Épisodes

  • Welcome Author Paul O’ Conner to Jovelyn’s Bistro, on Cover to Cover

    Welcome Author Paul O’ Conner to Jovelyn’s Bistro, on Cover to Cover
    Jul 7 2026
    Join us in conversation as we discuss “The Missing Child” Author Paul O’ Connor. A Sealed Envelope Sent Him Searching: Former Journalism Professor Reconstructs Mother’s Hidden Past Most families possess stories that were never fully told. Retired journalist and former journalism professor Paul T. O’Connor believes many of those stories can still be recovered and transformed into fascinating family narratives. His new book, The Missing Child: The Life She Lived and the Life She Missed, began with a mystery surrounding his mother’s so-called “adoption” and a cache of private papers discovered after her death, including one envelope marked with a startling instruction: “burn without opening.” Instead, O’Connor opened it — and found himself propelled on a years-long investigation into his mother’s hidden past, during which he pieced together a life shaped by secrecy, instability and quiet resilience. “Our mother had always had a secret,” O’Connor said. “And now we had found it.” The post Welcome Author Paul O’ Conner to Jovelyn’s Bistro, on Cover to Cover appeared first on KPFA.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
  • Cover to Cover, Jovelyn’s Bistro Welcome’s Mario Hodge: Same Stuff, Different Day. New Oakland Play

    Cover to Cover, Jovelyn’s Bistro Welcome’s Mario Hodge: Same Stuff, Different Day. New Oakland Play
    Jun 30 2026
    Mario Hodge, Comedian, Actor in conversation with host Jovelyn Richards : Same Stuff, Different day. At the center of the story is a comedian navigating parenthood, complicated relationships, housing insecurity, financial hardship, and the realities of surviving in one of the nation’s most expensive regions. Through humor, music, and authentic storytelling, the production shines a light on issues affecting thousands of Bay Area families while celebrating resilience, community, and the spirit of Oakland. The all-star Bay Area cast includes comedians Mario Hodge, Shea Shuga, and Jay Rich, with musical direction by acclaimed Oakland musician Kev Choice. Beyond entertainment, the production explores timely topics including housing insecurity, financial hardship, co-parenting, mental health, community sustainability, and the pursuit of dreams despite adversity. Two tickets will be given away The post Cover to Cover, Jovelyn’s Bistro Welcome’s Mario Hodge: Same Stuff, Different Day. New Oakland Play appeared first on KPFA.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
  • Welcome: Salomon Grimberg on Cover to Cover

    Welcome: Salomon Grimberg on Cover to Cover
    Jun 23 2026
    Cover to Cover: Jovelyn’s Bistro welcomes art historian and biographer Salomon Grimberg for a conversation on his new book, Jacqueline Lamba: The Forgotten Surrealist. Grimberg—renowned for his scholarship on Frida Kahlo and the Surrealist movement—unearths the life, art, and inner world of Lamba, an artist too often eclipsed by the mythology surrounding André Breton. This interview explores Lamba’s creative legacy, her psychological depth, and the forces that contributed to her erasure from the Surrealist canon. The post Welcome: Salomon Grimberg on Cover to Cover appeared first on KPFA.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
  • Today in Jovelyns Bistro, Welcome Roberta Grimes to discuss: Jack in Love, A Novel

    Today in Jovelyns Bistro, Welcome Roberta Grimes to discuss: Jack in Love, A Novel
    Jun 16 2026
    In a new romance novel, Jack In Love, set in late 1960s New York City, author Roberta Grimes raises some key issues that women had to confront back then — and still do even today, such as making choices about marriage vs a career, understanding the role of wealth and financial security in a relationship, and defining whether to adhere to societal norms or not. It is a book about love, womanhood, and the choices and sacrifices we make that ultimately drive the life we make for ourselves. Inspired by some real-life events, it is a gripping, emotional, and character-driven story that is sure to unleash many conversations amongst the generations of all women. Grimes, who has penned several novels, including Almost Perfect (Berkley), about a young, pretty, and successful woman, Kim Bonner, who wrestles with the affections of two very different men and with a dark crime of the past that threatens her happiness and success. She is also well-known internationally for her research, writings, and podcast regarding the afterlife. The post Today in Jovelyns Bistro, Welcome Roberta Grimes to discuss: Jack in Love, A Novel appeared first on KPFA.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
  • Cover to Cover: Jovelyn’s Bistro – Welcomes RW Fields, Author of Mullet Man

    Cover to Cover: Jovelyn’s Bistro – Welcomes RW Fields, Author of Mullet Man
    Jun 9 2026
    RW Fields is an 82 years old author who proves that creativity, humor, and new adventures do not have an expiration date. His book Mullet Man is a heartfelt and humorous story that explores friendship, reinvention, and embracing who you are at every stage of life. It’s a story that reminds readers that getting older doesn’t mean life gets smaller — sometimes it gets more interesting, more meaningful, and even more fun. Mullet Man is a unique and heartfelt story that really emphasizes the friendship between two very different people — separated by both age and socioeconomic background. One is older, set in his ways and shaped by a very different era, while the other is younger and navigating a completely different world financially, socially, and culturally. What develops between them is an unexpected friendship that crosses generational and class lines, and it becomes a story about dignity, understanding, and how people from completely different walks of life can still profoundly impact each other The post Cover to Cover: Jovelyn’s Bistro – Welcomes RW Fields, Author of Mullet Man appeared first on KPFA.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
  • Author, Jacqueline Lamba: The Forgotten Surrealist

    Author, Jacqueline Lamba: The Forgotten Surrealist
    Jun 2 2026
    Cover to Cover: Jovelyn’s Bistro, welcomes Salomon Grimberg. Grimberg is an art historian, psychiatrist, and biographer based in Dallas, Texas. He is widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on Frida Kahlo and the Surrealist movement, with a distinguished body of scholarship that brings both rigorous and deep psychological insight to the lives of modern art’s most complex figures. In today’s episode Jovelyn and Salomon are in conversation in his latest biography: Jacquueline Lamba: the Forgotten Surrealist. The post Author, Jacqueline Lamba: The Forgotten Surrealist appeared first on KPFA.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
  • Prose Pizza, Collection of Nine Short Stories, by Cynthia Schumacher

    Prose Pizza, Collection of Nine Short Stories, by Cynthia Schumacher
    May 26 2026
    Cynthia Schumacher is well into her 90’s and is still writing and publishing books at a solid pace. After retiring as a teacher of 33 years, and then serving as an education advocate, she took to penning three children’s books and seven collections of stirring poetry. Now, at age 97, she has released her first book of short stories, Prose Pizza. “I try to shed light on the hidden, amazing layers that exist under ordinary people’s public lives,” says Schumacher. “These slices of life vary in tone and style, but come together as a coherent, nourishing whole.” Prose Pizza is a collection of nine short stories, exploring themes like hidden desires, identity, and social expectations through ordinary lives, with a style described as charming and insightful. The book uses the metaphor of pizza to represent the many “slices” or perspectives on life, marriage, and individual behavior, offering readers a variety of short, thoughtful pieces. Story themes include: private desires, social expectations, aging, identity, marriage, and the extraordinary within the ordinary. These stories, originally written 60 years ago, represent the slices of life. The post Prose Pizza, Collection of Nine Short Stories, by Cynthia Schumacher appeared first on KPFA.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
  • A Secret Chord, Jovelyn’s Bistro – April 28, 2026

    A Secret Chord, Jovelyn’s Bistro – April 28, 2026
    Apr 28 2026
    On today’s show, Amy Friedman and Victor Trille discuss the release of the latest Anthology: A Secret Cord written by young adults of The Pathfinder Network. The Pathfinders Network provides justice-system-impacted individuals and families the tools and support they need to be safe and to thrive in their communities. Join me in Jovelyn’s Bistro to end April Poetry month and celebrate the voices of young adults. The post A Secret Chord, Jovelyn’s Bistro – April 28, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min