Bookwaves/Artwaves

Bookwaves/Artwaves – January 14, 2021: Neil Sheehan – Jan Morris

Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky.

Links to on-line and streaming local theater & book events

Bookwaves

​​​​​Neil Sheehan, who died on January 7, 2021 at the age of 84, was one of the great American journalists. Known for having broken the Pentagon Papers in the New York Times, he was also the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning author of A Bright Shining Lie, a history of the American involvement in Vietnam, as told through the life of Lt. Col. John Paul Vann.

This interview with Neil Sheehan, conducted by host Richard Wolinsky, was conducted on October 12, 2009 while he was on tour for his book A Fiery Peace in a Cold War: Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon, which focused on the nuclear stalemate between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the history of the Cold War.

While the central theme of the interview is  A Fiery Peace in a Cold War, Neil Sheehan also discusses American involvements in Vietnam, both Iraq wars, and Afghanistan, and of course, the Pentagon Papers.

Complete 43-minute interview.

Bookwaves

Jan Morris, who died on November 20th, 2020 shortly after her 94th birthday, was known as an historian and a travel writer. As James Morris, she accompanied Edmund Hillary on the first expedition to the summit of Mount Everest. Before and after her transition in 1964, Jan Morris wrote 18 travel books, six history books including a noteworthy three volume history of the British Empire, eight memoirs including the best-selling Conundrum, two novels, and twelve collections of essays.

This interview, conducted by Richard A. Lupoff and Richard Wolinsky, was recorded at Book Passage bookstore in Corte Madera, California on August 20, 1999 while Jan Morris was appearing at a conference in the San Francisco Bay Area. There were would be a second interview in 2001, which will be digitized and posted in the future.

Jan Morris’s book, Lincoln: A foreigner’s quest, discussed in the interview, was published in 2001.

:The complete 38-minute interview can be found as a Radio Wolinsky podcast.

 

Announcement Links

 

Bay Area Book Festival George Saunders & Tobias Wolff, January 15, 7 pm.
Books Inc Elaine Costillo, January 21, 5 pm.
Book Passage. Conversations with authors. January 14, 6 pm: Rameshwar Das: Being Ram Das; January 17, 4 pm: What’s Your Story? January 18, 1 pm: Life after Trump. January 19, 12 pm: Paraic O’Donnell. January 23, 1 pm: Jen Sincero. January 26, 6 pm: Simon Winchester. March 23, 6 pm: Jacqueline Winspear. April 10, 1 pm: Elizabeth George.
The Booksmith  Mary Ziegler with Becca Andrews, January 14, 6 pm. Roy Richard Brinker, January 26, 6 pm, free RSVP; Debut author panel, January 28, 6 pm, free RSVP.
Center for Literary Arts, San Jose. Kiese Laymon, February 4, 7 pm.
Kepler’s Books This is Now with Angie Coiro: January 19: Simon Winchester.

American Conservatory Theatre Place Here, Time Now: Conversations with artistic director Pam MacKinnon, episode 5 now streaming.
Aurora Theatre’s A new ticketed audio drama, The Flats, written by Lauren Gunderson, Cleaven Smith and Jonathan Spector, with Lauren English, Anthony Fusco and Khary L. Moye, directed by Josh Costello, streaming now. Aurora Connects conversations every Friday, 4 pm. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, adapted for audio, starts on April 9th.
Berkeley Rep 10 episode audio series: Place/Settings: Berkeley, episode one streaming; episode two drops January 19. What’s in a Play, Mondays 6:30 & 8 pm. Zoom, Registration required. June, 2021: Swept Away, a new musical.
Brava Theatre Center: Events to be announced.
California Shakespeare Theatre (Cal Shakes) The Oresteia by Ellen McLaughlin, live reading, January 15, 2021, 5:30 pm, free. Registration required.
Central Works Bystanders by Patricia Milton, an audio play, currently streaming.
Cinnabar Theatre. The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey by James Lecesne, streams January 22-31, 2021.
Contra Costa Civic Theatre The Last Five Years, February 12-15, 2021. Video on demand.
Curran Theatre: To be announced.
Custom Made Theatre Upcoming events to be announced.
42nd Street Moon. Third Tuesday Talks Over the Moon, 8 pm: Every other Friday at 8 pm: Full Moon Fridays Cabaret. Sundays at 8 pm: Quiz Me Kate: Musical Theatre Trivia.
Magic Theatre. Virgin Play series: Unseen by Mona Monsour, January 7, 7 pm; Apologies to Lorraine Hansberry (You too, August Wilson) by Rachel Lynett, January 14, 7 pm. Artists Roundtable, January 21, 7 pm; Nanay by Mollly Olis Krost, Janury 28, 7 pm.
Marin Theatre Company The Catastrophist by Lauren Gunderson, Jan 26 – Feb 28, 2021.  Lauren Gunderson’s play Natural Shocks streams through Soundcloud on the Marin Theatre website.
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts new on-line programming series featuring classes, concerts, poetry sessions and more.
New Conservatory Theatre Center In Good Company, episodic series podcast streams on the website. Interlude by Harrison David Rivers streams March 1 – 24.
Pear Theater. The Path Back to Me, two one-woman shows, Full Fathom Five by Annamarie MacLeod and Becoming Othello by by Debra Ann Byrd,.
Ray of Light: Events to be announced.
Remote Theater. see website for listings.
San Francisco Playhouse. 2020-21 Virtual Season: Songs for a New World, streaming through January 15, 2021.
SFBATCO Live with Rod and Marce on Twitch TV, every Thursday at 6 pm.
Shotgun Players. The Light extended to January 20, 2021. 30th Season starts in March: Every Time I Feel the Spirit by Noelle Vinas, a Zoom commission.
The Breath Project. Complete collection streaming on demand.
The Marsh: International Solo Fest, archived streaming. Josh Kornbluth hosts bingo every Friday at 7:30 pm. Divine Madness by Lynne Kaufman,  Saturday January 30, 7:30; Sunday January 31, 2 pm.
Theatre Rhino The Review, or How to Eat Your Opposition by Donnetta Lavinia Grays, January 22-31, 2021, live stream 8 pm; Official opening January 23.Thursday performance conceived and performed by John Fisher on Facebook Live and Zoom at 8 pm Thursdays.  Thursday, January 14: Lone Mountain. Thursday January 21: The Salamander.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Hershey Felder live from Florence: Before Fiddler, February 7, 5 pm; Puccini, March 14, 5 pm; Anna and Sergei (Sergei Rachmaninoff), May 16, 2021.

National, Misc:
Chamber Music San Francisco: Five Concerts: February 13, March 6, March 20, April 10, April 24, all 7 pm.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival: On-demand audio recordings of early plays; videos of Indigenous Peoples Day 2020, etc.
Atlantic Theatre Company. She Persisted, the musical, streaming through Jan. 20, 2021,
Playbill List of Streaming Theatre: Updated weekly, this is probably the best list you’ll find of national and international streaming plays and musicals. Each week has its own webpage, so scroll down.

If you’d like to add your bookstore or theater venue to this list, please write [email protected]

Playlist

Artist Song Album Label
Matthew MontfortAmberGuitar WorksNarada Productions, Inc.
Mongo SantamariaAfro BlueBaile Mi Mambo - Ultimate Latin JazzVantage Music