Oakland is Ready for its Close-up

Stay caught up with the best of KQED's reporting each week by subscribing to the Q'ed Up podcast.

Here's what's happening in our neck of the woods.

1. Boots Riley, Tommy Orange and the Summer of Oakland

A few days ago, I was driving through Oakland and talking to a couple of friends who live on the other side of the country. We’re in a long distance book club together, and we were talking about what we should read next.

One of my friends lives in Arkansas, and she suggested this new book called “There There.” It’s about Native Americans living in Oakland, and it’s written by Tommy Orange — a Native American who grew up on Oakland. It also happens to be a New York Times bestseller, and Vox called it the “novel of the summer.”

Add in "Sorry to Bother You" and "Blindspotting" — two movies coming out this summer set in Oakland and produced by Oakland natives — and it becomes clear: Oakland artists — especially artists of color — are having a moment, and the whole country is taking note.

2. Quilting against gun violence

When we think of political art, I don't think many of us think of quilts. But maybe we should.

From Betsy Ross to Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt, political quilts are nothing new. And now you can add anti-gun violence quilts to the list.

"Guns: Loaded Conversations," now on display at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, was inspired by the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016, but the pieces in the exhibit go far beyond one shooting.

3. Everything is bigger in California

I love hiking among the massive redwoods in Big Basin Redwoods State Park and seeing huge whales swim in the bay. But I had no idea that it was no accident that these natural giants took root in California.

Turns out, the state's ocean currents and famous fog create more food for blue whales and more water for our redwoods. Take that, Texas.

4. These journalists are sitting on a gold mine

At first glance, the bulky yellow, brown and tan chairs that fill the room at the state Capitol where governors make their big announcements just seem impractical. They're heavy and hard to move, and apparently they really hurt when they smash against your fingers.

But they’re also a classic midcentury design and could be worth some serious money. They were created by renowned designers Charles and Ray Eames, and they could fetch hundreds of dollars each, according to one appraiser.

With 45 chairs in the room, that could add up to more than $20,000. Not bad for government chairs.

5. Gooooooooaaaaaallllll

I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I can understand the excitement of watching the World Cup – seeing the best in the world compete at the highest level. And if you're going to watch a soccer match, it makes sense to watch it at a soccer stadium, even if you're in California.

So when Mexico took on Brazil this week, more than 7,500 people came from across the state to watch the match at Avaya Stadium in San Jose before dawn. How cool is that?