KQED's Forum Remembering Those We Lost in 2025
Dec 12, 2025
In this reflective discussion, guests Chloe Veltman, a cultural correspondent known for her insightful obituaries, Meaghan Mitchell, a passionate arts journalist, and Dave Schilling, an engaging writer for the LA Times, remember influential figures lost in 2025. They celebrate the legacies of Brian Wilson's musical genius, David Lynch's cinematic impact, and Belva Davis's trailblazing journalism. The conversation explores how these icons shaped communities and the personal connection we feel when artists pass away, driving home the theme that art blurs the lines between personal loss and collective grief.
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Brian Wilson's Studio-as-Instrument
- Brian Wilson changed pop production by treating the studio like an instrument and crafting vocal harmonies that rewired popular music.
- Chloe Veltman learned to appreciate Wilson's influence while writing his obituary and highlighted songs like God Only Knows and Good Vibrations.
A Film Student's Lynch Awakening
- Dave Schilling describes how David Lynch's films transported him as a film student and reshaped his view of cinema and style.
- He visited local memorial sites and noted repertory cinemas screening Lynch's films during L.A.'s mourning period.
Belva Davis As Personal Catalyst
- Meaghan Mitchell explains Belva Davis pushed open doors for Black women in journalism and personally inspired her to start writing.
- Mitchell urges readers to pick up Davis's memoir Never in My Wildest Dreams as guidance for journalists of color.
