylor-swift-irs-fbi-woke-gen-z-how-do-you-do-fellow-kidshttps://www.kqed.org/arts/13931533/taylor-swift-irs-fbi-woke-gen-z-how-do-you-do-fellow-kids\">the TSA used Barbie in a knives warning\u003c/a>, and isn’t the end of the movie where Barbie goes to the gynecologist actually lazy and reductive, and wouldn’t it have been better if she was in the Mattel CEO chair instead because women aren’t allowed that very often, and actually, just forget it, because even though \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931753/allan-doll-michael-cera-greta-gerwig-barbie-movie-review\">Allan is the literal greatest\u003c/a>, I want nothing to do with any of this now.\u003cem>—Rae Alexandra\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939095\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 928px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"928\" height=\"274\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939095\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM.png 928w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM-800x236.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM-160x47.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM-768x227.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thanks, Elon. \u003ccite>(X)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Billionaires Ruining the Internet’s Usefulness\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While TikTok continues to drive culture and dominate discourse among young people, adults like Elon Musk (“adults,” ha) couldn’t figure out what to do with their social media platforms if it walked up and hit them with a Cybertruck. Meta did what it always does and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931259/threads-meta-thanks-i-hate-it\">copied an existing platform\u003c/a> with Threads. BlueSky didn’t fully catch on, Mastodon is a distant memory, and BeReal kinda withered and died. And, in the midst of it all, Google Search became \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/16yxzg0/google_is_no_longer_a_search_engine/\">more useless than ever\u003c/a>, prompting users seeking information to be fed pages of ads, or worse, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jakezward/status/1728032639402037610\">AI-generated garbage\u003c/a>. (This is where I repeat my catchphrase: \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=subscribe%20to%20a%20newspaper%20from%3Agmeline&src=typed_query&f=top\">subscribe to a newspaper\u003c/a>.)\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13923614\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/GettyImages-1455560954-scaled-e1673477731985.jpg\" alt=\"A stack of books featuring Prince Harry's face in close up, sit in a neat pile.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13923614\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ is offered for sale at a Barnes & Noble store on Jan. 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Scott Olson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Flood of Celebrity Memoirs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The secret to publishing a NYT-bestselling blockbuster this year seemed to lie in aristocracy. Celebrity memoirs have never gone out of style, but the monumental success of Prince Harry’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923613/dish-from-prince-harry-one-of-their-own-could-fuel-royal-change\">\u003cem>Spare\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and pop music royalty Britney Spears’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936729/britney-spears-book-autobiography-the-woman-in-me-gallery-books\">\u003cem>The Woman in Me\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which sold over 1.6 million and 1.1 million copies in the U.S. alone in their first weeks, shifted the spotlight back on the genre in 2023. For those of us seeking even more juicy, reflective stories from our aspirational tax bracket, memoirs from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937730/barbra-streisands-memoir-review-my-name-is-barbra\">Barbra Streisand\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936614/dolly-parton-book-review-behind-the-seams-my-life-in-rhinestones\">Dolly Parton\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930083/elliot-page-shares-struggles-and-former-selves-in-engaging-new-memoir\">Elliot Page\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/01/26/1151356491/pamela-anderson-book-memoir\">Pamela Anderson\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/10/17/1206140650/jada-pinkett-will-smith-tupac-worthy\">Jada Pinkett Smith\u003c/a> did not disappoint. Pro tip: These memoirs make great stocking stuffers for the pop culture fanatics in your life.\u003cem>—Ugur Dursun\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939097\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 848px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"848\" height=\"566\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968.jpg 848w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pants! \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Great Pants Awakening\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>I went to high school in the late aughts, when we all traded low-rise flares for skinny jeans, so I’ve been studying the latest Great Pants Awakening like an anthropologist, gathering data on BART and TikTok, and surveying friends and family members of all ages. Some millennials dared to break up with our beloved tapered legs and waist-cinching highrise trousers, while others clung on to their favorite cuts for dear life. Meanwhile, new pants styles challenged all generations to reconsider their notions of beauty, gender and even propriety. Unisex cargo pants paired with a baggy hoodie to hide the body; thong-revealing ultra-low-rise with nipple-baring mesh on top. It’s all fair game, and both looks can be seen on the same person in a given week. 2023 was all about poly-pantism: the way of the future.\u003cem>—Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939094\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1852px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1852\" height=\"1384\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939094\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin.jpg 1852w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-800x598.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-1020x762.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-768x574.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-1536x1148.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1852px) 100vw, 1852px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Albany Twin theater pictured on June 16, 2023, the day after its final movie screening. The theater had served Albany’s moviegoing public for 88 years. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Too Many Movie Theaters Biting the Dust\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Despite some hopeful reopenings such as San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924146/4-star-theater-talk-movies-richmond-history-woody-labounty\">4-Star Theater\u003c/a>, the Bay Area’s movie theaters continue to roll credits and close down for good. The Albany Twin, the Century Theater in San Francisco’s Westfield Mall, the CGV (formerly the AMC) on Van Ness, the Rohnert Park Reading cinema and others all shuttered. “But we can watch movies at home now,” you might say! Joke’s on you, bub: fees for streaming subscriptions \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/streaming-service-price-increase-1235784311/\">got significantly more expensive\u003c/a>. After three years of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13892596/historic-west-portal-theater-closes-permanently-due-to-pandemic\">tough-to-swallow theater closures\u003c/a>, and tumult for fans of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13917362/castro-theatre-seating-renovation-town-hall\">movies at the Castro\u003c/a>, we’re happy for even the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/s-f-real-estate-office-movie-theater-18431003.php\">smallest bit of good news\u003c/a> for local theaters.\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939098\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/LaurenDamato.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939098\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/LaurenDamato.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/LaurenDamato-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/LaurenDamato-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The studio of San Francisco sign painter and pinstriper Lauren D’Amato at Headlands Center for the Arts, Oct. 22, 2023. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Lots of Love for Sign Painting (and Signs in General) \u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With a healthy local sign painting scene, it’s no surprise we saw a lot of this work in gallery spaces this year — and a greater appreciation for the artistry of signs, period. Lauren D’Amato’s \u003ca href=\"https://houseofseiko.info/complete_machine\">solo at House of Seiko\u003c/a> borrowed from real-life Bayview signs, and she later received the Headlands’ Tournesol Award for an emerging Bay Area painter. The \u003ca href=\"https://web-production-7d4c4.up.railway.app/pieces/pieces/pieces/shows/2/\">inaugural show at Berkeley’s 127010\u003c/a>, curated by Oliver Hawk Holden, focused on artists merging commercial craft and fine art (a gold leaf and enamel piece by sign painter Michelle “Meng” Nguyen was a standout). And Pacific Saw Works, a new artist-run space in Oakland, christened their walls with a show of sign painters called, simply, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pacificsawworks.com/exhibitions\">\u003ci>Signs\u003c/i>\u003c/a>. I also need to mention the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/tenderloin-neon-sign-district-wins-approval/article_cf388ae8-3939-11ed-94c7-3376ecdea09c.html\">legislation\u003c/a> that passed late last year to make it easier to repair old neon signs (which often include painted elements) and install new ones in the Tenderloin. This year, we saw \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz7G72syuX0/?img_index=1\">the electric results\u003c/a>.\u003cem>—Sarah Hotchkiss\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938611\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1017px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1017\" height=\"652\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938611\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1.jpg 1017w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1-800x513.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1-768x492.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1017px) 100vw, 1017px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Jackson about to win 12 Grammys for ‘Thriller’ at the 1984 awards. At his side is his date Brooke Shields. At the time, says Mary J. Blige in a new documentary, Jackson was considered ‘super-duper-duper sexy.’ \u003ccite>(Ron Galella/ Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>TV Going Peak ’80s and ’90s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>My childhood was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/97337/the-other-f-word-how-homophobic-language-has-ruined-80s-teen-movies\">the 1980s\u003c/a>, my teen years coincided with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915084/chloe-sherman-renegade-san-francisco-1990s-schlomer-haus\">the ’90s\u003c/a>, and goddamnit, the streaming platforms \u003cem>really\u003c/em> played into my rapidly aging hands this year. In 2023, I finally got to rewatch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936463/moonlighting-hulu-cybill-shepherd-bruce-willis-1980s-comedy\">\u003cem>Moonlighting\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (the endearingly preposterous detective show that launched Bruce Willis’ career) and unabashedly immerse myself in \u003cem>L.A. Law\u003c/em> at an age where I could actually understand it. But nowhere has ’80s and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/14084/90s-nostalgia-a-look-at-how-our-lives-do-and-dont-matter\">’90s nostalgia\u003c/a> shown up harder than in celebrity documentaries. Watching retrospectives about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938155\">\u003cem>Thriller\u003c/em>-era Michael Jackson\u003c/a>, Michael J. Fox, Wham!, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924520/pamela-anderson-captivatingly-tells-her-own-story-in-new-netflix-documentary\">Pamela Anderson\u003c/a>, Anna Nicole Smith, the Gladiators, Robbie Williams, David Beckham and, yes, even Apple TV+’s far too rose-tinted profile of \u003cem>The Super Models\u003c/em> was like seeing my first 20 years of life flash before my eyes. My middle-aged ass is clearly being pandered to — and I absolutely love it.\u003cem>—Rae Alexandra\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Movies! Pants! Barbie! The Internet! Whatever everyone thinks is happening to San Francisco! The KQED Arts & Culture team weighs in on the year. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726757445,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 19,
"wordCount": 2763
},
"headData": {
"title": "The Bay Area's Hottest, Weirdest, Worst and Funniest Trends of 2023 | KQED",
"description": "Movies! Pants! Barbie! The Internet! Whatever everyone thinks is happening to San Francisco! The KQED Arts & Culture team weighs in on the year. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "The Bay Area's Hottest, Weirdest, Worst and Funniest Trends of 2023",
"datePublished": "2023-12-08T09:39:47-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T07:50:45-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13939092/bay-area-trends-of-2023",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Welcome to our list of Bay Area arts and culture trends in 2023. Notably, it was a year that few are describing as “the worst year ever,” as many year-end listmakers were understandably wont to do for a while. We also suppose this list could have included things like AI, driverless cars, robot deliveries and the metaverse. It was just Tom Waits’ birthday; \u003ca href=\"https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/195963-we-are-buried-beneath-the-weight-of-information-which-is\">let’s let him weigh in\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s to you all, individually and collectively, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8AMZmWqgRM\">love and happiness\u003c/a> in 2024. \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937426\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A blonde woman with a microphone is on stage performing.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1815\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937426\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-800x567.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-1020x723.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-160x113.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-768x544.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-1536x1089.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-2048x1452.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-1579018397-1920x1361.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour at Levi’s Stadium on July 28, 2023 in Santa Clara. \u003ccite>(Jeff Kravitz/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Return of the Monoculture\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Twelve years after Touré’s defining treatise “\u003ca href=\"https://www.salon.com/2011/09/29/how_niches_killed_culture/\">Why I Miss the Monoculture\u003c/a>,” the monoculture is back, for better or for worse. Taylor Swift alone absolutely dominated the \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-top-album-sales-chart-1235464968/\">recording\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.normantranscript.com/community/taylor-swift-is-spotify-s-most-streamed-artist-of-2023-ending-bad-bunnys-3-year/article_daecf7f8-8fa4-11ee-8337-5f9be5f11a35.html\">streaming\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-eras-tour-top-grossing-global-tour/\">touring\u003c/a> industry, while captivating the \u003ca href=\"https://ew.com/movies/taylor-swift-eras-tour-concert-film-tops-box-office-breaks-global-record/\">box office\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937413/uc-berkeleys-taylor-swift-business-class-set-for-2024\">UC system\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/6342806/person-of-the-year-2023-taylor-swift/\">\u003cem>TIME\u003c/em> magazine\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931892/dear-city-leaders-stop-with-the-taylor-swift-pandering-already\">our nation’s elected officials\u003c/a> — and Beyoncé was \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/2023/music/news/beyonce-record-most-grammy-wins-all-time-1235513412/\">not far behind\u003c/a>. \u003cem>Barbie\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Oppenheimer\u003c/em> took the nation’s multiplexes \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/summer-box-office-hits-4-billion-barbie-oppenheimer-1235712314/\">by storm\u003c/a>, and superhero franchises like \u003cem>Guardians of the Galaxy\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Spider-Man\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Ant-Man\u003c/em> filled out the \u003ca href=\"https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2023/\">Top 10 box office list\u003c/a>. In other words, if you needed common ground to talk about with coworkers, you had plenty to pick from this year.\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13894605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13894605\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/vangogh-5690_1200-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Immersive van Gogh at SVN West, San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Cheshire Isaacs)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The End of Immersive ‘Art Experiences’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Let me tell you one thing I didn’t miss this year: being immersed in a so-called art experience. 2022 was full of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13894558/immersive-van-gogh-review-san-francisco\">Immersive van Gogh\u003c/a> spawn (a frankly offensive Frida Kahlo, a fine-by-comparison \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13909273/review-imagine-picasso-immersive-san-francisco\">Picasso thing\u003c/a> at the Armory). Those events, in turn, were the immaterial outcome of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13804930/no-filter-necessary-in-sfs-instagram-ready-color-factory\">Color Factory\u003c/a>, the Museum of Ice Cream and (my personal least favorite) the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13861247/the-90s-experience-instagram\">90’s Experience\u003c/a>. Strangely, we’ve now come full circle: the immersive photo-op has phase-shifted back into physical artwork and taken up residence at our largest museum, courtesy of SFMOMA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935810/yayoi-kusama-sfmoma-infinite-love-review\">Yayoi Kusama exhibition\u003c/a>, which literally costs $10 a minute. If museums learned one thing from all the immersive offshoots over the years, it’s that people will pay top dollar for a limited amount of time in an audio-visual experience utterly stripped of context.\u003cem>—Sarah Hotchkiss\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939100\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 848px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"848\" height=\"566\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939100\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401.jpg 848w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1456657401-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">If San Francisco’s new marketing campaign slogan sounds familiar, well… (seen here: a sign in Las Vegas.) \u003ccite>(Darren Asay/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>San Francisco Spending Millions Trying to Rebrand Itself\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Imagine you live elsewhere, and your understanding of San Francisco is essentially Fox News footage of people pillaging Walgreens. But wait! You encounter a bus ad: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/19/us/san-francisco-ad-campaign.html\">It All Starts Here\u003c/a>.” Are you overcome with desire to travel to SF? How about “\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RkuigBlSLg\">Always San Francisco\u003c/a>,” does that do anything for you? This is, as far as I can tell, the scenario on which city leaders and a handful of tech billionaires wagered a combined $10 million in 2023, attempting to reverse reputational damage caused by a dearth of affordable housing, an absurd cost of living and a devastating fentanyl crisis \u003cem>with marketing\u003c/em>. Does this feel a little like the captain of the Titanic launching a social media rebrand mid-collision? Sure! Do nuanced discussions of public health, inequality and long-term investments in the arts make for snappy copy in politicians’ campaign materials? Not really! But hey, maybe we just haven’t come up with the right slogan yet. In the meantime, we have this new “\u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2023/10/04/san-francisco-anthem-premiere-johns-grill/\">San Francisco theme song\u003c/a>,” about which I will say: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931922/tony-bennett-san-francisco-remembrance\">We miss you, Tony Bennett\u003c/a>.\u003cem>—Emma Silvers\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13925324\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop.jpg\" alt=\"A hand reaches to pick up an icy pink beverage. There's also a iced chocolate drink and a plate of corn roti on the table.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13925324\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Natera_DekDoiCafe_feature-crop-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dek Doi Cafe’s Thai-style “pink milk” and street food style sweet roti.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Bay Area’s (Mom-and-Pop) Restaurant Scene Isn’t Dead Yet\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>These days, keeping a restaurant afloat in the Bay Area seems like an impossible task — an unwinnable battle against \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/oakland-restaurants-crime-closure-18373900.php\">thieves\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz2mhcvLNwW/\">vandals\u003c/a> and an overall “\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/cafe-international-lower-haight-18339072.php\">sea of lawlessness\u003c/a>.” Or so goes the prevailing narrative, anyway. A few Oakland restaurateurs even declared a (\u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/09/27/strike-oakland-business-closure-protest/\">largely overblown, hour-long\u003c/a>) “strike” in protest. And it’s true that crime (and, nearly as bad, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933006/hina-yakitori-closing-grilled-chicken-omakase-san-francisco\">the \u003cem>perception\u003c/em> of crime\u003c/a>) is a real concern. This isn’t an economy that leaves much margin for error, and the sheer economics of the Bay have snuffed out a lot of \u003ca href=\"https://www.bonappetit.com/story/sf-bay-area-dining-problem-opinion\">innovation at the highest end\u003c/a>. Still, anyone lamenting the death of Bay Area food hasn’t been eating out at the same places we have — not when 2023 has gifted us with S-tier \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936332/tchaka-haitian-restaurant-oakland\">Haitian comfort food\u003c/a>, idiosyncratic little Thai cafes serving dessert rotis and “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13925310/dek-doi-cafe-pink-milk-thai-bl-oakland\">gay pink milk\u003c/a>,” and joyously off-kilter \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/egglicious-india-san-jose-18193681.php\">Indian egg restaurants\u003c/a>. Now as always, when it comes to niche, street-level mom-and-pops, the Bay remains undefeated.\u003cem>—Luke Tsai\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939096\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939096\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/20230614-AS-REVERSE-BOYCOTT-04-AC-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans of the Oakland A’s gather during a reverse boycott at the Oakland Coliseum to protest the ownership of the baseball team on June 13, 2023. \u003ccite>(Aryk Copley/ KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The A’s Resent You\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Well, the A’s \u003cem>owners\u003c/em> do, at least. That much was confirmed in 2023, during which, instead of my usual seven or eight games at \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/gmeline/status/1179463946631184384\">the greatest ballpark in America\u003c/a>, I could only bring myself to go to one. Finally, after years of neglect, the A’s owner — I’d say his name, but it’d have to be accompanied by the foulest string of obscenities imaginable — acquired approval from Major League Baseball to move the whole sad, desiccated team southward to sad, desiccated Las Vegas. Sure, there’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968536/new-oakland-ballers-baseball-team-aims-to-keep-the-sport-in-the-city\">another baseball team coming to town\u003c/a>. But 2023 was the year of the “SELL” T-shirt, and the broken hearts of longtime fans.\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13937172\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A person stands holding a sign with a building in the background.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13937172\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Image-5-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soha Leach, 42, poses in front of a marching crowd at the ‘Stop the Genocide in Gaza’ rally at the Embarcadero in San Francisco on Saturday, Oct. 28. \u003ccite>(Olivia Cruz Mayeda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Pro-Palestinian Uprising Larger Than Ever\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This year saw the largest, most cohesive wave of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937170/the-art-of-protest-in-san-francisco-5-messages-from-the-gaza-rally\">pro-Palestinian protests\u003c/a> ever. In the Bay Area, Richmond became the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/richmond-city-council-passes-resolution-showing-solidarity-with-gaza/\">first American city\u003c/a> to pass a ceasefire resolution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968400/oakland-city-council-set-to-vote-on-gaza-cease-fire-resolution\">followed by Oakland\u003c/a>. Bay Area artists, in particular, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938450/400-bay-area-artists-palestine-bds-pacbi-letter\">rallied in protest\u003c/a> of Israel’s most recent siege of Gaza, which has so far killed \u003ca href=\"https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/gaza-death-toll-passes-15000-palestinian-official-says?nid=322376&topic=Israel-Palestine%2520war&fid=491046\">more than 15,000\u003c/a> Palestinians. Artists \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937219/bay-area-artists-palestinian-childrens-relief-fund-continental-club\">raised upwards of $13,000\u003c/a> for Palestinian children at a November fundraiser in Oakland, matched in the restaurant scene with support for and by Palestinian \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/israel-hamas-war-giving-back-to-gaza-fundraiser-san-jose-business-el-halal-amigos/13968097/\">businesses and eateries\u003c/a> here in the Bay Area. Even local surfers got involved, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937866/local-surfers-screening-gaza-surf-club\">screening\u003c/a> the documentary \u003cem>Gaza Surf Club\u003c/em> to call upon their community to advocate for a ceasefire. With their dollars, poetry, policy, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938619/porch-party-oakland-pop-up-art-activism-community\">food\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938450/400-bay-area-artists-palestine-bds-pacbi-letter\">organized boycotts\u003c/a>, Bay Area folks are showing up for Palestinians now more than ever.\u003cem>—Olivia Mayeda\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13848951\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1100px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_.jpg\" alt=\"Signage at Bandcamp's new Oakland offices goes up on Jan. 17, 2019.\" width=\"1100\" height=\"751\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13848951\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_.jpg 1100w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_-800x546.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_-768x524.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/01/Bandcamp.Sign_-1020x696.jpg 1020w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signage at Bandcamp’s Oakland offices goes up on Jan. 17, 2019. The downtown Oakland performance space and record showroom closed in 2023 shortly after Bandcamp’s sale to Songtradr. \u003ccite>(Sam Lefebvre/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Music Industry Making it Harder to Be an Artist — and Fan\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 2023, we convinced ourselves that paying Ticketmaster hundreds of dollars in fees would be a fair exchange for experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934154/beyonce-review-levis-stadium-2023-renaissance-world-tour\">Beyoncé tour\u003c/a>. But throughout the year, the ubiquitous ticketing company drove up prices for large and small concerts alike with those exorbitant add-on fees, all while its parent company, Live Nation, pocketed record profits. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13935406/fillmore-live-nation-on-road-again-touring-artists\">independent touring musicians\u003c/a> continued to lose money amidst post-pandemic gas prices and inflation. Songtradr bought Bandcamp and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936509/idiotic-and-cruel-musicians-slam-layoffs-at-bandcamp\">laid off staff\u003c/a> including the entire union bargaining committee, prompting a labor complaint, and Spotify announced that it will stop paying royalties on songs with under 1,000 streams. The music industry is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101893314/how-musicians-are-navigating-streaming-algorithms-ai-and-automation\">increasingly stacked against up-and-coming musicians\u003c/a>, which is why it’s all the more important to be intentional about supporting our local artists.\u003cem>—Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Rubber gloved hand sprinkles chopped cilantro onto an oversized pupusa topped the meat.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938220\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/20230927-Biggest-Pupusa-020-JY-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Irma Morales sprinkles cilantro on a Birria Pupusa Pizza in the kitchen at Pupuseria Las Cabańas in Hayward, Calif. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Watch Me Eat This Pupusa The Size of Your Head and sMasH tHaT LiKe bUtToN!!\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Anyone chronically on TikTok and Instagram has probably already noticed this year’s biggest food trend: the proliferation of local, raucous, personality-driven food influencers. From the humorous caricatures of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thesnacksensei/?hl=en\">The Snack Sensei\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/bayareafoodz/\">BayAreaFoodz\u003c/a> to the health-focused feed of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915889/berkeley-vegan-food-festival-bizerkeley-vegan\">Bizerkeley Vegan\u003c/a> and lavish outings of \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/allie.eats/?hl=en\">Allie Eats\u003c/a> (nearly half a million followers combined between the four accounts), there’s more bombastic food-related content than ever from the Bay Area. Viral videos of an oversized pupusa or a pan dulce big enough to use as a literal pillow has fueled a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936325/social-media-biggest-pupusas-burritos-instagram-tiktok-latinextravagant-bay-area\">new wave of extravagant restaurateurs\u003c/a> catering to the frenzy by super-sizing, quadruple-dipping and gold-flaking everything under the sun — often collabing with foodie accounts to build hype. And all of our internet-marinated brains seem to be eating it up.\u003cem>—Alan Chazaro\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13931700\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1630px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM.png\" alt='A blue sky background with a large Barbie logo in the center and a United airplane. Text around it reads: \"This Barbie is a dream. Now flying.\"' width=\"1630\" height=\"1196\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13931700\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM.png 1630w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-800x587.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-1020x748.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-160x117.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-768x564.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-17-at-8.54.28-AM-1536x1127.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1630px) 100vw, 1630px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Barbie isn’t a Barbie. Now, knock it off, United. \u003ccite>(Instagram/ @united)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Barbie Burnout\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At first it was like, yay, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13933011/its-billiongirlsummer-taylor-beyonce-and-barbie-made-for-one-epic-trifecta\">girly pop culture moment\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931981/greta-gerwig-box-office-record-female-directors\">female director from Sacramento making hella bank\u003c/a>, but then it was like, why is every commercial this very specific shade of pink and why are all the makeup stores pink, and the clothing stores, and the shoe stores, and why is that Burger King burger pink, and why is my Google search pink, and is it okay that everyone’s making \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931677/barbenheimer-barbie-oppenheimer-box-office-greta-gerwig-christopher-nolan\">memes that combine Barbie and the actual atomic bomb\u003c/a>, and what the hell is an Ice Spice Munchkin, and isn’t it a bit weird that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931533/taylor-swift-irs-fbi-woke-gen-z-how-do-you-do-fellow-kidshttps://www.kqed.org/arts/13931533/taylor-swift-irs-fbi-woke-gen-z-how-do-you-do-fellow-kids\">the TSA used Barbie in a knives warning\u003c/a>, and isn’t the end of the movie where Barbie goes to the gynecologist actually lazy and reductive, and wouldn’t it have been better if she was in the Mattel CEO chair instead because women aren’t allowed that very often, and actually, just forget it, because even though \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931753/allan-doll-michael-cera-greta-gerwig-barbie-movie-review\">Allan is the literal greatest\u003c/a>, I want nothing to do with any of this now.\u003cem>—Rae Alexandra\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939095\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 928px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"928\" height=\"274\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939095\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM.png 928w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM-800x236.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM-160x47.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-1.43.29-AM-768x227.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thanks, Elon. \u003ccite>(X)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Billionaires Ruining the Internet’s Usefulness\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While TikTok continues to drive culture and dominate discourse among young people, adults like Elon Musk (“adults,” ha) couldn’t figure out what to do with their social media platforms if it walked up and hit them with a Cybertruck. Meta did what it always does and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13931259/threads-meta-thanks-i-hate-it\">copied an existing platform\u003c/a> with Threads. BlueSky didn’t fully catch on, Mastodon is a distant memory, and BeReal kinda withered and died. And, in the midst of it all, Google Search became \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/16yxzg0/google_is_no_longer_a_search_engine/\">more useless than ever\u003c/a>, prompting users seeking information to be fed pages of ads, or worse, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/jakezward/status/1728032639402037610\">AI-generated garbage\u003c/a>. (This is where I repeat my catchphrase: \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=subscribe%20to%20a%20newspaper%20from%3Agmeline&src=typed_query&f=top\">subscribe to a newspaper\u003c/a>.)\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13923614\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/GettyImages-1455560954-scaled-e1673477731985.jpg\" alt=\"A stack of books featuring Prince Harry's face in close up, sit in a neat pile.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13923614\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ is offered for sale at a Barnes & Noble store on Jan. 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Scott Olson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>A Flood of Celebrity Memoirs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The secret to publishing a NYT-bestselling blockbuster this year seemed to lie in aristocracy. Celebrity memoirs have never gone out of style, but the monumental success of Prince Harry’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13923613/dish-from-prince-harry-one-of-their-own-could-fuel-royal-change\">\u003cem>Spare\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and pop music royalty Britney Spears’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936729/britney-spears-book-autobiography-the-woman-in-me-gallery-books\">\u003cem>The Woman in Me\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, which sold over 1.6 million and 1.1 million copies in the U.S. alone in their first weeks, shifted the spotlight back on the genre in 2023. For those of us seeking even more juicy, reflective stories from our aspirational tax bracket, memoirs from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13937730/barbra-streisands-memoir-review-my-name-is-barbra\">Barbra Streisand\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936614/dolly-parton-book-review-behind-the-seams-my-life-in-rhinestones\">Dolly Parton\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13930083/elliot-page-shares-struggles-and-former-selves-in-engaging-new-memoir\">Elliot Page\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/01/26/1151356491/pamela-anderson-book-memoir\">Pamela Anderson\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/10/17/1206140650/jada-pinkett-will-smith-tupac-worthy\">Jada Pinkett Smith\u003c/a> did not disappoint. Pro tip: These memoirs make great stocking stuffers for the pop culture fanatics in your life.\u003cem>—Ugur Dursun\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939097\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 848px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"848\" height=\"566\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968.jpg 848w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/GettyImages-1042695968-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pants! \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Great Pants Awakening\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>I went to high school in the late aughts, when we all traded low-rise flares for skinny jeans, so I’ve been studying the latest Great Pants Awakening like an anthropologist, gathering data on BART and TikTok, and surveying friends and family members of all ages. Some millennials dared to break up with our beloved tapered legs and waist-cinching highrise trousers, while others clung on to their favorite cuts for dear life. Meanwhile, new pants styles challenged all generations to reconsider their notions of beauty, gender and even propriety. Unisex cargo pants paired with a baggy hoodie to hide the body; thong-revealing ultra-low-rise with nipple-baring mesh on top. It’s all fair game, and both looks can be seen on the same person in a given week. 2023 was all about poly-pantism: the way of the future.\u003cem>—Nastia Voynovskaya\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939094\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1852px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1852\" height=\"1384\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939094\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin.jpg 1852w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-800x598.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-1020x762.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-768x574.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AlbanyTwin-1536x1148.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1852px) 100vw, 1852px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Albany Twin theater pictured on June 16, 2023, the day after its final movie screening. The theater had served Albany’s moviegoing public for 88 years. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Too Many Movie Theaters Biting the Dust\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Despite some hopeful reopenings such as San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924146/4-star-theater-talk-movies-richmond-history-woody-labounty\">4-Star Theater\u003c/a>, the Bay Area’s movie theaters continue to roll credits and close down for good. The Albany Twin, the Century Theater in San Francisco’s Westfield Mall, the CGV (formerly the AMC) on Van Ness, the Rohnert Park Reading cinema and others all shuttered. “But we can watch movies at home now,” you might say! Joke’s on you, bub: fees for streaming subscriptions \u003ca href=\"https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/streaming-service-price-increase-1235784311/\">got significantly more expensive\u003c/a>. After three years of other \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13892596/historic-west-portal-theater-closes-permanently-due-to-pandemic\">tough-to-swallow theater closures\u003c/a>, and tumult for fans of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13917362/castro-theatre-seating-renovation-town-hall\">movies at the Castro\u003c/a>, we’re happy for even the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/s-f-real-estate-office-movie-theater-18431003.php\">smallest bit of good news\u003c/a> for local theaters.\u003cem>—Gabe Meline\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939098\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/LaurenDamato.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939098\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/LaurenDamato.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/LaurenDamato-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/LaurenDamato-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The studio of San Francisco sign painter and pinstriper Lauren D’Amato at Headlands Center for the Arts, Oct. 22, 2023. \u003ccite>(Gabe Meline/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Lots of Love for Sign Painting (and Signs in General) \u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>With a healthy local sign painting scene, it’s no surprise we saw a lot of this work in gallery spaces this year — and a greater appreciation for the artistry of signs, period. Lauren D’Amato’s \u003ca href=\"https://houseofseiko.info/complete_machine\">solo at House of Seiko\u003c/a> borrowed from real-life Bayview signs, and she later received the Headlands’ Tournesol Award for an emerging Bay Area painter. The \u003ca href=\"https://web-production-7d4c4.up.railway.app/pieces/pieces/pieces/shows/2/\">inaugural show at Berkeley’s 127010\u003c/a>, curated by Oliver Hawk Holden, focused on artists merging commercial craft and fine art (a gold leaf and enamel piece by sign painter Michelle “Meng” Nguyen was a standout). And Pacific Saw Works, a new artist-run space in Oakland, christened their walls with a show of sign painters called, simply, \u003ca href=\"https://www.pacificsawworks.com/exhibitions\">\u003ci>Signs\u003c/i>\u003c/a>. I also need to mention the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/tenderloin-neon-sign-district-wins-approval/article_cf388ae8-3939-11ed-94c7-3376ecdea09c.html\">legislation\u003c/a> that passed late last year to make it easier to repair old neon signs (which often include painted elements) and install new ones in the Tenderloin. This year, we saw \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz7G72syuX0/?img_index=1\">the electric results\u003c/a>.\u003cem>—Sarah Hotchkiss\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13938611\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1017px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1017\" height=\"652\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13938611\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1.jpg 1017w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1-800x513.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/GettyImages-88696481-1020x847-1-768x492.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1017px) 100vw, 1017px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michael Jackson about to win 12 Grammys for ‘Thriller’ at the 1984 awards. At his side is his date Brooke Shields. At the time, says Mary J. Blige in a new documentary, Jackson was considered ‘super-duper-duper sexy.’ \u003ccite>(Ron Galella/ Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>TV Going Peak ’80s and ’90s\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>My childhood was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/97337/the-other-f-word-how-homophobic-language-has-ruined-80s-teen-movies\">the 1980s\u003c/a>, my teen years coincided with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915084/chloe-sherman-renegade-san-francisco-1990s-schlomer-haus\">the ’90s\u003c/a>, and goddamnit, the streaming platforms \u003cem>really\u003c/em> played into my rapidly aging hands this year. In 2023, I finally got to rewatch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13936463/moonlighting-hulu-cybill-shepherd-bruce-willis-1980s-comedy\">\u003cem>Moonlighting\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (the endearingly preposterous detective show that launched Bruce Willis’ career) and unabashedly immerse myself in \u003cem>L.A. Law\u003c/em> at an age where I could actually understand it. But nowhere has ’80s and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/14084/90s-nostalgia-a-look-at-how-our-lives-do-and-dont-matter\">’90s nostalgia\u003c/a> shown up harder than in celebrity documentaries. Watching retrospectives about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13938155\">\u003cem>Thriller\u003c/em>-era Michael Jackson\u003c/a>, Michael J. Fox, Wham!, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13924520/pamela-anderson-captivatingly-tells-her-own-story-in-new-netflix-documentary\">Pamela Anderson\u003c/a>, Anna Nicole Smith, the Gladiators, Robbie Williams, David Beckham and, yes, even Apple TV+’s far too rose-tinted profile of \u003cem>The Super Models\u003c/em> was like seeing my first 20 years of life flash before my eyes. My middle-aged ass is clearly being pandered to — and I absolutely love it.\u003cem>—Rae Alexandra\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13939092/bay-area-trends-of-2023",
"authors": [
"11242",
"11748",
"11883",
"61",
"11872",
"185",
"7237",
"11743",
"11387"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73",
"arts_2303",
"arts_76",
"arts_74",
"arts_69",
"arts_75",
"arts_13238",
"arts_990",
"arts_70"
],
"tags": [
"arts_11374",
"arts_6425",
"arts_21777",
"arts_10342",
"arts_10278",
"arts_5544",
"arts_1551",
"arts_2137",
"arts_3026",
"arts_1553"
],
"featImg": "arts_13937095",
"label": "arts"
},
"arts_13939025": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "arts_13939025",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13939025",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1701957626000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "best-books-of-2023-npr-books-we-love",
"title": "12 Books From 2023 That NPR Staffers Loved",
"publishDate": 1701957626,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "12 Books From 2023 That NPR Staffers Loved | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 140,
"site": "arts"
},
"content": "\u003cp>I’ve worked on Books We Love — \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">NPR’s annual, year-end books guide\u003c/a> — for a decade, and one of my favorite parts of the process each year is getting a sneak peek at what my co-workers read in their free time. Who’s into poetry? Who reads tons of YA? Who’s all nonfiction all the time? It’s fun to spot trends and see which books get nominated over and over again. Here are a dozen titles pared down from a list that our staffers and critics were \u003cem>particularly\u003c/em> eager to tell you about in 2023. To see the full list, head over to \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cstrong>Books We Love\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939041\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 842px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939041\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a square separated up into four equal triangles. Each contains a partial image of a woman's face.\" width=\"842\" height=\"1216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM.png 842w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM-800x1155.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM-160x231.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM-768x1109.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Biography of X,’ by Catherine Lacey. \u003ccite>(Macmillan)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Biography of X\u003c/em> by Catherine Lacey\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>How well can anyone really know their spouse? When an enigmatic artist — who goes by the name X — dies suddenly, her wife, CM, quickly learns how little she actually knew about the woman she had spent years with. \u003cem>Biography of X\u003c/em> is CM’s metafictional attempt to write, well, a biography of X, an artist with multiple personas who’d become famous for her transgressive, controversial work. Set against the backdrop of an alternate-universe United States that’s recovering from a post-World War II schism between the North and South, the book documents CM’s journey to untangle the true history of her wife’s life by interviewing people who each knew a completely different version of her. And what she uncovers, revealed in the book’s final act, left me breathless.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>—\u003c/em> \u003cem> Natalie Escobar, editor, Newshub\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939042\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 818px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939042\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring tropical trees spread out over a horizon.\" width=\"818\" height=\"1212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM.png 818w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM-800x1185.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM-160x237.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM-768x1138.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Covenant of Water’ by Abraham Verghese. \u003ccite>(Grove Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Covenant of Water \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Abraham Verghese\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The doctor and novelist (how can you really be that multitalented?!) Abraham Verghese returns to the literary scene with an epic family drama that has been years in the making. The result — one of the best books I’ve read about South Asia in years. On its surface, this story set in South India chronicles three generations of a family that suffers from a medical mystery of drownings. But the storyline is much deeper — a complex plot with lessons about love, pain and human understanding. Don’t be discouraged by the 700+ pages: The book is a page-turner that miraculously gives you a way to find hope in the face of repeated tragedy (though I still found myself crying).\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>—\u003c/em> \u003cem>Asma Khalid, White House correspondent, co-host of ‘The NPR Politics Podcast’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939043\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 832px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939043\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an elaborate wicker garden chair draped with flowers on one side.\" width=\"832\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM.png 832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM-800x1167.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM-768x1121.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 832px) 100vw, 832px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Family Lore’ by Elizabeth Acevedo. \u003ccite>(Ecco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Family Lore \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Elizabeth Acevedo\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Flor can tell when someone’s going to die. It’s her gift, her little bit of magic. Her three sisters have their own gifts, as do her two nieces — a magical ability to tell when someone’s lying. But when Flor announces she’s having a living wake, the family wonders whether she has foretold her own demise. This multigenerational story of secrets, survival and self-discovery artfully weaves together touches of magic with the reality of what it is to be a woman — daughter, sister, mother, \u003cem>tía\u003c/em>. Whether you come for the \u003cem>chisme\u003c/em>, the magic or the desire to read something real, you’ll leave having devoured a lyrical family saga that touches so many real, tender parts of what it means to be human.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>—\u003c/em> \u003cem> Christina Cala, senior producer, ‘Code Switch’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939044\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 830px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939044\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a hand outstretched and open.\" width=\"830\" height=\"1216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM.png 830w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM-800x1172.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM-160x234.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM-768x1125.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Guest’ by Emma Cline. \u003ccite>(Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Guest\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by Emma Cline\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A romp of epic proportions — Alex, our adrift protagonist, swims and eats her way through the private pools and stainless steel kitchens of the Hamptons’ elite. Broke and without a home to return to, she extends her summer stay by weaseling her way into the lives of various seasonal residents. After puzzling through all the actually difficult parts of infiltrating the world, her demise is her own once she’s in. Alex’s self-destructive impulses land her in increasingly anxiety-inducing, thriller-like scenarios and interactions that become harder to unravel as she leaves a trail of mess with every exit. She simply must scratch the itch — steal the watch, kiss the boy, jump in the pool.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>—\u003c/em> \u003cem>Clare Marie Schneider, producer, ‘Life Kit’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939045\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 764px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939045\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.13.05-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an illustration of three women and a man leaping into the ocean. A man and the woman float in inflatables nearby.\" width=\"764\" height=\"1104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.13.05-PM.png 764w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.13.05-PM-160x231.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Happy Place’ by Emily Henry. \u003ccite>(Berkley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Happy Place\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by Emily Henry\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Harriet and Wyn were the perfect couple with the perfect friend group — until they weren’t. Now, on their annual friend vacation, they must keep the truth from the people closest to them. Together, they will pretend to be the happily engaged couple everyone believes them to be. \u003cem>Happy Place\u003c/em> by Emily Henry highlights the highs and lows of love, friendship and communication while on the ceaseless journey to find yourself. Told out of chronological order, this book pulled at my heartstrings and, as Emily Henry always manages to do, helped me learn more about myself along the way. Sometimes our happy place isn’t a location, it is a group of people.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez, audio engineer\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939046\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939046\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a simply illustration of a Black teenage boy wearing a flat cap and holding a ball.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM-800x1165.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM-768x1118.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store’ by James McBride. \u003ccite>(Penguin Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by James McBride\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>James McBride is so talented — as a jazz musician, memoirist and novelist — it’s almost annoying! But this book is so good and so special you have to forgive him. It’s set among fictionalized Black and Jewish residents in Pottstown, Pa., in the 1920s and ’30s, where a Jewish couple runs a theater and grocery store and a Black couple who works for them asks their help to care for a young deaf boy whom the authorities want to institutionalize. McBride somehow intertwines their stories in a way that is intricate and heartwarming without ever being cloying, and that still manages to be hilarious too. At a time when there is so much tension and hatred in the world, this story is a reminder of how love, respect and courage really can overcome evil.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Michel Martin, host, ‘Morning Edition’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939047\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 830px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939047\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM.png\" alt=\"A blue and red book cover.\" width=\"830\" height=\"1210\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM.png 830w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM-800x1166.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM-768x1120.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘I Have Some Questions for You’ by Rebecca Makkai. \u003ccite>(Viking)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>I Have Some Questions for You \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Rebecca Makkai\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The stories we tell ourselves about our childhoods are often only partially true — tales we invent to make our youthful experiences make sense. But what happens when you revisit a foundational story and begin to unpack it? What happens when you realize that the people you once trusted were inventing tales of their own? This book follows a woman who travels back to teach a class at the boarding school she once attended — and to revisit the circumstances under which her former roommate died while they were at school. It’s an eerie look at how race and gender and youth shape our perceptions of guilt and innocence, and a story that reminds us that it takes more than one bad guy to get away with murder.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Leah Donnella, senior editor, ‘Code Switch’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939048\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 774px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939048\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.20.39-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring the black and white profile of a white woman wearing a heavy coat.\" width=\"774\" height=\"1104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.20.39-PM.png 774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.20.39-PM-160x228.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.20.39-PM-768x1095.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 774px) 100vw, 774px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Postcard’ by Anne Berest, translated by Tina Kover. \u003ccite>(Europa Editions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Postcard\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by Anne Berest, translated by Tina Kover\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An unsigned postcard with the names of relatives killed in the Holocaust arrives at her mother’s home; finding out who sent it and why leads the author to learn about her family history and her own identity. Anne Berest describes this as a “true novel” because all of the events in it are true — a result of her meticulous investigation into her family history — but she wrote it like fiction, changing the names of people who harmed her family so their descendants don’t suffer today and imagining characters’ thoughts. Berest’s story is specific, but there are themes in this book anyone can identify with — that history and bias are ever-present when we dig just a little, that how people see us may be so different from how we see ourselves, and that even relatives we never met influence the way we are.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Isabel Lara, chief communications officer\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939049\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939049\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM.png\" alt=\"A small wooden house stands beneath tall willow trees.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM-800x1165.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM-768x1118.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Reformatory’ by Tananarive Due. \u003ccite>(Gallery/Saga Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Reformatory\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by Tananarive Due\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s hard to dream up something more terrifying than real history, and Tananarive Due doesn’t try. Instead, she uses elements of the spiritual and supernatural to enhance a setting already dripping with horror — a reform school (based on a real place) where young boys are sent to repent for their youthful misdeeds. The book takes place in 1950s Florida, and the protagonist is Robbie, a young Black boy navigating racism and ghosts alike. But though the world he inhabits is often cruel and terrifying, Robbie’s story is also propelled by community, persistence, creativity and love.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Leah Donnella, senior editor, ‘Code Switch’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939050\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an illustration of tree limbs and a partial tree trunk.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM-800x1163.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM-768x1116.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Vaster Wilds’ by Lauren Groff. \u003ccite>(Riverhead Books)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Vaster Wilds \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Lauren Groff\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 17th century Colonial Virginia, a young servant girl escapes a famine-torn settlement to flee into the sprawling, punishing wilderness beyond. In her fifth novel, Lauren Groff, an author whose prose imbues even the most mundane with magic, crafts a tale that transcends genre. Part historical, part horror, part breathless thriller, part wilderness survival tale, \u003cem>The Vaster Wilds\u003c/em> is a story about the lengths to which we will go to stay alive.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Emma Choi, social media coordinator and producer, ‘Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939037\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1687px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939037\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A book cover featyring an illustration of a clipper ship tilted on its side during a storm.\" width=\"1687\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-scaled.jpg 1687w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-800x1214.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-1020x1548.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-160x243.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-768x1165.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-1012x1536.jpg 1012w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-1350x2048.jpg 1350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1687px) 100vw, 1687px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Grann’s latest book, ‘The Wager,’ is set to be released on April 18. \u003ccite>(Doubleday)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by David Grann\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Wager\u003c/em> is an exhaustively researched and thrilling account of a long-forgotten, 18th century calamity at sea. Unlike Herman Melville’s or Patrick O’Brian’s nautical adventures, which I also love, this historical narrative isn’t just based on a true story — it really is one, despite extremes of psychology and nature that make the recounted events almost unbelievable. That’s part of why reading it felt like getting swept away by a hurricane-force gale, as journalist David Grann laid out the stunning facts and surprises in his deceptively simple and spare writing.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Nell Greenfieldboyce, correspondent, Science Desk \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939051\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939051\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring black eyebrows and eyes wearing cat eyeliner.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1206\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM-800x1157.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM-160x231.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM-768x1111.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Yellowface’ by R.F. Kuang. \u003ccite>(William Morrow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Yellowface \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by R.F. Kuang\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“Nail-biting thriller about the world of book publishing” is not a phrase I ever expected to use. But that’s what this book is, with the added dimension of a toxic friendship, an identity thief and, of course, some racebending. The story is glossy and fun but tackles some very serious ideas — like who owns history, what it means to grieve and where the line is between appreciation, appropriation and outright thievery. This one is hard to put down — as baffling and often pernicious as the narrator’s decisions sometimes are, I found myself unable to stop hoping, desperately, that she would eventually find the light.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Leah Donnella, senior editor, \u003c/em>Code Switch\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>This is just a fraction of the 380+ titles we included in \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Books We Love\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong> this year. \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Click here to check out this year’s titles, \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>or browse over 3,600 books from the last 11 years. \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=12+books+that+NPR+critics+and+staff+were+excited+to+share+with+you+in+2023&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "NPR staff — not all of them critics! — share their favorite page-turners of the year.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1726757474,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 16,
"wordCount": 1949
},
"headData": {
"title": "The Best Books of 2023, According to NPR Staffers | KQED",
"description": "NPR staff — not all of them critics! — share their favorite page-turners of the year.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"socialTitle": "The Best Books of 2023, According to NPR Staffers%%page%% %%sep%% KQED",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "12 Books From 2023 That NPR Staffers Loved",
"datePublished": "2023-12-07T06:00:26-08:00",
"dateModified": "2024-09-19T07:51:14-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Beth Novey",
"nprImageAgency": "NPR",
"nprStoryId": "1212625425",
"nprApiLink": "http://api.npr.org/query?id=1212625425&apiKey=MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004",
"nprHtmlLink": "https://www.npr.org/2023/12/05/1212625425/npr-staff-book-recommendations-2023?ft=nprml&f=1212625425",
"nprRetrievedStory": "1",
"nprPubDate": "Tue, 05 Dec 2023 15:18:00 -0500",
"nprStoryDate": "Tue, 05 Dec 2023 05:00:56 -0500",
"nprLastModifiedDate": "Tue, 05 Dec 2023 15:18:19 -0500",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/arts/13939025/best-books-of-2023-npr-books-we-love",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>I’ve worked on Books We Love — \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">NPR’s annual, year-end books guide\u003c/a> — for a decade, and one of my favorite parts of the process each year is getting a sneak peek at what my co-workers read in their free time. Who’s into poetry? Who reads tons of YA? Who’s all nonfiction all the time? It’s fun to spot trends and see which books get nominated over and over again. Here are a dozen titles pared down from a list that our staffers and critics were \u003cem>particularly\u003c/em> eager to tell you about in 2023. To see the full list, head over to \u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cstrong>Books We Love\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939041\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 842px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939041\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a square separated up into four equal triangles. Each contains a partial image of a woman's face.\" width=\"842\" height=\"1216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM.png 842w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM-800x1155.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM-160x231.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.04.24-PM-768x1109.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Biography of X,’ by Catherine Lacey. \u003ccite>(Macmillan)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>Biography of X\u003c/em> by Catherine Lacey\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>How well can anyone really know their spouse? When an enigmatic artist — who goes by the name X — dies suddenly, her wife, CM, quickly learns how little she actually knew about the woman she had spent years with. \u003cem>Biography of X\u003c/em> is CM’s metafictional attempt to write, well, a biography of X, an artist with multiple personas who’d become famous for her transgressive, controversial work. Set against the backdrop of an alternate-universe United States that’s recovering from a post-World War II schism between the North and South, the book documents CM’s journey to untangle the true history of her wife’s life by interviewing people who each knew a completely different version of her. And what she uncovers, revealed in the book’s final act, left me breathless.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>—\u003c/em> \u003cem> Natalie Escobar, editor, Newshub\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939042\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 818px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939042\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring tropical trees spread out over a horizon.\" width=\"818\" height=\"1212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM.png 818w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM-800x1185.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM-160x237.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.06.46-PM-768x1138.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Covenant of Water’ by Abraham Verghese. \u003ccite>(Grove Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Covenant of Water \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Abraham Verghese\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The doctor and novelist (how can you really be that multitalented?!) Abraham Verghese returns to the literary scene with an epic family drama that has been years in the making. The result — one of the best books I’ve read about South Asia in years. On its surface, this story set in South India chronicles three generations of a family that suffers from a medical mystery of drownings. But the storyline is much deeper — a complex plot with lessons about love, pain and human understanding. Don’t be discouraged by the 700+ pages: The book is a page-turner that miraculously gives you a way to find hope in the face of repeated tragedy (though I still found myself crying).\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>—\u003c/em> \u003cem>Asma Khalid, White House correspondent, co-host of ‘The NPR Politics Podcast’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939043\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 832px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939043\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an elaborate wicker garden chair draped with flowers on one side.\" width=\"832\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM.png 832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM-800x1167.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.09.03-PM-768x1121.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 832px) 100vw, 832px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Family Lore’ by Elizabeth Acevedo. \u003ccite>(Ecco)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Family Lore \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Elizabeth Acevedo\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Flor can tell when someone’s going to die. It’s her gift, her little bit of magic. Her three sisters have their own gifts, as do her two nieces — a magical ability to tell when someone’s lying. But when Flor announces she’s having a living wake, the family wonders whether she has foretold her own demise. This multigenerational story of secrets, survival and self-discovery artfully weaves together touches of magic with the reality of what it is to be a woman — daughter, sister, mother, \u003cem>tía\u003c/em>. Whether you come for the \u003cem>chisme\u003c/em>, the magic or the desire to read something real, you’ll leave having devoured a lyrical family saga that touches so many real, tender parts of what it means to be human.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>—\u003c/em> \u003cem> Christina Cala, senior producer, ‘Code Switch’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939044\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 830px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939044\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a hand outstretched and open.\" width=\"830\" height=\"1216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM.png 830w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM-800x1172.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM-160x234.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.11.09-PM-768x1125.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Guest’ by Emma Cline. \u003ccite>(Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Guest\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by Emma Cline\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A romp of epic proportions — Alex, our adrift protagonist, swims and eats her way through the private pools and stainless steel kitchens of the Hamptons’ elite. Broke and without a home to return to, she extends her summer stay by weaseling her way into the lives of various seasonal residents. After puzzling through all the actually difficult parts of infiltrating the world, her demise is her own once she’s in. Alex’s self-destructive impulses land her in increasingly anxiety-inducing, thriller-like scenarios and interactions that become harder to unravel as she leaves a trail of mess with every exit. She simply must scratch the itch — steal the watch, kiss the boy, jump in the pool.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>—\u003c/em> \u003cem>Clare Marie Schneider, producer, ‘Life Kit’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939045\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 764px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939045\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.13.05-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an illustration of three women and a man leaping into the ocean. A man and the woman float in inflatables nearby.\" width=\"764\" height=\"1104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.13.05-PM.png 764w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.13.05-PM-160x231.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Happy Place’ by Emily Henry. \u003ccite>(Berkley)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Happy Place\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by Emily Henry\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Harriet and Wyn were the perfect couple with the perfect friend group — until they weren’t. Now, on their annual friend vacation, they must keep the truth from the people closest to them. Together, they will pretend to be the happily engaged couple everyone believes them to be. \u003cem>Happy Place\u003c/em> by Emily Henry highlights the highs and lows of love, friendship and communication while on the ceaseless journey to find yourself. Told out of chronological order, this book pulled at my heartstrings and, as Emily Henry always manages to do, helped me learn more about myself along the way. Sometimes our happy place isn’t a location, it is a group of people.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez, audio engineer\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939046\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939046\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a simply illustration of a Black teenage boy wearing a flat cap and holding a ball.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM-800x1165.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.15.31-PM-768x1118.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store’ by James McBride. \u003ccite>(Penguin Random House)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by James McBride\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>James McBride is so talented — as a jazz musician, memoirist and novelist — it’s almost annoying! But this book is so good and so special you have to forgive him. It’s set among fictionalized Black and Jewish residents in Pottstown, Pa., in the 1920s and ’30s, where a Jewish couple runs a theater and grocery store and a Black couple who works for them asks their help to care for a young deaf boy whom the authorities want to institutionalize. McBride somehow intertwines their stories in a way that is intricate and heartwarming without ever being cloying, and that still manages to be hilarious too. At a time when there is so much tension and hatred in the world, this story is a reminder of how love, respect and courage really can overcome evil.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Michel Martin, host, ‘Morning Edition’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939047\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 830px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939047\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM.png\" alt=\"A blue and red book cover.\" width=\"830\" height=\"1210\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM.png 830w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM-800x1166.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.18.45-PM-768x1120.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘I Have Some Questions for You’ by Rebecca Makkai. \u003ccite>(Viking)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>I Have Some Questions for You \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Rebecca Makkai\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The stories we tell ourselves about our childhoods are often only partially true — tales we invent to make our youthful experiences make sense. But what happens when you revisit a foundational story and begin to unpack it? What happens when you realize that the people you once trusted were inventing tales of their own? This book follows a woman who travels back to teach a class at the boarding school she once attended — and to revisit the circumstances under which her former roommate died while they were at school. It’s an eerie look at how race and gender and youth shape our perceptions of guilt and innocence, and a story that reminds us that it takes more than one bad guy to get away with murder.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Leah Donnella, senior editor, ‘Code Switch’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939048\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 774px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939048\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.20.39-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring the black and white profile of a white woman wearing a heavy coat.\" width=\"774\" height=\"1104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.20.39-PM.png 774w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.20.39-PM-160x228.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.20.39-PM-768x1095.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 774px) 100vw, 774px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Postcard’ by Anne Berest, translated by Tina Kover. \u003ccite>(Europa Editions)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Postcard\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by Anne Berest, translated by Tina Kover\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An unsigned postcard with the names of relatives killed in the Holocaust arrives at her mother’s home; finding out who sent it and why leads the author to learn about her family history and her own identity. Anne Berest describes this as a “true novel” because all of the events in it are true — a result of her meticulous investigation into her family history — but she wrote it like fiction, changing the names of people who harmed her family so their descendants don’t suffer today and imagining characters’ thoughts. Berest’s story is specific, but there are themes in this book anyone can identify with — that history and bias are ever-present when we dig just a little, that how people see us may be so different from how we see ourselves, and that even relatives we never met influence the way we are.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Isabel Lara, chief communications officer\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939049\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939049\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM.png\" alt=\"A small wooden house stands beneath tall willow trees.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM-800x1165.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.23.09-PM-768x1118.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Reformatory’ by Tananarive Due. \u003ccite>(Gallery/Saga Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Reformatory\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by Tananarive Due\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s hard to dream up something more terrifying than real history, and Tananarive Due doesn’t try. Instead, she uses elements of the spiritual and supernatural to enhance a setting already dripping with horror — a reform school (based on a real place) where young boys are sent to repent for their youthful misdeeds. The book takes place in 1950s Florida, and the protagonist is Robbie, a young Black boy navigating racism and ghosts alike. But though the world he inhabits is often cruel and terrifying, Robbie’s story is also propelled by community, persistence, creativity and love.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Leah Donnella, senior editor, ‘Code Switch’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939050\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939050\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an illustration of tree limbs and a partial tree trunk.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1212\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM-800x1163.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM-160x233.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.26.53-PM-768x1116.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Vaster Wilds’ by Lauren Groff. \u003ccite>(Riverhead Books)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Vaster Wilds \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by Lauren Groff\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In 17th century Colonial Virginia, a young servant girl escapes a famine-torn settlement to flee into the sprawling, punishing wilderness beyond. In her fifth novel, Lauren Groff, an author whose prose imbues even the most mundane with magic, crafts a tale that transcends genre. Part historical, part horror, part breathless thriller, part wilderness survival tale, \u003cem>The Vaster Wilds\u003c/em> is a story about the lengths to which we will go to stay alive.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Emma Choi, social media coordinator and producer, ‘Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!’\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939037\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1687px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939037\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A book cover featyring an illustration of a clipper ship tilted on its side during a storm.\" width=\"1687\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-scaled.jpg 1687w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-800x1214.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-1020x1548.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-160x243.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-768x1165.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-1012x1536.jpg 1012w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/9780385534260-4-1_custom-d9798e84db92dea24f1765ef75beaa709c4f097b-1350x2048.jpg 1350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1687px) 100vw, 1687px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Grann’s latest book, ‘The Wager,’ is set to be released on April 18. \u003ccite>(Doubleday)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong> by David Grann\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Wager\u003c/em> is an exhaustively researched and thrilling account of a long-forgotten, 18th century calamity at sea. Unlike Herman Melville’s or Patrick O’Brian’s nautical adventures, which I also love, this historical narrative isn’t just based on a true story — it really is one, despite extremes of psychology and nature that make the recounted events almost unbelievable. That’s part of why reading it felt like getting swept away by a hurricane-force gale, as journalist David Grann laid out the stunning facts and surprises in his deceptively simple and spare writing.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Nell Greenfieldboyce, correspondent, Science Desk \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13939051\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 834px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13939051\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring black eyebrows and eyes wearing cat eyeliner.\" width=\"834\" height=\"1206\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM.png 834w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM-800x1157.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM-160x231.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Screen-Shot-2023-12-06-at-6.29.33-PM-768x1111.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Yellowface’ by R.F. Kuang. \u003ccite>(William Morrow)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Yellowface \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cstrong>by R.F. Kuang\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“Nail-biting thriller about the world of book publishing” is not a phrase I ever expected to use. But that’s what this book is, with the added dimension of a toxic friendship, an identity thief and, of course, some racebending. The story is glossy and fun but tackles some very serious ideas — like who owns history, what it means to grieve and where the line is between appreciation, appropriation and outright thievery. This one is hard to put down — as baffling and often pernicious as the narrator’s decisions sometimes are, I found myself unable to stop hoping, desperately, that she would eventually find the light.\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>— Leah Donnella, senior editor, \u003c/em>Code Switch\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>This is just a fraction of the 380+ titles we included in \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Books We Love\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong> this year. \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2023\">\u003cem>\u003cstrong>Click here to check out this year’s titles, \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>or browse over 3,600 books from the last 11 years. \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=12+books+that+NPR+critics+and+staff+were+excited+to+share+with+you+in+2023&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/arts/13939025/best-books-of-2023-npr-books-we-love",
"authors": [
"byline_arts_13939025"
],
"programs": [
"arts_140"
],
"categories": [
"arts_1",
"arts_73"
],
"tags": [
"arts_19375",
"arts_585"
],
"affiliates": [
"arts_137"
],
"featImg": "arts_13939026",
"label": "arts_140"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"radioSearchSegmentsReducer": {},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/arts?category=literature": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 324,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 1917,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"arts_13950698",
"arts_13950482",
"arts_13950449",
"arts_13940524",
"arts_13940276",
"arts_13940133",
"arts_13939895",
"arts_13939590",
"arts_13939264",
"arts_13939131",
"arts_13939092",
"arts_13939025"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts_category_literature": {
"isLoading": true
},
"arts_73": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_73",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "73",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Books",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Books Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 74,
"slug": "literature",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/literature"
},
"source_arts_13940133": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13940133",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Food",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/food",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_arts_13939590": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_arts_13939590",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "Food",
"link": "/food/",
"isLoading": false
},
"arts_1": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1,
"slug": "arts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/arts"
},
"arts_75": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_75",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "75",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Pop Culture",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Pop Culture Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 76,
"slug": "popculture",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/popculture"
},
"arts_9943": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_9943",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "9943",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Awards",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Awards Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 9955,
"slug": "awards",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/awards"
},
"arts_21882": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21882",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21882",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Dave Eggers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Dave Eggers Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21894,
"slug": "dave-eggers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/dave-eggers"
},
"arts_137": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_137",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "137",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2014/04/logo-npr-lg1.png",
"name": "NPR",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "affiliate",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "NPR Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 138,
"slug": "npr",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/affiliate/npr"
},
"arts_140": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_140",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "140",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "The Do List",
"slug": "the-do-list",
"taxonomy": "program",
"description": null,
"featImg": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/11/The-Do-LIst-logo-2014-horizontal-015.png",
"headData": {
"title": "The Do List Archives | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 141,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/program/the-do-list"
},
"arts_74": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_74",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "74",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Movies",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Movies Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 75,
"slug": "movies",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/movies"
},
"arts_3850": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3850",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3850",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "ava duvernay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "ava duvernay Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3862,
"slug": "ava-duvernay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/ava-duvernay"
},
"arts_585": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_585",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "585",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "thedolist",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "thedolist Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 590,
"slug": "thedolist",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/thedolist"
},
"arts_928": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_928",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "928",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "books",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "books Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 946,
"slug": "books",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/books"
},
"arts_10278": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_10278",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "10278",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10290,
"slug": "featured-arts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/featured-arts"
},
"arts_1143": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1143",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1143",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oakland Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 692,
"slug": "oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/oakland"
},
"arts_3797": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3797",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3797",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sci-fi",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sci-fi Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3809,
"slug": "sci-fi",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/sci-fi"
},
"arts_769": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_769",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "769",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "review",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "review Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 787,
"slug": "review",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/review"
},
"arts_12276": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_12276",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "12276",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Explore the Bay Area culinary scene through KQED's food stories, recipes, dining experiences, and stories from the diverse tastemakers that define the Bay's cuisines.",
"title": "Bay Area Food Archives, Articles, News, and Reviews | KQED",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 12288,
"slug": "food",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/food"
},
"arts_4672": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_4672",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "4672",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Asian American",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Asian American Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4684,
"slug": "asian-american",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/asian-american"
},
"arts_7446": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_7446",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "7446",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "book review",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"socialTitle": "Bay Area's Literary Lens: KQED Unpacks Top Reads & Hidden Gems",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Bay Area's literary scene comes alive on KQED! Dive into reviews of local authors, uncover regional voices, and explore themes that resonate with the Bay Area.",
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "index",
"title": "Bay Area's Literary Lens: KQED Unpacks Top Reads & Hidden Gems",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 7458,
"slug": "book-review",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/book-review"
},
"arts_1683": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1683",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1683",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "childrens books",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "childrens books Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1695,
"slug": "childrens-books",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/childrens-books"
},
"arts_21727": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21727",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21727",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "chinese food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "chinese food Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21739,
"slug": "chinese-food",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/chinese-food"
},
"arts_1297": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1297",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1297",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "food Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1309,
"slug": "food",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/food"
},
"arts_15151": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_15151",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "15151",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "taiwanese food",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "taiwanese food Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 15163,
"slug": "taiwanese-food",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/taiwanese-food"
},
"arts_69": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_69",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "69",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Music",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Music Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 70,
"slug": "music",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/music"
},
"arts_990": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_990",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "990",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "TV",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "TV Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1008,
"slug": "tv",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/tv"
},
"arts_3837": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3837",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3837",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "podcasts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "podcasts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3849,
"slug": "podcasts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/podcasts"
},
"arts_16106": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_16106",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "16106",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "cookbook",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "cookbook Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16118,
"slug": "cookbook",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/cookbook"
},
"arts_1496": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1496",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1496",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Poetry",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Poetry Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1508,
"slug": "poetry",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/poetry"
},
"arts_10629": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_10629",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "10629",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Graphic Novels",
"slug": "graphic-novels",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Graphic Novels | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 10641,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/graphic-novels"
},
"arts_3226": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3226",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3226",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "LGBTQ+",
"slug": "lgbtq",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "LGBTQ+ | KQED Arts",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 3238,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/lgbtq"
},
"arts_702": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_702",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "702",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "transgender",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "transgender Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 713,
"slug": "transgender",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/transgender"
},
"arts_2303": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2303",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2303",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Commentary",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Commentary Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2315,
"slug": "commentary",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/commentary"
},
"arts_76": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_76",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "76",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Fashion/Design",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Fashion/Design Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 77,
"slug": "design",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/design"
},
"arts_13238": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_13238",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "13238",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Sports",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Sports Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 13250,
"slug": "sports",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/sports"
},
"arts_70": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_70",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "70",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Visual Arts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Visual Arts Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 71,
"slug": "visualarts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/category/visualarts"
},
"arts_11374": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_11374",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "11374",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "arts-featured",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "arts-featured Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 11386,
"slug": "arts-featured",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/arts-featured"
},
"arts_6425": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_6425",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "6425",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "bandcamp",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "bandcamp Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6437,
"slug": "bandcamp",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/bandcamp"
},
"arts_21777": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_21777",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "21777",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "best of 2023",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "best of 2023 Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21789,
"slug": "best-of-2023",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/best-of-2023"
},
"arts_10342": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_10342",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "10342",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "editorspick",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "editorspick Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 10354,
"slug": "editorspick",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/editorspick"
},
"arts_5544": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_5544",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "5544",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "movie theaters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "movie theaters Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 5556,
"slug": "movie-theaters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/movie-theaters"
},
"arts_1551": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1551",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1551",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "oakland a's",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "oakland a's Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1563,
"slug": "oakland-as",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/oakland-as"
},
"arts_2137": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_2137",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "2137",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "social media",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "social media Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2149,
"slug": "social-media",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/social-media"
},
"arts_3026": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_3026",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "3026",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Taylor Swift",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Taylor Swift Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3038,
"slug": "taylor-swift",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/taylor-swift"
},
"arts_1553": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_1553",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "1553",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "twitter",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "twitter Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1565,
"slug": "twitter",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/twitter"
},
"arts_19375": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts_19375",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "arts",
"id": "19375",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "2023",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "2023 Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19387,
"slug": "2023",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/arts/tag/2023"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
