Crosscurrents

If you have ever walked into Lark in the Morning you might have heard the Sound of Danboo... The store is a combination museum for rare , international instruments, a repair shop, and a brick and mortar retail store. It also serves as a hub for lessons in everything from banjo to the sitar to the hurdygurdy. After working in tech, the current owner bought Lark in the Morning, and continues the leg...

Oakland’s Police Department has been under federal oversight since 2003. The city is arguing that most of the reforms have been accomplished and the OPD was ready to complete the rest -- without federal oversight. But many, including civil rights attorneys and some community leaders, are skeptical. Roselyn Romero is a criminal justice reporter with Oaklandside . KALW's news editor Sunni Khalid spo...

Uncuffed producer Michael Callahan shares how he found hope and refuge in a prison church, just days after he arrived at the institution.

Many young people in the Bay Area say their city councils just don’t hear them- and they have a lot to say. Today, we hear from the youth. Then, when living outside, getting a handle on even the most basic things, like the time and the weather, can be a challenge. And, a coming-of-age film explores how a Bay Area teenager is trying to keep her balance.

16-year-old Charlie Zeitlin is Legislation Subcommittee Vice-Chair of the Palo Alto Youth Council. KALW News Editor Sunni Khalid spoke to him about what matters to the next generation of voters in Silicon Valley.

This week's Sidewalk Stories dives into how unhoused people get information — from news and history to the time and weather. 

The indie film "Still Life" takes viewers back to teen life in 1999: corded phones, reading profiles of Claire Danes in Seventeen magazine and Y2K hysteria. For Dafne, the main 15-year-old character, this is around the time of her life when her mother dies from leukemia. "Still Life" was shot in the Bay Area, and was inspired by screenwriter and director Lauren Shapiro's experiences growing up her...

Today, we meet a performer who’s bringing loud, colorful and all-over-the-place shows to San Francisco’s drag scene. Tito Soto is all about the spectacle. Then, an incarcerated man finds new meaning in a classic childhood song. And, the San Francisco Symphony's upcoming "SoundBox" show is not your average symphony concert. Plus, a poem.

The day after Christmas, stage performers, cabaretists, and dancers got some really good news. The beloved San Francisco nightclub Oasis was slated to close on January 1, 2026 . But it was rescued by a major donation from a Bay Area philanthropic group. This was welcome news to everyone in the Oasis family, especially Tito Soto, the club’s event producer and a headline performer. KALW's Stafford H...

Uncuffed producer Jeremy Strain shares why a favorite childhood song still speaks to him, decades later.

Violinist Alexi Kenney is curating the San Francisco Symphony event called “SoundBox: Dream Awake.” It’s not your typical classical concert. It actually takes place backstage at Davies Symphony Hall.  Jenee Darden is the host of KALW’s Sights and Sounds show. She sat down with Alexi to talk about "SoundBox" and his music. Here's an excerpt from that interview. “SoundBox: Dream Awake” is at Davies...

February is Black History Month. So before we go, a poem. Here’s Mukethe Kawinzi reading their piece, ‘'ripgut.'  You can hear more Bay Area poets here . 

Today, an Iranian singer and composer chooses between obedience or exile. The award winning songs of Mahsa Vahdat. Then, a south bay artist who’s keeping Persian music alive, one note at a time. And, a poem about dancing with modern Persian identity.

Mahsa Vahdat decided to sing, despite the Iranian government’s ban on solo female performance. Then she had to make a choice: obedience or exile.

Justin Ebrahemi is KALW’s Communication Manager… and he’s also a poet! Here he shares a piece about dancing with modern Persian identity called "Brief Islands." 

Tattooing is a form of storytelling. Today, an artist honors his lineage by integrating Filipino traditions into his contemporary practice. Then, using dance to tell the story of Filipino migration to the Bay Area. And, we sing a little karaoke.

The Bay Area is home to one of the most concentrated Filipino communities in the nation. Their history in the Bay Area goes back more than 100 years , but many of the neighborhoods they established, like San Francisco’s “Manila Town” have since been torn down and replaced - t he result of urban renewal and property development in the late 1970’s. But their legacy and cultural impact lives on today...

Today, we meet Japanese American farmers who were incarcerated during World War Two...and resisted. Then, an art exhibit connects the history of San Jose’s Japantown neighborhoods to the present.

Today, we meet an artist who's been screen printing protest posters for more than forty years. Then, an Oakland mural honoring the women of the Black Panther Party. Plus, a poem. 

The Bay Area has a long history of activism and protest that lives on today. And when you walk our sidewalks, you still might come across a flyer on a telephone pole that leads you to a community event… or an act of civic disobedience.  These days it's safe to say, most of those flyers are made on a computer. But in San Francisco’s Mission district, there’s it's a well kept tradition of screenprin...

Protest and activism can take many forms. Today, it takes the shape of a poem. Here’s Carlos quinteros iii reading his poem ‘Stick-up.’ And you can find more Bay Area poets here . 

Today, Destiny Mohammad talks about her new album and why she calls herself a sound sculptress. And, KALW’s Dore Stein shares some favorite songs by Middle Eastern artists.

Now, we hear a segment from On Repeat, a mini-pod for music discovery. It’s hosted by Tshego Letsoalo, KALW’s Music Editorial Director. In this episode from 2024, Tshego talks to KALW’s Dori Stein, the host of Tangents . 

Today, we're holding on to the past with a San Francisco teenager who’s capturing the stories of the elders in her community. Then, a local author reads from their novel, about a woman with psychic abilities. And, we hear an excerpt from a live recording of KALW's Your Legal Rights.

For the last eight years, 19-year-old Kate Quach has been volunteering at a senior center in San Francisco. In that time, Kate has made a lot of friends among the elderly residents living there. And she’s captured their stories in two self-published poetry collections. KALW’s Anna Casalme brings us the story.