Crosscurrents

Today, Dennis Finnegan takes us into his music making process. Then, we get the summertime vibes from KALW DJ J Boogie. And, one new book explores grief and Black men healing from trauma.

Ohlone College students know Dennis Finnegan as one of their librarians. But, they might not know he’s also an award-winning musician: a multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, and collaborator.

Recently, Tshego Letsoalo, recorded a LIVE version of her series, On Repeat. It’s a mini-pod for music discovery where Tshego talks to KALW music programmers about the songs they can't stop listening to. In this excerpt, she talks to KALW DJ J Boogie about his summer songs.

For many people writing can be a healing practice. That’s one of several themes in the new novel “Jack & Evan” by Oakland author Aaron Hundley. KALW’s Jenee Darden spoke with Aaron about Black men healing from trauma.

Five years after the CZU fire, Big Basin State Park reimagines its forest. Then, as students go back to school, we get an update SFUSD. Plus, a love letter to the Eldest Daughters.

It’s been half a decade since the CZU Lightning Complex Fire devastated Big Basin State Park. The fire forced park officials to rethink the role of fire in managing the ancient redwood forest.

Jill Tucker covers education for the San Francisco Chronicle. She came on KALW’s State of the Bay recently to talk about what this upcoming school year could look like for SFUSD. In this excerpt of that conversation host Grace Won asks Tucker about staff reductions at the district.

Growing up is tough… but some siblings are pushed to take on more, and grow up faster. Ellie Lopez captures that feeling many of us know too well, in her poem, ‘Ballad of the Eldest Daughter.’ Here she is reading it LIVE on the streets of San Francisco’s Mission District as part of the Flor Y Canto Literary Festival back in June.

Two and a half years after the arrival of ChatGPT, many schools have been slow to write clear guidelines for how students should, and shouldn’t, use AI. It’s the next story from The Homework Machine series. Plus, a poem about adopting and adapting to new technologies.

Today, we bring you the second story from our series The Homework Machine. The arrival of ChatGPT and other AI tools has led to more cheating in schools. But, it’s not always easy to define what cheating is… or to know what to do about it.

Adopting and adapting to new technologies is part of the human experience. For our segment Bay Poets, poet Larry Dorsey Jr. explores the blurred lines between living life and capturing its moments through technology, Here he is reading his poem, "Your Mind Can’t Tell the Difference.”

About two years ago, teachers started suspecting their students might be using generative AI in their work. Today, we hear about the arrival of AI in education. And for some teachers, it’s not all that scary.

When generative AI arrived in schools, it brought both excitement, and confusion.

Today, we're rolling it way back to meet the first professional women's basketball players in the Bay. It’s Bay Area women’s basketball history on episode seven of BOUNCE!

Dancers are trying to find their footing while funding for the arts dries up. Today, we meet a dance group on a mission to keep turning. And, the legacy of one of the Bay Area’s most iconic artists. The art of Ruth Asawa.

In May, the National Endowment for the Arts canceled at least $1 million in grants to San Francisco nonprofits alone. But that's just the tip of the iceberg for many artists. San Francisco dance leaders are saying they’re more strained now than ever and they're left trying to find their footing.

School is now in session for the Oakland Unified School District. And this past year, there has been A LOT to report on at OUSD — from the early departure of superintendent Kyla Johnson Trammell, to the district’s exit from a 22 year receivership. Reporter Ashley McBride covers education equity for Oaklandside. She’s been following these stories, and she co-reported a two-part investigative series looking at lead in the water at Oakland Schools. Grace Won, co-host of KALW’s “State of the Bay,” recently spoke with McBride, and we’re bringing you an excerpt from that conversation.

San Francisco is proud to claim the iconic Japanese-American artist Ruth Asawa as our own. She’s known primarily for her wire sculptures, as well as her advocacy for arts education. Now, 300 pieces of her work are currently on display at SFMOMA. Janet Bishop is one of the curators of the retrospective.

Today, we’re learning to skate through life. Then, a computer engineer with a history in radical activism. And, an iconic photographer captured the Grateful Dead.

One local skateboarder is trying to give skateboarding a different reputation. The goal of his company, Skateable Cities, is to highlight the practical ways it can help you get around, as well as the mental health benefits.