KQED's Forum

Amor Towles says the title of his new book “Table for Two” arose from a subconscious conviction “that our lives can often change materially due to a single conversation.” And it’s the power of a conversation – or a chance encounter or a sudden decision – to force a personal or historical reckoning that animate the characters in his latest work, a collection of six stories and a novella set in in New York and Los Angeles. We talk to Towles, who’s also the bestselling author of “A Gentleman in Moscow” and “The Lincoln Highway,” about finding inspiration for his stories, how history informs his work and what it’s like to see his novels adapted for the screen.Guests:Amor Towles, author, "Table for Two." His other books include "The Lincoln Highway," "A Gentleman in Moscow" and "Rules of Civility." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you go to the SFMOMA right now, it’ll be hard to miss the massive, 32-foot wide mural depicting a utopian, fantastical and hopeful version of San Francisco. The mural is the opening to a historic exhibition, “The House that Art Built,” which showcases eleven artists with developmental disabilities who are associated with Oakland-based nonprofit Creative Growth. In addition to the exhibition, SFMOMA has also permanently acquired more than 100 works created by artists with developmental disabilities. We’ll talk about the stunning exhibition, the acquisition and the future for artists with disabilities in the Bay Area.Guests:Joseph Alef, artist, Creative Growth; Alef has a painting in the SFMOMASusan Janow, artist, Creative Growth; Janow has a video piece in the SFMOMA; her work was previously acquired by the SFMOMA in 2018William Scott, artist, Creative Growth; Scott has a mural in the SFMOMA; his work was previously acquired by the SFMOMA in 2017Chris Bedford, director, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)Tom Di Maria, executive director, Creative Growth Art Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the war between Israel and Hamas enters its eighth month, U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators are awaiting an official response from Hamas on a proposed ceasefire deal that calls for the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The latest reports have stated that talks have broken down as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel will invade the Palestinian city Rafah – where one million displaced Gazans are seeking refuge – “with or without a deal.” We’ll look at where negotiations stand, what it would take to end the war in Gaza and what the next steps might be.Guests:Bel Trew, chief international correspondent, The IndependentMissy Ryan, national security correspondent, Washington PostGregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent, The Economist - author of "How Long Will Israel Survive? The Threat From Within" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s next for TikTok? President Biden signed legislation on April 24 that would ban the popular video-sharing app unless its Chinese owner ByteDance sells to a U.S-based company. Supporters of the law say TikTok poses national security risks, warning that the Chinese government could potentially access sensitive user data or spread misinformation on the app. ByteDance says it has no intention of selling and will fight in the courts to stay in business. We’ll look at what it all could mean for TikTok and its 170 million users in the US.Guests:Tim Wu, professor of law, science and technology, Columbia Law School - His latest book is "The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age"Suzy Loftus, Head of Trust and Safety, TikTok USDSSapna Maheshwari, business reporter, New York Times - covering TikTok and emerging mediaVivian Xue, TikTok creator; CEO, Pamper Nail Gallery - based in San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beginning as early as next year you might see a new fixed monthly charge of up to $24 on your electric bill. That’s if the California Public Utilities Commission approves a proposal to rework how we pay for power. The CPUC, which is taking a vote next week, says that the new charge would lower electricity costs for many Californians. But the reality is more complicated. We take a close look and hear what’s driving high electricity prices in the state.Guests:Ben Christopher, reporter, CalMattersLoretta Lynch, former President, California Public Utilities Commission Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book of poems, “woke up no light” Leila Mottley writes: play dead / play docile / play along / stare a beast in its mouth and dare it to bite / this is the only way to know if / the country is still hungry. We talk to Leila Mottley, who was Oakland’s 2018 Youth Poet Laureate, about her poetry, coming of age in the nation’s gaze after the enormous success of her novel, “Nightcrawling,” and her hometown of Oakland.Guests:Leila Mottley, author, "woke up no light: poems" - Mottley was the 2018 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate. She is also the author of "Nightcrawling," a New York Times bestseller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Intimacy is about relationships within a person’s self, with others, with communities, with nature, and beyond,” writes Alice Wong, founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project and editor of the new anthology, “Disability Intimacy.” When Wong began work on the book, she googled what would become its title — and what was she found was “basic AF” and made her go “Ewwwwww.” That inspired her to commission and collect writing from people with disabilities about what intimacy meant to them. The essays reflect on friendships, parent-child bonds, romantic relationships and disability communities. We’ll hear from Wong and some of the anthology’s contributors about the intimacy of sharing and disclosing our relationships with ourselves, with others and with disability itself. And we’ll hear their stories of “love, care and desire” — and the personal and systemic change that intimacy can bring.Guests:Alice Wong, disabled activist, writer and community organizer; editor, "Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire"s.e. smith, freelance journalist whose essay in "Disability Intimacy" is "Skin Hunger and the Taboo of Wanting to be Touched"Yomi Sachiko Young, Oakland-based disability justice activist; dreamer whose essay in "Disability Intimacy" is "Primary Attachment"Melissa Hung, writer, editor and journalist whose essay in "Disability Intimacy" is "The Last Walk"; founding editor in chief, Hyphen - an independent Asian American magazine; former director, San Francisco WritersCorps Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2013, inmates at Pelican Bay, a supermax California prison designed to hold large numbers of inmates in isolation, went on a hunger strike to protest indefinite solitary confinement. The hunger strike grew to include nearly 30,000 California prisoners, and led to an overhaul of prison policies. A new documentary “The Strike” chronicles the prisoner-led resistance and features interviews with men who spent decades in confinement in tiny isolated cells. We talk about the historic hunger strike and the evolution of solitary confinement policies in the state and country.Guests:JoeBill Muñoz, director and producer, The Strike; award-winning documentary filmmaker; former KQED video intern in 2018Lucas Guilkey, director and producer, The StrikeJack Morris, former prisoner in Pelican Bay; program manager, the Re-entry Integrated Services, Engagement and Empowerment Program (RISE) at St Johns Community Health (SJCH) in Los Angeles, where he serves the formerly incarcerated communityDolores Canales, director of community outreach, The Bail Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer camping season is around the corner, and California’s parks and recreation areas have something for everyone: secluded sites in the Sierra backcountry, campgrounds with RV hook-ups and a view of the Pacific, yurts, tent cabins and even campsites that float. We’ll get tips on scoring reservations, how to plan for a trip and how to pack. And we’ll hear about your favorite California camping memories.Guests:José González, founder, Latino Outdoors; equity officer, East Bay Regional Park District; board member, Parks California (the statutory nonprofit partner to CA State Parks)Ana Beatriz Cholo, public affairs specialist and spokesperson, Pacific West Region, National Park ServicePeter Ostroskie, staff park and recreation specialist, Bay Area District, California State Parks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hong Kong’s famed pineapple bun does not contain pineapples. Samosas can be found in many cultures outside of India. And the birria taco owes a lot to indigenous cultures who helped cultivate a love and devotion to chiles. These are some of the surprising food backstories that host Cecilia Phillips and the team behind KQED’s digital program “Beyond the Menu” explore in this new series. We’ll talk to Philips about where our favorite foods come from and hear from you. What dishes do you love that have an intriguing backstory?Guests:Cecilia Phillips, host, "Beyond the Menu" a KQED digital production focused on getting the backstory of some of our favorite dishes; coordinating producer and reporter, "Check, Please! Bay Area"Emmanuel Galvan, founder and owner, Bolita: Masa y Más L.L.C. - makes and sells artisanal masa and other productsHetal Vasavada, author, "Milk and Cardamom"; former contestant, MasterChef; Vasavada's work can also be found in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and other publications Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices