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"content": "\u003cp>In April of last year, the normally business-friendly Santa Rosa City Council did something unusual: it voted to eliminate part of Mendocino Avenue — which since the mid-1960s had bisected the city’s central plaza, Old Courthouse Square, with heavy traffic — and decided to \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/notes/gabe-meline/the-calm-of-courthouse-square/10154599805953660/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">replace it with grass, benches, public art and open space\u003c/a>. The project’s vision veers even further from car-first: “Reunifying Courthouse Square is about building an urban park and a gathering space in the heart of Santa Rosa,” reads the \u003ca href=\"http://srcity.org/1385/Old-Courthouse-Square-Master-Plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">master plan\u003c/a>. “We are not building a parking lot.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It might be a while before Santa Rosa turns into Greenwich Village. But the ideas reflected by the Santa Rosa City Council run deep; historically, culturally, and democratically. At a time when profits are valued over social concerns, and the internet acts like a vacuum cleaner on people’s brains, the concepts of public gathering, quiet contemplation, simple play, and moving through fresh air become more and more radical. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/hot-days-and-summer-nights-guide-2017/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-13376303\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px.jpg 300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, the Bay Area has a nice array of public squares in which to sit, think, and stroll—essentially, to challenge yourself to do “nothing.” What is nothing? How much nothing is it possible to do? (Answer: nothing is nothing. Go sit in a park and chew on it.) A wonderful amount of said nothing may be done at one or all of these epic public squares. Sure, have some ice cream in Healdsburg or pizza in Santa Rosa if you want, but also consider that it’s possible to enjoy public space, reimagine the city and appreciate your fellow individuals, all without spending a dime. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13489031\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Healdsburg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13489031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Healdsburg \u003ccite>(Clay Gilliland/Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Healdsburg Plaza\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Healdsburg\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Travel and Leisure\u003c/em> magazine recently named Healdsburg’s plaza one of America’s Most Beautiful Town Squares. That may be because, while some North Americans still have a hard time with relaxation, immigrants from former Spanish colonial cities can show us proper square lounging, picnicking, and strolling. In Mexico, particularly, people have skillfully taken up the ways of long-ago European invaders, who brought \u003cem>platz\u003c/em> and \u003cem>plaza\u003c/em> with them (think Puebla or Oaxaca). In Healdsburg, residents from many different places and their descendants can be seen meditating, philosophizing, socializing, and watching their children tire themselves out quite often, in ways uptight Americans haven’t quite caught onto yet. (Fellow uptight Americans, we must put our shoulder to the wheel on this one. Let’s plaza better!) \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Healdsburg Plaza has a secret, too, according to \u003ca href=\"http://www.janejacobswalk.org/about-jane-jacobs-walk/meet-jane-jacobs/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">journalist Jane Jacobs\u003c/a>: “Good small parks typically have a place somewhere within them commonly understood to be the center.” Although a visitor may never consciously notice the gazebo, she says, it creates a circle around itself, which often incongruously doubles as “a circular arena, a theater in the round, and that is how it is used, with complete confusion as to who are spectators and who are the show.” Unconscious, controlled chaos: not available online.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13489185\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Portsmouth Square\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13489185\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica.jpg 1632w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Portsmouth Square \u003ccite>(Hiya Swanhuyser)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Portsmouth Square\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>San Francisco\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Portsmouth Square is the heart of Chinatown and the historical root of San Francisco. It’s also alive night and day, a quality Jane Jacobs emphasizes particularly in \u003cem>The Death and The Life of Great American Cities\u003c/em>: “The basic requisite (for the health and safety of a given district) is a substantial quantity of stores and other public places sprinkled along the sidewalks of a district; enterprises and public places that are used by evening and night must be among them especially.” More symbolically, the square is also watched over by the Goddess of Democracy, a replica of the original which stood in Tiananmen Square — another crucial public square. Portsmouth’s multi-level, multicultural square even has a little skyway, unique in the region, which connects it to the Chinese Cultural Center. First known as Yerba Buena Plaza (which I can personally date to 1836, but which may have been there even longer), Portsmouth Square is awash in historical markers: one in memorial to Robert Louis Stevenson, one for the first U.S. flag hoisted in San Francisco, and one honoring the very first California public school, opened on the square’s southwest corner. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/portsmouth-square-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted many times\u003c/a>, people play games here. A recent visit confirmed this: throughout the park were a dozen or so knots of people gathered to play cards. Upturned cardboard boxes served as tables, and plastic juice bottles (mango a popular choice) held down the discard pile. Players seemed to have brought camp chairs, but many also perched on low cement walls. One group of intense young white people ran around strafing one another with paint guns, screaming “I got you!” And of course, women practiced tai chi. Is there any organized public activity with so many contradictions? (The group I saw was particularly graceful and synchronized, but I get it: if it’s your mom in there, it can look awkward. On the other hand, tai chi is slowed down kung fu, so it has some badass characteristics as well. And staying healthy, while connecting with your neighbors, for free? That’s downright activist. It’s like, cool, yet also the definition of uncool. But I digress. If you think you’ll need to sit and ponder all this, I suggest the pedestrian walkway’s large benches, which are sometimes wind-sheltered, and are often surprisingly quiet and calm.)\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13489035\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-800x593.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"593\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13489035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-800x593.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-768x569.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-1020x756.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-1180x875.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-960x712.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-240x178.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-375x278.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-520x385.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sonoma City Hall \u003ccite>(Cory Maylett/Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Sonoma Plaza\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Sonoma\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>It’s hyper-gentrified, yes, but this gorgeous square is a wine country icon. Some critics have complained that it’s too big. At eight acres, it’s the biggest public square in the state. (Critics can go to Healdsburg if that’s their issue — it’s little over one acre.) Sonoma’s public square is surrounded by amazing old buildings, contains several different fountains, and has a solid birding community, who offer a \u003ca href=\"http://www.sonomabirding.com/sonoma-plaza-tree-tour/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">self-guided tree tour\u003c/a>. It’s a lot like Healdsburg’s plaza, except Sonoma’s plaza hosts the Sonoma International Film Festival at the Sebastiani Theater, right on the square! Yeah! (And Healdsburg thinks it’s so great with its fancy magazine awards.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seriously though, it can be a little difficult to be a true buy-nothing meanderer here, because the town of Sonoma is really good at separating fools from their money. The square is: a) enchanting and b) incredibly expensive. Good luck not blowing your paycheck out there.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13489228\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Courthouse Square\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13489228\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street.jpg 1632w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Courthouse Square \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Courthouse Square\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Santa Rosa\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Town squares in California are mostly historic, so by their nature they’re a collision of old and new. Santa Rosa’s newly and wholeheartedly reunited Courthouse Square is no exception. On a recent afternoon, few people used the square, although ten or so youngish visitors, traveling in pods of two or three, seemed to be playing an app form of geocaching. It’s very flat, as disgruntled locals have pointed out. It’s small, and with the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/06/09/ruth-asawa-fountain-delicately-removed-preserved-in-santa-rosa/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ruth Asawa fountain not yet re-installed\u003c/a>, a bunch of mature trees removed, and a lot of level cement and grass, it feels odd, for sure. But the city is behind the square 100 percent, which is good, and its leaders seem to have plans for the future. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the recent grand opening ceremony, Mayor Chris Coursey pointed out that the project and its singular design didn’t just spring out of nowhere. “This has been a community effort for a quarter of a century,” he told the crowd, “and it needs to be recognized as a community accomplishment.” Personally, I notice the square is midway between the movie theater and a new, huge (like Midwest-huge) pizza restaurant, and figure that in addition to everything else, Santa Rosa teenagers now have a reliable, simple, potentially cheap, and seriously fun date night all mapped out. Maybe that isn’t activism, exactly, but making central spaces public for older kids points right at a healthy city, if you ask me. No need to take my word for it, though: local historian Gaye LeBaron spoke at the opening ceremonies as well, and pointed out that Julio Carrillo, the son of Spanish settlers and the city’s “first citizen” (except for, you know, the Bitakomtara Pomo) who helped plot out the city in the 1800s, thought there “Should be a plaza in the middle, in the Spanish tradition, and ‘A place to promenade on summer Saturday evenings.’”\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In April of last year, the normally business-friendly Santa Rosa City Council did something unusual: it voted to eliminate part of Mendocino Avenue — which since the mid-1960s had bisected the city’s central plaza, Old Courthouse Square, with heavy traffic — and decided to \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/notes/gabe-meline/the-calm-of-courthouse-square/10154599805953660/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">replace it with grass, benches, public art and open space\u003c/a>. The project’s vision veers even further from car-first: “Reunifying Courthouse Square is about building an urban park and a gathering space in the heart of Santa Rosa,” reads the \u003ca href=\"http://srcity.org/1385/Old-Courthouse-Square-Master-Plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">master plan\u003c/a>. “We are not building a parking lot.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It might be a while before Santa Rosa turns into Greenwich Village. But the ideas reflected by the Santa Rosa City Council run deep; historically, culturally, and democratically. At a time when profits are valued over social concerns, and the internet acts like a vacuum cleaner on people’s brains, the concepts of public gathering, quiet contemplation, simple play, and moving through fresh air become more and more radical. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/hot-days-and-summer-nights-guide-2017/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-13376303\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px.jpg 300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, the Bay Area has a nice array of public squares in which to sit, think, and stroll—essentially, to challenge yourself to do “nothing.” What is nothing? How much nothing is it possible to do? (Answer: nothing is nothing. Go sit in a park and chew on it.) A wonderful amount of said nothing may be done at one or all of these epic public squares. Sure, have some ice cream in Healdsburg or pizza in Santa Rosa if you want, but also consider that it’s possible to enjoy public space, reimagine the city and appreciate your fellow individuals, all without spending a dime. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13489031\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Healdsburg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13489031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Healdsburg_Califirnia_8526213231-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Healdsburg \u003ccite>(Clay Gilliland/Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Healdsburg Plaza\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Healdsburg\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Travel and Leisure\u003c/em> magazine recently named Healdsburg’s plaza one of America’s Most Beautiful Town Squares. That may be because, while some North Americans still have a hard time with relaxation, immigrants from former Spanish colonial cities can show us proper square lounging, picnicking, and strolling. In Mexico, particularly, people have skillfully taken up the ways of long-ago European invaders, who brought \u003cem>platz\u003c/em> and \u003cem>plaza\u003c/em> with them (think Puebla or Oaxaca). In Healdsburg, residents from many different places and their descendants can be seen meditating, philosophizing, socializing, and watching their children tire themselves out quite often, in ways uptight Americans haven’t quite caught onto yet. (Fellow uptight Americans, we must put our shoulder to the wheel on this one. Let’s plaza better!) \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Healdsburg Plaza has a secret, too, according to \u003ca href=\"http://www.janejacobswalk.org/about-jane-jacobs-walk/meet-jane-jacobs/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">journalist Jane Jacobs\u003c/a>: “Good small parks typically have a place somewhere within them commonly understood to be the center.” Although a visitor may never consciously notice the gazebo, she says, it creates a circle around itself, which often incongruously doubles as “a circular arena, a theater in the round, and that is how it is used, with complete confusion as to who are spectators and who are the show.” Unconscious, controlled chaos: not available online.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13489185\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Portsmouth Square\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13489185\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Portsmouth-Square-Transamerica.jpg 1632w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Portsmouth Square \u003ccite>(Hiya Swanhuyser)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Portsmouth Square\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>San Francisco\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Portsmouth Square is the heart of Chinatown and the historical root of San Francisco. It’s also alive night and day, a quality Jane Jacobs emphasizes particularly in \u003cem>The Death and The Life of Great American Cities\u003c/em>: “The basic requisite (for the health and safety of a given district) is a substantial quantity of stores and other public places sprinkled along the sidewalks of a district; enterprises and public places that are used by evening and night must be among them especially.” More symbolically, the square is also watched over by the Goddess of Democracy, a replica of the original which stood in Tiananmen Square — another crucial public square. Portsmouth’s multi-level, multicultural square even has a little skyway, unique in the region, which connects it to the Chinese Cultural Center. First known as Yerba Buena Plaza (which I can personally date to 1836, but which may have been there even longer), Portsmouth Square is awash in historical markers: one in memorial to Robert Louis Stevenson, one for the first U.S. flag hoisted in San Francisco, and one honoring the very first California public school, opened on the square’s southwest corner. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.yelp.com/biz/portsmouth-square-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">noted many times\u003c/a>, people play games here. A recent visit confirmed this: throughout the park were a dozen or so knots of people gathered to play cards. Upturned cardboard boxes served as tables, and plastic juice bottles (mango a popular choice) held down the discard pile. Players seemed to have brought camp chairs, but many also perched on low cement walls. One group of intense young white people ran around strafing one another with paint guns, screaming “I got you!” And of course, women practiced tai chi. Is there any organized public activity with so many contradictions? (The group I saw was particularly graceful and synchronized, but I get it: if it’s your mom in there, it can look awkward. On the other hand, tai chi is slowed down kung fu, so it has some badass characteristics as well. And staying healthy, while connecting with your neighbors, for free? That’s downright activist. It’s like, cool, yet also the definition of uncool. But I digress. If you think you’ll need to sit and ponder all this, I suggest the pedestrian walkway’s large benches, which are sometimes wind-sheltered, and are often surprisingly quiet and calm.)\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13489035\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-800x593.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"593\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13489035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-800x593.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-768x569.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-1020x756.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-1180x875.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-960x712.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-240x178.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-375x278.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall-520x385.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Sonoma_City_Hall.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sonoma City Hall \u003ccite>(Cory Maylett/Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Sonoma Plaza\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Sonoma\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>It’s hyper-gentrified, yes, but this gorgeous square is a wine country icon. Some critics have complained that it’s too big. At eight acres, it’s the biggest public square in the state. (Critics can go to Healdsburg if that’s their issue — it’s little over one acre.) Sonoma’s public square is surrounded by amazing old buildings, contains several different fountains, and has a solid birding community, who offer a \u003ca href=\"http://www.sonomabirding.com/sonoma-plaza-tree-tour/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">self-guided tree tour\u003c/a>. It’s a lot like Healdsburg’s plaza, except Sonoma’s plaza hosts the Sonoma International Film Festival at the Sebastiani Theater, right on the square! Yeah! (And Healdsburg thinks it’s so great with its fancy magazine awards.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seriously though, it can be a little difficult to be a true buy-nothing meanderer here, because the town of Sonoma is really good at separating fools from their money. The square is: a) enchanting and b) incredibly expensive. Good luck not blowing your paycheck out there.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13489228\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Courthouse Square\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13489228\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/Courthouse-Square-Fourth-Street.jpg 1632w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Courthouse Square \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Courthouse Square\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Santa Rosa\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Town squares in California are mostly historic, so by their nature they’re a collision of old and new. Santa Rosa’s newly and wholeheartedly reunited Courthouse Square is no exception. On a recent afternoon, few people used the square, although ten or so youngish visitors, traveling in pods of two or three, seemed to be playing an app form of geocaching. It’s very flat, as disgruntled locals have pointed out. It’s small, and with the \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/06/09/ruth-asawa-fountain-delicately-removed-preserved-in-santa-rosa/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ruth Asawa fountain not yet re-installed\u003c/a>, a bunch of mature trees removed, and a lot of level cement and grass, it feels odd, for sure. But the city is behind the square 100 percent, which is good, and its leaders seem to have plans for the future. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the recent grand opening ceremony, Mayor Chris Coursey pointed out that the project and its singular design didn’t just spring out of nowhere. “This has been a community effort for a quarter of a century,” he told the crowd, “and it needs to be recognized as a community accomplishment.” Personally, I notice the square is midway between the movie theater and a new, huge (like Midwest-huge) pizza restaurant, and figure that in addition to everything else, Santa Rosa teenagers now have a reliable, simple, potentially cheap, and seriously fun date night all mapped out. Maybe that isn’t activism, exactly, but making central spaces public for older kids points right at a healthy city, if you ask me. No need to take my word for it, though: local historian Gaye LeBaron spoke at the opening ceremonies as well, and pointed out that Julio Carrillo, the son of Spanish settlers and the city’s “first citizen” (except for, you know, the Bitakomtara Pomo) who helped plot out the city in the 1800s, thought there “Should be a plaza in the middle, in the Spanish tradition, and ‘A place to promenade on summer Saturday evenings.’”\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "lets-drink-scenic-water-fountains-and-why-its-radical-to-use-them",
"title": "Let’s Drink: Scenic Water Fountains and Why It’s Radical to Use Them",
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"content": "\u003cp>In 2005, Nestlé Group CEO Peter Brabeck was filmed saying, “The one opinion [is that] water is a public right. That as a human being you should have a right to water. That’s an extreme solution. And the other says that … it should have a market value.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the clip of his statement hit the internet, people freaked out, and then got to thinking about single-use bottles of water. They’re made of oil, they don’t biodegrade, and they cost money — ridiculous when you consider that people already pay taxes for water infrastructure. Since that realization, there have been some awesome changes: now lots of people carry reusable water bottles, and bottle-filling stations are popping up all over. And as the American public learned from the water protectors of the Standing Rock Lakota and Dakota last year: Mni Wiconi! Water Is Life!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/hot-days-and-summer-nights-guide-2017/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-13376303\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px.jpg 300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thus, in your ongoing fight for your right to water, consider the humble water fountain. While on the surface they’re wildly uninteresting, drinking fountains steadfastly represent the idea that water is free and a human right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Wait,” you may be thinking. “Drinking fountains are dirty.” People think this, and say it, all the time. “Drinking fountains.” “Are dirty.” Only… they’re not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Between 1971 and 2006, over 80 percent of deficiencies connected to drinking water-related outbreaks in the United States were caused by broad, systemic problems,” not site-specific contamination, wrote Rapichan Phurisamban and Peter Gleick in their \u003ca href=\"http://pacinst.org/publication/drinking-fountains-public-health-improving-national-water-infrastructure-rebuild-trust-ensure-access/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2017 study for the Pacific Institute\u003c/a>, a global water think tank.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s nerd-speak for “drinking fountains aren’t dirty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The authors recommended a large increase in the number of public drinking fountains, partly to solve the problem of single-use bottles. So in a virtual trip around the Bay Area, let’s go out and find a few — with awesome views.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13377121\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Some dudes walking by a fountain at Mt. Tamalpais\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13377121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some dudes walking by a fountain at Mt. Tamalpais \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A Coterie of Drinking Fountains on Top of Mt. Tamalpais\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The drinking fountain scene at Mt. Tam is off the hook! It’s a clean, free-hydration festival up there. Visitors can choose between the awkwardly charming rockwork one, which faces the always-closed visitor center and features a vintage pet-watering setup (a metal bowl set under an ankle-level hose bib — rustic!) Or there’s a classic Haws stainless duo with great water pressure overlooking the trailhead, though you may have to fight a bike guy to get to it (in my mind, that’s a bonus). For the iconoclast, there’s even a hard-to-carbon-date green metal fountain by the awesome Gravity Car museum. Again, great water pressure, with a view of, to be honest, some oak trees, but only a few steps away the stunningly verdant Marin woods.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13377122\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain at the SF Zoo, not a giraffe butt in sight\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13377122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fountain at the SF Zoo, not a giraffe butt in sight \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Drinking Fountain From Which You Can See A Giraffe’s Butt\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>I swear you can see a whole series of very tall butts while actually drinking from this fountain. They’re animals, though, so of course they moved as soon as I took this picture. Point is, there are drinking fountains all over the zoo, and it means you can go there with as many children as you want, as most people do. Zoos are complicated, and not all the animals at the San Francisco Zoo look happy, or as if they have enough room to replicate their natural habitat. But on the other hand, it’s completely spectacular to actually see a lion, tiger, or bear. Or a yawning hippo, an actual yawning hippo. Or there’s the animals who \u003cem>do\u003c/em> look happy, smug even, like the lemurs, who loll around in the largest outdoor lemur forest in the U.S. While you’re drinking the water, looking at the giraffe’s butt, remember: don’t taunt the animals.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13377127\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain at Ocean Beach\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13377127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fountain at Ocean Beach \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Drinking Fountain on the Great Highway\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Beach drinking fountains are typically not that glamorous. In that way they’re a lot like their buddies, beach bathrooms. However — and I’m sorry to do this to you — but try to imagine life without them. Imagine no bathrooms or free drinking water at the beach. It’s not pretty. But if that would-be evil overlord at Nestlé and his cronies (who could they be?) have their way, beach drinking fountains and and all other drinking fountains could go the way of the federally funded highway rest stop. You know, the kind that always had drinking fountains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahem, where were we? Oh right: at the drinking fountain in the Ocean Beach parking lot at Sloat. This is a 1980s-type cement model, as grey as the sky, and intermittently covered in beige pebbling. And here’s the thing: It doesn’t work. Although a recent independent investigation by a passing family and dog showed clearly that water was leaking all over the place, neither this stalwart fountain, standing ever ready to serve, nor its trusty upstanding partner the beach shower/foot rinsing station are functional. The shower is even capped. As we can imagine the thirsty Black Lab in this investigation was thinking, “WTH?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If anyone finds a drinking fountain out of order in San Francisco, they should contact the official city get-‘er-done service, 311! Phone (415) 701-2311 or reach out on the web at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf311.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sf311.org\u003c/a>. Plus, there’s a mobile app everybody should have anyway.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13377123\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Putting the fountain near Rodeo Beach to use\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13377123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Putting the fountain near Rodeo Beach to use \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Drinking Fountain Between Rodeo Beach and Battery Townley Out at the Marin Headlands\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Press button *first*, then put face down. Because wind, see photograph. Here’s me trying to fill my water bottle before I walk up to the industrial-chic Bond-villian-checkpoint-style 16-inch caliber gun’s home known as Battery Townsley, part of Fort Cronkhite. In the 1930s, there were two of these monsters, “each capable of shooting a 2,100 pound projectile 25 miles out to sea.” Now it’s just a real nice place to take a steep hike. When this photo was taken, I had already put face down, then pressed button, confident about which way the dumb water would relate to the air around it and to my face. I should have known better. Now you know better. Look at the pretty flowers and the ocean at the end of the continent adjacent to this drinking fountain! Don’t look at the “necessary.” Battery Townley has no drinking fountain, FYI. So fill up.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "One way to fight back against water privatization is to notice, use, treasure, and fetish-ize the lowly drinking fountain. Why not add a scenic hike while you're at it? ",
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"title": "Let’s Drink: Scenic Water Fountains and Why It’s Radical to Use Them | KQED",
"description": "One way to fight back against water privatization is to notice, use, treasure, and fetish-ize the lowly drinking fountain. Why not add a scenic hike while you're at it? ",
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"headline": "Let’s Drink: Scenic Water Fountains and Why It’s Radical to Use Them",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In 2005, Nestlé Group CEO Peter Brabeck was filmed saying, “The one opinion [is that] water is a public right. That as a human being you should have a right to water. That’s an extreme solution. And the other says that … it should have a market value.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the clip of his statement hit the internet, people freaked out, and then got to thinking about single-use bottles of water. They’re made of oil, they don’t biodegrade, and they cost money — ridiculous when you consider that people already pay taxes for water infrastructure. Since that realization, there have been some awesome changes: now lots of people carry reusable water bottles, and bottle-filling stations are popping up all over. And as the American public learned from the water protectors of the Standing Rock Lakota and Dakota last year: Mni Wiconi! Water Is Life!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/hot-days-and-summer-nights-guide-2017/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-13376303\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px.jpg 300w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SummerArts2017-300x300px-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thus, in your ongoing fight for your right to water, consider the humble water fountain. While on the surface they’re wildly uninteresting, drinking fountains steadfastly represent the idea that water is free and a human right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Wait,” you may be thinking. “Drinking fountains are dirty.” People think this, and say it, all the time. “Drinking fountains.” “Are dirty.” Only… they’re not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Between 1971 and 2006, over 80 percent of deficiencies connected to drinking water-related outbreaks in the United States were caused by broad, systemic problems,” not site-specific contamination, wrote Rapichan Phurisamban and Peter Gleick in their \u003ca href=\"http://pacinst.org/publication/drinking-fountains-public-health-improving-national-water-infrastructure-rebuild-trust-ensure-access/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2017 study for the Pacific Institute\u003c/a>, a global water think tank.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s nerd-speak for “drinking fountains aren’t dirty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The authors recommended a large increase in the number of public drinking fountains, partly to solve the problem of single-use bottles. So in a virtual trip around the Bay Area, let’s go out and find a few — with awesome views.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13377121\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Some dudes walking by a fountain at Mt. Tamalpais\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13377121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/TamRockFountainPpl-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some dudes walking by a fountain at Mt. Tamalpais \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A Coterie of Drinking Fountains on Top of Mt. Tamalpais\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The drinking fountain scene at Mt. Tam is off the hook! It’s a clean, free-hydration festival up there. Visitors can choose between the awkwardly charming rockwork one, which faces the always-closed visitor center and features a vintage pet-watering setup (a metal bowl set under an ankle-level hose bib — rustic!) Or there’s a classic Haws stainless duo with great water pressure overlooking the trailhead, though you may have to fight a bike guy to get to it (in my mind, that’s a bonus). For the iconoclast, there’s even a hard-to-carbon-date green metal fountain by the awesome Gravity Car museum. Again, great water pressure, with a view of, to be honest, some oak trees, but only a few steps away the stunningly verdant Marin woods.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13377122\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain at the SF Zoo, not a giraffe butt in sight\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13377122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-800x800.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-768x768.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-960x960.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-520x520.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/SFZoofountain.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fountain at the SF Zoo, not a giraffe butt in sight \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Drinking Fountain From Which You Can See A Giraffe’s Butt\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>I swear you can see a whole series of very tall butts while actually drinking from this fountain. They’re animals, though, so of course they moved as soon as I took this picture. Point is, there are drinking fountains all over the zoo, and it means you can go there with as many children as you want, as most people do. Zoos are complicated, and not all the animals at the San Francisco Zoo look happy, or as if they have enough room to replicate their natural habitat. But on the other hand, it’s completely spectacular to actually see a lion, tiger, or bear. Or a yawning hippo, an actual yawning hippo. Or there’s the animals who \u003cem>do\u003c/em> look happy, smug even, like the lemurs, who loll around in the largest outdoor lemur forest in the U.S. While you’re drinking the water, looking at the giraffe’s butt, remember: don’t taunt the animals.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13377127\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain at Ocean Beach\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13377127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OceanBeachFountainAlone-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fountain at Ocean Beach \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Drinking Fountain on the Great Highway\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Beach drinking fountains are typically not that glamorous. In that way they’re a lot like their buddies, beach bathrooms. However — and I’m sorry to do this to you — but try to imagine life without them. Imagine no bathrooms or free drinking water at the beach. It’s not pretty. But if that would-be evil overlord at Nestlé and his cronies (who could they be?) have their way, beach drinking fountains and and all other drinking fountains could go the way of the federally funded highway rest stop. You know, the kind that always had drinking fountains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahem, where were we? Oh right: at the drinking fountain in the Ocean Beach parking lot at Sloat. This is a 1980s-type cement model, as grey as the sky, and intermittently covered in beige pebbling. And here’s the thing: It doesn’t work. Although a recent independent investigation by a passing family and dog showed clearly that water was leaking all over the place, neither this stalwart fountain, standing ever ready to serve, nor its trusty upstanding partner the beach shower/foot rinsing station are functional. The shower is even capped. As we can imagine the thirsty Black Lab in this investigation was thinking, “WTH?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If anyone finds a drinking fountain out of order in San Francisco, they should contact the official city get-‘er-done service, 311! Phone (415) 701-2311 or reach out on the web at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf311.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sf311.org\u003c/a>. Plus, there’s a mobile app everybody should have anyway.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13377123\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Putting the fountain near Rodeo Beach to use\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13377123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/BatteryTownsleyFountainHS-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Putting the fountain near Rodeo Beach to use \u003ccite>(Jonathan Hunt)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Drinking Fountain Between Rodeo Beach and Battery Townley Out at the Marin Headlands\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Press button *first*, then put face down. Because wind, see photograph. Here’s me trying to fill my water bottle before I walk up to the industrial-chic Bond-villian-checkpoint-style 16-inch caliber gun’s home known as Battery Townsley, part of Fort Cronkhite. In the 1930s, there were two of these monsters, “each capable of shooting a 2,100 pound projectile 25 miles out to sea.” Now it’s just a real nice place to take a steep hike. When this photo was taken, I had already put face down, then pressed button, confident about which way the dumb water would relate to the air around it and to my face. I should have known better. Now you know better. Look at the pretty flowers and the ocean at the end of the continent adjacent to this drinking fountain! Don’t look at the “necessary.” Battery Townley has no drinking fountain, FYI. So fill up.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "modern-times-may-be-closed-but-ruth-mahaney-aint-goin-nowhere",
"title": "Modern Times May Be Closed, But Ruth Mahaney Ain't Goin' Nowhere",
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"headTitle": "Modern Times May Be Closed, But Ruth Mahaney Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Backstage Heroes is a column by gal-about-town Hiya Swanhuyser spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The death of an independent bookstore is hard to un-see. Standing inside the echoing skeleton of Modern Times Books on 24th Street in late December of 2016, \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/10/11/mission-bookstore-modern-times-to-close-after-45-years-in-operation/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">after the business had officially closed\u003c/a>, the empty space seems to amplify current certainties, and questions: I know who’s been elected President; I know hate crimes are on the rise; I know the incoming political machine has requested lists of names — which scientists worked on climate change? Who in the State Department encouraged gender equality?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The empty bookshelves of Modern Times, taller than any bookshelves I’ve ever had to fully reckon with, might as well be shouting about the future and its many challenges. Basically, I’m freaked out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ruth Mahaney, a Modern Times collective member for 35 years — the democratically run bookstore never had a boss — isn’t freaked out. Even though she’s been sitting in the depressing, mostly empty storefront for weeks now, trying to get rid of the last of the furniture and books, piece by piece, she’s still in practical mode, ever an on-the-fly organizer. (Later, I use my own van to take a desk—the desk over which Modern Times sold books for who knows how many years—to Community Thrift, and even so, I have to sell it a little, giving it a thump, saying “It’s really solid!” before they’ll agree to take it.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12673219\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12673219\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Modern Times in, well, happier times. \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Modern Times in, well, happier times. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Modern Times bookstore.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Everything left at the bookstore is like that: too big to carry, too tall to fit in a regular car, and if no one takes it, Mahaney herself will have to pay for it to be hauled to the dump. She is still, to this bitter end, concerned with keeping as much as possible out of the public landfill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we talk, the bookstore’s double doors are wide open, and conversation, bus noise, and music from passing cars floats through. Every so often, somebody stops at the doorway and shouts in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Man: Hi, are you getting rid of stuff?\u003cbr>\nMahaney: Yeah, everything you see is free. Haul it off on your skateboard!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was the one who was here the longest,” Mahaney tells me of the 45-year-old Modern Times. To give an idea of how much has changed since she first laid eyes on the place, here are some numbers to make you howl in pain: “I moved to San Francisco in September of 1971 and found a three-bedroom apartment for $150 a month, over on 14th near Sanchez.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walking around the neighborhood, she stumbled across “these people who had a big sign on the ground, and they were painting it.” This was Modern Times, and she became a customer of the new bookstore, which began (and, we can say now, ended) as a project of what Mahaney calls “movement people,” or “the left.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What does that mean?” I ask, and I don’t think she likes the question very much. I have the impression I’ve asked a fish to describe water. But it’s only a moment before she ticks off some specifics, not without pride: “It was one of the first bookstores to have a women’s section, and a gay section, and it was very involved in the struggles in Latin America to overthrow dictators and support progressive movements everywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was also a dropoff spot for the Weather Underground, a radical activist group operating in secret, in the early days — Modern Times collective members were once instructed to go to the payphone booth in Dolores Park, under which was taped a package containing the manuscript of one of the group’s then-famous manifestos. Dorothy Allison had her first reading at the 888 Valencia site, Mahaney says. Alice Walker had her first reading at the 17th and Sanchez store, long before she published \u003cem>The Color Purple\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12673220\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12673220\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES.jpg\" alt=\"What the store looked like at its Valencia Street location, from which it relocated to 24th Street in 2011.\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What the store looked like at its Valencia Street location, from which it relocated to 24th Street in 2011. \u003ccite>(Pete Boyd)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ruth Mahaney’s careful haircut, cozy sweater, and “we got this” smile give her the look of a tough grandma, or the feminist professor who always wins the classroom argument with the guy who says “but men are stronger!” In fact, she \u003cem>is\u003c/em> that professor; she teaches LGBT history and culture just up the street at City College. (I intuit the argument-winning part, but trust me.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bookstore has certainly played no small part in her expertise on local history: Modern Times used to be “the place that people would call when there was a demonstration,” she says. “They’d ask where is it, where’s it starting? And in those days, we knew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of those protests happened in 1991, a few days after the Rodney King verdict exonerating the LAPD officers that the whole country had watched beating King on television; it was one of the first citizen-reported stories of police brutality to go viral. Mahaney’s story begins with peaceful gathering of neighbors, then takes a sudden turn to looting Union Square, and ends with a declaration of Martial Law and 6 o’clock curfew, after which anyone outdoors would be subject to arrest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was in hysterics about it,” Mahaney says, surprising me by laughing. “Because later, they announced that anyone out after 6 o’clock would be subject to arrest unless they were going to an expensive restaurant. The Chamber of Commerce got upset, like ‘Hello, this is how we make our money!’ But people going to cheap restaurants were still subject to arrest! This poor guy got arrested when he was going to get his pizza from a pizza place nearby his house. So that night at about 4 o’clock—” And then we’re interrupted by a woman standing in the doorway of Modern Times, looking shellshocked by its empty appearance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Woman: Hi. I’m so sorry.\u003cbr>\nMahaney: Hi. Me too.\u003cbr>\nWoman: I’ll miss you.\u003cbr>\nMahaney: Well. Thank you.\u003cbr>\nWoman: Thank you for being here.\u003cbr>\nMahaney: Thanks!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know the extent of the loss Ruth Mahaney must feel, either emotionally or financially — she was in charge of paying the bills for Modern Times, so she knows exactly what happened — but I’m struck by her incredibly buoyant approach. She anticipates more demonstrations, but also notes she doesn’t walk as easily as she once did. She’ll still be out in the streets fighting injustice, she says, again surprising me by laughing, right in the face of this empty husk of a half-century’s dream, and the sound of her laugh echoes through it. I may be freaked out, but Mahaney’s concerns are brilliantly, bravely practical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There may be limits,” she says, “on how much running from the police I can do!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"Q.Logo.Break\" width=\"800\" height=\"78\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium 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=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Backstage Heroes is a column by gal-about-town Hiya Swanhuyser spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The death of an independent bookstore is hard to un-see. Standing inside the echoing skeleton of Modern Times Books on 24th Street in late December of 2016, \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/10/11/mission-bookstore-modern-times-to-close-after-45-years-in-operation/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">after the business had officially closed\u003c/a>, the empty space seems to amplify current certainties, and questions: I know who’s been elected President; I know hate crimes are on the rise; I know the incoming political machine has requested lists of names — which scientists worked on climate change? Who in the State Department encouraged gender equality?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The empty bookshelves of Modern Times, taller than any bookshelves I’ve ever had to fully reckon with, might as well be shouting about the future and its many challenges. Basically, I’m freaked out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ruth Mahaney, a Modern Times collective member for 35 years — the democratically run bookstore never had a boss — isn’t freaked out. Even though she’s been sitting in the depressing, mostly empty storefront for weeks now, trying to get rid of the last of the furniture and books, piece by piece, she’s still in practical mode, ever an on-the-fly organizer. (Later, I use my own van to take a desk—the desk over which Modern Times sold books for who knows how many years—to Community Thrift, and even so, I have to sell it a little, giving it a thump, saying “It’s really solid!” before they’ll agree to take it.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12673219\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12673219\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Modern Times in, well, happier times. \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/12118987_434235283433575_4553268895729402721_n-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Modern Times in, well, happier times. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Modern Times bookstore.)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Everything left at the bookstore is like that: too big to carry, too tall to fit in a regular car, and if no one takes it, Mahaney herself will have to pay for it to be hauled to the dump. She is still, to this bitter end, concerned with keeping as much as possible out of the public landfill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we talk, the bookstore’s double doors are wide open, and conversation, bus noise, and music from passing cars floats through. Every so often, somebody stops at the doorway and shouts in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Man: Hi, are you getting rid of stuff?\u003cbr>\nMahaney: Yeah, everything you see is free. Haul it off on your skateboard!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was the one who was here the longest,” Mahaney tells me of the 45-year-old Modern Times. To give an idea of how much has changed since she first laid eyes on the place, here are some numbers to make you howl in pain: “I moved to San Francisco in September of 1971 and found a three-bedroom apartment for $150 a month, over on 14th near Sanchez.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walking around the neighborhood, she stumbled across “these people who had a big sign on the ground, and they were painting it.” This was Modern Times, and she became a customer of the new bookstore, which began (and, we can say now, ended) as a project of what Mahaney calls “movement people,” or “the left.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What does that mean?” I ask, and I don’t think she likes the question very much. I have the impression I’ve asked a fish to describe water. But it’s only a moment before she ticks off some specifics, not without pride: “It was one of the first bookstores to have a women’s section, and a gay section, and it was very involved in the struggles in Latin America to overthrow dictators and support progressive movements everywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was also a dropoff spot for the Weather Underground, a radical activist group operating in secret, in the early days — Modern Times collective members were once instructed to go to the payphone booth in Dolores Park, under which was taped a package containing the manuscript of one of the group’s then-famous manifestos. Dorothy Allison had her first reading at the 888 Valencia site, Mahaney says. Alice Walker had her first reading at the 17th and Sanchez store, long before she published \u003cem>The Color Purple\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12673220\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12673220\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES.jpg\" alt=\"What the store looked like at its Valencia Street location, from which it relocated to 24th Street in 2011.\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/01/MODERNTIMES-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">What the store looked like at its Valencia Street location, from which it relocated to 24th Street in 2011. \u003ccite>(Pete Boyd)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ruth Mahaney’s careful haircut, cozy sweater, and “we got this” smile give her the look of a tough grandma, or the feminist professor who always wins the classroom argument with the guy who says “but men are stronger!” In fact, she \u003cem>is\u003c/em> that professor; she teaches LGBT history and culture just up the street at City College. (I intuit the argument-winning part, but trust me.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bookstore has certainly played no small part in her expertise on local history: Modern Times used to be “the place that people would call when there was a demonstration,” she says. “They’d ask where is it, where’s it starting? And in those days, we knew.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of those protests happened in 1991, a few days after the Rodney King verdict exonerating the LAPD officers that the whole country had watched beating King on television; it was one of the first citizen-reported stories of police brutality to go viral. Mahaney’s story begins with peaceful gathering of neighbors, then takes a sudden turn to looting Union Square, and ends with a declaration of Martial Law and 6 o’clock curfew, after which anyone outdoors would be subject to arrest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was in hysterics about it,” Mahaney says, surprising me by laughing. “Because later, they announced that anyone out after 6 o’clock would be subject to arrest unless they were going to an expensive restaurant. The Chamber of Commerce got upset, like ‘Hello, this is how we make our money!’ But people going to cheap restaurants were still subject to arrest! This poor guy got arrested when he was going to get his pizza from a pizza place nearby his house. So that night at about 4 o’clock—” And then we’re interrupted by a woman standing in the doorway of Modern Times, looking shellshocked by its empty appearance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Woman: Hi. I’m so sorry.\u003cbr>\nMahaney: Hi. Me too.\u003cbr>\nWoman: I’ll miss you.\u003cbr>\nMahaney: Well. Thank you.\u003cbr>\nWoman: Thank you for being here.\u003cbr>\nMahaney: Thanks!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I don’t know the extent of the loss Ruth Mahaney must feel, either emotionally or financially — she was in charge of paying the bills for Modern Times, so she knows exactly what happened — but I’m struck by her incredibly buoyant approach. She anticipates more demonstrations, but also notes she doesn’t walk as easily as she once did. She’ll still be out in the streets fighting injustice, she says, again surprising me by laughing, right in the face of this empty husk of a half-century’s dream, and the sound of her laugh echoes through it. I may be freaked out, but Mahaney’s concerns are brilliantly, bravely practical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There may be limits,” she says, “on how much running from the police I can do!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "say-no-to-plastic-earth-friendly-gifts-for-the-intelligent-eater",
"title": "Say No to Plastic: Earth-Friendly Gifts for the Intelligent Eater",
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"content": "\u003cp>At an event in Washington D.C. back in September, an indigenous elder stood in front of a small audience and spoke about a recent visit to the water protectors’ encampment in North Dakota. It was still warm then, and the camps were full of prayer and camaraderie, he said, but the contractors hired to build the pipeline had set dogs loose on the campers just before he arrived. There was a lot of work to do, but he was glad he joined them. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I bet you want to know how you can help,” he said. “And I can tell you one way you can help, right now, right here, and it’s completely free.” The audience, expecting to be asked either to donate money or to travel to the camp, was all ears. “I want everyone here to vow never to touch a plastic bag again. We’re out there protecting the river from a pipeline, right? Plastic comes from oil. And where does it end up? In the water.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/art-nerd-holiday-guide-2016/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016.jpg\" alt=\"art_nerd-holidayguide-2016\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12409450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, the water protectors at Standing Rock have grown in number, but the National Guard has been called in, law enforcement has used water cannons on protestors in freezing weather, and many more people wonder what they can do about it. One thing: swear off plastic. Here are a few ideas for gift-giving that either replace plastic, circumvent it altogether, or just make it a little easier to eat locally and sustainably. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12401992\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Bees Wrap\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12401992\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bees Wrap\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Bees Wrap\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.beeswrap.com/pages/about-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>I like to stand in Rainbow Grocery near the Bees Wrap display and wait. It’s never long before some unsuspecting sustainable-food enthusiast comes along, and when they do I say, “Have you seen this thing? It replaces plastic wrap. And it smells like honey.” I like to tell my fellow shopper how Bees Wrap uses the heat of your hand to help the wax-infused organic cotton conform to the shape of your partially consumed food item or container. (I get a light mist in my eyes at this point.) It creates a seal that’s not airtight but plenty snug, I say, and you will not believe how long bread can last this way. (The total stranger is entirely under my spell at this point.) How long? They ask. Like a week, I say. No, they say. Oh yes, I say, it’s all real. This is no fairy tale. Rapt, the sustainable-food enthusiast will then turn to the display and rub the swatch of demonstration Bees Wrap between their fingers. It really does smell like honey, they say. And I say they just came out with some really cute new patterns in addition to the original dun-and-amber honeycomb print. How do you, my new friend might begin, but I place a finger to my lips and extend a hand to silence them. Soap and water, I say soothingly. Just plain soap and water. The only thing I don’t say while standing there in the aisle is that Bees Wrap is handmade by a group of strong, happy farm women in Heaven, Vermont.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12401993\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Kirk Lombard of Sea Forager Seafood\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12401993\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kirk Lombard of Sea Forager Seafood\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Sea Forager Seafood Community Supported Fish\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.seaforager.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Kirk Lombard is nuts about fishing. He loves eels so much it’s hard to get him to talk about anything else, except night smelts, or cod. Or geoducks— don’t get him started on geoducks, please, for the love of everything good and right in the world, just don’t ask. Lombard is the head fisherman for Sea Forager Seafood, and as a former employee of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission — he was the guy who’d tell you your fish was too small and to throw it back — he’s well aware of just what a person can pull out of local waters to eat, and what should stay in the sea. Lombard’s mania has been harnessed into a sustainable dinner option and cooking challenge called Sea Forager, where foodies sign up to receive a weekly box of fish (“the Slab: strictly fish fillets”) or other treats (“Neptune’s Delight: fillet, shellfish, or whole small fish”), and optional add-ons like sea vegetables including Mendocino kombu, or fresh-milled local Bayview pasta. From a health standpoint, a farming point of view, and taking into account a global-sustainability perspective, getting a subscription is a wise move. So sign up and meet new fish! Learn new dishes! Think of the omega-3s! Just don’t ask Kirk Lombard about geoducks.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12401991\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Food Wheel\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12401991\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Food Wheel\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Local Foods Wheel\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.localfoodswheel.com/northeast-region/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Most food-focused Bay Areans already have one of these simple, artful devices. In case you don’t, the Local Foods Wheel shows what’s in season month by month, as well as what’s sustainable and delicious all year long. The circular two-piece poster revolves around the tack you anchor it with, and what’s really fun is looking ahead, to greedily anticipate the arrival of, say, the Dungeness crab season and citrus glut of December and early January in Northern California. However, California isn’t the only place in the world. The Wheels’ trio of creators also produce Local Foods Wheels for other regions, such as the Northwest, which covers not only Oregon and Washington and their coastal waters but Idaho too, providing information on the wild berries that are found in a state known more for potatoes. The Upper Midwest Wheel covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, where in spite of the rather dire weather, one can eat good seasonal food “even in the winter!” according to the Wheel-makers. Maybe best of all is this: We Californians now have the option to make a gift of the Local Foods Wheel to our relatives in New York City itself. No excuses Big Apple; help your foodie friends in Brooklyn greedily anticipate when maple syrup and wild mushrooms will be in season.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12401990\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-800x1000.jpg\" alt=\"Baggu\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12401990\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-1020x1275.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-1920x2400.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-1180x1475.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-960x1200.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-240x300.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-375x469.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-520x650.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Baggu\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Baggu shopping bags\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"https://baggu.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, it seems that only the incurably contrary are still pulling in favor of free, single-use plastic bags. The rest of us here already own Baggus (or should, soon). The emergent champion in a crowded field of reusable shopping bags, the Baggu is many things to many people. It’s light, it’s compact, it sits well on the shoulder whether it holds two small yogurt cartons or twenty pounds of pie apples. It’s also washable. But Baggu, unlike most reusable-bag outfits, is equal parts ecologically and socially conscious producer and obsessively creative fashion design house. To put it in basic terms, Baggus are SO CUTE YOU GUYS. You can get Standard Baggus ($9) with a Warhol-inspired banana print, a dark blue one with constellations, a white one with black ink-drawings of boobs, or a red one with white foxes. Or stripes. Or watermelons. Or donuts. Alternatively, a wide range of solid colors has you minimalists covered. Like good fashion citizens, Baggu designers sometimes issue limited-edition prints — black with Moon phases, we hardly knew ye! And here’s the thing: In other parts of the country, people sometimes have no idea reusable bags even exist, let alone how fun it is to carry them. Baggu makes Baby Baggus ($7) as well, for smaller items and or for kids.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12409453\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-800x1014.jpg\" alt=\"RSVP Compost Bucket\" width=\"800\" height=\"1014\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12409453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-800x1014.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-160x203.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-768x973.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-1020x1292.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-1180x1495.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-960x1216.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-240x304.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-375x475.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-520x659.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket.jpg 1184w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">RSVP Compost Bucket\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>RSVP Compost bucket\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instacart.com/rainbow-grocery/products/502896-rsvp-stainless-steel-compost-pail-each\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Recently, I found myself in conversation with someone who disdained sturdy countertop compost pails. Really. This misguided eater labored under the impression that disgusting, small, unpleasant receptacles, preferably cracked and mold-stained plastic yogurt containers, were best and most illustrative of an admirably austere lifestyle. Really. And I’m as excited about sustainability one-upmanship as anyone (just ask me about my laundry-to-landscape greywater system), but I have put in long years of composting that involved unnecessary intimacy with biological decay, the kind of intimacy that regularly encompassed four of the five senses. And my commitment to composting — which is, after all, one of the most brilliant things a person can do in this lifetime — is no more or less than it was when I started doing it. I love it! Still, there is no reason to make it into a self-punishment game, and there’s nothing beneficial about gag-inducing sights, smells and sounds from a plastic compost bin. Several years ago I had the good fortune to stay at the home of a well-known performance artist and climate activist, and I was appalled to find their otherwise excellent household suffering from a cracked and mold-stained plastic yogurt container that they used as a compost receptacle. When I returned home, I immediately sent them one of these large, attractive, strong compost pails with features such as replaceable stink filters. The thank-you note I received was joyful, and in essence admitted that this intelligent family had been laboring under the impression that disgusting, small, unpleasant receptacles were best. A real grown-up compost pail, in reality, represents maybe even a greater love of composting than its ancestors; sending the message: “I take composting extremely seriously. It’s not a game to be played with toys. Gaze upon my pail and rejoice.” Buy one for a suffering loved one this holiday season, and free them from their old yogurt container forever.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Here are a few ideas for gift-giving that either replace plastic, circumvent it altogether, or just make it a little easier to eat locally and sustainably.",
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"title": "Say No to Plastic: Earth-Friendly Gifts for the Intelligent Eater | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>At an event in Washington D.C. back in September, an indigenous elder stood in front of a small audience and spoke about a recent visit to the water protectors’ encampment in North Dakota. It was still warm then, and the camps were full of prayer and camaraderie, he said, but the contractors hired to build the pipeline had set dogs loose on the campers just before he arrived. There was a lot of work to do, but he was glad he joined them. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I bet you want to know how you can help,” he said. “And I can tell you one way you can help, right now, right here, and it’s completely free.” The audience, expecting to be asked either to donate money or to travel to the camp, was all ears. “I want everyone here to vow never to touch a plastic bag again. We’re out there protecting the river from a pipeline, right? Plastic comes from oil. And where does it end up? In the water.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/art-nerd-holiday-guide-2016/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016.jpg\" alt=\"art_nerd-holidayguide-2016\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12409450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-160x160.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-240x240.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-375x375.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/Art_Nerd-HolidayGuide-2016-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, the water protectors at Standing Rock have grown in number, but the National Guard has been called in, law enforcement has used water cannons on protestors in freezing weather, and many more people wonder what they can do about it. One thing: swear off plastic. Here are a few ideas for gift-giving that either replace plastic, circumvent it altogether, or just make it a little easier to eat locally and sustainably. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12401992\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Bees Wrap\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12401992\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/BeesWrap18195-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bees Wrap\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Bees Wrap\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.beeswrap.com/pages/about-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>I like to stand in Rainbow Grocery near the Bees Wrap display and wait. It’s never long before some unsuspecting sustainable-food enthusiast comes along, and when they do I say, “Have you seen this thing? It replaces plastic wrap. And it smells like honey.” I like to tell my fellow shopper how Bees Wrap uses the heat of your hand to help the wax-infused organic cotton conform to the shape of your partially consumed food item or container. (I get a light mist in my eyes at this point.) It creates a seal that’s not airtight but plenty snug, I say, and you will not believe how long bread can last this way. (The total stranger is entirely under my spell at this point.) How long? They ask. Like a week, I say. No, they say. Oh yes, I say, it’s all real. This is no fairy tale. Rapt, the sustainable-food enthusiast will then turn to the display and rub the swatch of demonstration Bees Wrap between their fingers. It really does smell like honey, they say. And I say they just came out with some really cute new patterns in addition to the original dun-and-amber honeycomb print. How do you, my new friend might begin, but I place a finger to my lips and extend a hand to silence them. Soap and water, I say soothingly. Just plain soap and water. The only thing I don’t say while standing there in the aisle is that Bees Wrap is handmade by a group of strong, happy farm women in Heaven, Vermont.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12401993\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"Kirk Lombard of Sea Forager Seafood\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12401993\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/KirkCRAB-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kirk Lombard of Sea Forager Seafood\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Sea Forager Seafood Community Supported Fish\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.seaforager.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Kirk Lombard is nuts about fishing. He loves eels so much it’s hard to get him to talk about anything else, except night smelts, or cod. Or geoducks— don’t get him started on geoducks, please, for the love of everything good and right in the world, just don’t ask. Lombard is the head fisherman for Sea Forager Seafood, and as a former employee of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission — he was the guy who’d tell you your fish was too small and to throw it back — he’s well aware of just what a person can pull out of local waters to eat, and what should stay in the sea. Lombard’s mania has been harnessed into a sustainable dinner option and cooking challenge called Sea Forager, where foodies sign up to receive a weekly box of fish (“the Slab: strictly fish fillets”) or other treats (“Neptune’s Delight: fillet, shellfish, or whole small fish”), and optional add-ons like sea vegetables including Mendocino kombu, or fresh-milled local Bayview pasta. From a health standpoint, a farming point of view, and taking into account a global-sustainability perspective, getting a subscription is a wise move. So sign up and meet new fish! Learn new dishes! Think of the omega-3s! Just don’t ask Kirk Lombard about geoducks.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12401991\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Food Wheel\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12401991\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/northwest-wheel-perspective-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Food Wheel\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Local Foods Wheel\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.localfoodswheel.com/northeast-region/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Most food-focused Bay Areans already have one of these simple, artful devices. In case you don’t, the Local Foods Wheel shows what’s in season month by month, as well as what’s sustainable and delicious all year long. The circular two-piece poster revolves around the tack you anchor it with, and what’s really fun is looking ahead, to greedily anticipate the arrival of, say, the Dungeness crab season and citrus glut of December and early January in Northern California. However, California isn’t the only place in the world. The Wheels’ trio of creators also produce Local Foods Wheels for other regions, such as the Northwest, which covers not only Oregon and Washington and their coastal waters but Idaho too, providing information on the wild berries that are found in a state known more for potatoes. The Upper Midwest Wheel covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, where in spite of the rather dire weather, one can eat good seasonal food “even in the winter!” according to the Wheel-makers. Maybe best of all is this: We Californians now have the option to make a gift of the Local Foods Wheel to our relatives in New York City itself. No excuses Big Apple; help your foodie friends in Brooklyn greedily anticipate when maple syrup and wild mushrooms will be in season.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12401990\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-800x1000.jpg\" alt=\"Baggu\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12401990\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-800x1000.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-160x200.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-1020x1275.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-1920x2400.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-1180x1475.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-960x1200.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-240x300.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-375x469.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000-520x650.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/SBAG_NAVY_CSTL_01_PROD_0000.jpg 1638w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Baggu\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Baggu shopping bags\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"https://baggu.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, it seems that only the incurably contrary are still pulling in favor of free, single-use plastic bags. The rest of us here already own Baggus (or should, soon). The emergent champion in a crowded field of reusable shopping bags, the Baggu is many things to many people. It’s light, it’s compact, it sits well on the shoulder whether it holds two small yogurt cartons or twenty pounds of pie apples. It’s also washable. But Baggu, unlike most reusable-bag outfits, is equal parts ecologically and socially conscious producer and obsessively creative fashion design house. To put it in basic terms, Baggus are SO CUTE YOU GUYS. You can get Standard Baggus ($9) with a Warhol-inspired banana print, a dark blue one with constellations, a white one with black ink-drawings of boobs, or a red one with white foxes. Or stripes. Or watermelons. Or donuts. Alternatively, a wide range of solid colors has you minimalists covered. Like good fashion citizens, Baggu designers sometimes issue limited-edition prints — black with Moon phases, we hardly knew ye! And here’s the thing: In other parts of the country, people sometimes have no idea reusable bags even exist, let alone how fun it is to carry them. Baggu makes Baby Baggus ($7) as well, for smaller items and or for kids.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12409453\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-800x1014.jpg\" alt=\"RSVP Compost Bucket\" width=\"800\" height=\"1014\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12409453\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-800x1014.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-160x203.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-768x973.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-1020x1292.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-1180x1495.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-960x1216.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-240x304.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-375x475.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket-520x659.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/RSVP-compost-bucket.jpg 1184w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">RSVP Compost Bucket\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>RSVP Compost bucket\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instacart.com/rainbow-grocery/products/502896-rsvp-stainless-steel-compost-pail-each\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Recently, I found myself in conversation with someone who disdained sturdy countertop compost pails. Really. This misguided eater labored under the impression that disgusting, small, unpleasant receptacles, preferably cracked and mold-stained plastic yogurt containers, were best and most illustrative of an admirably austere lifestyle. Really. And I’m as excited about sustainability one-upmanship as anyone (just ask me about my laundry-to-landscape greywater system), but I have put in long years of composting that involved unnecessary intimacy with biological decay, the kind of intimacy that regularly encompassed four of the five senses. And my commitment to composting — which is, after all, one of the most brilliant things a person can do in this lifetime — is no more or less than it was when I started doing it. I love it! Still, there is no reason to make it into a self-punishment game, and there’s nothing beneficial about gag-inducing sights, smells and sounds from a plastic compost bin. Several years ago I had the good fortune to stay at the home of a well-known performance artist and climate activist, and I was appalled to find their otherwise excellent household suffering from a cracked and mold-stained plastic yogurt container that they used as a compost receptacle. When I returned home, I immediately sent them one of these large, attractive, strong compost pails with features such as replaceable stink filters. The thank-you note I received was joyful, and in essence admitted that this intelligent family had been laboring under the impression that disgusting, small, unpleasant receptacles were best. A real grown-up compost pail, in reality, represents maybe even a greater love of composting than its ancestors; sending the message: “I take composting extremely seriously. It’s not a game to be played with toys. Gaze upon my pail and rejoice.” Buy one for a suffering loved one this holiday season, and free them from their old yogurt container forever.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Backstage Heroes is a biweekly column by gal-about-town Hiya Swanhuyser spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent fall afternoon, I found myself seated on a casting couch — but in Michelle Maxson’s airy living room in Petaluma, I found the inversion, or the evolution, of that icky backroom stereotype. Maxson is the local casting director for the upcoming independent film \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3519772/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, directed and co-written by Sonoma County-raised filmmaker Ian Olds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em>, which stars Melissa Leo and James Franco, finds an Afghani war zone “fixer” arriving, safely away from home, at a fictionalized but highly realistic version of small-town Northern California. After its star, Dominic Rains, won Best Actor at the Tribeca Film Festival, the project was \u003ca href=\"http://deadline.com/2016/09/burn-country-dominic-rains-release-date-samuel-goldwyn-orion-pictures-1201816023/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">picked up for distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films\u003c/a> — this small film has hit the big time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Success only makes it more interesting to note the commitment director Olds and his producers maintained to casting local talent: not only filling the background with extras from the Bay Area, as with, say, Gus van Sant’s \u003cem>Milk\u003c/em>, but pushing the limit of how many featured and speaking roles could be populated with North Bay actors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On that mission, Olds’ captain was Maxson, an accomplished actor and organizer whose deep knowledge of the local acting scene helped make the film into a well-reviewed, complex piece of art.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVKTx0P6MBY\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maxson’s waist-length blonde hair grays at the temples, giving her the mien of a wise surfer-girl. It’s a look so awesome that if she were to appear on the cover of a magazine, she might set off a fierce new trend in feminist glamour. While she offers me sparkling water, I mull the industry in question, and figure we’ll talk about herding starstruck Bay Areans at “cattle calls,” or how to battle actor egos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after admitting she’s nervous about sounding dumb — an actor, nervous? — Maxson proceeds to speak, quickly and with perfect enunciation, for 30 minutes, about art. Far from the power-plays or squabbling of my preconceived notions, the casting director describes the day-to-day of her work in terms of empathy, cooperation, observation — and email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I was first learning acting, I was told that the most important person on stage is not you, it’s your partner,” Maxson says. “And it’s your job to make your partner as good as they can possibly be. I’ve always made it a priority to champion my fellow actors.” She stresses the importance of “reading” actors as an actor, not just as a passive voice flatly providing responses during an audition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rains, the spectacular star of \u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em>, tells me Maxson delivers. “I was very fortunate to work with Michelle,” he writes in a Facebook message. “What struck me about her and informed my character even more was the compassion and care she brought to the reading. She is one of those rare individuals who connects at the heart and once you’re in tow, all you have to do is let go and go on the ride. She is a magnificent soul with kindness and empathy vibrating at her very fingertips.” There were no cattle calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12386775\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 597px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12386775\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501.jpg\" alt=\"Maxson a night shoot for Burn Country.\" width=\"597\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501.jpg 597w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maxson a night shoot for Burn Country. \u003ccite>(Katrina Marcinowski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maxson, who also served as associate producer and appears in the film, lives in Petaluma with two young daughters and her husband, fellow actor Gabe Maxson, who also appears in\u003cem> Burn Country\u003c/em>; his semicomic turn as an inquisitive, philosophical, and deeply inebriated thespian leavens the film at a crucial moment. During production, both parents juggled their jobs as theater teachers at the University of San Francisco an hour away, and shared childcare duties. Several times during our talk, one or the other of the two girls interrupts us, and Maxson gently scoots them back out, her calm responses to their requests always involving the word “sweetie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As a casting director — well [as a child yells in next room], this is what it was like!” she says. The children, who are friendly, bright, and confident, seem to have come out on top in the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While \u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em> as a whole is on a high, and primed to “break” Rains and director Olds, Maxson tells me there have been interior victories as well. The role of Carl, played by Tim Kniffin, is a big juicy plum for local casting. The result is a dyed-in-the-wool Northern Californian artist, with focus and skill to spare, in a complicated, challenging role. Onscreen, playing an ersatz cult leader literally writhing in pain of his own creation, Kniffin is clearly eating his own character up with a spoon; he’s great, and the role is great. But how did he get there? A classic Michelle Maxson operation, apparently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12386777\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12386777\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-800x625.jpg\" alt=\"Michelle Maxson, director Ian Olds, and Gabe Maxson at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.\" width=\"800\" height=\"625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-800x625.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-160x125.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-768x600.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-1020x797.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-960x750.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-240x188.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-375x293.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-520x406.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Maxson, director Ian Olds, and Gabe Maxson at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. \u003ccite>(Cindy Ord/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Tim’s part was a bigger part, the kind where typically, you’d try to get a ‘name’ for that,” she says, with a subtle, steely glint in her eye. Working as she did from a pool of “people I had worked with, people I had seen in plays in San Francisco,” Kniffin’s name just kept surfacing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was mid-production, down to the line for shooting this character’s scenes, and an actor hadn’t been cast yet. Olds was entrenched, and couldn’t get time to rent a space and hold the ensemble-type auditions he sometimes does. So Maxson summoned Kniffin into the very room in which we sit, and made do with the digital equivalent of a Super-8 home movie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He came here, and I got out my flip camera, do you remember those? They existed for like five minutes before everybody got cell phones. And he was amazing. Ian agreed, and the producers agreed, and he came on board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local casting directors don’t always get “broken” into a world of greater opportunities when their films explode, the way directors or actors might. But while \u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em> — which is currently earning comparisons to \u003cem>Twin Peaks\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Fargo\u003c/em> — looks ready to detonate, Michelle Maxson seems unfazeable. She’s a grown woman with a job and a house and a family and a rich community. That’s how she got here in the first place. That’s why she still wants to talk about what theater means and why she needs to make art at all, as opposed to name-dropping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s obvious, actually, that theater is still among her favorite topics, as she recalls her first foray into acting: “It was a way to transform all of that pain, whatever difficulties and challenges we have as human beings, to turn them into something really beautiful,” she says of falling in love with the art form during her first acting class. It’s clearly part of what keeps her going in the industry. “That could possibly be life-changing for other people, as it was life-changing for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like fertilizer,” she says. “It’s like sh-t. You take it and you spread it on the ground and beautiful flowers grow.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Backstage Heroes is a biweekly column by gal-about-town Hiya Swanhuyser spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent fall afternoon, I found myself seated on a casting couch — but in Michelle Maxson’s airy living room in Petaluma, I found the inversion, or the evolution, of that icky backroom stereotype. Maxson is the local casting director for the upcoming independent film \u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3519772/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, directed and co-written by Sonoma County-raised filmmaker Ian Olds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em>, which stars Melissa Leo and James Franco, finds an Afghani war zone “fixer” arriving, safely away from home, at a fictionalized but highly realistic version of small-town Northern California. After its star, Dominic Rains, won Best Actor at the Tribeca Film Festival, the project was \u003ca href=\"http://deadline.com/2016/09/burn-country-dominic-rains-release-date-samuel-goldwyn-orion-pictures-1201816023/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">picked up for distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films\u003c/a> — this small film has hit the big time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Success only makes it more interesting to note the commitment director Olds and his producers maintained to casting local talent: not only filling the background with extras from the Bay Area, as with, say, Gus van Sant’s \u003cem>Milk\u003c/em>, but pushing the limit of how many featured and speaking roles could be populated with North Bay actors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On that mission, Olds’ captain was Maxson, an accomplished actor and organizer whose deep knowledge of the local acting scene helped make the film into a well-reviewed, complex piece of art.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"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/nVKTx0P6MBY'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/nVKTx0P6MBY'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Maxson’s waist-length blonde hair grays at the temples, giving her the mien of a wise surfer-girl. It’s a look so awesome that if she were to appear on the cover of a magazine, she might set off a fierce new trend in feminist glamour. While she offers me sparkling water, I mull the industry in question, and figure we’ll talk about herding starstruck Bay Areans at “cattle calls,” or how to battle actor egos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after admitting she’s nervous about sounding dumb — an actor, nervous? — Maxson proceeds to speak, quickly and with perfect enunciation, for 30 minutes, about art. Far from the power-plays or squabbling of my preconceived notions, the casting director describes the day-to-day of her work in terms of empathy, cooperation, observation — and email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I was first learning acting, I was told that the most important person on stage is not you, it’s your partner,” Maxson says. “And it’s your job to make your partner as good as they can possibly be. I’ve always made it a priority to champion my fellow actors.” She stresses the importance of “reading” actors as an actor, not just as a passive voice flatly providing responses during an audition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rains, the spectacular star of \u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em>, tells me Maxson delivers. “I was very fortunate to work with Michelle,” he writes in a Facebook message. “What struck me about her and informed my character even more was the compassion and care she brought to the reading. She is one of those rare individuals who connects at the heart and once you’re in tow, all you have to do is let go and go on the ride. She is a magnificent soul with kindness and empathy vibrating at her very fingertips.” There were no cattle calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12386775\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 597px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12386775\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501.jpg\" alt=\"Maxson a night shoot for Burn Country.\" width=\"597\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501.jpg 597w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/12049646_835952259867524_9030819254995163796_n-1-e1479944277501-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maxson a night shoot for Burn Country. \u003ccite>(Katrina Marcinowski)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maxson, who also served as associate producer and appears in the film, lives in Petaluma with two young daughters and her husband, fellow actor Gabe Maxson, who also appears in\u003cem> Burn Country\u003c/em>; his semicomic turn as an inquisitive, philosophical, and deeply inebriated thespian leavens the film at a crucial moment. During production, both parents juggled their jobs as theater teachers at the University of San Francisco an hour away, and shared childcare duties. Several times during our talk, one or the other of the two girls interrupts us, and Maxson gently scoots them back out, her calm responses to their requests always involving the word “sweetie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As a casting director — well [as a child yells in next room], this is what it was like!” she says. The children, who are friendly, bright, and confident, seem to have come out on top in the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While \u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em> as a whole is on a high, and primed to “break” Rains and director Olds, Maxson tells me there have been interior victories as well. The role of Carl, played by Tim Kniffin, is a big juicy plum for local casting. The result is a dyed-in-the-wool Northern Californian artist, with focus and skill to spare, in a complicated, challenging role. Onscreen, playing an ersatz cult leader literally writhing in pain of his own creation, Kniffin is clearly eating his own character up with a spoon; he’s great, and the role is great. But how did he get there? A classic Michelle Maxson operation, apparently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12386777\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12386777\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-800x625.jpg\" alt=\"Michelle Maxson, director Ian Olds, and Gabe Maxson at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.\" width=\"800\" height=\"625\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-800x625.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-160x125.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-768x600.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-1020x797.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-960x750.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-240x188.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-375x293.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1-520x406.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/11/GettyImages-521635162-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Maxson, director Ian Olds, and Gabe Maxson at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. \u003ccite>(Cindy Ord/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Tim’s part was a bigger part, the kind where typically, you’d try to get a ‘name’ for that,” she says, with a subtle, steely glint in her eye. Working as she did from a pool of “people I had worked with, people I had seen in plays in San Francisco,” Kniffin’s name just kept surfacing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was mid-production, down to the line for shooting this character’s scenes, and an actor hadn’t been cast yet. Olds was entrenched, and couldn’t get time to rent a space and hold the ensemble-type auditions he sometimes does. So Maxson summoned Kniffin into the very room in which we sit, and made do with the digital equivalent of a Super-8 home movie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He came here, and I got out my flip camera, do you remember those? They existed for like five minutes before everybody got cell phones. And he was amazing. Ian agreed, and the producers agreed, and he came on board.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local casting directors don’t always get “broken” into a world of greater opportunities when their films explode, the way directors or actors might. But while \u003cem>Burn Country\u003c/em> — which is currently earning comparisons to \u003cem>Twin Peaks\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Fargo\u003c/em> — looks ready to detonate, Michelle Maxson seems unfazeable. She’s a grown woman with a job and a house and a family and a rich community. That’s how she got here in the first place. That’s why she still wants to talk about what theater means and why she needs to make art at all, as opposed to name-dropping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s obvious, actually, that theater is still among her favorite topics, as she recalls her first foray into acting: “It was a way to transform all of that pain, whatever difficulties and challenges we have as human beings, to turn them into something really beautiful,” she says of falling in love with the art form during her first acting class. It’s clearly part of what keeps her going in the industry. “That could possibly be life-changing for other people, as it was life-changing for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like fertilizer,” she says. “It’s like sh-t. You take it and you spread it on the ground and beautiful flowers grow.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "it-aint-a-party-without-the-potties-for-mike-banda-your-bottom-line-matters",
"title": "It Ain't a Party Without the Potties: For Mike Banda, Your Bottom Line Matters",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Backstage Heroes is a biweekly column by gal-about-town Hiya Swanhuyser spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a city that sometimes seems overrun with large-scale events, one of San Francisco’s undeniable favorites is \u003ca href=\"http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2016/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hardly Strictly Bluegrass\u003c/a>, the 100-percent free, three-day music fest in Golden Gate Park, started and funded by the best billionaire ever, banjo fan Warren Hellman. Hellman, who died in 2011, will be missed forever, but his multi-genre music party lives on, and is consistently praised for its relaxed approach, lack of alcohol sales, and stellar musicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the front end — glittering stars like Mavis Staples, national treasures like Steve Earle, the glam and grit of Conor Oberst, Mekons, or Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas. The festival always books a generous number of local acts as well, from sequinned pop-rockabilly idol Chris Isaak to indie-garage juggernauts Shannon and the Clams. Perhaps best of all? Emmylou Harris is always there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, if the numbers are to be believed, so are you: An estimated 750,000 people visited Hellman Hollow and Lindley and Marx Meadows earlier this month; Mick Hellman, Warren’s son, has said he hopes to see a million of us one of these years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what about the back end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12256332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-12256332\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-1020x765.jpg\" alt=\"A row of Golden State Portables set up in San Francisco during the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A row of Golden State Portables set up in San Francisco during the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay. \u003ccite>(BrokenSphere / Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mike Banda of \u003ca href=\"http://www.goldenstateportables.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Golden State Portables\u003c/a> has provided the toilets for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass for the past seven years, and in my analysis, such service makes him among the most important purveyors of live music in this entire built-on-rock’n’roll city. To borrow a slogan from the back of a plumber’s truck, without Banda, we’d have nowhere to go. Outdoor festivals simply would not exist without people like him; he also works Fleet Week, many popular runs, and various large private events, in addition to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I speak with him, I find Banda has the sense of humor I hoped he would have, for his own sake. Without it, how would he be able to function in the temporary sanitation industry for the past 25 years? \u003ca href=\"http://www.goldenstateportables.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Golden State Portables website\u003c/a> shows Banda with a wide, genuine smile, the kind that can’t be faked. “You know what they say!” he tells me on the phone. “It’s not a party ‘til the potties show up!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Banda tells me he likes to get an extra head start on setting up. “That thing is so humongous! I mean, there’s just so many people that attend that event.” (See above.) Working with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’ Director of Operations Eliote Durham, he says it’s absolutely vital to start early. “I have to start three days prior to when the event starts, sometimes four, because there’s so much stuff to do. I do the executive [toilets] for the backstage, the VIP, and then everything I gotta do for the public.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12259641\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 409px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12259641\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Banda\" width=\"409\" height=\"586\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda.jpg 409w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda-160x229.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda-240x344.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda-375x537.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Banda\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That last is the part most of us know so well: The long lines that nevertheless move fairly quickly, the surprise at the lack of horrorshow inside. We’ve come to rely on the ample number of units at the free festival; ultimately, many attendees have developed an unlikely trust in Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’s port-a-potties. Yelper Alice L. backs it up, on the festival’s four-and-a-half-starred review page: “Porta Potties were surprisingly not so gross!” She’s no fool, though:“Just in case, bring some pocket tissue packets and hand sanitizer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Banda works hard to make sure you don’t need those items, but it’s sage advice and never wrong. Other music events’ toilets regularly result in harsh criticism online and scarring revulsion in real life. Not at HSB, thanks to Mike Banda. “My whole aspect is always, always to be the cleanest. Always the cleanest. And I get a lot of compliments! Like, ‘Wow, this isn’t bad, this is clean!’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Durham, who’s also an event producer for E. Cee Productions, is an enthusiastic Mike Banda cheerleader. He’s professional, polite, and absolutely dependable, she says via email. “I had two years with another vendor who was the exact opposite of Mike,” she writes. “I’d cross my fingers each year that the toilets were going to arrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(The potential stress of such a situation makes my vision go dim for a moment. Really, it must be said that event producers are also \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/backstage-heroes/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backstage Heroes\u003c/a>. Let’s all thank one next time we get a chance.) Calling Banda one of her favorite HSB connections, Durham says she’s gone on to hire him — “and his team, because he has a knack for hiring excellent people” — for all her events: the Pink Party, Bluegrass for the Greenbelt, the Nike Women’s Marathon, and more. He’s cheerful, Durham says of the man who not only hauls the toilets in but also hauls them away, laden with our expressions. “He’s got a great big smile that can change your day, and he’s never let me down.” This, I think, is what makes a true hero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So while we celebrate the polished songbirds, the beautiful park, the magic weather, and one another’s good vibes at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, we should also pause to appreciate the ADA-approved units, the handwashing stations, the account long held with the San Francisco Water Treatment Plant. And, if we’re special, the upscale all-amenities executive units provided by Mike Banda and the team at Golden State Portables. It’s not necessary to imagine Emmylou Harris actually using one — it’s enough to know they’re there, should that regally delicate golden-throated canary ever feel the call of nature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or, as Banda puts it, “It’s got to be nice and clean and shiny. That’s the bottom line.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"Q.Logo.Break\" 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\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Backstage Heroes is a biweekly column by gal-about-town Hiya Swanhuyser spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a city that sometimes seems overrun with large-scale events, one of San Francisco’s undeniable favorites is \u003ca href=\"http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2016/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hardly Strictly Bluegrass\u003c/a>, the 100-percent free, three-day music fest in Golden Gate Park, started and funded by the best billionaire ever, banjo fan Warren Hellman. Hellman, who died in 2011, will be missed forever, but his multi-genre music party lives on, and is consistently praised for its relaxed approach, lack of alcohol sales, and stellar musicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the front end — glittering stars like Mavis Staples, national treasures like Steve Earle, the glam and grit of Conor Oberst, Mekons, or Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas. The festival always books a generous number of local acts as well, from sequinned pop-rockabilly idol Chris Isaak to indie-garage juggernauts Shannon and the Clams. Perhaps best of all? Emmylou Harris is always there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, if the numbers are to be believed, so are you: An estimated 750,000 people visited Hellman Hollow and Lindley and Marx Meadows earlier this month; Mick Hellman, Warren’s son, has said he hopes to see a million of us one of these years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what about the back end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12256332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-12256332\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-1020x765.jpg\" alt=\"A row of Golden State Portables set up in San Francisco during the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/Row_of_Golden_State_Portables-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A row of Golden State Portables set up in San Francisco during the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay. \u003ccite>(BrokenSphere / Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Mike Banda of \u003ca href=\"http://www.goldenstateportables.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Golden State Portables\u003c/a> has provided the toilets for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass for the past seven years, and in my analysis, such service makes him among the most important purveyors of live music in this entire built-on-rock’n’roll city. To borrow a slogan from the back of a plumber’s truck, without Banda, we’d have nowhere to go. Outdoor festivals simply would not exist without people like him; he also works Fleet Week, many popular runs, and various large private events, in addition to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I speak with him, I find Banda has the sense of humor I hoped he would have, for his own sake. Without it, how would he be able to function in the temporary sanitation industry for the past 25 years? \u003ca href=\"http://www.goldenstateportables.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Golden State Portables website\u003c/a> shows Banda with a wide, genuine smile, the kind that can’t be faked. “You know what they say!” he tells me on the phone. “It’s not a party ‘til the potties show up!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Banda tells me he likes to get an extra head start on setting up. “That thing is so humongous! I mean, there’s just so many people that attend that event.” (See above.) Working with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’ Director of Operations Eliote Durham, he says it’s absolutely vital to start early. “I have to start three days prior to when the event starts, sometimes four, because there’s so much stuff to do. I do the executive [toilets] for the backstage, the VIP, and then everything I gotta do for the public.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12259641\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 409px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12259641\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Banda\" width=\"409\" height=\"586\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda.jpg 409w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda-160x229.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda-240x344.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/10/mike-banda-375x537.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Banda\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That last is the part most of us know so well: The long lines that nevertheless move fairly quickly, the surprise at the lack of horrorshow inside. We’ve come to rely on the ample number of units at the free festival; ultimately, many attendees have developed an unlikely trust in Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’s port-a-potties. Yelper Alice L. backs it up, on the festival’s four-and-a-half-starred review page: “Porta Potties were surprisingly not so gross!” She’s no fool, though:“Just in case, bring some pocket tissue packets and hand sanitizer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Banda works hard to make sure you don’t need those items, but it’s sage advice and never wrong. Other music events’ toilets regularly result in harsh criticism online and scarring revulsion in real life. Not at HSB, thanks to Mike Banda. “My whole aspect is always, always to be the cleanest. Always the cleanest. And I get a lot of compliments! Like, ‘Wow, this isn’t bad, this is clean!’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Durham, who’s also an event producer for E. Cee Productions, is an enthusiastic Mike Banda cheerleader. He’s professional, polite, and absolutely dependable, she says via email. “I had two years with another vendor who was the exact opposite of Mike,” she writes. “I’d cross my fingers each year that the toilets were going to arrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(The potential stress of such a situation makes my vision go dim for a moment. Really, it must be said that event producers are also \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/backstage-heroes/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backstage Heroes\u003c/a>. Let’s all thank one next time we get a chance.) Calling Banda one of her favorite HSB connections, Durham says she’s gone on to hire him — “and his team, because he has a knack for hiring excellent people” — for all her events: the Pink Party, Bluegrass for the Greenbelt, the Nike Women’s Marathon, and more. He’s cheerful, Durham says of the man who not only hauls the toilets in but also hauls them away, laden with our expressions. “He’s got a great big smile that can change your day, and he’s never let me down.” This, I think, is what makes a true hero.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So while we celebrate the polished songbirds, the beautiful park, the magic weather, and one another’s good vibes at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, we should also pause to appreciate the ADA-approved units, the handwashing stations, the account long held with the San Francisco Water Treatment Plant. And, if we’re special, the upscale all-amenities executive units provided by Mike Banda and the team at Golden State Portables. It’s not necessary to imagine Emmylou Harris actually using one — it’s enough to know they’re there, should that regally delicate golden-throated canary ever feel the call of nature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or, as Banda puts it, “It’s got to be nice and clean and shiny. That’s the bottom line.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12127869\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Q.Logo_.Break_-800x78.jpg\" alt=\"Q.Logo.Break\" 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\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Bay Area culture has its unsung corners — even in its much-touted food scene. Sometimes important work isn’t splashy, viral-marketed, or all over the blogs. Sometimes, it’s just two pieces of lightweight paperboard with a metal rivet in the center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.localfoodswheel.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Local Foods Wheel \u003c/a>isn’t famous, exactly, but you’ll find one inside the home of anyone who likes food, tacked to the wall or magnetically attached to the refrigerator. It does the simple job of showing which foods are in season, month by month. The concentric circles, covered with tiny hand-drawn renderings of regional products, are a vital tool for the kitchen and shopping list of alert eaters around the Bay Area: The smaller top layer shows what items are available year-round, such as honey or radishes, while the bottom layer, revealed by the window in the top one, shows the fava beans, Dungeness crab, or tomatoes that only appear for a short time each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12127072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12127072\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel.jpg\" alt=\"The SoCal local foods wheel. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The SoCal local foods wheel.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because of the wheel’s design, it’s simple enough for a child to understand — yet beautiful enough to be welcome in the most artful places. It’s well appreciated by the Bay Area, for example, at the Alice-Waters-helmed \u003ca href=\"http://edibleschoolyard.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edible Schoolyard Project\u003c/a>. “The Local Foods Wheel is a wonderful tool for edible education,” Director of Partnerships and Engagement Liza Siegler, “illustrating for students in a fun and clever way how to eat with the seasons wherever you live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ten years and 25,000-plus units into this project, six different regional Local Foods Wheels now exist: they cover the Bay Area, Southern California in both English and Spanish, the Upper Midwest, the Northeast, and recently, the Northwest, thanks to three women: illustrator Sarah Klein, designer Maggie Gosselin, and food expert/researcher Jessica Prentice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maggie Gosselin’s Mission District apartment is a marvel of cool light and gentle order. Gosselin welcomes me on a recent morning and offers coffee and fruit — seasonal, of course. She tells me putting together a fruit plate is one of her favorite things to do as she tends to a high-octane pourover. Unsurprisingly, she’s also quite skilled at putting together a fruit plate. The green and fuchsia kadota figs, in particular, are consternatingly good. I can’t understand why they taste so exactly like honey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She might say it’s because they’re “at their peak,” meaning, in the ideal spot in their season. And whether it’s how to compose sweet plants on vintage porcelain, or when to look for kadota figs at Bi-Rite, Gosselin should know: Her background includes five years of work at the food mecca of the Ferry Building, a Masters’ degree in Food Policy from Tufts, and five years working at the USDA. Keep in mind she’s only one-third of this project, and you’ll start to understand why the wheel is such a deceptively simple plethora of information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12127235\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12127235\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-800x483.jpg\" alt=\"The Local Foods Wheel creators in action. \" width=\"800\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-800x483.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-400x241.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-768x464.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-1180x712.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-1920x1159.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-960x579.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Local Foods Wheel creators in action. \u003ccite>( Dianne Jones)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gosselin tells me the idea for the Wheel germinated in the Ferry Building, where she and Prentice both worked for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.cuesa.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture\u003c/a>, which runs the Ferry Building farmers’ market (and many others), from 2003 to ’05, and realized consumers were somewhat undereducated where in-season foods were concerned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I spoke with researcher and foodie star Prentice by phone the following day, and the two women’s often-similar answers to my questions showed a collaboration fueled by a healthy love of food, but something with deeper roots, as well. As Prentice put it, “To eat asparagus in spring is meaningful. It feeds my need for meaning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As the as the education director, it kind of drove me crazy,” Prentice tells me of their time at CUESA. “Because people would come up and ask ‘Where are the mangoes?’ Or they’d come in winter and say ‘Are there any blueberries?’ And I was like ‘No, blueberries don’t grow in winter!’” Both women remember a seasonal-foods chart they made during that time, a linear, spreadsheet-based thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gosselin says they were never satisfied with that chart, although they knew it was needed. “It didn’t convey the cyclical nature of the seasons. So Jessica had this idea to make something with moving parts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prentice, meanwhile, first coined the term “locavore,” which she invented in 2005. She says that oddly enough, the term called out its own necessity. When she created the neologism, “There was a lot of press around it, and it really became clear that a lot of people just don’t know what’s local, and have a limited view of what local foods are and can be.” She looped in Gosselin and animator-illustrator Klein, who was then part of the kitchen of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.headlands.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Headlands Center for the Arts \u003c/a>, another Bay Area food focal point — and the Wheel was born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the ensuing 10 years, over 70 stores have stocked it, new items have been added, and the three have grown in their awareness of what local foods are and can be. The imminent new edit of the Bay Area Wheel, for example, will include bay nuts and elderberries, among other foraged goods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I suggest the project must really rake in money, Gosselin nearly chokes on a slice of Asian pear (Allard Farms, Castro Farmers’ Market). “Tens of dollars a year!” she laughs; Prentice affirms the accuracy of this estimate. When asked why they do it, then, Gosselin uses the word “love” twice in four seconds, while Prentice uses it four times in two seconds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a labor of love,” Gosselin says, explaining that she intends to keep working on the Local Foods Wheels for as long as she can, just for the joy of working with her partners, because “I love them!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prentice, once again, on the echo: “Partly it’s because we just love it. And people who love it, really love it. And we all love each other, too.” The public loves the Local Foods Wheel for other reasons, of course, and the three co-creators are well aware. “It feels like we’re making a contribution. Something that’s needed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Bay Area culture has its unsung corners — even in its much-touted food scene. Sometimes important work isn’t splashy, viral-marketed, or all over the blogs. Sometimes, it’s just two pieces of lightweight paperboard with a metal rivet in the center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://www.localfoodswheel.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Local Foods Wheel \u003c/a>isn’t famous, exactly, but you’ll find one inside the home of anyone who likes food, tacked to the wall or magnetically attached to the refrigerator. It does the simple job of showing which foods are in season, month by month. The concentric circles, covered with tiny hand-drawn renderings of regional products, are a vital tool for the kitchen and shopping list of alert eaters around the Bay Area: The smaller top layer shows what items are available year-round, such as honey or radishes, while the bottom layer, revealed by the window in the top one, shows the fava beans, Dungeness crab, or tomatoes that only appear for a short time each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12127072\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12127072\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel.jpg\" alt=\"The SoCal local foods wheel. \" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel-400x300.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/socal-spanish-local-foods-wheel-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The SoCal local foods wheel.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Because of the wheel’s design, it’s simple enough for a child to understand — yet beautiful enough to be welcome in the most artful places. It’s well appreciated by the Bay Area, for example, at the Alice-Waters-helmed \u003ca href=\"http://edibleschoolyard.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edible Schoolyard Project\u003c/a>. “The Local Foods Wheel is a wonderful tool for edible education,” Director of Partnerships and Engagement Liza Siegler, “illustrating for students in a fun and clever way how to eat with the seasons wherever you live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ten years and 25,000-plus units into this project, six different regional Local Foods Wheels now exist: they cover the Bay Area, Southern California in both English and Spanish, the Upper Midwest, the Northeast, and recently, the Northwest, thanks to three women: illustrator Sarah Klein, designer Maggie Gosselin, and food expert/researcher Jessica Prentice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maggie Gosselin’s Mission District apartment is a marvel of cool light and gentle order. Gosselin welcomes me on a recent morning and offers coffee and fruit — seasonal, of course. She tells me putting together a fruit plate is one of her favorite things to do as she tends to a high-octane pourover. Unsurprisingly, she’s also quite skilled at putting together a fruit plate. The green and fuchsia kadota figs, in particular, are consternatingly good. I can’t understand why they taste so exactly like honey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She might say it’s because they’re “at their peak,” meaning, in the ideal spot in their season. And whether it’s how to compose sweet plants on vintage porcelain, or when to look for kadota figs at Bi-Rite, Gosselin should know: Her background includes five years of work at the food mecca of the Ferry Building, a Masters’ degree in Food Policy from Tufts, and five years working at the USDA. Keep in mind she’s only one-third of this project, and you’ll start to understand why the wheel is such a deceptively simple plethora of information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12127235\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12127235\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-800x483.jpg\" alt=\"The Local Foods Wheel creators in action. \" width=\"800\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-800x483.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-400x241.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-768x464.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-1180x712.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-1920x1159.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/local-foods-wheel-creators-table-960x579.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Local Foods Wheel creators in action. \u003ccite>( Dianne Jones)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gosselin tells me the idea for the Wheel germinated in the Ferry Building, where she and Prentice both worked for the \u003ca href=\"http://www.cuesa.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture\u003c/a>, which runs the Ferry Building farmers’ market (and many others), from 2003 to ’05, and realized consumers were somewhat undereducated where in-season foods were concerned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I spoke with researcher and foodie star Prentice by phone the following day, and the two women’s often-similar answers to my questions showed a collaboration fueled by a healthy love of food, but something with deeper roots, as well. As Prentice put it, “To eat asparagus in spring is meaningful. It feeds my need for meaning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As the as the education director, it kind of drove me crazy,” Prentice tells me of their time at CUESA. “Because people would come up and ask ‘Where are the mangoes?’ Or they’d come in winter and say ‘Are there any blueberries?’ And I was like ‘No, blueberries don’t grow in winter!’” Both women remember a seasonal-foods chart they made during that time, a linear, spreadsheet-based thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gosselin says they were never satisfied with that chart, although they knew it was needed. “It didn’t convey the cyclical nature of the seasons. So Jessica had this idea to make something with moving parts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prentice, meanwhile, first coined the term “locavore,” which she invented in 2005. She says that oddly enough, the term called out its own necessity. When she created the neologism, “There was a lot of press around it, and it really became clear that a lot of people just don’t know what’s local, and have a limited view of what local foods are and can be.” She looped in Gosselin and animator-illustrator Klein, who was then part of the kitchen of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.headlands.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Headlands Center for the Arts \u003c/a>, another Bay Area food focal point — and the Wheel was born.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the ensuing 10 years, over 70 stores have stocked it, new items have been added, and the three have grown in their awareness of what local foods are and can be. The imminent new edit of the Bay Area Wheel, for example, will include bay nuts and elderberries, among other foraged goods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I suggest the project must really rake in money, Gosselin nearly chokes on a slice of Asian pear (Allard Farms, Castro Farmers’ Market). “Tens of dollars a year!” she laughs; Prentice affirms the accuracy of this estimate. When asked why they do it, then, Gosselin uses the word “love” twice in four seconds, while Prentice uses it four times in two seconds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a labor of love,” Gosselin says, explaining that she intends to keep working on the Local Foods Wheels for as long as she can, just for the joy of working with her partners, because “I love them!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prentice, once again, on the echo: “Partly it’s because we just love it. And people who love it, really love it. And we all love each other, too.” The public loves the Local Foods Wheel for other reasons, of course, and the three co-creators are well aware. “It feels like we’re making a contribution. Something that’s needed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Five Readings and Skipping Dinner: How to Litquake 2016",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/fall-arts-guide-2016/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ.jpg\" alt=\"FallArtsPreview2016SQ\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12037699\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although Litquake, the Bay Area’s annual writing and reading festival, has events all year long, the week-plus of programming in early October is always incredible and a point of pride for locals. It can be tricky to navigate the San Francisco portion, with so many readings, performances, parties, and more, so we’ve picked a slate to recommend. To top it off, we’ve also provided a survival guide to Litquake’s most famous invention, the Lit Crawl: a single-night, 80-venue, all-reading all the time event that drew nearly 10,000 booklovers last year. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12091615\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Michelle-Tea-480x600.jpg\" alt=\"Michelle Tea\" width=\"480\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12091615\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Michelle-Tea-480x600.jpg 480w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Michelle-Tea-400x500.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Michelle-Tea.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Tea \u003ccite>(Photo: Courtesy of Litquake)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Riding Out Doomsday: Michelle Tea in conversation with Daniel Handler\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 9\u003cbr>\nAmerican Bookbonders Museum\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7jtk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>KQED’s The Spine analyzed \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/08/28/care-of-the-soul-on-michelle-teas-black-wave/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Black Wave\u003c/em>\u003c/a> recently, so let’s just state that Michelle Tea and Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket, author of \u003cem>A Series of Unfortunate Events\u003c/em>) are incredibly accomplished writers, both prolific and dedicated to their craft. However, please note that not all great writers are great performers. Luckily these two are quick-witted, well-spoken, and warm, and seem to actually enjoy being onstage; they even seem to appreciate one another’s company while standing in front of a crowd. Tea and Handler are definitely the ingredients for an evening of writerly edification that’s the opposite of boring: she’s reliably dialed-in and funny, and he’ll do nearly anything for a smart laugh.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12091616\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 403px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Gods_of_Tango-403x600.jpg\" alt=\"'The Gods of Tango'\" width=\"403\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12091616\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Gods_of_Tango-403x600.jpg 403w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Gods_of_Tango-400x596.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Gods_of_Tango.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Gods of Tango’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Latina Fiction: Politics, Social Justice, and Sexuality\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 9\u003cbr>\nMechanics Institute Library\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7sNQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>An Oakland author of Uruguayan origins, Carolina De Robertis is the kind of international multilingual superstar jetsetter lesbian wife and mother the Bay Area’s famous for. Award-winning, \u003cem>O-Magazine\u003c/em>-featured, NEA fellow De Robertis’ latest novel \u003cem>The Gods of Tango\u003c/em> is praised by Junot Diaz as “extraordinarily courageous.” Junot f*cking Diaz! The event, part of Litquake’s Off the Richter Scale series, also features Yalitza Ferreras, Aya de Leon, and Maria Poblet.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12092897\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 406px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Citizen-406x600.png\" alt=\"'Citizen: An American Lyric '\" width=\"406\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12092897\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Citizen-406x600.png 406w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Citizen-400x591.png 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Citizen.png 496w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 406px) 100vw, 406px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Citizen: An American Lyric ‘\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>America Lyric: Claudia Rankine in Conversation\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 14\u003cbr>\nSwedish American Music Hall\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7jyX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Writing poetry is severely difficult and poets are always underpaid. Who knows how poets do it, let alone how a poet becomes as great as Claudia Rankine? The author of \u003cem>Citizen: An American Lyric\u003c/em> has detonated expectations of poetry in many ways; her prose poems describe phenomena invisible to the white reader’s eye, in language Marjorie Perloff describes as “terse, brilliant, parabolic.” Much of the book is short descriptions of microaggressions, those moments of casual, “small” racism people of color move through daily. Though not physically violent, they create injury, as Rankine and many others have pointed out. “That’s the bruise the ice in the heart was meant to ice,” she writes. Rankine will be speaking with author Sarah Ladipo Manyika, who published her second novel, \u003ci>Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun\u003c/i> back in April.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12092899\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 593px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Caf%C3%A9-593x600.jpg\" alt=\"Vesuvio Café\" width=\"593\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12092899\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-593x600.jpg 593w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-400x405.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vesuvio Café\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Straight, No Chaser: Writers at the Bar\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 12\u003cbr>\nVesuvio Café\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7jxA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>If past years are any guide, this annual Litquake event is definitely a highlight. The venue itself, Vesuvio, is part of the experience, as a visual riot and a literary landmark. The tone of the evening tends to bat back and forth between sheer excellence and deep hilarity, not that those are mutually exclusive. This year features Alia Volz, Christian Keifer, D. Watkins, Joshua Mohr, Charlie Anders, and Zahra Noorbakhsh.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12093266\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-400x600.jpg\" alt=\"'An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States'\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12093266\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-400x600.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-787x1180.jpg 787w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Writing the Indigenous Experience\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 12\u003cbr>\nSan Francisco Center for the Book\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7jxM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>This is what Litquake does best: present a multitude of voices. They don’t do it to “foster diversity” (although it does), but for the basic logic and pleasure of hearing what actual Bay Area writers are doing with their lives. On this night, authors looking at the complexities of writing indigenous, First Nations, Native American, and American Indian experiences have the microphone. The great feminist Okie outlaw historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz won the American Book Award last year for \u003cem>An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States\u003c/em>; she appears here with Dina Gilio-Whitaker, Greg Sarris, Alison Owings, and Kim Shuck.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10143584\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/a-classic-litquake-moment-crop.jpg\" alt=\"The scene from the first Lit Crawl in 2004, when the reading was held outside the Phoenix Bar because employees wouldn't turn the televisions off. Courtesy of Litquake\" width=\"640\" height=\"496\" class=\"size-thumb wp-image-10143584\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/a-classic-litquake-moment-crop.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/a-classic-litquake-moment-crop-400x310.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The scene from the first Lit Crawl in 2004, when the reading was held outside the Phoenix Bar because employees wouldn’t turn the televisions off. Courtesy of Litquake\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Lit Crawl Survival Guide\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 15\u003cbr>\nVarious Venues\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://litcrawlsanfrancisco2016.sched.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>The Lit Crawl’s basic setup is that readings take over every available space in a given district: laundrymats, hair salons, hardware stores—anywhere, as long as they’ll turn down the TV and sometimes even if they won’t (looking at you, Phoenix Irish Pub three years ago.) Here in San Francisco, the crawl takes place mainly in the Mission/Valencia corridor, a densely populated retail-heavy area full of street-facing plate glass. During Lit Crawl, those big windows will be bright and packed with thousands of readers. Last year, 82 events featured an estimated 300 writers during the crawl’s three hourlong sessions, 10,000 people showed up, and the whole thing was free, like it always is. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are some suggestions for surviving the often overwhelming experience of being one of those thousands of happy literary lemmings:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Bring your own water.\u003c/strong> You may wind up walking a lot, and every corner store, restaurant, feedbag, and watertrough will be on the other side of a long line from you. This is true of other things to drink as well, although it’s sometimes possible to purchase drinks if your event is at a bar. If you get the chance to buy food or drink, pounce on it. But come prepared. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Choose one or two must-see events\u003c/strong>, and move heaven and earth to arrive at them half an hour or more before they begin. Still, be ready to queue up. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– The rest of the time, see whatever!\u003c/strong> No poor choices are possible, and although you may hear more about a random writer’s coke habit than is strictly necessary, that’s the worst thing that can happen. Stay flexible, keep your eyes and ears open, take advice from random strangers, and get caught up in enthusiastic crowds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Take time to appreciate\u003c/strong> the way the world is full of readers and writers tonight; San Francisco is the home-place of the Lit Crawl and the largest one in the world. Lit Crawls now exist in Texas, New Zealand, Iowa, London, Helsinki, Los Angeles, and more, but this is the original. Don’t rush by with your head in the program, and remember it’s OK to just look around, without even taking a picture. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Bring “extra” money to buy books\u003c/strong>. If you’re unfamiliar with the rush of putting liquid currency directly into the hand of the artist who made your book, Litquake in general and the crawl in particular are great places to get hooked.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n– Be prepared to stand, or sit on the floor\u003c/strong>, and be squished in next to people. I want to see clogs on feet, people. I sat under a table and listened to Charlie Jane Anders’ feet one year, and it was fantastic. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Give up on dinner.\u003c/strong> No dinner tonight, sorry. If you can eat before six or after 10, fine, but that’s it. You can eat dinner every other night of the year and I hope you do. Not tonight. Have fun! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The 14th annual Litquake takes place Oct. 7 – 15 in various venues around San Francisco. For more information, visit \u003ca href=\"http://www.litquake.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.litquake.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/fall-arts-guide-2016/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ.jpg\" alt=\"FallArtsPreview2016SQ\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12037699\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although Litquake, the Bay Area’s annual writing and reading festival, has events all year long, the week-plus of programming in early October is always incredible and a point of pride for locals. It can be tricky to navigate the San Francisco portion, with so many readings, performances, parties, and more, so we’ve picked a slate to recommend. To top it off, we’ve also provided a survival guide to Litquake’s most famous invention, the Lit Crawl: a single-night, 80-venue, all-reading all the time event that drew nearly 10,000 booklovers last year. \u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12091615\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 480px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Michelle-Tea-480x600.jpg\" alt=\"Michelle Tea\" width=\"480\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12091615\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Michelle-Tea-480x600.jpg 480w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Michelle-Tea-400x500.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Michelle-Tea.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Tea \u003ccite>(Photo: Courtesy of Litquake)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Riding Out Doomsday: Michelle Tea in conversation with Daniel Handler\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 9\u003cbr>\nAmerican Bookbonders Museum\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7jtk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>KQED’s The Spine analyzed \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/08/28/care-of-the-soul-on-michelle-teas-black-wave/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cem>Black Wave\u003c/em>\u003c/a> recently, so let’s just state that Michelle Tea and Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket, author of \u003cem>A Series of Unfortunate Events\u003c/em>) are incredibly accomplished writers, both prolific and dedicated to their craft. However, please note that not all great writers are great performers. Luckily these two are quick-witted, well-spoken, and warm, and seem to actually enjoy being onstage; they even seem to appreciate one another’s company while standing in front of a crowd. Tea and Handler are definitely the ingredients for an evening of writerly edification that’s the opposite of boring: she’s reliably dialed-in and funny, and he’ll do nearly anything for a smart laugh.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12091616\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 403px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Gods_of_Tango-403x600.jpg\" alt=\"'The Gods of Tango'\" width=\"403\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12091616\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Gods_of_Tango-403x600.jpg 403w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Gods_of_Tango-400x596.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Gods_of_Tango.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘The Gods of Tango’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Latina Fiction: Politics, Social Justice, and Sexuality\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 9\u003cbr>\nMechanics Institute Library\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7sNQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>An Oakland author of Uruguayan origins, Carolina De Robertis is the kind of international multilingual superstar jetsetter lesbian wife and mother the Bay Area’s famous for. Award-winning, \u003cem>O-Magazine\u003c/em>-featured, NEA fellow De Robertis’ latest novel \u003cem>The Gods of Tango\u003c/em> is praised by Junot Diaz as “extraordinarily courageous.” Junot f*cking Diaz! The event, part of Litquake’s Off the Richter Scale series, also features Yalitza Ferreras, Aya de Leon, and Maria Poblet.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12092897\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 406px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Citizen-406x600.png\" alt=\"'Citizen: An American Lyric '\" width=\"406\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12092897\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Citizen-406x600.png 406w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Citizen-400x591.png 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Citizen.png 496w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 406px) 100vw, 406px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Citizen: An American Lyric ‘\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>America Lyric: Claudia Rankine in Conversation\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 14\u003cbr>\nSwedish American Music Hall\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7jyX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>Writing poetry is severely difficult and poets are always underpaid. Who knows how poets do it, let alone how a poet becomes as great as Claudia Rankine? The author of \u003cem>Citizen: An American Lyric\u003c/em> has detonated expectations of poetry in many ways; her prose poems describe phenomena invisible to the white reader’s eye, in language Marjorie Perloff describes as “terse, brilliant, parabolic.” Much of the book is short descriptions of microaggressions, those moments of casual, “small” racism people of color move through daily. Though not physically violent, they create injury, as Rankine and many others have pointed out. “That’s the bruise the ice in the heart was meant to ice,” she writes. Rankine will be speaking with author Sarah Ladipo Manyika, who published her second novel, \u003ci>Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun\u003c/i> back in April.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12092899\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 593px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Caf%C3%A9-593x600.jpg\" alt=\"Vesuvio Café\" width=\"593\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12092899\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-593x600.jpg 593w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-400x405.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Vesuvio-Café.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vesuvio Café\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Straight, No Chaser: Writers at the Bar\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 12\u003cbr>\nVesuvio Café\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7jxA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>If past years are any guide, this annual Litquake event is definitely a highlight. The venue itself, Vesuvio, is part of the experience, as a visual riot and a literary landmark. The tone of the evening tends to bat back and forth between sheer excellence and deep hilarity, not that those are mutually exclusive. This year features Alia Volz, Christian Keifer, D. Watkins, Joshua Mohr, Charlie Anders, and Zahra Noorbakhsh.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12093266\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-400x600.jpg\" alt=\"'An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States'\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12093266\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-400x600.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-787x1180.jpg 787w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-1180x1770.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/dunbar-ortiz-anindigenouspeopleshistory.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Writing the Indigenous Experience\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 12\u003cbr>\nSan Francisco Center for the Book\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://sched.co/7jxM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>This is what Litquake does best: present a multitude of voices. They don’t do it to “foster diversity” (although it does), but for the basic logic and pleasure of hearing what actual Bay Area writers are doing with their lives. On this night, authors looking at the complexities of writing indigenous, First Nations, Native American, and American Indian experiences have the microphone. The great feminist Okie outlaw historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz won the American Book Award last year for \u003cem>An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States\u003c/em>; she appears here with Dina Gilio-Whitaker, Greg Sarris, Alison Owings, and Kim Shuck.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10143584\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/a-classic-litquake-moment-crop.jpg\" alt=\"The scene from the first Lit Crawl in 2004, when the reading was held outside the Phoenix Bar because employees wouldn't turn the televisions off. Courtesy of Litquake\" width=\"640\" height=\"496\" class=\"size-thumb wp-image-10143584\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/a-classic-litquake-moment-crop.jpg 640w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/10/a-classic-litquake-moment-crop-400x310.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The scene from the first Lit Crawl in 2004, when the reading was held outside the Phoenix Bar because employees wouldn’t turn the televisions off. Courtesy of Litquake\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Lit Crawl Survival Guide\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>Oct. 15\u003cbr>\nVarious Venues\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"https://litcrawlsanfrancisco2016.sched.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>The Lit Crawl’s basic setup is that readings take over every available space in a given district: laundrymats, hair salons, hardware stores—anywhere, as long as they’ll turn down the TV and sometimes even if they won’t (looking at you, Phoenix Irish Pub three years ago.) Here in San Francisco, the crawl takes place mainly in the Mission/Valencia corridor, a densely populated retail-heavy area full of street-facing plate glass. During Lit Crawl, those big windows will be bright and packed with thousands of readers. Last year, 82 events featured an estimated 300 writers during the crawl’s three hourlong sessions, 10,000 people showed up, and the whole thing was free, like it always is. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are some suggestions for surviving the often overwhelming experience of being one of those thousands of happy literary lemmings:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Bring your own water.\u003c/strong> You may wind up walking a lot, and every corner store, restaurant, feedbag, and watertrough will be on the other side of a long line from you. This is true of other things to drink as well, although it’s sometimes possible to purchase drinks if your event is at a bar. If you get the chance to buy food or drink, pounce on it. But come prepared. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Choose one or two must-see events\u003c/strong>, and move heaven and earth to arrive at them half an hour or more before they begin. Still, be ready to queue up. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– The rest of the time, see whatever!\u003c/strong> No poor choices are possible, and although you may hear more about a random writer’s coke habit than is strictly necessary, that’s the worst thing that can happen. Stay flexible, keep your eyes and ears open, take advice from random strangers, and get caught up in enthusiastic crowds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Take time to appreciate\u003c/strong> the way the world is full of readers and writers tonight; San Francisco is the home-place of the Lit Crawl and the largest one in the world. Lit Crawls now exist in Texas, New Zealand, Iowa, London, Helsinki, Los Angeles, and more, but this is the original. Don’t rush by with your head in the program, and remember it’s OK to just look around, without even taking a picture. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Bring “extra” money to buy books\u003c/strong>. If you’re unfamiliar with the rush of putting liquid currency directly into the hand of the artist who made your book, Litquake in general and the crawl in particular are great places to get hooked.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n– Be prepared to stand, or sit on the floor\u003c/strong>, and be squished in next to people. I want to see clogs on feet, people. I sat under a table and listened to Charlie Jane Anders’ feet one year, and it was fantastic. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>– Give up on dinner.\u003c/strong> No dinner tonight, sorry. If you can eat before six or after 10, fine, but that’s it. You can eat dinner every other night of the year and I hope you do. Not tonight. Have fun! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>The 14th annual Litquake takes place Oct. 7 – 15 in various venues around San Francisco. For more information, visit \u003ca href=\"http://www.litquake.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.litquake.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "happy-trails-five-reasons-fall-is-the-best-time-to-hike-in-the-bay-area",
"title": "Happy Trails: Five Reasons Fall is the Best Time to Hike in the Bay Area",
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"headTitle": "Happy Trails: Five Reasons Fall is the Best Time to Hike in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Newcomers to the Bay Area, here’s an important tip: Just as summer is winter around here, fall is totally summer. In fall, the weather gets much hotter, there’s less wind, the sky is deep blue, and you can tell it to the tourists all you want and they’ll never believe you. Longtime Bay Areans are happy to let out-of-towners more or less have summer, because we know about September and October, the real (don’t say “Indian,” it’s tacky) summer. And that’s why we absolutely glory in autumnal walking, whether it’s on the awesomely steep city streets, or on some of our world-class trails and parkways. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/fall-arts-guide-2016/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ.jpg\" alt=\"FallArtsPreview2016SQ\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12037699\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re a hiking newbie, it’s a good idea to use the \u003ca href=\"https://sierraclub.org/san-francisco-bay/hiking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sierra Club’s Hike Ratings\u003c/a> to help you decide which ones are best for you. But basically, bring water, wear comfortable shoes, be aware and courteous, and you’re off to a world of fun. (Another word to the wise: Summer ends precisely at 4:30 p.m. October 31st, the exact moment it’s too late to thematically incorporate a large parka into your Halloween costume. Sorry.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12057315\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-400x692.jpg\" alt=\"Kids on the Ridge Trail\" width=\"400\" height=\"692\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12057315\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-400x692.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-347x600.jpg 347w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-768x1328.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-682x1180.jpg 682w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-960x1660.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil.jpg 1141w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kids on the Ridge Trail \u003ccite>(Photo: Joe Navratril)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Bay Area Ridge Trail\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.ridgetrail.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The one that’s everywhere\u003c/strong>, including some residential streets in SF.\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nWhen complete, the Bay Area Ridge Trail will be a 550-plus mile system stringing together 75 parks, a slew of historic sites, and a wide variety of communities, all connected to the incredible ring of mountains around our incredible bay. Today, over 350 miles of mountaintop trails are built, dedicated, and in vigorous use. Many miles of trail are also designed for wheelchair users. Magnificent views for all! One favorite segment inside city limits starts at the top of Twin Peaks, climbs down past a hidden reservoir at the foot of Sutro Tower, runs through some extremely steep residential streets, and heads for \u003ca href=\"http://sfrecpark.org/destination/mt-olympus/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mount Olympus\u003c/a>, the little jewel of a hilltop park at the exact geographic center of the city.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12057316\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-400x446.jpg\" alt=\"Heron's Head Park\" width=\"400\" height=\"446\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12057316\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-400x446.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-538x600.jpg 538w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-768x857.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-1058x1180.jpg 1058w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-1920x2141.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-1180x1316.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-960x1071.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heron’s Head Park \u003ccite>(Photo: Liz Henry)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Heron’s Head Park\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://sfport.com/herons-head-park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The short one\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nSome people think industrial wastelands are romantic. Many such arty types also, maybe secretly, love birdwatching. Is this you? Do you like to take short, windy walks through bizarre landscapes only to find strange metaphors at the end of a spit, while simultaneously adding a lesser scaup to your life list? Everyone walking in this desolate (yet meticulously maintained and excellently ecocentric) no-one’s-land is carrying a camera, and why not? Go ahead, wear black. All black. While hiking. If this is you, Heron’s Head is your place. Alternatively, if you just want a beautiful place to take the dog on a short leash-walk, or use the small-dog park, or attend an event at the kid-friendly EcoCenter, then Heron’s Head is also for you.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056028\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-400x266.jpg\" alt=\"San Francisco, taken from San Bruno Mountains Summit Loop Trail\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12056028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-400x266.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-1180x784.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-1920x1276.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-960x638.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco, taken from San Bruno Mountains Summit Loop Trail \u003ccite>(Photo: San Mateo County Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>San Bruno Mountain\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://parks.smcgov.org/san-bruno-mountain-state-county-park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>The wild one\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nSan Bruno Mountain has its own dedicated group of environmentalists looking out for it, that’s how special it is. The obsessed volunteers of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.mountainwatch.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Bruno Mountain\u003c/a> call the park a “3,600-acre island of biodiversity surrounded by a sea of urbanization,” aka “the wilderness in San Francisco’s backyard.” Nine main trails, from the mostly flat Bog Trail to the Ridge Trail with its 564-foot elevation change, thread through this South San Francisco treasure. And take it from someone who found out the dumb way: Leave the dog at home.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12057317\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Twin Peaks\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12057317\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twin Peaks \u003ccite>(Photo: Melissa Loesgen, courtesy of SF Rec and Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Twin Peaks\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://sfrecpark.org/destination/twin-peaks/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>The iconic one\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nThe newly pedestrian and cyclist-friendly landmark is no more or less spectacular than it was before, but now hikers and bikers no longer have to cede the way to drivers who sometimes seemed to be acting out childhood Matchbox-car fantasies. The road around the two summits, once a figure-8, now hosts soft human bodies on the Eastern-facing, city-viewing side, and fast-moving metal machinery on the Western, ocean-facing side. This is especially stress-relieving for longtime San Francisco walkers after years of paranoiacally hugging that white cement foot-high divider while looking over their shoulders and trying to enjoy the view at the same time AKA walking right on the road. One tip: while there, be like the lupine-loving Mission Blue butterfly, and, as the website suggests, “Expect strong winds.”\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056029\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-400x407.jpg\" alt=\"Rat Rock\" width=\"400\" height=\"407\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12056029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-400x407.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-590x600.jpg 590w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-768x781.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-1161x1180.jpg 1161w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-1920x1952.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-1180x1200.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-960x976.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-64x64.jpg 64w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rat Rock \u003ccite>(Photo: Courtesy of the Friends of China Camp)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>China Camp \u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=466\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The hidden one \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nOn the Bay side of San Rafael sits a marshy strip of land, largely protected from the wind. For many years it functioned as a successful Chinese-American shrimping village, whose charming small homes and work buildings are still onsite. Today the whole area is a stunning park with tons of shorebirds, a small walk-in campground, and maybe the best picnic areas on the entire Bay. A major bonus are the two extremely small islands: Jake’s Island is a charming, mysterious marsh-enclosed green bump. The impossible-looking Rat Rock, a cream-colored jut with a crown of scraggly bushes and maybe three and a half fearless trees may be too small to hold humans, but it’s pretty in-demand as a nesting site for geese. If you’re lucky, you may catch the lovely replica sailing ship the Grace Quan on the water, as well; \u003ca href=\"http://friendsofchinacamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Friends of China Camp\u003c/a> volunteers maintain the shrimping village and run plenty of kids’ programming and lectures.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "If you're new to the Bay Area or just haven't taken the time to do the research, these trails will make you glad you left the house.",
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"title": "Happy Trails: Five Reasons Fall is the Best Time to Hike in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"headline": "Happy Trails: Five Reasons Fall is the Best Time to Hike in the Bay Area",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Newcomers to the Bay Area, here’s an important tip: Just as summer is winter around here, fall is totally summer. In fall, the weather gets much hotter, there’s less wind, the sky is deep blue, and you can tell it to the tourists all you want and they’ll never believe you. Longtime Bay Areans are happy to let out-of-towners more or less have summer, because we know about September and October, the real (don’t say “Indian,” it’s tacky) summer. And that’s why we absolutely glory in autumnal walking, whether it’s on the awesomely steep city streets, or on some of our world-class trails and parkways. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/series/fall-arts-guide-2016/\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ.jpg\" alt=\"FallArtsPreview2016SQ\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12037699\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/FallArtsPreview2016SQ-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re a hiking newbie, it’s a good idea to use the \u003ca href=\"https://sierraclub.org/san-francisco-bay/hiking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sierra Club’s Hike Ratings\u003c/a> to help you decide which ones are best for you. But basically, bring water, wear comfortable shoes, be aware and courteous, and you’re off to a world of fun. (Another word to the wise: Summer ends precisely at 4:30 p.m. October 31st, the exact moment it’s too late to thematically incorporate a large parka into your Halloween costume. Sorry.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12057315\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-400x692.jpg\" alt=\"Kids on the Ridge Trail\" width=\"400\" height=\"692\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12057315\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-400x692.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-347x600.jpg 347w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-768x1328.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-682x1180.jpg 682w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil-960x1660.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/CruzKidsJoeNavratil.jpg 1141w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kids on the Ridge Trail \u003ccite>(Photo: Joe Navratril)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>The Bay Area Ridge Trail\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.ridgetrail.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The one that’s everywhere\u003c/strong>, including some residential streets in SF.\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nWhen complete, the Bay Area Ridge Trail will be a 550-plus mile system stringing together 75 parks, a slew of historic sites, and a wide variety of communities, all connected to the incredible ring of mountains around our incredible bay. Today, over 350 miles of mountaintop trails are built, dedicated, and in vigorous use. Many miles of trail are also designed for wheelchair users. Magnificent views for all! One favorite segment inside city limits starts at the top of Twin Peaks, climbs down past a hidden reservoir at the foot of Sutro Tower, runs through some extremely steep residential streets, and heads for \u003ca href=\"http://sfrecpark.org/destination/mt-olympus/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mount Olympus\u003c/a>, the little jewel of a hilltop park at the exact geographic center of the city.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12057316\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-400x446.jpg\" alt=\"Heron's Head Park\" width=\"400\" height=\"446\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12057316\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-400x446.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-538x600.jpg 538w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-768x857.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-1058x1180.jpg 1058w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-1920x2141.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-1180x1316.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/14692795041_3bffbde53d_o-e1473663400386-960x1071.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heron’s Head Park \u003ccite>(Photo: Liz Henry)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Heron’s Head Park\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://sfport.com/herons-head-park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The short one\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nSome people think industrial wastelands are romantic. Many such arty types also, maybe secretly, love birdwatching. Is this you? Do you like to take short, windy walks through bizarre landscapes only to find strange metaphors at the end of a spit, while simultaneously adding a lesser scaup to your life list? Everyone walking in this desolate (yet meticulously maintained and excellently ecocentric) no-one’s-land is carrying a camera, and why not? Go ahead, wear black. All black. While hiking. If this is you, Heron’s Head is your place. Alternatively, if you just want a beautiful place to take the dog on a short leash-walk, or use the small-dog park, or attend an event at the kid-friendly EcoCenter, then Heron’s Head is also for you.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056028\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-400x266.jpg\" alt=\"San Francisco, taken from San Bruno Mountains Summit Loop Trail\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12056028\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-400x266.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-1180x784.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-1920x1276.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/San-Bruno-Mountain-Summit-Loop-Trail-005-960x638.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco, taken from San Bruno Mountains Summit Loop Trail \u003ccite>(Photo: San Mateo County Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>San Bruno Mountain\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://parks.smcgov.org/san-bruno-mountain-state-county-park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>The wild one\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nSan Bruno Mountain has its own dedicated group of environmentalists looking out for it, that’s how special it is. The obsessed volunteers of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.mountainwatch.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Bruno Mountain\u003c/a> call the park a “3,600-acre island of biodiversity surrounded by a sea of urbanization,” aka “the wilderness in San Francisco’s backyard.” Nine main trails, from the mostly flat Bog Trail to the Ridge Trail with its 564-foot elevation change, thread through this South San Francisco treasure. And take it from someone who found out the dumb way: Leave the dog at home.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12057317\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Twin Peaks\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12057317\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-64x64.jpg 64w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-96x96.jpg 96w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-128x128.jpg 128w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/Melissa-Loesgen-TP-2nd-Peak-600x400-e1473664204497-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twin Peaks \u003ccite>(Photo: Melissa Loesgen, courtesy of SF Rec and Parks)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Twin Peaks\u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://sfrecpark.org/destination/twin-peaks/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>The iconic one\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nThe newly pedestrian and cyclist-friendly landmark is no more or less spectacular than it was before, but now hikers and bikers no longer have to cede the way to drivers who sometimes seemed to be acting out childhood Matchbox-car fantasies. The road around the two summits, once a figure-8, now hosts soft human bodies on the Eastern-facing, city-viewing side, and fast-moving metal machinery on the Western, ocean-facing side. This is especially stress-relieving for longtime San Francisco walkers after years of paranoiacally hugging that white cement foot-high divider while looking over their shoulders and trying to enjoy the view at the same time AKA walking right on the road. One tip: while there, be like the lupine-loving Mission Blue butterfly, and, as the website suggests, “Expect strong winds.”\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cdiv class=\"callout noborder\">\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056029\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 400px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-400x407.jpg\" alt=\"Rat Rock\" width=\"400\" height=\"407\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-12056029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-400x407.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-590x600.jpg 590w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-768x781.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-1161x1180.jpg 1161w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-1920x1952.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-1180x1200.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-960x976.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-32x32.jpg 32w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-50x50.jpg 50w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_2886-e1473664901774-64x64.jpg 64w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rat Rock \u003ccite>(Photo: Courtesy of the Friends of China Camp)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>China Camp \u003c/h3>\n\u003ch5>\u003ca href=\"http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=466\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More Information\u003c/a>\u003c/h5>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>The hidden one \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nOn the Bay side of San Rafael sits a marshy strip of land, largely protected from the wind. For many years it functioned as a successful Chinese-American shrimping village, whose charming small homes and work buildings are still onsite. Today the whole area is a stunning park with tons of shorebirds, a small walk-in campground, and maybe the best picnic areas on the entire Bay. A major bonus are the two extremely small islands: Jake’s Island is a charming, mysterious marsh-enclosed green bump. The impossible-looking Rat Rock, a cream-colored jut with a crown of scraggly bushes and maybe three and a half fearless trees may be too small to hold humans, but it’s pretty in-demand as a nesting site for geese. If you’re lucky, you may catch the lovely replica sailing ship the Grace Quan on the water, as well; \u003ca href=\"http://friendsofchinacamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Friends of China Camp\u003c/a> volunteers maintain the shrimping village and run plenty of kids’ programming and lectures.\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The American Dream may be a rare sight these days, but in Saratoga, at least, I think I found a little bit of it backstage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thomas Harvey, Head Rigger at the 2,500-seat Mountain Winery amphitheater, loves what he does. It’s a tough schedule, he says, with long days, late nights, and early mornings, but the crew’s good up there. Plus, it’s literally his job to watch world-class concerts. “There are so many nights where I’m leaving a show and I’m pinching myself, because that was not only the best show, but the best experience,” Harvey tells me by phone a week or so after I visit the remote, spectacularly scenic venue. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His job, he explains, is to maintain the integrity of “the grid.” At the start of the concert season in May, a specialized structural engineer comes in to calculate the weight ratios for the winery’s cantilevered light system. But the lights and set pieces change from night to night, of course, so for every show, Harvey hangs new lights, corrects for potential imbalances, and coordinates his crew. Safety is paramount, and Harvey talks a lot about how vital it is for stage crew members to keep their cool no matter what. Somehow, I’ve never contemplated the enormous weight hanging over performers and often audiences during concerts. I can feel my gaze travel upward now in my mind’s eye, and I think, well, yeah, it would be great if the people hanging stuff up there stayed calm. Apparently, that’s exactly the kind of person Thomas Harvey is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11856994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveySpot.jpg\" alt=\"Thomas Harvey at Mountain Winery.\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11856994\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveySpot.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveySpot-400x533.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveySpot-450x600.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thomas Harvey at Mountain Winery. (Photo: Brian Conway)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Rigging is the most underrated and overlooked of the music industry professions, and Tom is the top of his craft,” says the winery’s production manager, Jon Garrett. Harvey is a soft-spoken man, Garrett says, but has a vivid memory for detail, a deep understanding of music production, and a genuine camaraderie with his crew. “When he does speak, we all listen like E.F. Hutton.” It’s a reference from the 1980s, but the old advertisement’s image of people gathering quickly and quietly has yet to be replaced in popular culture; perhaps it isn’t something people do very much anymore. Our attention is more often on blowhards than on storytellers, let alone on co-workers who might have something to tell us about our own lives. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rigging may be overlooked, but it can be awesome, especially at the winery’s outdoor theater, where concerts take place looking out over the Santa Clara Valley while the sun goes down. “I’ve seen some just magical stuff happen here,” Harvey says. “A lot of times I’ll be on headset when I’m running a spotlight, and the [artist’s own touring] lighting director’ll be saying ‘Oh my god, they’ve never done that before. Wow!’” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight.jpg\" alt=\"CurtainLight\" width=\"1100\" height=\"729\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11856995\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight.jpg 1100w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight-400x265.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight-960x636.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I witnessed the Mountain Winery effect with my own eyes the night indie supergroup case/lang/veirs played. Mid-show, lesbian country-music legend k.d. lang announced that she loved the next song, and would like to dance to it. Bandmates Neko Case and Laura Veirs suggested she do so. And that’s how k.d. lang jumped off the stage, waded into the crowd, and started shaking outstretched hands and dancing in the aisles. Harvey says the band’s lighting director was floored. “He was used to having them do the same thing every day. Same setlist, no interruptions, so pretty much every show ends within a couple seconds of each other. And they were going off!” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvey tells me he first got into this kind of work because he loves music and music’s stories, in addition to regular adrenaline rushes. At UC Santa Cruz as an undergraduate, he took the famous oral history class with professors Marge Franz and Paul Skenazy, and says that someday he’d like to write a book to document the stories he’s heard from his colleagues, whom he invariably refers to as “my brothers and sisters.” It sounds like an unusually interesting family: Neil Young’s longtime production manager, Jimmy Page’s first guitar tech — “and the thing is, every time somebody passes away, all those stories and all those memories are lost.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What makes this career possible, however, is the boring stuff. Harvey eventually realized that in addition to the excitement and rockstar shenanigans, he’d gotten himself a really good job. “I might be able to actually retire doing this,” he says. “I have a pension and an annuity, and I also have health insurance.” As for benefits like a 401k plan and a flex plan for premiums, childcare and medical expenses, Harvey credits his union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE. (The link between labor unions and the health of the middle class is well-documented; a 2015 National Bureau of Economic Research paper “suggests a ‘strong, though not necessarily causal’ link between the power of labor unions [and] the well-being of the middle class,” according to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.ibtimes.com/decline-unions-weakens-us-middle-class-reduces-income-mobility-between-generations-2148618\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Business Times\u003c/a>.) “It was really the best decision that I made in my life,” he says. “I’m a member of Local 107 in Oakland, Local 134 in San Jose, and Local 611 in Santa Cruz.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11856996\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveyMountainWinery.jpg\" alt=\"Thomas Harvey in the booth at Mountain Winery.\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11856996\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveyMountainWinery.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveyMountainWinery-400x533.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveyMountainWinery-450x600.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thomas Harvey in the booth at Mountain Winery.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Harvey, naturally, has memorable stories of his own. On November 23, 1997, he was at Fort Mason, trying to hang a stage for George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars. That morning, production trucks had arrived, but the drivers refused to unload anything. They hadn’t gotten their money, so nothing moved. In addition, one of the three members of Harvey’s crew had fallen off a deck and torn his ACL that morning. The real problem, though, was the promoter, the man with the money, who was sitting on the Golden Gate Bridge in a five-hour traffic jam. Woody Harrelson had chosen that day to climb the north tower and unfurl a banner protesting the clear-cutting of old-growth redwoods; a good cause, but bad news for Harvey. He now had two people instead of three, and no stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of everything, there was the Mothership. “[It] was this spacecraft,” Harvey explains, “that they had suspended from the rafters and then dropped in the middle of the show, and then George Clinton would come out of it.” Currently residing in the Smithsonian Institution, the Mothership “existed conceptually as a fictional vehicle of funk deliverance,” according to its very funny Wikipedia page, powered “by unknown means, presumably The Funk and simple stagecraft.” The band stopped using the thing for many years because of its outrageous cost, but in the late 1990s had a new one built and were at it again. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So the promoter showed up about one o’clock,” and paid the drivers, Harvey says. “We had doors at 8 and a show at 9… I basically had to go up and down all day, tie things on and then climb back up into the grid and pull them up… I was literally focusing lights with my butt hanging out over the audience five minutes before the band went on.” All the same, says the guy with a retirement plan, it was a kind of career high. “I got to rig the Mothership, which was amazing! Not many people can say that.” For his trouble, P-Funk’s legendary guitar player Michael Hampton invited Harvey to the recording session afterparty at Hyde Street Studios that night. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The very best part of being Head Rigger at Mountain Winery, though, Harvey says, in spite of the downsides like near-constant sweat, a surprising amount of waiting around, and occasionally finding out a favorite band is a bunch of jerks, is his distinctly middle-class joy. “I raised two beautiful kids!” he says. “I can’t really complain.” \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The American Dream may be a rare sight these days, but in Saratoga, at least, I think I found a little bit of it backstage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thomas Harvey, Head Rigger at the 2,500-seat Mountain Winery amphitheater, loves what he does. It’s a tough schedule, he says, with long days, late nights, and early mornings, but the crew’s good up there. Plus, it’s literally his job to watch world-class concerts. “There are so many nights where I’m leaving a show and I’m pinching myself, because that was not only the best show, but the best experience,” Harvey tells me by phone a week or so after I visit the remote, spectacularly scenic venue. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His job, he explains, is to maintain the integrity of “the grid.” At the start of the concert season in May, a specialized structural engineer comes in to calculate the weight ratios for the winery’s cantilevered light system. But the lights and set pieces change from night to night, of course, so for every show, Harvey hangs new lights, corrects for potential imbalances, and coordinates his crew. Safety is paramount, and Harvey talks a lot about how vital it is for stage crew members to keep their cool no matter what. Somehow, I’ve never contemplated the enormous weight hanging over performers and often audiences during concerts. I can feel my gaze travel upward now in my mind’s eye, and I think, well, yeah, it would be great if the people hanging stuff up there stayed calm. Apparently, that’s exactly the kind of person Thomas Harvey is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11856994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveySpot.jpg\" alt=\"Thomas Harvey at Mountain Winery.\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11856994\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveySpot.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveySpot-400x533.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveySpot-450x600.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thomas Harvey at Mountain Winery. (Photo: Brian Conway)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Rigging is the most underrated and overlooked of the music industry professions, and Tom is the top of his craft,” says the winery’s production manager, Jon Garrett. Harvey is a soft-spoken man, Garrett says, but has a vivid memory for detail, a deep understanding of music production, and a genuine camaraderie with his crew. “When he does speak, we all listen like E.F. Hutton.” It’s a reference from the 1980s, but the old advertisement’s image of people gathering quickly and quietly has yet to be replaced in popular culture; perhaps it isn’t something people do very much anymore. Our attention is more often on blowhards than on storytellers, let alone on co-workers who might have something to tell us about our own lives. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rigging may be overlooked, but it can be awesome, especially at the winery’s outdoor theater, where concerts take place looking out over the Santa Clara Valley while the sun goes down. “I’ve seen some just magical stuff happen here,” Harvey says. “A lot of times I’ll be on headset when I’m running a spotlight, and the [artist’s own touring] lighting director’ll be saying ‘Oh my god, they’ve never done that before. Wow!’” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight.jpg\" alt=\"CurtainLight\" width=\"1100\" height=\"729\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11856995\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight.jpg 1100w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight-400x265.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/CurtainLight-960x636.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I witnessed the Mountain Winery effect with my own eyes the night indie supergroup case/lang/veirs played. Mid-show, lesbian country-music legend k.d. lang announced that she loved the next song, and would like to dance to it. Bandmates Neko Case and Laura Veirs suggested she do so. And that’s how k.d. lang jumped off the stage, waded into the crowd, and started shaking outstretched hands and dancing in the aisles. Harvey says the band’s lighting director was floored. “He was used to having them do the same thing every day. Same setlist, no interruptions, so pretty much every show ends within a couple seconds of each other. And they were going off!” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvey tells me he first got into this kind of work because he loves music and music’s stories, in addition to regular adrenaline rushes. At UC Santa Cruz as an undergraduate, he took the famous oral history class with professors Marge Franz and Paul Skenazy, and says that someday he’d like to write a book to document the stories he’s heard from his colleagues, whom he invariably refers to as “my brothers and sisters.” It sounds like an unusually interesting family: Neil Young’s longtime production manager, Jimmy Page’s first guitar tech — “and the thing is, every time somebody passes away, all those stories and all those memories are lost.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What makes this career possible, however, is the boring stuff. Harvey eventually realized that in addition to the excitement and rockstar shenanigans, he’d gotten himself a really good job. “I might be able to actually retire doing this,” he says. “I have a pension and an annuity, and I also have health insurance.” As for benefits like a 401k plan and a flex plan for premiums, childcare and medical expenses, Harvey credits his union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE. (The link between labor unions and the health of the middle class is well-documented; a 2015 National Bureau of Economic Research paper “suggests a ‘strong, though not necessarily causal’ link between the power of labor unions [and] the well-being of the middle class,” according to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.ibtimes.com/decline-unions-weakens-us-middle-class-reduces-income-mobility-between-generations-2148618\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Business Times\u003c/a>.) “It was really the best decision that I made in my life,” he says. “I’m a member of Local 107 in Oakland, Local 134 in San Jose, and Local 611 in Santa Cruz.” \u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11856996\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveyMountainWinery.jpg\" alt=\"Thomas Harvey in the booth at Mountain Winery.\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11856996\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveyMountainWinery.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveyMountainWinery-400x533.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/THarveyMountainWinery-450x600.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thomas Harvey in the booth at Mountain Winery.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Harvey, naturally, has memorable stories of his own. On November 23, 1997, he was at Fort Mason, trying to hang a stage for George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars. That morning, production trucks had arrived, but the drivers refused to unload anything. They hadn’t gotten their money, so nothing moved. In addition, one of the three members of Harvey’s crew had fallen off a deck and torn his ACL that morning. The real problem, though, was the promoter, the man with the money, who was sitting on the Golden Gate Bridge in a five-hour traffic jam. Woody Harrelson had chosen that day to climb the north tower and unfurl a banner protesting the clear-cutting of old-growth redwoods; a good cause, but bad news for Harvey. He now had two people instead of three, and no stage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of everything, there was the Mothership. “[It] was this spacecraft,” Harvey explains, “that they had suspended from the rafters and then dropped in the middle of the show, and then George Clinton would come out of it.” Currently residing in the Smithsonian Institution, the Mothership “existed conceptually as a fictional vehicle of funk deliverance,” according to its very funny Wikipedia page, powered “by unknown means, presumably The Funk and simple stagecraft.” The band stopped using the thing for many years because of its outrageous cost, but in the late 1990s had a new one built and were at it again. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So the promoter showed up about one o’clock,” and paid the drivers, Harvey says. “We had doors at 8 and a show at 9… I basically had to go up and down all day, tie things on and then climb back up into the grid and pull them up… I was literally focusing lights with my butt hanging out over the audience five minutes before the band went on.” All the same, says the guy with a retirement plan, it was a kind of career high. “I got to rig the Mothership, which was amazing! Not many people can say that.” For his trouble, P-Funk’s legendary guitar player Michael Hampton invited Harvey to the recording session afterparty at Hyde Street Studios that night. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The very best part of being Head Rigger at Mountain Winery, though, Harvey says, in spite of the downsides like near-constant sweat, a surprising amount of waiting around, and occasionally finding out a favorite band is a bunch of jerks, is his distinctly middle-class joy. “I raised two beautiful kids!” he says. “I can’t really complain.” \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Backstage Heroes’ is a series spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area. Guiding us is Hiya Swanhuyser, a veteran fan and all-around culture vulture who for nearly a decade helmed calendar duties for the \u003c/em>SF Weekly\u003cem> — where her \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/ArticleArchives?author=2126606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">‘Music Heroes’ \u003c/a>series inspired this broader look at the arts — giving her rare personal insight into those toiling in the wings, but rarely in the spotlight.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plenty has been written about the significance of gay bar space in the wake of the unthinkable attack on Pulse Orlando Night Club and Ultra Lounge, and I hope to see a lot more. \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/monique.jenkinson.7/posts/10154980334879179?pnref=story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This Facebook post\u003c/a> from San Francisco drag legend Monique Jenkinson, aka \u003ca href=\"http://www.fauxnique.net/\">Fauxnique,\u003c/a> is a start: “Feeling particular love for friends & family who have lived lives, made art, danced our asses off, talked over the music on the dance floor, watched shows, cried, eaten birthday cake & made everyone feel welcome to come together in difference in GAY BARS.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As I tried to process the facts last week, I wondered about the unsung characters who were at work while it happened. What about the feet on the ground, the employees at Pulse, like those at every other cavernous, anarchic gay club? A \u003ca href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/news/war-veteran-imran-yousef-saves-dozens-during-orlando-nightclub-shooting-omar-mateen/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent article surfaced\u003c/a>: Imran Yousuf, a Pulse bouncer, saved 60 or 70 lives that night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I decided to talk to Eric Mueller, a local gay bar employee. A former college football player, he moved across the country to join USF’s MFA in writing program in 2014, when he “won the apartment lottery,” and moved into a place at 18th and Castro streets. A week and a half later, he saw a sign in a window, and was quickly hired by a pair of large, popular gay bars to do barback and security work. To my mind, \u003cspan class=\"im\">although these places are located in San Francisco’s iconic, center-of-the-gay-universe district, in many ways, they could be, and are, everywhere. Suffice it to say they’re big, industrial-grade dancehalls, the kind you find all over the world.\u003c/span>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he’s a writer by calling, Mueller’s six-foot-tall, offensive-lineman physique gives him solid qualifications for intense bar duty; the Allegheny Gators’ loss of a strongman was 18th Street hitting the bouncer jackpot. Tall, broad, blond, and muscular he may be, but Mueller is surprisingly soft-spoken and waits a full, unhurried beat after questions; it’s unnerving at first, but I soon realize the calm pace of conversation springs from the unusual care he takes with language and ideas. He also worked at the University of San Francisco’s Gleeson library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11714290 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-462x600.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-462x600.jpg 462w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-400x520.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-768x998.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-908x1180.jpg 908w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-1180x1534.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-960x1248.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971.jpg 1490w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mueller actually no longer works at bars — he’d like to find work at a bookstore — and his last shift was a recent Saturday night. But for the past two years, he’s been one of the people who cleaned up messes, stopped fights, enforced 86s, got yelled at by drunks on the sidewalk, and kept your glassware sanitized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Yousuf was paid anything close to what Mueller was, the money’s as heartbreaking as the work is hard — and dangerous even on a good night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following Mueller’s byzantine description of his salary rituals, for example: “If you work the door, you make $16 an hour, and the tipout you get is $5 per bartender, and then a payout from the owner, so weeknights that tipout would be $25, because there were usually three bartenders, and the millionaire in charge thought ten was good,” I calculate his net hourly rate to be between $21 and $32.\u003cbr>\nWe talk about community, about whether huge party-bars like those in the Castro can really provide a sense of home. Although I should know better, I question whether they can; maybe I just don’t like the constant deafening music, sticky surfaces, and aim-head-for-floor drinking style that define big gay bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mueller surprises me: His bars have regulars, he says, people who live nearby and come through nearly every day, knowing their friends will be there. The places he worked for have had well-known problems with racial profiling — asking for multiple forms of ID from black patrons, that kind of thing — but he notes that “the regulars at at happy hour are people of color, surprisingly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a few months they were having Latin night on Wednesdays, which I thought was awesome,” Mueller adds. He’s tougher than I am; I tear up when he says the name of the same event that had been in progress during the attack in Orlando. \u003cem>What went through your head when you heard about it?\u003c/em> I ask. Mueller waits that beat before answering, but not to think about what he’s going to say. When he responds, he speaks quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My first thought was, how did the person get in with a gun like that? When you work the door, I was taught you check the IDs first and then check bags if they have them. You’re supposed to make sure that outside food or beverages don’t come in. Safety hazards like knives or stuff,” he says, emphasizing, maybe marveling at, the contrast between those items and the ones the shooter carried into Pulse. “And then I learned that he was sort of involved in the security of the club, which made me think, you know, it could have happened anywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Homophobia was a regular part of his job, along with those unexpected moments of community, and he tells a story that’s apparently extremely common, one that could have been taken out of \u003ca href=\"http://www.newnownext.com/straight-man-arrested-at-gay-friendly-bar-in-brooklyn-after-threatening-to-come-back-orlando-style/06/2016/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">yesterday’s headlines\u003c/a>. When Mueller told a straight man he couldn’t cut to the front of a long line on the Sunday of Pride weekend, just because he’d “brought a lot of business,” the man instantly became verbally abusive, “dropping f-bombs.” A police officer happened to be nearby, and the man was arrested.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another, very different, but according to Mueller extremely plaguing day-to-day problem is the dehumanizing treatment bar workers receive at the hands of a group that would never suspect itself: bachelorette parties. “When a bachelorette party comes in, everyone working inside just looks at each other, and gets mentally prepared.” Prepared for trash to be thrown everywhere, prepared for entitlement to be turned up to 11. Pretty princesses’ “little crowns, and penis-shaped things, because that’s what consumerized bachelorette parties all have,” it seems, are often left behind in a wave of what Mueller thinks of as “indirect homophobia.” Guess who has to clean it up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are thousands of establishments that are quote-unquote straight bars. Straight people can be straight almost anywhere they want,” Mueller observes. What’s his advice for the gaggles of girls, for the homophobia-enraged toxic masculines, for the non-bar-going public? “Remember why gay bars exist, and remember who they exist for,” he says simply. In return, that door guy, barback, floater, bouncer, or busboy will mop the floor, stop the fights, pick up the trash — and, hopefully, never have to save your life.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Backstage Heroes’ is a series spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area. Guiding us is Hiya Swanhuyser, a veteran fan and all-around culture vulture who for nearly a decade helmed calendar duties for the \u003c/em>SF Weekly\u003cem> — where her \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/ArticleArchives?author=2126606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">‘Music Heroes’ \u003c/a>series inspired this broader look at the arts — giving her rare personal insight into those toiling in the wings, but rarely in the spotlight.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plenty has been written about the significance of gay bar space in the wake of the unthinkable attack on Pulse Orlando Night Club and Ultra Lounge, and I hope to see a lot more. \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/monique.jenkinson.7/posts/10154980334879179?pnref=story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This Facebook post\u003c/a> from San Francisco drag legend Monique Jenkinson, aka \u003ca href=\"http://www.fauxnique.net/\">Fauxnique,\u003c/a> is a start: “Feeling particular love for friends & family who have lived lives, made art, danced our asses off, talked over the music on the dance floor, watched shows, cried, eaten birthday cake & made everyone feel welcome to come together in difference in GAY BARS.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As I tried to process the facts last week, I wondered about the unsung characters who were at work while it happened. What about the feet on the ground, the employees at Pulse, like those at every other cavernous, anarchic gay club? A \u003ca href=\"http://www.cbsnews.com/news/war-veteran-imran-yousef-saves-dozens-during-orlando-nightclub-shooting-omar-mateen/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent article surfaced\u003c/a>: Imran Yousuf, a Pulse bouncer, saved 60 or 70 lives that night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I decided to talk to Eric Mueller, a local gay bar employee. A former college football player, he moved across the country to join USF’s MFA in writing program in 2014, when he “won the apartment lottery,” and moved into a place at 18th and Castro streets. A week and a half later, he saw a sign in a window, and was quickly hired by a pair of large, popular gay bars to do barback and security work. To my mind, \u003cspan class=\"im\">although these places are located in San Francisco’s iconic, center-of-the-gay-universe district, in many ways, they could be, and are, everywhere. Suffice it to say they’re big, industrial-grade dancehalls, the kind you find all over the world.\u003c/span>\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he’s a writer by calling, Mueller’s six-foot-tall, offensive-lineman physique gives him solid qualifications for intense bar duty; the Allegheny Gators’ loss of a strongman was 18th Street hitting the bouncer jackpot. Tall, broad, blond, and muscular he may be, but Mueller is surprisingly soft-spoken and waits a full, unhurried beat after questions; it’s unnerving at first, but I soon realize the calm pace of conversation springs from the unusual care he takes with language and ideas. He also worked at the University of San Francisco’s Gleeson library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11714290 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-462x600.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-462x600.jpg 462w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-400x520.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-768x998.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-908x1180.jpg 908w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-1180x1534.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971-960x1248.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/Eric-Mueller-and-Ian-e1466812869971.jpg 1490w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mueller actually no longer works at bars — he’d like to find work at a bookstore — and his last shift was a recent Saturday night. But for the past two years, he’s been one of the people who cleaned up messes, stopped fights, enforced 86s, got yelled at by drunks on the sidewalk, and kept your glassware sanitized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Yousuf was paid anything close to what Mueller was, the money’s as heartbreaking as the work is hard — and dangerous even on a good night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following Mueller’s byzantine description of his salary rituals, for example: “If you work the door, you make $16 an hour, and the tipout you get is $5 per bartender, and then a payout from the owner, so weeknights that tipout would be $25, because there were usually three bartenders, and the millionaire in charge thought ten was good,” I calculate his net hourly rate to be between $21 and $32.\u003cbr>\nWe talk about community, about whether huge party-bars like those in the Castro can really provide a sense of home. Although I should know better, I question whether they can; maybe I just don’t like the constant deafening music, sticky surfaces, and aim-head-for-floor drinking style that define big gay bars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mueller surprises me: His bars have regulars, he says, people who live nearby and come through nearly every day, knowing their friends will be there. The places he worked for have had well-known problems with racial profiling — asking for multiple forms of ID from black patrons, that kind of thing — but he notes that “the regulars at at happy hour are people of color, surprisingly.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a few months they were having Latin night on Wednesdays, which I thought was awesome,” Mueller adds. He’s tougher than I am; I tear up when he says the name of the same event that had been in progress during the attack in Orlando. \u003cem>What went through your head when you heard about it?\u003c/em> I ask. Mueller waits that beat before answering, but not to think about what he’s going to say. When he responds, he speaks quickly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My first thought was, how did the person get in with a gun like that? When you work the door, I was taught you check the IDs first and then check bags if they have them. You’re supposed to make sure that outside food or beverages don’t come in. Safety hazards like knives or stuff,” he says, emphasizing, maybe marveling at, the contrast between those items and the ones the shooter carried into Pulse. “And then I learned that he was sort of involved in the security of the club, which made me think, you know, it could have happened anywhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Homophobia was a regular part of his job, along with those unexpected moments of community, and he tells a story that’s apparently extremely common, one that could have been taken out of \u003ca href=\"http://www.newnownext.com/straight-man-arrested-at-gay-friendly-bar-in-brooklyn-after-threatening-to-come-back-orlando-style/06/2016/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">yesterday’s headlines\u003c/a>. When Mueller told a straight man he couldn’t cut to the front of a long line on the Sunday of Pride weekend, just because he’d “brought a lot of business,” the man instantly became verbally abusive, “dropping f-bombs.” A police officer happened to be nearby, and the man was arrested.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another, very different, but according to Mueller extremely plaguing day-to-day problem is the dehumanizing treatment bar workers receive at the hands of a group that would never suspect itself: bachelorette parties. “When a bachelorette party comes in, everyone working inside just looks at each other, and gets mentally prepared.” Prepared for trash to be thrown everywhere, prepared for entitlement to be turned up to 11. Pretty princesses’ “little crowns, and penis-shaped things, because that’s what consumerized bachelorette parties all have,” it seems, are often left behind in a wave of what Mueller thinks of as “indirect homophobia.” Guess who has to clean it up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are thousands of establishments that are quote-unquote straight bars. Straight people can be straight almost anywhere they want,” Mueller observes. What’s his advice for the gaggles of girls, for the homophobia-enraged toxic masculines, for the non-bar-going public? “Remember why gay bars exist, and remember who they exist for,” he says simply. In return, that door guy, barback, floater, bouncer, or busboy will mop the floor, stop the fights, pick up the trash — and, hopefully, never have to save your life.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Backstage Heroes’ is a series spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area. Guiding us is Hiya Swanhuyser, a veteran fan and all-around culture vulture who for nearly a decade helmed calendar duties for the \u003c/em>SF Weekly\u003cem> — where her \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/ArticleArchives?author=2126606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">‘Music Heroes’ \u003c/a>series inspired this broader look at the arts — giving her rare personal insight into those toiling in the wings, but rarely in the spotlight.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On May 7, 2016, the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em> ran an article with the headline “\u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/33-protesters-arrested-in-clash-with-san-francisco-deputies/2016/05/07/14b94c7c-149f-11e6-a9b5-bf703a5a7191_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">33 protesters arrested in clash with San Francisco deputies\u003c/a>.” I noticed it because I’d been at City Hall protesting police brutality the day before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the demonstrations, I had followed organizers’ instructions — “Join hands, join hands!” — to create a giant outdoor human hallway from Hyde Street to the steps on Goodlett Place. The hunger-striking “Frisco Five” used the corridor to approach City Hall, wheeled forward shoulder to shoulder by white-coated volunteer doctors. The intense visual symbolism struck me: sickened citizens, weak yet totally powerful, making their way to the seat of government, framed by this spontaneous phalanx. I wondered if anyone would transmit this image out to the world. I don’t think any did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next day, I ran across the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em> article and its sock-in-the-gut image, instead: Surrounded by disembodied hands, a snarling, uniformed white man slams a black man’s face into a metal door frame. A hand emerges from the crowd, grasping the officer’s arm to stop him. Another holds a paper sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My eyes dropped instinctively to the photo credit: Joel Angel Juárez. I immediately wished this photographer had been standing on the front steps of City Hall when the hunger strikers were making their way through the plaza. Then I realized how close Juárez had been to the dangerous chaos he’d photographed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The photo, picked up by the Associated Press, also appeared in the \u003cem>OC Register\u003c/em>, the \u003cem>San Diego Union Tribune\u003c/em>, the \u003cem>San Jose Mercury News\u003c/em>, Fox News, and more. The protester, James Burch, became, for a short time, the public face of San Francisco’s racist police brutality problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11616458\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11616458 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7.jpg 1484w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Joel Angel Juárez. \u003ccite>(Joel Angel Juárez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Joel Angel Juárez is 20 years old, tall, and quick to smile. He’s a third-year journalism major at San Francisco State University, with a photojournalism emphasis and an international relations minor. When we sit down at a Mediterranean café near the Main Library, he’s just finished covering the Frisco Five’s visit to a Police Commission meeting. We talk about how he got started shooting (“On film!” he says, himself a little incredulous) and about how a street-art fan on a bike became an independent photojournalist committed to learning how to tell the story of police brutality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s much more of a “show” guy than a “tell” guy; several times I ask a question and he just looks at me. He draws a diagram at one point, and describes protest scenes in vivid terms of direction and action, but if the subject is himself, the line goes quiet. “Sorry,” he says. “I just can’t find the words.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What he can find, often, is the perfect shot — and the guts to get the right angle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s funny, because some people feel like ‘Okay, I have a camera in my hand, I’m invisible, I won’t get hurt,’” he laughs. “But that’s BS. You’re always on the line, you’re out there.” This is a visceral reality: Later in the evening of May 6, Juárez and three other journalists tumbled down a flight of stairs inside City Hall after a scuffle with a Sheriff’s deputy. Some of the journalists \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfexaminer.com/four-journalists-allegedly-injured-sheriffs-hunger-strike-protest/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allege they were shoved\u003c/a>; two of the journalists required medical attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hit the ground, my camera hit the ground,” Juárez tells me. A Sheriff’s Department investigation has begun, and there’s a possible civil damages suit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he’s very clear about his role — he’s a journalist, not an activist — Juárez considers it the duty of photojournalists to dive deep into people’s lives, to tell the truth without bias. “I’ve been in situations where it’s really tense. And you’ve got to understand it’s not only tense for protesters, but it’s also tense for the officers who are getting yelled at.” All this, he says, and at the end of the day, “Like, three-quarters of the time we don’t get paid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssa7rQRfpCU\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juárez grew up in Oxnard, Calif., where the first serious work he did involved photographing the aftermath of the death of a local teen, Alfonso Limon, Jr. As he recounts the details, the café clanks around us and men yell to each other outside on the street, but he lowers his voice. “The whole story about Alfonso Limon was that he was face down, and had his hands up. And he got shot by a police officer, and I believe there was a car chase. And he was a bystander. When I heard that news…” His voice trails off, becomes unintelligible for a moment. I can hear the important part just fine, though: “…tell people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is photojournalism’s mandate; the Brooks Institute of Photography’s Jim McNay writes on the \u003ca href=\"https://nppa.org/page/3154\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Press Photographers’ Association website\u003c/a> that a good photojournalist is “…not at home in their studio or apartment. The work is out in the world with people.” Echoing Juárez’ self-propelled “deep dive” into the stories of American police brutality, McNay also specifies that “Unlike the world of fine art where the aim is for the photographer to tell their story to the world, in photojournalism the photographer/storyteller concentrates on the story of other people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our role is sort of as watchdog,” Juárez agrees. “You’ve got to hold people accountable. You’ve got to figure out what happened in a situation, and us going out there can help figure it out, help figure out the relationship between these communities, and law enforcement, and the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe I’ll never get my photo of the Frisco Five taxiing up to City Hall. Then again, maybe that pretty picture wasn’t the important one, wouldn’t have gotten at the real story about San Francisco right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On May 20, San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr complied with Mayor Edwin Lee’s request for his resignation, hours after an SFPD officer shot and killed an unarmed 27-year-old black woman. A \u003ca href=\"http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sanfrancisco-police-idUSKCN0YA31G\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reuters article from that day\u003c/a> points out that lethal police brutality against communities of color “has been the focus of nationwide protests since mid-2014.” And I can’t help but think on how committed journalists, photo and otherwise, have played a part in holding people accountable on these issues, have helped figure out what happened in these situations. Especially those who, when they find themselves at the bottom of a flight of stairs, get right back up and keep going.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Backstage Heroes’ is a series spotlighting the many movers and shakers working behind the arts scenes to make magic happen in the Bay Area. Guiding us is Hiya Swanhuyser, a veteran fan and all-around culture vulture who for nearly a decade helmed calendar duties for the \u003c/em>SF Weekly\u003cem> — where her \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/ArticleArchives?author=2126606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">‘Music Heroes’ \u003c/a>series inspired this broader look at the arts — giving her rare personal insight into those toiling in the wings, but rarely in the spotlight.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On May 7, 2016, the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em> ran an article with the headline “\u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/33-protesters-arrested-in-clash-with-san-francisco-deputies/2016/05/07/14b94c7c-149f-11e6-a9b5-bf703a5a7191_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">33 protesters arrested in clash with San Francisco deputies\u003c/a>.” I noticed it because I’d been at City Hall protesting police brutality the day before.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the demonstrations, I had followed organizers’ instructions — “Join hands, join hands!” — to create a giant outdoor human hallway from Hyde Street to the steps on Goodlett Place. The hunger-striking “Frisco Five” used the corridor to approach City Hall, wheeled forward shoulder to shoulder by white-coated volunteer doctors. The intense visual symbolism struck me: sickened citizens, weak yet totally powerful, making their way to the seat of government, framed by this spontaneous phalanx. I wondered if anyone would transmit this image out to the world. I don’t think any did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next day, I ran across the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em> article and its sock-in-the-gut image, instead: Surrounded by disembodied hands, a snarling, uniformed white man slams a black man’s face into a metal door frame. A hand emerges from the crowd, grasping the officer’s arm to stop him. Another holds a paper sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My eyes dropped instinctively to the photo credit: Joel Angel Juárez. I immediately wished this photographer had been standing on the front steps of City Hall when the hunger strikers were making their way through the plaza. Then I realized how close Juárez had been to the dangerous chaos he’d photographed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The photo, picked up by the Associated Press, also appeared in the \u003cem>OC Register\u003c/em>, the \u003cem>San Diego Union Tribune\u003c/em>, the \u003cem>San Jose Mercury News\u003c/em>, Fox News, and more. The protester, James Burch, became, for a short time, the public face of San Francisco’s racist police brutality problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11616458\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11616458 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/05/JAJuarezSanFranciscoPoliceProtest-049f7.jpg 1484w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Joel Angel Juárez. \u003ccite>(Joel Angel Juárez)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Joel Angel Juárez is 20 years old, tall, and quick to smile. He’s a third-year journalism major at San Francisco State University, with a photojournalism emphasis and an international relations minor. When we sit down at a Mediterranean café near the Main Library, he’s just finished covering the Frisco Five’s visit to a Police Commission meeting. We talk about how he got started shooting (“On film!” he says, himself a little incredulous) and about how a street-art fan on a bike became an independent photojournalist committed to learning how to tell the story of police brutality.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s much more of a “show” guy than a “tell” guy; several times I ask a question and he just looks at me. He draws a diagram at one point, and describes protest scenes in vivid terms of direction and action, but if the subject is himself, the line goes quiet. “Sorry,” he says. “I just can’t find the words.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What he can find, often, is the perfect shot — and the guts to get the right angle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s funny, because some people feel like ‘Okay, I have a camera in my hand, I’m invisible, I won’t get hurt,’” he laughs. “But that’s BS. You’re always on the line, you’re out there.” This is a visceral reality: Later in the evening of May 6, Juárez and three other journalists tumbled down a flight of stairs inside City Hall after a scuffle with a Sheriff’s deputy. Some of the journalists \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfexaminer.com/four-journalists-allegedly-injured-sheriffs-hunger-strike-protest/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allege they were shoved\u003c/a>; two of the journalists required medical attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hit the ground, my camera hit the ground,” Juárez tells me. A Sheriff’s Department investigation has begun, and there’s a possible civil damages suit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he’s very clear about his role — he’s a journalist, not an activist — Juárez considers it the duty of photojournalists to dive deep into people’s lives, to tell the truth without bias. “I’ve been in situations where it’s really tense. And you’ve got to understand it’s not only tense for protesters, but it’s also tense for the officers who are getting yelled at.” All this, he says, and at the end of the day, “Like, three-quarters of the time we don’t get paid.”\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/ssa7rQRfpCU'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ssa7rQRfpCU'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Juárez grew up in Oxnard, Calif., where the first serious work he did involved photographing the aftermath of the death of a local teen, Alfonso Limon, Jr. As he recounts the details, the café clanks around us and men yell to each other outside on the street, but he lowers his voice. “The whole story about Alfonso Limon was that he was face down, and had his hands up. And he got shot by a police officer, and I believe there was a car chase. And he was a bystander. When I heard that news…” His voice trails off, becomes unintelligible for a moment. I can hear the important part just fine, though: “…tell people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is photojournalism’s mandate; the Brooks Institute of Photography’s Jim McNay writes on the \u003ca href=\"https://nppa.org/page/3154\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Press Photographers’ Association website\u003c/a> that a good photojournalist is “…not at home in their studio or apartment. The work is out in the world with people.” Echoing Juárez’ self-propelled “deep dive” into the stories of American police brutality, McNay also specifies that “Unlike the world of fine art where the aim is for the photographer to tell their story to the world, in photojournalism the photographer/storyteller concentrates on the story of other people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our role is sort of as watchdog,” Juárez agrees. “You’ve got to hold people accountable. You’ve got to figure out what happened in a situation, and us going out there can help figure it out, help figure out the relationship between these communities, and law enforcement, and the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe I’ll never get my photo of the Frisco Five taxiing up to City Hall. Then again, maybe that pretty picture wasn’t the important one, wouldn’t have gotten at the real story about San Francisco right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On May 20, San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr complied with Mayor Edwin Lee’s request for his resignation, hours after an SFPD officer shot and killed an unarmed 27-year-old black woman. A \u003ca href=\"http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sanfrancisco-police-idUSKCN0YA31G\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reuters article from that day\u003c/a> points out that lethal police brutality against communities of color “has been the focus of nationwide protests since mid-2014.” And I can’t help but think on how committed journalists, photo and otherwise, have played a part in holding people accountable on these issues, have helped figure out what happened in these situations. Especially those who, when they find themselves at the bottom of a flight of stairs, get right back up and keep going.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
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"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",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
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}
},
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"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",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"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": {
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"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 />",
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"meta": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"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",
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"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"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",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"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": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"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.",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"here-and-now": {
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"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.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"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": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"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",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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},
"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",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"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": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"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",
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"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)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"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": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"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/",
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"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": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"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",
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"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.",
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