Program Archives
These podcasts contain extended interviews from Bookwaves, Arts-Waves, and the Bookwaves/Artwaves Hour. Bay Area Theater also contains reviews, commentaries, and interviews.
Bookwaves/Artwaves returns to the airwaves on December 19, 2024.
November 28, 2024
Theatre Review: Jaja's African Hair Braiding, at Berkeley Rep Peets Theatre through Dec. 15, 2024.
Theatre Review: The Antipodes, Artists Reading Collective at Marin Shakespeare Theatre through December 1, 2024.
November 21, 2024
Alice McDermott, author of the novel Absolution, now out in trade paperback.
November 14, 2024
Richard Powers, author of the novel Playground.
Anne Hillerman, Part Two. Second of two parts.
Theatre Review: Kimberly Akimbo at BroadwaySF Curran Theatre through December 1, 2024.
November 7, 2024
Caleb Carr (1955-2024) author of The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, recorded October 15, 1997.
Digitized in November, 2024.
October 31, 2024
Noel Casler, social media and Substack author, comedian, discussing Donald Trump and Celebrity Apprentice (where Noel Casler was a celebrity handler for Ivanka Trump) and his career.
Originally recorded in December, 2020.
October 24, 2024
Kinky Friedman (1944-2024), musician, humorist, politician and mystery novelist. Interview recorded in the KPFA studios, September 30, 1994. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff. Complete 32-minute interview.
October 17, 2024
John Scalzi, author of the novel, Starter Villain, now out in trade paperback.
October 10, 2024
Tim O'Brien, author of the novel America Fantastica, now out in trade paperback.
Theatre Review: Choir Boy at Shotgun Players Ashby Stage through October 26, 2024.
October 3, 2024
Josh Costello. Second of two parts.
Theatre Review: Private Lives at ACT Toni Rembe Theatre through October 6, 2024.
Theatre Review: Mexodus at Berkeley Rep Peets Theatre through October 29, 2024.
September 5, 2024
Mick Herron, author of The Secret Hours and the Slough House spy novel series.
Naomi Iizuka. Second of two parts.
August 29, 2024
Bay Area Theatre Interviews
Josh Costello, Artistic Director of Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley.
Naomi Iizuka, playwright and screenwriter, translator of Shakespeare's Richard II for the Magic Theatre (through September 15, 2024)
August 22, 2024
Erik Larson, author of The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War.
August 15, 2024
Edna O'Brien (1930-2024) author of Wild Decembers, The Country Girls and other novels set in Ireland. Recorded April 28, 2000. Digitized August 2024. Complete 43-minute Interview.
John Sayles Second of two parts.
August 8, 2024
John Sayles, author of Jamie McGillivray, the Renegade's Journey, screenwriter and director. Part One.
Nora Ephron (1941-2012), Screenwriter and author, recorded November, 2010.
Theatre Review: Girl from the North Country, at BroadwaySF Golden Gate Theatre through
August 18, 2024.
August 1, 2024
John Barth (1930-2024), author of The Sot Weed Factor, Giles Goat Boy, The Floating Opera. Master of Metafiction. Recorded November 12, 2001. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff. Complete 46-minute Interview.
Lorrie Moore, author of Bark. Excerpts from an interview recorded April 8, 2014.
July 25, 2024
Lisa See, author of Lady Tan's Circle of Women, now out in trade paperback.
July 18, 2024
Aya de Leon, Poet Laureate of Berkeley, author of That Dangerous Energy and Untraceable.
Stuart Klawans, author of Crooked but Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges, former film critic, The Nation Magazine.
July 11, 2024
Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America, recorded October 20, 2017.
July 4, 2024
Mystery Authors from the Archive.
Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, recorded October 28, 2004 while on tour for Double Homicide: Boston and Santa Fe.
Walter Mosley, recorded July 9, 2004 while on tour for the Easy Rawlins mystery, Little Scarlet.
Theatre Review: The Lifespan of a Fact, at Aurora Theatre through July 21, 2024.
June 27, 2024
Pam MacKinnon, Artistic Director, American Conservatory Theatre (ACT).
David Sedaris, humorist and essayist. Recorded June 28, 2008 while on tour for When You Are Engulfed in Flames.
Theatre Review: Mother Road, at Berkeley Rep's Peets Theatre through July 21, 2024.
June 20, 2024
Helen Benedict, author of the novel, The Good Deed. Columbia University Professor of Journalism.
Joseph Hansen (1923-2004) Author of mysteries featuring gay detective Dave Brandstetter. Recorded June 14, 1990. Co-interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff
June 13, 2024
Colm Tóibín, author of the novel, Long Island. Recorded May 5, 2024 at the Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco.
Ayodele Nzinga, Oakland Poet Laureate, director of the play Pac and Biggie Are Dead by Biko Eisen-Martin at BAM House in Oakland through June 30.
June 6, 2024
Maureen Gosling, documentary film-maker, collaborator with Les Blank (1935-2013). A Les Blank retrospective runs at Pacific Film Archive , June 7-July 27, 2024.
Theatre Review: The Lehman Trilogy, at ACT Toni Rembe Theatre through June 23, 2024.
May 30, 2024
Aya de Leon, Berkeley Poet Laureate, novelist, Interim Program Director, Bay Area Book Festival, June 1-2, 2024.
Paul Auster (1947-2024), novelist, screenwriter, director, died April 30, 2024. Interview recorded October 2, 2002 while on tour for The Book of Illusions. (Part One).
Theatre Review: The Glass Menagerie at San Francisco Playhouse through June 15, 2024.
Theatre Review: Galileo, A Rock Musical at Berkeley Rep Roda Theatre through June 23, 2024.
May 2, 2024
Joan Baez, legendary singer and activist, author of When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance.
Ty Burr, former Boston Globe film critic, author of Gods Like Us: On Movie Stardom and Modern Fame, recorded November, 2012.
Theatre Review: A Strange Loop at ACT Toni Rembe Theatre through May 12, 2024.
April 25, 2024
Trina Robbins (1938-2024), comic book artist and historian, author of the memoir, Last Girl Standing, recorded February 6, 2018.
Robert MacNeil (1931-2024), PBS anchor, the MacNeil Lehrer News Hour, author of the memoir, Looking for My Country, recorded April 12, 2003.
April 18, 2024
Don Winslow, author of City in Ruins, third volume in his Danny Ryan trilogy. Creator of anti-Trump videos on X (Twitter).
Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer. Recorded May 5, 2016.
Theatre Review: Tiger Style! at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley through Apirl 18, 2024.
April 11, 2024
Margot Livesey, author of the novel, The Road
from Belhaven.
Theatre Review: Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord at ACT Strand through May 5, 2024.
April 4, 2024
Rebecca Makkai, author of the novel I Have Some Questions for You, now out in trade paper
Otessa Moshfegh, author of the short story collection, Homesick for Another World. Recorded February 2, 2017.
March 28, 2024
Susan Oxtoby, curator, Pacific Film Archive, discussing the films of director Agnes Varda (1928-2019) as part of a retrospective that runs at Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive through May 5, 2024.
Burton Lane (1912-1997) Part Two
Theatre Review: The 39 Steps at San Francisco Playhouse through April 20, 2024.
March 21, 2024
Burton Lane (1912-1997), Broadway composer, Finian's Rainbow, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. George Gershwin protege. Interview recorded for an uncompleted Gershwin documentary, recorded August 17, 1992. First time airing. Complete 69-minute interview
March 14, 2024
David Thomson, author of The Fatal Alliance: A Century of War on Film, interview in conjunction with Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive.
Theatre Review: Queen at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley through March 31, 2024.
February 15, 2024
Walter Mosley, author of the Easy Rawlins mystery series and other works, recorded October 25, 1992 while on tour for White Butterfly. Digitized Feb. 2024. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff.
Jack O'Brien, author of Jack in the Box, or How to Goddamn Direct, now out in trade paperback.
February 8, 2024
Kate Wilhelm (1928-2018), Hugo and Nebula Award winner, science fiction/fantasy and mystery fiction author, recorded on tour for her novel Malice Prepense, August 5, 1996. Digitized Feb. 2024. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff.
Jesse Green, New York Times theatre critic, excerpt from an interview recorded Sept. 28, 2022 while on virtual tour for Shy, co-written with Mary Rodgers.
Theatre Review: MJ The Musical at BroadwaySF Orpheum Theatre through Feb. 25, 2024.
February 1, 2024
The Story of Bushman. Film director Rob Nillson, activist Gail Schickele and archivist Jon Shibata discuss the 1971 film Bushman and its director David Schickele. A restored Bushman is shown at BAMPFA Feb. 4 and 24.
Theatre Review: How I Learned What I Learned at TheatreWorks Mountain View thru February 4, 2024.
Theatre Review: Babes in Ho-lland, at Shotgun Players Ashby Stage thru Feb. 10, 2024.
January 25, 2024
Jane Smiley, author of A Dangerous Business, now out in trade paperback.
Harlan Coben, noir and thriller author, recorded on tour for Fool Me Once, now a television miniseries, on March 26, 2016.
Theatre Review: The Wiz, at Broadway SF Golden Gate Theatre through February 11, 2024.
January 18, 2024
Terry Bisson (1942-2024), science fiction and fantasy author and activist, recorded January20, 2013 on the publication of his final novel, Any Day Now. Complete 41-minute Interview.
January 11, 2024
Helen Benedict, co-author (with Eyad Awwadawnon) of Map of Hope and Sorrow: Stories of Refugees Trapped in Greece, recorded
October 25, 2022.
January 4, 2024
Martin Amis (1949-2023) recorded on tour for The Zone of Interest, October 29, 2014.
Amos Oz (1939-2018) recorded on tour for his memoir, A Tale of Love and Darkness, Dec. 7, 2004.
December 28, 2023
Anne Rice (1941-2021), author of the Vampire Chronicles, career retrospective while on tour for Prince Lestat and the Realm of Atlantis, recorded at Books Inc. Opera Plaza, SF, December 2, 2016.
December 21, 2023
Alice McDermott, author of the novel Absolution.
November 30, 2023
A.S. Byatt (1936-2023), recorded on tour for her novel A Whistling Woman, January 27, 2003.
Theatre Review: Guys and Dolls, at San Francisco Playhouse through January 13, 2024.
Theatre Review: Harry Clarke, at Berkeley Rep Roda Theatre through December 23, 2023.
November 23, 2023
Jan Morris (1926-2020), travel writer and historian.
1999 Interview. Career retrospective, recorded August 8, 1999. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff.
2001 Interview. Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere, recorded November 16, 2001. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff.
November 16, 2023
Tim O'Brien, author of America Fantastica.
Theatre Review: Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Shotgun Players through December 30, 2023.
November 9, 2023
Bookwaves: Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel Prize winning novelist, recorded October 6, 2000 while on tour for the novel When We Were Orphans
Bookwaves: Mick Herron, author of The Secret Hours, part two of a two part interview. Complete interview
Theatre Review: Bulrusher, at Berkeley Rep's Peets Theatre Through December 3, 2023.
November 2, 2023
Bookwaves: Ben Fountain, author of the novel Devil Makes Three.
Podcast posted October 29, 2023
Margaret Atwood, recorded June 10, 2003 while on tour for her novel Oryx and Crake.
October 26, 2023
Bookwaves: Mick Herron, author of The Secret Hours and the Slough House spy novel series.
Bookwaves: Vauhini Vara, author of The Immortal King Rao.
October 19, 2023
October 12, 2023
Bookwaves: Heather Cox Richardson, author of Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America and the daily newsletter, Letters from an American. Complete 52-minute interview.
September 14, 2023
Documentary Filmmakers
Artwaves: Dawn Porter, documentary film-maker, The Lady Bird Diaries, John Lewis Big Trouble and other films.
Artwaves: Errol Morris, documentary film-maker, The Fog of War and other films.
Theatre Review: The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, at ACT Toni Rembe Theatre through October 8, 2023.
September 7, 2023
Artwaves: Giovanna Sardelli, Artistic Director of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
Artwaves: Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021), discussing the second volume of his selected lyrics, "Look i Made A Hat," recorded November, 24, 2011.
August 31, 2023
Bookwaves: Martin Amis (1949-2023) discussing his novels NIght Train and The Information. Recorded January 27, 1998. Co-interviewers: Richard A. Lupoff/Richard Wolinsky.
Bookwaves: Jacqueline Woodson, author of Another Brooklyn, recorded Sept. 20, 2016.
August 24, 2023
Artwaves: Wayne Wang, film director, Career Retrospective: Chan is Missing, The Joy Luck Club, etc.
August 17, 2023
The Probabilities Archive: Two Interviews
conducted by Richard A. Lupoff.
Bookwaves: Fritz Leiber (1910-1992, science fiction, fantasy and horror writer, recorded September, 1977.
Bookwaves: Tony Hillerman (1925-2008), mystery novelist focused on the Navajo reservation, recorded January 14, 1987.
August 10, 2023
Bookwaves: Christopher Moore, author of the novel Razzmatazz.
Bookwaves: Lillian Ross (1918-2017) New Yorker staff writer, one of the founders of the New Journalism. Recorded June 4, 2002.
August 3, 2023
Bookwaves: Lisa See, author of Lady Tan's Circle of Women. Recorded July 2023.
July 13, 2023
Two from Pacific Film Archive.
Bookwaves: Stuart Klawans, author of Crooked but Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges.
Artwaves: Kate MacKay, curator of a retrospective of the films of Luis Bunuel.
July 6, 2023
Bookwaves: David Grann, author of The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder and Killers of the Flower Moon. Recorded June, 2023.
Bookwaves: Yiyun Li, author of The Vagrants, recorded February 10, 2009.
June 29, 2023
Bookwaves: Joanna Trollope, interviewed on tour for the novel Brother and Sister, recorded May 12, 2002.
Bookwaves: Andrew Sean Greer, interviewed for the novel The Confessions of Max Tivoli, recorded March 4, 2004.
June 22, 2023
Bookwaves: Alan Hollinghurst, two interviews.
Interview recorded October 18, 2005, on tour for the Booker Prize winning The Line of Beauty.
Interview recorded November 5, 2011 for the novel The Stranger's Child.
Complete interview to come.
June 15, 2023
Bookwaves: David Sedaris, author of Happy Go Lucky, just out in trade paperback.
Theatre Review: The Wizard of Oz, at ACT Toni Rembe Theatre thru June 25, 2023
June 8, 2023
Bookwaves: Robert Anton Wilson (1932-2007), noted science fiction and cult author, recorded February, 1983 following the release of Cosmic Trigger. Digitized and edited June 2023.
Bookwaves: Fay Weldon (1931-2023), recorded January 21, 1992 while on tour for Darcy's Utopia and Life Force. Interviewers: Richard A. Lupoff/Richard Wolinsky. Digitized, remastered, and edited, June 2023.
June 1, 2023
Bookwaves: Martin Amis (1949-2023). The great British novelist and essayist died on May 19, 2023 at the age of 73. This interview was recorded November 26, 1991 while on tour for London Fields. Digitized and edited in 2023.
Artwaves: Bill English, Artistic Director, San Francisco Playhouse on the upcoming season.
Theatre Review: Let The Right One In, at Berkeley Rep through June 25, 2023.
May 4, 2023
Bookwaves: Philip K. Dick. Excerpts from various interviews and readings by the late Philip K. Dick (1928-1982), recorded as two memorial Probabilities programs, digitized and edited in 2023. With Richard A. Lupoff, Lawrence Davidson, Richard Wolinsky.
Bookwaves: Alan Furst, noted spy novelist, excerpts recorded 2014 while on tour for Midnight in Europe.
April 27, 2023
Bookwaves: Don Winslow, author of the novel, City of Dreams, second in the "City" Trilogy.
Bookwaves: Norah Piehl, Director of Literary Programs at the Bay Area Book Festival, May 6-7, 2023.
April 20, 2023
Bookwaves: Gemma Whelan, author of the novel, Painting in the Dark.
Bookwaves: Russell Banks (1940-2023), recorded November 11, 2004 while on tour for the novel, The Darling.
Theatre Review: English at Berkeley Rep through May 7, 2023; Poor Yella Rednecks at ACT Strand through May 7, 2023.
April 13, 2023
Artwaves: Jason Graae, performer and actor, at Feinsteins at the Nikko in San Francsico April 14-15 with Faith Prince.
April 6, 2023
Bookwaves: Donald Spoto (1941-2023), biographer, recorded June 18, 1997 while on tour for Notorious, the Life of Ingrid Bergman.
Bookwaves: Justine Bateman, author of Fame, the Hijacking of Reality, recorded October 27, 2018 at Green Apple Books.
Theatre Review: Triumph of Love at Shotgun Players Ashby Stage through April 30, 2023.
March 30, 2023
Bookwaves: Rebecca Makkai, author of the novel I Have Some Questions for You.
Bookwaves: John Sayles, part two. See below.
Theatre Review: Merrily We Roll Along, at 42nd Street Moon Gateway Theatre through April 9, 2023.
March 23, 2023
Bookwaves: John Sayles, author of Jamie McGillivray, the Renegade's Journey, screenwriter and director. Part One.
Artwaves: Nora Ephron (1941-2012), Screenwriter and author, recorded November, 2010. Complete 45-minute interview.
Theatre Review: Cambodian Rock Band at Berkeley Rep through April 2, 2023.
March 16, 2023
Artwaves: Joe Ngo, performer, Cambodian Rock Band, at Berkeley Rep through April 2, 2023.
Theatre Review: Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer at TheatreWorks Palo Alto through April 2, 2023.
February 16, 2023
Artwaves: Luis Alfaro, playwright, The Travelers, at Magic Theatre through March 5, 2023.
February 9, 2023
Bookwaves: Jane Smiley, author of the novel, A Dangerous Business.
Bookwaves: Fay Weldon (1931-2023) noted author of The Life and Loves of a She Devil, recorded March 1990 while on tour for her novel The Cloning of Joanna May. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff
February 2, 2023
Bookwaves: Wil Haygood, author of Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World.
Bookwaves/Artwaves: Dennis Lim, Part Two, discussing his career as a critic.
Theatre Review: In Every Generation at TheatreWorks Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.
January 26, 2023
Bookwaves/Artwaves: Dennis Lim, author of Tale of Cinema, which focuses on the work of South Korean film director Hong Sang-soo.
Bookwaves: Russell Banks (1940-2023) noted novelist and short story writer, recorded June 7, 2000 while on tour for his collection, The Angel on the Roof. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Richard A. Lupoff.
January 19, 2023
Bookwaves/Artwaves: Jack O'Brien, author of Jack in the Box, or How to Goddam Direct, and theatre director, winner of three Tony Awards and nominated seven times.
January 12, 2023
Bookwaves: Suzy McKee Charnas (1939-2023), science fiction and fantasy author of The Vampire Tapestry, Motherlines, and other novels, recorded Halloween Weekend, 1981.
Artwaves: Frank Galati (1943-2023), noted stage director, director of Ionesco's Rhinoceros at ACT in 2019. Tony and Oscar nominated director and screenwriter.
Both artists died January 2, 2023.
January 5, 2023
Bookwaves: Vanessa Veselka, author of The Great Offshore Grounds and Zazen.
Bookwaves: Robert B. Parker (1932-2010), author of the Spenser novels, recorded Spring, 1981 while on tour for Early Autumn. Interviewers: Richard Wolinsky/Lawrence Davidson.
For older interviews, links to previous years can be found by going to the 2022 archive.
Clark Blaise & Bharati Mukherjee at Pegasus Bookstore in Berkeley, 2011
In Memoriam
Frank M. Robinson (1926-2014)
Century: An Illustrated History; Waiting
Recorded February 9, 2000 (40 min)
Aired September 9, 2004 (34 min)
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