Épisodes

  • Lisa See, “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” 2026

    Lisa See, “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” 2026
    Jul 6 2026
    Lisa See, whose latest novel is “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, recorded in Culver City, California on June 28, 2026. Lisa See’s best-selling books include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, China Dolls, The Island of Sea Women more recently, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. Each novel, thus far, focuses on the role and lives of women of East Asian descent in various countries, including Korea, Japan, China and the United States. Some of the novels focus on a mystery, others take place within the context of historical events. Daughters of the Sun and Moon takes place in 1870, from China to Los Angeles, California, and focuses on the lives of three women, Moon, the wife of a doctor, Dove, the bound-foot daughter of a lesser bureaucrat, and Petal, the daughter of farmers. Moon has come to the United States with her husband, whom she’s known since childhood. Dove was married off to an older man she’s never met, and Petal was sold into sexual slavery and would find herself in a small brothel in the Chinese neighborhood, in what is now downtown L.A. The post Lisa See, “Daughters of the Sun and Moon,” 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
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    2 h et 2 min
  • Sisters in Crime: Sara Paretsky, The V.I. Warshawski mysteries, 1991

    Sisters in Crime: Sara Paretsky, The V.I. Warshawski mysteries, 1991
    Jul 12 2026
    Sara Paretsky in 2019. Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski mysteries, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff as part of the “Probabilities” radio series, recorded in the KPFA s studio on March 16, 1991 following the publication of “Burn Marks” and before the publication of “Guardian Angel.” In the late 1980s, crime and mystery fiction by women skyrocketed. Even so, awards were still being given to mostly male writers, and in 1987, the organization Sisters in Crime was formed. In Berkeley, at KPFA, Richard Lupoff and Richard Wolinsky, the hosts of the Probabilities radio program, having drifted from science fiction into mysteries and later into general fiction and narrative non-fiction, noticed the trend pretty early on, and began interviewing these pioneer writers, one by one, local writers like Marcia Muller and Sue Dunlap, and writers from out of town, such as Sue Grafton, or from overseas, such as P.D. James. These interviews, the Sisters in Crime interviews, were all conducted in the 1980s and 1990s, and because of the switch from analog tape to digital, have not been heard since the new century began. Until now. It is appropriate to begin this series of interviews with the first president of Sisters in Crime, Sara Paretsky, recorded March 16, 1991 while she was in the Bay Area for a mystery conference. At the time, six V.I. Warshawski novels had been published, and a film starring Kathleen Turner would be released a few months later. It would turn out to be the only time V.I. Warshawski stories were adapted for film or television.

As of July, 2026, Sara Paretsky has published 22 novels in the V.I. Warshawski mystery series, and two non-series novels, along with three short story collections and two works of nonfiction. The most recent V.I. novel, Pay Dirt, was published in 2024. The post Sisters in Crime: Sara Paretsky, The V.I. Warshawski mysteries, 1991 appeared first on KPFA.
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    1 h et 17 min
  • Edmund White (1940-2025) Icon of Gay Literature, 2000

    Edmund White (1940-2025) Icon of Gay Literature, 2000
    Jun 28 2026
    Edmund White (1940-2025), “The Married Man,” 2000 Edmund White (1940-2025) discusses his novel “The Married Man” in a newly digitized interview conducted in the KPFA studios on June 10, 2000 with host Richard Wolinsky. Digitized, remastered and edited on June 20, 2026 and heard for the first time in over a quarter century. Edmund White wrote novels, memoirs, plays, essays, biographies, and various hybrids. He was the co-author of The Joy of Gay Sex, and worked extensively in the gay community during the AIDS crisis and later.By the time of his death, he’d published sixteen novels, one play, six works of non-fiction, three biographies, and six volumes of memoirs. The post Edmund White (1940-2025) Icon of Gay Literature, 2000 appeared first on KPFA.
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    1 h et 16 min
  • David Sedaris, New Collection of Essays “The Land and Its People,” 2026

    David Sedaris, New Collection of Essays “The Land and Its People,” 2026
    Jun 21 2026
    David Sedaris, author of the new essay collection, “The Land and Its People,” in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. Originally known for his commentaries on “This American Life” on NPR, David Sedaris has now written 14 books, all of which have become best-sellers, including the early “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” and later “Calypso,” “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls,” and collections of his diaries. He has a home in North Carolina, and lives in England. In this wide-ranging interview he discusses a wide variety of topics, including his relationship with his family, how he puts together an essay, his views on small talk and finding connections, and how growing old has affected his writing. Recorded June 9, 2026 at Book Passage bookstore in Corte Madera. California. Photo by Richard Wolinsky. The post David Sedaris, New Collection of Essays “The Land and Its People,” 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
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    1 h et 21 min
  • Encore Podcast: George R. R. Martin, 1991: Before Game of Thrones

    Encore Podcast: George R. R. Martin, 1991: Before Game of Thrones
    Jun 15 2026
    George R.R. Martin, recorded in 1991, interviewed by Richard Wolinsky & Richard A. Lupoff. On May 25, 1991, five years before the publication of Game of Thrones, and perhaps before its conception, Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff had a chance to chat with George R. R. Martin. At the time, he’d just completed work writing for the television series, “Beauty and the Beast,” and most of his interest concerned television and its standards and practices. As you listen to the interview, you can discern elements that will play a role in the genesis of Game of Thrones. Digitized, remastered and re-edited by Richard Wolinsky in 2014. First posted on April 13, 2019. The post Encore Podcast: George R. R. Martin, 1991: Before Game of Thrones appeared first on KPFA.
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    1 h et 6 min
  • “A Complete Stanley Kubrick Retrospective” at BAMPFA

    “A Complete Stanley Kubrick Retrospective” at BAMPFA
    Jun 8 2026
    Jeff Griffith-Perham is the curator of a retrospective “A Complete Stanley Kubrick” at Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), running from June 12 through August 30, 2026. He is interviewed by host Richard Wolinsky. Stanley Kubrick was one of the most acclaimed film directors of the Twentieth Century. Though he only made 13 feature films, several of them made international headlines and one, “2001: A Space Odyssey” changed movie history. Among his other works are “Dr. Strangelove, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb,” the gorgeous “Barry Lyndon,” his controversial “A Clockwork Orange,” and the stunning horror film, “The Shining.” Jeff Griffith-Perham is an Associate Film Curator at BAMPFA, and has curated other retrospectives focusing mostly on documentaries. He is considered an expert on the films of documentarian Frederick Wiseman. In this interview, each of Kubrick’s films are discussed, along with ideas about Kubrick’s antiwar viewpoint, his working process and his place in film history. The post “A Complete Stanley Kubrick Retrospective” at BAMPFA appeared first on KPFA.
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    2 h et 7 min
  • Helen Benedict, “The Soldier’s House,” a novel about Iraqi refugees in America, 2026

    Helen Benedict, “The Soldier’s House,” a novel about Iraqi refugees in America, 2026
    Jun 1 2026
    Helen Benedict, Columbia Profesysor of Journalism and author of the novel, “The Soldier’s House,” about the lives of Iraqi refugees in America in 2010, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. “The Soldier’s House” tells the story of a refugee from Baghdad, Naemi, who comes to America in 2010, sponsored by an American soldier whose translator was killed after the invasion. She, her young son Tariq and her mother in law have come to the United States, to the Albany area, after a time in Damascus, hoping to find a new life. A pediatrics physician over there, she can only gain the lowest levels of employment in America. Helen Benedict has focused her literary career on the plight of refugees in America and Europe as she teaches young journalists the ways to keep digging for the truth and for justice. In this interview, she discusses how Iraqi and Afghanistani refugees have fared in this country and talks in detail about the legacy press and the challenges young journalists face as they come into the profession. The post Helen Benedict, “The Soldier’s House,” a novel about Iraqi refugees in America, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
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    1 h et 53 min
  • Science Fiction & Horror Master Dan Simmons (1948-2026), 1991

    Science Fiction & Horror Master Dan Simmons (1948-2026), 1991
    May 25 2026
    Dan Simmons (1948-2026), Huge and World Fantasy Award winning novelist and short story writer, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff, recorded September 22, 1991 while on tour for the novel “Summer of Night.” Dan Simmons, who died February 21, 2026 at the age of 77, was the author of the now classic science fiction novels “Hyperion” and “Fall of Hyperion” along with horror novels “The Terror” and “Carrion Comfort,” never achieved the popularity of peers like Stephen King and Dean Koontz, but was a genre master in his own right. Winner and nominee for several genre literary awards, his page turning books bristled with originality. Despite several attempts, “Hyperion” never became a film or series, and its sequel books in the Endymion series are still in development. “The Terror” became season one of a series also titled “The Terror.” There would be a second interview in 1997 following the release of “Endymion Rising.” In his later career, Dan Simmons turned to mysteries as well as continuing his work in horror, fantasy and science fiction. His final novel, “Omega Canyon” was scheduled to be published in 2025 and then again in 2026 but has yet to see the light of day. His previous novel, “The Fifth Heart” was published in 2015. The post Science Fiction & Horror Master Dan Simmons (1948-2026), 1991 appeared first on KPFA.
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    1 h et 16 min