San Francisco’s new poet laureate, Tongo Eisen-Martin, is a city native raised by local organizers, and his work is deeply political. On “Civic,” Eisen-Martin reflected on national politics in the wake of the summer uprisings against police brutality and racism, the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the presidential inauguration.
Category: Arts & Culture
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Health, Parks & Open Space
Documentary on Importance of Play Features SF Skater, Dancer
A new documentary, “Playing for Keeps,” posits that humans benefit greatly from playing and suffer when we are deprived of play. Isabella Miller, who prior to the coronavirus pandemic would regularly go swing dancing, and David Miles Jr., the proprietor of San Francisco’s Church of 8 Wheels, are featured in the film and joined “Civic” to reflect on how they play and how that has shaped their lives.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, California, LGBTQ+
‘Dennis’ Documents SF Man’s Fight to Legalize Cannabis
A new documentary, “Dennis: The Man Who Legalized Cannabis,” retraces Dennis Peron’s path from being discharged from the military to organizing to pass a ballot measure that allowed for medical cannabis in California.
Posted inArts & Culture, Bay Area, Coronavirus
S.F. Arts Go Virtual for the Holidays
Seventy-six years ago, the San Francisco Ballet introduced “The Nutcracker” to America. This year, the company will introduce the “Nutcracker Online” — a virtual holiday experience for the era of COVID-19.
S.F. Ballet is just one of many local arts organizations that have adapted their holiday offerings for a socially distanced season. It’s not easy to capture the spirit of live performance without an audience, but constraints have bred creativity and opened new channels of artistic expression.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Media
Lessons From S.F. Mime Troupe’s Move From Live Events to Radio Plays
The San Francisco Mime Troupe has been performing socially conscious and often very funny productions in Bay Area parks since 1959 and was preparing for its summer series of live shows when the COVID-19 pandemic made that impossible.
The Troupe has been releasing half-hour radio plays for the last 10 weeks and now, with the first series, “Tales of the Resistance,” coming to an end, we wanted to find out how the move from live to radio play has worked out.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Elections, Government & Politics
‘She Represents’ Offers Critical Feminist Look at Women in Politics
“She Represents” offers politically aware teens a reframing of the election season. But author Caitlin Donohue said the book is decidedly not for fangirls and takes an often critical look at the lives and actions of women with political power.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Bay Area, Social Justice
Draft Resistance Documentary Draws Throughlines With Civil Rights, Current Movements
The new documentary “The Boys Who Said NO!” shows how young draft resisters built a massive movement with a commitment to nonviolence that followed in the footsteps of civil rights organizers. Hundreds of thousands of people ultimately refused to be drafted into the military.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Aging, Arts & Culture
David Talbot Reflects on Recovering From Stroke in Latest Book
In his memoir “Between Heaven and Hell: The Story of my Stroke,” writer and journalist David Talbot reflects on the long journey toward recovery from a stroke that attacked his ability to swallow, care for himself and speak and write.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Community
Theater Artists Turn Dystopian Sci-Fi Story Into Podcast Performance Series
The Word for Word performing arts company at Z Space, which brings short stories to the stage while staying loyal to both the letter and the spirit of the written work, is turning to podcasting during the pandemic, when audiences aren’t allowed to gather. “WORD for WORDcast,” which turns short stories into podcasts with theatricality and rich sound design, will also be broadcast on the radio station operated by the San Francisco Public Press, KSFP 102.5 FM, on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, Media
KXSF Audience Grows During Pandemic
When you tune your radio to 102.5 FM in San Francisco, depending on the time of day, you might hear public radio style talk programming, or you might hear music from local artists. That’s because two radio stations share the frequency — KSFP, from the San Francisco Public Press, and KXSF, a project of San Francisco Community Radio. Carolyn Keddy and Ellie Stokes, two DJs at KXSF, joined us on “Civic” to talk about their experience working with scores of volunteers who bring a broad array of music and cultural programming to the airwaves and to the station’s live stream at kxsf.fm.