This week, a conversation with poet and essayist Claudia Rankine. Rankine is the author of Citizen: An American Lyric and four previous books, including Don’t Let Me Be Lonely. Her newest book, Just Us: an American Conversation, weaves together essays, poems, and images. Some of its most memorable scenes are those where Rankine examines the moments of discomfort between herself and those around her, urging us to begin discussions that might open pathways through this divisive and seemingly stuck moment in American history. On October 1, 2020, Claudia Rankine spoke to Stephen Best, Associate Professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. She also answered questions from teachers and students, offering advice to readers and today’s young poets.

This week, a conversation with novelist Yaa Gyasi.  Gyasi was just 26 years old when her debut, Homegoing, was published.  It spans eight generations, tracing the lives of two half-sisters and their descendants from eighteenth-century Ghana to present-day America.  The book garnered major critical acclaim and praise from fellow authors like Zadie Smith and Ta-Nehisi Coates.  Four years later, Gyasi has written another powerful work, Transcendent Kingdom.  The protagonist, Gifty, is a doctoral candidate in neuroscience.  Her mother, an immigrant from Ghana, suffers from depression and comes to stay with her.  The novel examines the challenges of addiction and grief, as well as the tensions between science and faith.  On September 22, 2020, Yaa Gyasi spoke with Courtney Martin about her work.

Jill Lepore is a professor of American History at Harvard University and also a staff writer at The New Yorker. A two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, her many books include the international bestseller These Truths and This America. Her latest book, If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future, is a revelatory account of the Cold War origins of the data-mad, algorithmic twenty-first century, unearthing from archives the shocking story of a long-vanished corporation, and of the women hidden behind it. She recorded this conversation on September 16, 2020, with Mina Kim, host of KQED's Forum.

This week, we present an encore of a 2014 conversation on the neuroscience of music and creativity with Dr. Indre Viskontas, a cognitive scientist and opera singer. Viskontas has published groundbreaking work on the neural basis of memory and creativity. She is the author of "How Music Can Make You Better" and co-host of the podcasts "Inquiring Minds" and "Cadence". Viskontas came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco in May of 2014 to speak with Dr. Kelly McGonigall about music's effect on and relationship with the brain.

From the City Arts & Lectures archives, a conversation with Trevor Noah originally recorded November 21, 2016…. just following Donald Trump’s election. Noah is the host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” He first joined the show as a contributor in 2014 and succeeded Jon Stewart as host in 2015.  Trevor Noah spoke in 2016 with Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder and president of Emerson Collective, an organization that supports social entrepreneurs, about growing up the son of a black South African mother and a white European father, in South Africa during one of the most turbulent times in the country’s history. They also discussed the role of comedy in speaking truth to corruption - and to process events taking place.

From the City Arts & Lectures archives, a conversation with Whoopi Goldberg, originally recorded in 1987, just after Goldberg’s explosive performance in the film adaptation of The Color Purple. Even before Goldberg achieved celebrity status and critical acclaim, she never shied away from voicing her incisive and irreverent perspectives on race, sexism, the film industry, and American politics. In fact, many of the causes she discussed in 1987 with Mary Lou Manalli, a reporter for KGO radio in San Francisco, remain regrettably relevant. Whoopi Goldberg is currently one of the hosts of ABC’s The View.

Our guests this week is Jeffrey Toobin, whose latest book is “True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump”.  How is it that so many close associates of President Trump have been convicted of federal crimes – some, like his campaign chair and personal lawyer, even going to jail – yet Trump himself has survived to run for reelection.  Toobin is a staff writer for the New Yorker, and the author of numerous best-selling books.  On August 6, 2020, he talked to Preet Bharara, former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, about his deep dive into the Mueller investigation, and how the legal and political battles surrounding Trump might affect the next election, and beyond.

For 30 years, renowned Buddhist thinker Jarvis Jay Masters has lived on Death Row at San Quentin State Prison. His spiritual practice has helped him deal with violent and difficult experiences in prison, inspiring Masters to teach meditation to many of his fellow inmates. In his new book, The Buddhist on Death Row, David Sheff explores Masters’ gradual transformation from a man consumed by violence to one who has helped those around him find meaning and peace in their lives. On June 11, 2020, Jarvis Jay Masters and David Sheff spoke with author and activist Rebecca Solnit, discussing among other issues how the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic were affecting incarcerated people.  Several weeks after the recording, Masters contracted the virus himself as it swept through San Quentin; he is recovering.

Maria Bamford uses comedy to confront her lifelong struggles with OCD, bipolar disorder, and suicidal thoughts. She is the star of “Lady Dynamite”, a surrealist series based on her life, as well as several comedy specials. Bamford’s deeply personal comedy goes well beyond self-deprecation, using genuine vulnerability to examine mental health issues rarely discussed. On November 15, 1999, Maria Bamford came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk with Cara Rose DeFabio.

Steve Kerr, head coach for the Golden State Warriors, is one of the most important figures in basketball today. A former NBA championship player, Kerr was named head coach of the Warriors in 2014, leading the team to win three championships in four seasons and set a new record for most wins in a season. Kerr is also an activist, who uses his platform to talk about politics and human rights issues like Middle East policy, national-anthem protests, and gun control.  On February 26, 2020, Steve Kerr came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk with Alexis Madrigal about the experiences that have led him to become the outspoken and effective coach and activist he is today.