Erik Bauersfeld was Drama & Literature Director at KPFA from 1961 to 1991. When I first came to KPFA, Erik and assistant director, Padraigin McGillicuddy, gave Lawrence Davidson and me our first shot at radio, a science fiction interview program called “Probabilities Unlimited.” Over the years, as KPFA Folio Editor, I worked closely with Erik, helping promote his Morning Reading, his work with Radio Koln, and his outstanding radio dramas. He was a fantastic treasure trove of knowledge, inspiration, enthusiasm and imagination; a terrific guy to work with, witty and smart, and he will be missed.
This short You Tube interview, posted by former KPFA Music Director Charles Amirkhanian, shows Erik at age 90, talking about his voice work as Bib Fortuna and Admiral Akbar on “Return of the Jedi.” Erik also loaned his voice to the Admiral, and received a nod in the credits, in the recent “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” film. — Richard Wolinsky