Fresno's Juan Felipe Herrera Named U.S. Poet Laureate
A native son from California's great Central Valley will be the next U.S. Poet Laureate. That announcement came this week from the Library of Congress. He's Juan Felipe Herrera. If the name sounds familiar, it's because he was also California's Poet Laureate from 2012 until last year. Herrera taught poetry at Fresno State for many years. He recently retired as chair of the Chicano and Latin American Studies Department at University California, Riverside. Juan Felipe Herrera joins us from our bureau in Fresno where he lives.
California Foodways: Warmer Winter Nights Mean Small Cherry Crop
Who can resist a cherry? They're small, sweet and crunchy. You know summer is on the way when you see them at the market. This beloved fruit is also a bit of a canary in a coal mine. For the series California Foodways, Lisa Morehouse went to the Santa Clara Valley and reports that the last couple of cherry harvests could be a warning about climate change.
Et Tu, El Nino?
For months now, it's been drummed into us that we have to save water. If we don't, local water districts are threatening to sock us with big fines. This week, we hear that we could be in for a very wet El Nino winter. What's a water-conscious Californian to think or do? We turn to Craig Miller, KQED's Science Editor to find out.
Ethnic Dance Festival Co-founder in his 80s Keeps Dancing
When it comes to artists, professional dancers and choreographers are the youngest of the creative bunch. In fact, the National Endowment for the Arts says more than 80 percent of dancers are under the age of 35. Today, we meet an 84-year-old from San Francisco who's still going strong. Carlos Carvajal is an accomplished ballet dancer and choreographer. He's also an artistic director for the annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival going on this month. Our intern, Paayal Zaveri, brings us his story.
New Music Release Roundup with Steve Hochman
You never know where you'll come across interesting, eclectic music hidden in unexpected places here in California. Music critic Steve Hochman joins us to talk about new releases from Los Tres Amigos-Snuviko, Part Time and Dawes.