Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky.
Links to assorted local theater & book venues
Bookwaves
Kazuo Ishiguro, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, recorded October 6, 2000 while he was on tour for his novel “When We Were Orphans.”
The winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature, Sir Kazuo Ishiguro is recognized today as one of the world’s leading authors. Nominated four times, he won the Booker Prize in 1989 for The Remains of the Day, and was most recently nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for the 2022 film “Living.”
In this interview, he discusses his most recent book at that time, When We Were Orphans, and talks about how he became a writer and the relationship of his Japanese heritage to his life in Great Britain, where he’s lived since he was six years old. His most recent novel, a parable, is titled Klara and the Sun, and was published in 2021. This interview was digitized, remastered and edited in November 2023 and has never been heard in its entirety.
Along with Living, which can be seen on Netflix, Kazuo Ishiguro has written screenplays for The Saddest Music in the World, now on AMC plus. An Adaptation of Never Let Me Go can be found on Starz, and one of An Artist of the Floating World is on Amazon Prime. Both The White Countess, for which he wrote the screenplay, and his adaptation of the Remains of the Day can be rented on various apps. Complete 43-minute interview. Photo: Sara Danius
Bookwaves
Mick Herron discusses his latest novel, “The Secret Hours,” and the Slough House series of of spy novels and stories with host Richard Wolinsky. Second of two parts.
Mick Herron has written eight books in the Slough House series of novels about a tiny corner of MI5 for rejects and misfits, people who have screwed up but not been fired. They are known collectively as “Slow Horses,” which is the title of the television series starring Gary Oldman as their boss, Jackson Lamb.
“The Secret Hours” is located in the same world as the series, but serves as a stand-alone novel about an inquiry into MI5’s past, set up by a conservative government out to rein in the Secret Service.
In the interview, Mick Herron discusses the origins of the book and of the Slough House series, as well as his career as a writer, and his writing process. Recorded via Zencastr September 22, 2023. Complete Interview.
Review of “Bulrusher” at Berkeley Rep Peets Theatre through December 3, 2023.
Book Interview/Events and Theatre Links
Note: Shows may unexpectedly close early or be postponed due to actors’ positive COVID tests. Check the venue for closures, ticket refunds, and vaccination and mask requirements before arrival. Dates are in-theater performances unless otherwise noted. Some venues operate Tuesday – Sunday; others Wednesday or Thursday through Sunday. All times Pacific Time. Closing dates are sometimes extended.
Book Stores
Bay Area Book Festival Event calendar and links to previous events.
Book Passage. Monthly Calendar. Mix of on-line and in-store events.
Books Inc. Mix of on-line and in-store events.
The Booksmith. Monthly Event Calendar.
Center for Literary Arts, San Jose. See website for Book Club guests in upcoming months.
Green Apple Books. Events calendar.
Kepler’s Books On-line Refresh the Page program listings.
Live Theater Companies
Actor’s Reading Collective (ARC). See website for past streams.
Alter Theatre. See website for upcoming productions.
American Conservatory Theatre A Christmas Carol, December 6 -24, Toni Rembe Theater.
Aurora Theatre 1984 by George Orwell, adapted by Michael Gene Sullivan, In Theater, November 10 – December 10, Streaming, December 5-10. Felonious Mixtape runs Nov. 30-Dec. 2 and Dec. 7-9.
Awesome Theatre Company. See website for upcoming productions.
Berkeley Rep Bulrusher by Eisa Davis, October 27 – December 3, 2023, Peets Theatre. Harry Clarke by David Cale, featuring Billy Crudup, Roda Theatre, November 15 – December 23, 2023.
Berkeley Shakespeare Company. See website for upcoming productions.
Boxcar Theatre. See website for upcoming shows.
Brava Theatre Center: See calendar for current and upcoming productions.
BroadwaySF: See website for assorted upcoming events in 2023. Disney’s The Lion King, November 22 – December 30, Orpheum.
Broadway San Jose: Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, Live in Concert November 13; How the Grinch Stole Christmas, November 28 – December 3.
California Shakespeare Theatre (Cal Shakes). See website for events.
Center Rep: The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez, November 4 -26, Lesher Center for the Arts.
Central Works The Engine of Our Disruption by Patricia Milton, October 14 – November 12.
Cinnabar Theatre. The Addams Family, November 17-December 2. The Last Five Years, January 5-21, 2024,
Club Fugazi. Dear San Francisco. Open-ended run.
Contra Costa Civic Theatre ;Tintypes, October 20 – November 12.
Curran Theater: See website for upcoming live events and streaming choices.
Custom Made Theatre. Upcoming shows to be announced.
Cutting Ball Theatre. Rossum’s Universal Robots by Karel Capek, adapted by Chris Steele, October 20 – November 12, Cutting Ball Theatre, 277 Taylor St., SF
42nd Street Moon. Mame, November 2 -19, 2023.
Golden Thread ReOrient Festival of Short Plays, Streaming through November 12.
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. Soulful Christmas, December 14-17, Magic Theatre.
Magic Theatre. See website for events at the Magic. Saint John Coltrane Church service, Sundays 11 am. Mother/Tongues, based on Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin’s experimental play, Tongues. November 18, one night only.
Marin Theatre Company Dragon Lady written and performed by Sara Porkalob, November 24-December 17.
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts Upcoming Events Page.
New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) we are continuous by by Harrison David Rivers, October 20 – November 26. Ruthless, December 1 – January 7.
Oakland Theater Project. See website for upcoming events.
Pear Theater. In Repertory, November 17 – December 10: District Merchants by Aaron Posner; William Shakespeare’s The Land of the Dead by John Heimbuch.
PianoFight. Permanently closed as of March 18, 2023.
Presidio Theatre. See website for schedule of events and performances.
Ray of Light: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, June 1 – 23, 2024. See website for Spotlight Cabaret Series at Feinstein’s at the Nikko.
San Francisco Playhouse. Guys and Dolls, November 16 – January 13.
SFBATCO See website for upcoming streaming and in- theater shows.
San Jose Stage Company: The Play That Goes Wrong. November 15 – December 10.
Shotgun Players. Hedwig and the Angry Inch. October 28 – December 17.
South Bay Musical Theatre: A Little Night Music, January 27 – February 17, 2024.
The Breath Project. Streaming archive.
The Marsh: Calendar listings for Berkeley, San Francisco and Marshstream.
Theatre Rhino Group Therapy by Tanika Baptiste, November 9 – December 3, Thursday thru Sunday. Streaming: Essential Services Project, conceived and performed by John Fisher, all weekly performances now available on demand, New performances most Wednesdays.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, November 29 – December 24, Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto.
Word for Word. Citizen by Greg Sarris, October 18 – November 12, Z Below.
Misc. Listings:
BAM/PFA: On View calendar for BAM/PFA.
Berkeley Symphony: See website for listings.
Chamber Music San Francisco: Calendar, 2023 Season.
Dance Mission Theatre. On stage events calendar.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Calendar listings and upcoming shows.
San Francisco Opera. Calendar listings.
San Francisco Symphony. Calendar listings.
Filmed Live Musicals: Searchable database of all filmed live musicals, podcast, blog.
If you’d like to add your bookstore or theater venue to this list, please write [email protected]