City Arts & Lectures

Since 1980, City Arts & Lectures has presented onstage conversations with outstanding figures in literature, politics, criticism, science, and the performing arts, offering the most diverse perspectives about ideas and values. City Arts & Lectures programs can be heard on more than 130 public radio stations across the country and wherever you get your podcasts. The broadcasts are co-produced with KQED 88.5 FM in San Francisco. Visit CITYARTS.NET for more info.

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25 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 11 min
English

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Sunday · 1 hr 13 min
Gloria Steinem - In Memoriam
This week, we remember the life of Gloria Steinem – legendary feminist, activist, and journalist, with a rebroadcast of a conversation recorded in San Francisco on November 9, 2015. For more than half a century, Gloria Steinem was one of the most influential voices for women’s rights, equality, and social justice. Steinem began her journalism career in New York, gaining national attention with an undercover investigation of the working conditions at the Playboy Club. In 1971, she co-founded Ms. Magazine, a groundbreaking publication that centered women’s lives in the larger political and cultural conversation. Steinem was a mentor to generations of women - whether through her writing, her activism, or simply her example, Steinem offered women an invitation to speak out, organize, and imagine a different future. City Arts & Lectures’ founder, Sydney Goldstein, was one of those women, and Gloria was a guest onstage many times - and lent her advice and support offstage. Gloria Steinem died on September 3, 2026, in New York. She was 92. In this 2015 appearance, Steinem talked with filmmaker, activist and artist Chinaka Hodge, after the publication of her memoir, My Life On The Road.
August 30 · 1 hr 4 min
Encore - Robert Reich
Robert Reich, the former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, is one of today’s leading voices addressing issues of income inequality. Reich served in three presidential administrations, and recently retired from teaching at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Policy after nearly 20 years. His classes were among the most popular on campus, and the end of his teaching career inspired the documentary “The Last Class”. Reich publishes extensively on social media and is the author of more than 20 books including his 2025 memoir, “Coming Up Short”. On July 23, 2025, Reich spoke with Monika Bauerlein, the CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit multimedia news organization that houses Mother Jones magazine and the radio show and podcast Reveal.
August 23 · 42 min
Edwidge Danticat
Essayist and novelist Edwidge Danticat moved from Port-au-Prince to the United States at the age of twelve and began writing about Haitian culture and the immigrant experience when she was just 13. Danticat has gone on to write numerous critically acclaimed books, and currently teaches at Columbia University. On August 3, 2026, Danticat talked about her most recent novel, Dey, with Lisa Armstrong, Associate Dean at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
August 23 · 45 min
Laverne Cox
Emmy-nominated actress and activist Laverne Cox rose to fame through her role on Orange is the New Black, quickly becoming an important voice for transgender rights. In her debut memoir Transcendent, Cox delves into her traumas, gender identity, transition, and, in the end, her journey to healing. Laverne Cox spent years tirelessly working to make it as an actress before her breakout, Emmy-nominated role in Orange Is the New Black. She studied dance, acted in off-Broadway shows, and worked in restaurants, all while honing her craft. Now, she has appeared in award-winning movies and shows, produced the award-winning documentary The T Word, and become a leading voice advocating for queer and transgender people. In her debut memoir Transcendent, Cox delves into her traumas, gender identity, transition, and, in the end, her journey to healing. On June 11, 2026, Laverne Cox came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an on-stage conversation with filmmaker, writer, and actress Cheryl Dunye.
August 16 · 1 hr 19 min
Encore - Arundhati Roy
This is an encore presentation of a program originally broadcast in October of 2025. Arundhati Roy’s internationally best-selling novels include The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Her nonfiction works engage elegantly and passionately with class and power, among other issues. Roy’s new memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me, examines her childhood in Kerala, India, and a mother whose commitment to justice and education made her a powerful force in the community – but whose volatility made for a challenging family life that included emotional abuse. On September 19, 2025, Arundhati Roy came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to read from her memoir and hold an on-stage conversation with journalist Deepa Fernandes.
August 9 · 59 min
Encore - Vivek Murthy
Dr. Vivek Murthy served as the Surgeon General of the United States under both Presidents Obama and Biden. In that capacity, Murthy shaped the federal response to the opioid epidemic, the rise of e-cigarettes, the Flint, Michigan water crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Murthy has pushed to reduce access to social media for young children, pointing out the harmful effects of bullying, a lack of in-person interactions, and harassment. Recently, Murthy has written about and spoken on the negative health effects of loneliness, calling it an “epidemic” that increases the risk of early death and other social problems. On April 16, 2024, Vivek Murthy came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk about how to combat loneliness with public radio journalist David Greene.
August 2 · 1 hr 44 min
Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi is a celebrated chef and bestselling cookbook author whose newest book, Simple Too, comes out in October 2026. He is the restaurateur and chef-patron of six London-based Ottolenghi delis, as well as the NOPI and ROVI restaurants. Ottolenghi has been a weekly columnist for The Guardian (UK) for over sixteen years and is a regular contributor to The New York Times. His commitment to the championing of vegetables, as well as ingredients once seen as “exotic”, has led to what some call “The Ottolenghi Effect.” On February 23, 2026. Yotam Ottolenghi came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater to childhood stories, recipes, and insights into his groundbreaking approach to cuisine – as well as audience confessions about their culinary disasters.
July 26 · 1 hr 12 min
Eddie Huang
Eddie Huang has found success in a dizzying variety of fields, including law, comedy, food, and literature. In his 2013 memoir - Fresh Off The Boat - Huang described a tumultuous childhood as the son of Taiwanese immigrants, and a colorful path to forming his own identity – making his way through numerous subcultures and career paths – from law to fashion, comedy and now restaurants. Fresh Off The Boat was made into an ABC sitcom, but Huang stepped down as the series producer, disappointed by what he felt was a sanitized version of his life story. On June 24, 2026, Eddie Huang came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to comedian, writer, and broadcaster W. Kamau Bell about the challenges that decision brought him – from financial consequences to being scorned by Hollywood – and the profound reasons for making it, including a belief in the value of bringing trauma out into the open. The two also discussed Huang’s new novel, a romantic comedy called Come Undone.
July 19 · 1 hr 10 min
Bella Freud
This week, our guest is Bella Freud, clothing designer and host of Fashion Neurosis, a conversation podcast about the connection between clothes and identity. It features an unconventional set-up: guests lie on a couch, and Freud asks questions from a nearby chair, out of their view – in the manner of her great-grandfather, the legendary psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. The interviews with actors, writers, fashion icons and other artists delve deep into emotions and memories. On June 15, 2026, Bella Freud came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to writer Rachel Kushner about how she got her start in fashion, some of her favorite episodes of Fashion Neurosis, and her family, including her father, painter Lucian Freud.
July 12 · 1 hr 10 min
David Szalay
This week, our guest is David Szalay. His novel – Flesh – was winner of the 2025 Man Booker Prize. The story begins in Hungary, and it stays close to a protagonist who moves somewhat aimlessly through life, rarely exhibiting any self-reflection. Szalay says that he wanted to write a character whose experience of the world is entirely physical, not psychological. Critics and fellow writers like Zadie Smith have praised the book for its minimalist style and stark portrait of masculinity. On April 28, 2026, Szalay came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Rita Bullwinkel, author of the novel Headshot and the story collection Belly Up.
July 5 · 1 hr 20 min
Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor
This week, our guest is Elizabeth Pryor – a professor of history at Smith College, whose work focuses on the histories of race and slavery in the United States. Pryor’s memoir, Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me, is about growing up as the Black Jewish daughter of comedian Richard Pryor. It also traces the painful evolution of the N-word from the era of slavery to today – including how her father used it in the 1970s. On June 1, 2026, Elizabeth Pryor came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an expansive talk with journalist Shereen Marisol Meraji about her childhood, and the significance of this six-letter word in American politics, history, and culture.
June 28 · 1 hr 27 min
Lena Dunham
This week, our guest is Lena Dunham, best known as the creator of Girls, an HBO series about a group of 20-somethings that one critic called “a generational event.” Her most recent television series, Too Much, is about a New Yorker who moves to London to find her way out of heartbreak. On May 17, 2026, Dunham came to the SGT to talk about her memoir, Famesick, with her close friend, journalist Michael Lewis. What looked like an enviable life – critically acclaimed work, a romantic relationship with a major musician – was actually overwhelmed by Dunham’s self-doubt - and her chronic pain from undiagnosed physical illness.
June 21 · 1 hr 20 min
Jose Andres
José Andrés is widely recognized for both his culinary achievements – including two Michelin stars, and 40 restaurants worldwide – and his humanitarian work. As the founder of World Central Kitchen, Andrés has fed tens of millions of people across dozens of crises. The model is uncommonly nimble and effective; rather than warehousing aid, Central Kitchen activates local restaurants and cooks on the ground, putting money into affected communities while feeding people with dignity. Andres is also an Emmy Award–winning TV host and producer, and a New York Times bestselling author of Change the Recipe, Zaytinya, Vegetables Unleashed, and The World Central Kitchen Cookbook. His new book is Spain My Way. On May 21, 2026, Jose Andres came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an onstage conversation with philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder and president of Emerson Collective.
June 14 · 1 hr 17 min
Ben Rhodes
Ben Rhodes is a writer on U.S. and global politics. A contributor to the New York Times and MSNOW, and co-host of Pod Save the World, Ben has authored two New York Times bestsellers - After the Fall and The World As It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House. His latest book, All We Say, is a sweeping look at the battle over American identity and the questions, “What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide?” through reflections on landmark speeches in American history. Rhodes previously served as speechwriter and Deputy National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama. On June 9, 2026, Ben Rhodes came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to be interviewed on stage by Jelani Cobb, an acclaimed historian, staff writer at the New Yorker, and Dean of Columbia Journalism School.
June 7 · 1 hr 17 min
Boots Riley
This week, our guest is Boots Riley, an Oakland-based filmmaker and founding member of the seminal hip hop group, The Coup. Like his music, Riley’s films are politically charged, tackling subjects like capitalism, racism, and class. His debut film, Sorry to Bother You and television series I’m A Virgo showcased a surrealist style, sci-fi tropes and comedy. His hyperkinetic energy is on display again with his newest movie, I Love Boosters. The all-star cast features Demi Moore, Keke Palmer and LaKeith Stanfield. On May 28, 2026, Boots Riley came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater to talk to Alexis Madrigal about his art and activism. The evening was co-presented with KQED. Join us now for a conversation with Boots Riley.
May 31 · 59 min
Adam Mansbach & Kamau Bell - PODCAST ONLY, EXPLICIT LANGUAGE ADVISORY
NOTE: This is a PODCAST-ONLY program - the titles and contents of Adam Mansbach's books have NOT been bleeped! Adam Mansbach is a novelist, screenwriter, humorist, and cultural critic, as well as the author of the “children’s books” Go the F*** to Sleep and You Have to F***king Eat, and F***, Now There Are Two of You. His other books include Rage Is Back, The End of the Jews, and Angry Black White Boy. His latest book - written as the child who did not want to go to sleep prepares to leave the nest - is Go the F*** to College. Sociopolitical comedian W. Kamau Bell is the host and executive producer of the CNN docu-series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell and author of The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6′ 4″, African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama’s Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian. On May 12, 2026, the two came to the studios of KQED to discuss Mansbach's latest book - Go the F*** to College - written as his eldest child prepares to leave the nest.
May 31 · 1 hr 12 min
Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen
This week, a conversation about children’s literature with author Mac Barnett and illustrator Jon Klassen. Barnett is National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and the author of numerous children's books including “Sam and Dave Dig a Hole” and “Extra Yarn”. Jon Klassen worked on films like Kung Fu Panda and Coraline, before he decided to create books, like the best-selling Hat Trilogy. Klassen and Barnet are collaborators on the animated series Shape Island and the popular substack newsletter “Looking at Picture Books.” On May 14, 2026, the two creatives came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater to talk about the world of children’s literature. It’s the subject of Barnett’s newest book – this time, for adults. It’s called Make Believe: Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children.
May 24 · 1 hr 4 min
Jeff Hiller
This week, our guest is Jeff Hiller. The veteran comedian and actor is hardly a newcomer, but it’s his recent role on the television series Somebody Somewhere that has finally brought him widespread recognition. In 2025, he earned an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for that performance. Hiller talks about the journey in his memoir, Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success. Fans have appreciated his captivating and heartfelt humor for decades at stand-up shows; in theater performances including Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Tempest, and most recently the 2025 revival of Urinetown; and on television series like 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Community. On May 8, 2026, Hiller came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to Poulomi Saha about comedy, friendship, and success. Saha is an English professor and the Co-Director of the Program in Critical Theory at UC Berkeley. The evening was co-presented with San Francisco Public Library and a supporting non-profit, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.
May 18 · 1 hr 12 min
Sir Demis Hassabis and Sebastian Mallaby
Demis Hassabis is an artificial intelligence researcher, scientist, and entrepreneur. In 2010, he co-founded DeepMind, an AI research lab which is now part of Google. In 2024, Hassabis won a Nobel Prize for using AI to predict the 3D structure of proteins, critical for disease understanding and drug discovery. He was also awarded a knighthood that year by King Charles III. On April 20, 2026, Sir Demis Hassabis came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk with author Sebastian Mallaby, who recently published a book about Hassabis’s work, The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence. The two were interviewed on stage by journalist Emily Chang.
May 10 · 1 hr 5 min
Sharon Brous
Rabbi Sharon Brous is a leading voice at the intersection of faith and justice in America. She is the founding and senior rabbi of IKAR, a trail-blazing Jewish community based in Los Angeles. Brous’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. Her new book is The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend our Broken Hearts and World. On April 23, 2026, Sharon Brous came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an on-stage conversation with john a. powell, another scholar helping forge connections across political, spiritual, and cultural differences. Powell is the Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute and a Professor of Law and Professor of African American Studies and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. His most recent book is The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong.

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