Posts Tagged ‘jeff’
2 powerful L.A. City Council members on the city’s present and future
Paul Koretz and Marqueece Harris-Dawson represent polar opposite districts in Los Angeles. Yet the issues they face — housing, climate change, infrastructure, homelessness, and traffic — affect everyone. How they do their job, and whether or not…
Read MoreDavid Ulin on the joys and challenges of Los Angeles
David Ulin, the former book editor of the L.A. Times, points out that few American cities have changed more in the past two decades than Los Angeles. The city that existed at the turn of the century has been reinvented, and the longtime social and…
Read MoreJoe Talbot on “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”
Joe Talbot’s debut film, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” captures the unsteady pulse of an ever-changing city. The film is an ode to what home means as both a brick-and-mortar place as well as a state of mind. Talbot wonders if anyone can…
Read MoreLeah Garchik on 47 years at the S.F. Chronicle
Leah Garchik is an original. In an era of transitory work, she had one employer for 47 years. For 35 of those years, as a daily columnist, her voice reflected back to us the world and her city of San Francisco. On the occasion of her retirement last…
Read MoreTony Serra offers a defense of his Ghost Ship client Derick Almena
Tony Serra gives an exclusive look at his defense strategy in the ongoing Ghost Ship trial. He explains why he thinks his client, Derick Almena, is not guilty of 36 counts of manslaughter, and gives a preview of what we can expect to hear when Almena…
Read MoreAllison Haley on California’s death penalty debate
Allison Haley, the district attorney for Napa County, is one of 58 district attorneys in California whose work is profoundly affected by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to suspend the death penalty. Her reaction to it, like that of many of her…
Read MorePaul Schrade on the California primary tragedy of 1968
Paul Schrade stood at Robert F. Kennedy’s side at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, 51 years ago last week. As they entered the kitchen, Schrade was shot along with the presidential candidate. Schrade recovered from his injuries. Now 94 years…
Read MoreJulian Guthrie and the “alpha girls” of Silicon Valley
Julian Guthrie’s past work has taken us up close and personal with many of Silicon Valley’s most notorious alpha males, including Larry Ellison and Elon Musk. Now she takes us on a journey with the “” who braved the male-dominated world of venture…
Read MoreMark Arax on chasing water and dust across California
Mark Arax, a long-time California journalist, talks about the epic history of water in the Golden State. His new book, “,” is a real-life “Chinatown,” examining the water wars fought between farmers, activists, corporations, and governments. The story…
Read MoreThe California dream inspired and destroyed Robin Williams
Robin Williams’ story is woven into the fabric of both the Bay Area and Hollywood. His drive for success and fame, coupled with always wanting to show us a piece of ourselves, is a very California story — especially as told by N.Y. Times culture…
Read MoreLeslie Berlin on Silicon Valley’s origin story
Leslie Berlin wrote the book on Silicon Valley. The Project Historian for the Silicon Valley Archives at Stanford, she has profiled microchip discoverer Robert Noyce, and her book “Troublemakers,” about Silicon Valley in the 1970s, has been called a…
Read MoreRandy Shaw on the sabotaging of California housing
Randy Shaw, executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, is a long-time housing activist in the Bay Area and author of the book, “Generation Priced Out.” He shares his views about the controversial housing measure SB 50, gentrification, the…
Read MoreRichard Walker on the crises and contradictions of Silicon Valley
Richard Walker, professor emeritus of geography at U.C. Berkeley, is a student of the renown Marxist geographer David Harvey. Walker brings an approach to his analysis that includes, economics, urban design, politics, and the environment, as well as…
Read MoreNancie Clare on Beverly Hills and the birth of celebrity politics
Nancy Clare, a longtime Southern California journalist, explains why Beverly Hills is no ordinary city. She tells how the gilded enclave shaped the region’s politics, movies, and the battle for water, and gave it a special place in the evolution of…
Read MoreAudrey Cooper on the future of local news
Audrey Cooper, the editor in chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, reminds us that while we often turn our eyes toward Washington, it’s local and regional journalism that actually shapes how we live, vote, and earn a living. She shares her vision of…
Read MoreDavid Kipen shares five-hundred years of opinions about Los Angeles
David Kipen, author, journalist, and cultural historian of Los Angeles has scoured libraries, archives, and private estates to assemble a kaleidoscopic view of the unique city of Los Angeles. He shares 500 years of writings in and about the city and…
Read MoreDr. Kevin Starr on the California Dream
There’s no better way to understand the issues and people shaping California today than through its colorful and complex history. Few understood the depth of that history better than Dr. Kevin Starr, the late author of a definitive eight-volume…
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