California Sun Podcast

Greg King has dedicated his life to the appreciation and protection of California's majestic redwoods. Sadly, only 4% of the original 2 million acres of redwood ecosystem remains intact. Witnessing the devastation first-hand in the 1980s was a life-changing experience for King. In 1987, he discovered and named the Headwaters Forest in Humboldt County, the largest remaining ancient redwood habitat outside of parks. This sparked a decade-long struggle that led to its protection by state and federal governments. In his new book, "The Ghost Forest," he tells the story of the exploitation of California's redwoods going back to 1849. 

From the Bay Area to commanding the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, Brett Crozier's 30-year naval career was a journey defined by dedication, discipline, and courage. These qualities proved to be pivotal when he faced a crisis in the spring of 2020: a raging coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship. In these extraordinary circumstances, Crozier made the choice to stand up for his crew, embodying the power of kindness in a tussle against Washington politics. He tells his story in this week's podcast and in his new book, "Surf When You Can: Lessons in Life, Loyalty, and Leadership from a Maverick Navy Captain."

Maureen Ryan, known for her tough commentary as a film and television critic and contributing editor at Vanity Fair, puts Hollywood under a critical lens in this week’s podcast and in her new book, "Burn It Down." Often called "high school with money and power," the industry has embraced unsettling norms – abuse, poor etiquette, and a culture of complicity — for nearly a century. According to Ryan, long before the #MeToo movement highlighted sexual misconduct, a sinister underbelly was already lurking beneath Hollywood's glitzy façade.

Clare Frank has bravely battled fires in California for three decades, as she details in her new memoir "Burnt." Her experience spans local fires in Santa Cruz to the infamous wildfires that have left indelible marks on our collective consciousness. Beginning her firefighting journey at just 17 years old, she climbed the ranks to become the first and only female state chief of fire protection. In this conversation, she shares her passion for her work, the personal risks involved, the evolving conditions she has witnessed over her 30-year tenure, and her childhood fascination with the firefighting profession.

Kevin Kelly, the influential founding editor and defining voice of WIRED Magazine, played a pivotal role in its establishment in San Francisco during the advent of the internet era. Known for his unwavering advocacy of technology optimism and the recognition of fundamental truths, Kelly has championed California as a hub for embracing change with minimal resistance. In our latest podcast, we delve into these topics and much more.

The writers' strike seems like it has no end in sight. The directors are next. The "streaming wars" have produced financial losses for all of the studios; the pandemic drove a dagger into theaters; nationalism is impacting American movies overseas; and Hollywood leadership is lacking. Richard Rushfield, a long-time Hollywood journalist and founder of The Ankler, shares his analysis of how bad it really is.

Erik Davis has long recognized the deep intersection of technology, spirituality, mysticism, transcendence, and the power of California. In his works "TechGnosis" and "The Visionary State," and in this week's podcast, he talks about how all of these things are integrated, and how that impacts all Californians, each and every day.

Nicholas Goldberg has spent more than 20 years at the Los Angeles Times. As the editorial page editor and more recently as a columnist and associate editor, he has witnessed remarkable changes both at the paper and in the city. He shares his thoughts on the role of the Times as a local paper, keeping an eye on politicians, L.A.'s long-standing law enforcement problems, rooting out the recent wave of city corruption, and why local politics still

Victoria Chang, the author of six collections of poetry, was recently awarded USC's prestigious 2023 Chowdhury Prize in Literature. Her work covers a wide range of subjects, including art, film, history, and grief and she gives particularly insight into the elusive nature of identity. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Harvard, and Stanford, she shares some of her history and words with us.

Dean King, in his new book, Guardians of the Valley, shares the origin story  of John Muir, which equally involves his editor Robert Underwood Johnson.  Through a powerful personal relationship Muir and Johnson combined Muir’s vision of nature, his elegant writing and Johnson’s penchant for action. Together they got people to come journey to the wilderness, founded the Sierra Club and saved Yosemite. All with a humanity that got people to appreciate nature, more than just preserving it.   

Eric Porter, the author of "A People's History of SFO," sees the nation's No. 1 ranked large airport, San Francisco International, as a metaphor for the Bay Area. He explores how SFO and other airports mirror their cities' art, culture, and values. While emphasizing the significant role public art plays in enhancing the airport experience, he explains how just observing people at any airport reveals much about the community, its workforce, and class structure. 

California is on the verge of becoming the 4th largest economy in the world. Its economic and cultural impact ripples around the globe, and taxes on its tech economy provide a large portion of our state's budget. The city of Palo Alto, home of Stanford University, sits at the epicenter of this modern world. Yet Malcolm Harris, author of the new book "Palo Alto," argues on this week’s podcast that it’s an economy he thinks we should be ashamed of, built on misery and inequity.

Southern California is often associated with beaches, bungalows, and opulence, but there is more to the region than Los Angeles and Hollywood. Riverside, San Bernardino, and other often-overlooked areas reveal a Southern California of warehouses, workers, farms, and freeways that is home to diverse and deeply connected communities. In her latest book, "Mecca," the celebrated novelist Susan Straight tells an epic story that captures these communities and explores the lives of native Californians navigating race, history, and family. Straight, who was born and raised in Riverside and still lives there, has been writing about Southern California and the Inland Empire for over 40 years. She shares some of that story with us. 

Kanishka Cheng, an urban planner, served 15 years in housing and community development in San Francisco government. In this week’s podcast, she shares why she resigned from city government to lead TogetherSF, an organization she co-founded with Mike Moritz, whose recent New York Times op-ed on San Francisco's political dysfunction set off a vigorous debate. TogetherSF is dedicated to activating citizens to address what Cheng says are the issues that San Francisco politicians have been unable or unwilling to solve.

Lila LaHood discusses her work as the Publisher of the San Francisco Public Press, an online, radio, and streaming news outlet. Her efforts are part of a growing group of nascent but thriving local news initiatives in the San Francisco Bay Area. From time to time we have taken a look at these efforts and how they are contributing to community news and cohesion. 

Mark Rozzo, journalist and the author of "Everybody Thought We Were Crazy," shares with us a glimpse of the cultural and cinematic revolution that defined Los Angeles in the 1960s. Rozzo acts as a time machine, taking us back to the era when Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward played significant roles in birthing a new cultural and Hollywood movement. One that would ultimately shape both Los Angeles and the film industry for decades to come.

Peggy Orenstein, the Bay Area author, took advantage of her time during the pandemic to embark on a unique adventure at a ranch in Sonoma County. During this conversation and in her book "Unraveling," she shares her story about learning the art of sheep shearing, wool dying, spinning, and even creating a sweater from start to finish. As she recounts her journey, she weaves together themes of freedom, bravery, politics, and modernity.

John Gedmark thinks California can still be a center of aerospace innovation. The founder and CEO of Astranis is building satellites in a building that once produced war ships within walking distance of Chase Center in San Francisco. Gedmark explains how he set out to solve what he sees as one of the world's great problems, bringing broadband internet to the most remote and rural parts of the world. How he set out to do it, the huge technical challenges, why he chose the Bay Area, and how his success is helping the community are all parts of a story he shares with us.

Ali Winston and Darwin BondGraham, two Bay Area investigative journalists, discuss the systemic corruption and brutality in Oakland's police department, and the more than two-decades-long saga of attempted reforms and explosive scandals. In their recent book, Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption, and Cover-up in Oakland, they examine the notorious group of sadistic Oakland cops known as “The Riders.”

Lee Herrick is California's newly minted Poet Laureate. The former Fresno Poet Laureate, he also teaches at Fresno City College and the University of Nevada, Reno. He is the author of three noteworthy collections of poetry, "Scar and Flower," Gardening Secrets of the Dead" and "This Many Miles From Desire." Born in South Korea, Herrick discusses his upbringing in Danville and Fresno, his appreciation and love of language, and the role of poetry as a tool for transformation, empowerment, understanding racial division, and seeing both the light and dark of the human condition.