The City Lights Collective

Hammonds House artistic chair and curator Halima Taha details the new exhibition, “Rhythm of Resilience: The Artistry of Sam Middleton,” which is on view through August 18. Plus, Georgia author Stephen Hundley discusses his new novel, “Bomb Island,” and curator Tony Casadonte shares the history behind “Visions of Society: The Photographic Insight of Ruth-Marion Baruch,” which is on view at The Bre...

Atlanta-based 2024 Guggenheim fellow Jessica Blinkhorn discusses her future artistic plans. Plus, food historian Akila McConnell and chef Asata Reid from the WABE podcast “Savory Stories” discuss the culinary history of Chinese food in Atlanta, and we listen back to Lois’s conversation with legendary Atlanta broadcaster Monica Pearson.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mellow Mushroom co-founder Marc “Banks” Weinstein discusses the 50-year history of Atlanta’s hometown pizza chain. Plus, singer and multi-instrumentalist Benjamin J. Davidow takes the spotlight in our series, “Speaking of Music,” and Munir Meghjani and David Perdue detail the next installment of Comedy and Conversations, which takes place at the Margaret Mitchell House at Atlanta History Center Mi...

Ray Kim, cellist and former member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, and former musical director Jere Flint discuss the 50th anniversary of the ASYO. Plus, we hear about this week’s Southern Fried Queer Pride Festival, taking place at various locations around Little Five Points. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chef Deuki Hong and journalist Matt Rodbard discuss their new cookbook, “KOREAWORLD,” and their upcoming celebratory dinner at Chai Pani on June 25th. Plus, we listen back to Lois’s 2021 conversation with author and cultural historian Caseen Gaines about the 1921 history-making musical, “Shuffle Along.” Gaine’s book is “Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way.” Se...

Mo Rocca, the beloved “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” panelist and CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, recently joined City Lights host Lois Reitzes on stage at First Baptist Church of Decatur for a conversation about his latest book, “Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs.” The event was recorded in front of a live audience and presented by WABE, Georgia Center for the Book, the J...

Artists Reginald C. Adams and Fabian Williams detail the “Absolute Equality” Juneteenth Mural Project. Plus, children’s book author Allison Hill discusses “Lolly the Left-Out Lobster,” and Quasi drummer Janet Weiss and multi-instrumentalist Sam Coomes stop by ahead of their upcoming show at the EARL on June 22. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fahamu Pecou, founder of the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta, discusses their new exhibition, "A Shield Against the Darkness: The Art and Scholarship of Pellom McDaniels III," which is on view through June 28. Plus, Atlanta-based fashion designer Christian Allana details her involvement in the new incubator program from the fast-fashion company Shein called "Shein X Rescued." The program ha...

Music producer John Snyder discusses his role as project coordinator for the New Orleans Jazz Museum expansion. Plus, WABE’s H. Johnson stops by for the newest edition of our series, “H Johnson’s Jazz Moment,” and Sally Westmoreland details the upcoming Elizabeth B. Stephens International Organ Competition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Multi-instrumentalist and producer Kabir Sehgal discusses his new album, “Guitar Spring: Music for a New Season,” as well as his many collaborations, including his meditation album with Lil Jon. Plus casting director Clifton Guterman takes the spotlight for our series, “Speaking of the Boom,” we hear about the upcoming “No Tables, No Chairs” event, and artist Artemus Jenkins details his new exhibi...

Director Ty Autry and featured playwright and performer Chayton Pabich Danyla discuss the first inaugural Lavender Fest at Out Front Theatre from June 19th through 23rd. Plus, we hear about Cooper Music School’s DIY musical instruments; Michelle C. takes the spotlight for our series, “Speaking of Music,” and “A Room of Her Own: Women Studio Artists from AXC’s 40-Year History.” See omnystudio.com/l...

Former news anchor, actor, and author Mark Pettit discusses his new memoir, “ANKRBOY.” Plus, guitarist Mdou Moctar and bassist/producer Mikey Coltun join “City Lights” ahead of their June 13 show at Terminal West, and Laura Flusche, executive director of Museum of Design Atlanta, details their new exhibition, “Al Dente: The Design of Pasta.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monica Campana, executive director of Living Walls, and Drew Borders, curator of the new Living Walls public mural project “I Am Mine / We Are Ours,” detail the artwork on the underpass at Arizona Avenue and Dekalb Avenue. Plus, composer Marcus Norris and librettist Adamma Ebo discuss the world premiere of their new opera, “Forsyth County is Flooding with the Joy of Lake Lanier,” on stage at the R...

Tugboat the Queen and Ginger Minj discuss “The Golden Gals LIVE” on stage at Out Front Theatre through June 16. Plus, Michael Myerz takes the spotlight for our series, “Speaking of Music,” author Lisa Frank details her new book, “MYCO-TOWN: A Magical Mushroom Fantasy Novel,” and we learn about a new audiobook project that aims to raise money for Ukraine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Erika Miranda, the founder of Cafecito Productions, and Brooke Sonenreich, founder and organizer of ATLFilmParty discuss their event “A Night of Latine Filmmakers” at the downtown Switchyards. “City Lights” producer Summer Evans speaks with retired Airforce Staff Sergeant Stacy Pearsall about her PBS series “After Action.” Plus, we listen back to Lois Reitzes’ conversation with Atlanta farmer Jami...

Two new exhibitions are now on view at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center in Madison, Georgia; that of Atlanta’s congressman John Lewis, and the prolific painter and multimedia artist Benny Andrews. Andrews produced a series of portraits called the John Lewis Series, currently on loan from the National Center for Human and Civil Rights. The works are being shown through next April as part of the A...

Travel aficionado, TV host, and guidebook author Rick Steves shares his insights on incorporating live music into your travel itinerary. This is part of “City Lights’” recurring series “ATL Up and Away: Travel Tips with Rick Steves.” Plus, Jonathan Rockefeller, the creator of the show “Sesame Street the Musical” discusses why he wanted to bring the show to the Center for Puppetry Arts June 5-Augus...

Journalist, theatre critic and playwright Kelundra Smth and actor Tanya Freeman discuss the play “The Wash.” A story about the Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike of 1881. Plus, we listen back to Lois Reitzes’ 2020 conversation with Dr. Eric Cervini. He’s the author of: “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States of America.”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta author Aisha Saeed discusses her new children’s book “Zuni and the Memory Jar.” We hear about this weekend’s events with the hosts of How You Do Atlanta. WABE jazz and blues host H. Johnson talks about saxophonist Louis Jordan. Plus, the Canterbury Choristers’ musical director, John King Carter, discusses their production of the one-act opera “Trial by Jury.” See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Flying Carpet Theatre Company artistic director Adam Koplan and music director Greg Sudmeier discuss their upcoming concert, “There’s No Business Like Show Business: A Tribute to Irving Berlin”, which will be held at the Breman Museum on June 2. Plus, Chattahoochee Nature Center’s events supervisor, Fabiola Clermont, shares this year’s line-up at the 25th annual Flying Colors Butterfly Festival. W...

Director Amanda Washington and playwright Pearl Cleage discuss the new production of “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” which opens tomorrow at Actor’s Express and runs through June 23. Plus, we hear about the Atlanta high school student who placed second in this year’s “Next Narrative Monologue” Competition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Tate Baeza, curator of African Art at the High Museum and the creator of the new Atlanta Beltline artist residency, discusses the new exhibition “LagosAtlanta: Sister City Rising.” Plus, Andrea Jurjevic takes the spotlight for our series, “Speaking of Poetry.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Theatrical Outfit director Matt Torney and actor Tess Malis Kincaid discuss “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” which is on stage at the Balzer Theater at Herren’s through June 16. Plus, Dr. Scott Stewart discusses popular scores of currently streaming hits, singer-songwriter Parker Smith takes the spotlight for our series, “Speaking of Music,” and we hear the story of Jacob Ruppert’s “All Day High...

Camille Russell Love, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, details the 2024 Atlanta Jazz Festival, happening this weekend at Piedmont Park. Plus, Artist Gregor Turk and Druid Hills Presbyterian Church session member Eric Dusenbury discuss the new public art installation “Assembly,” which is on display on the church’s front lawn through April 2025. See omnystudio.com/listen...

Improv actor, writer, and comedian Kevin Gillese discusses his new solo show, “7 Minutes in Kevin,” which is on stage at Dad’s Garage through June 8. Plus, we celebrate Jazz 91.9 WCLK’s 50th anniversary with station manager Wendy Williams and singer Alexandra Jackson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.