The City Lights Collective

Comedian Demetri Martin stops by ahead of his upcoming Atlanta performance at Variety Playhouse. Plus, the artist behind Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium, Atlanta’s own Grant Henry.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In what some critics have hailed as “the first great literary novel of the pandemic,” Gary Shteyngart’s “Our Country Friends” follows a fictitious Russian-American writer gathering his family and closest friends at his upstate New York bungalow during the lockdown. Plus, festival director Alesia C. Johnson and Emory’s Dr. Amy Aidman share details on the Atlanta Children’s Film Festival. The 15th a...

Tristan Al-Haddad, a Georgia Tech professor at the School of Architecture and owner of Formations Studio, shares details on his permanent installation of the “Crosland Chroma Project.” Plus, our series “Speaking of Music” features jazz musician Tony Hightower. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dana Chandler, the curator behind the new Wren’s Nest exhibition “Unframed Images: Photography from the Collection of P.H. Polk,” explains why Polk’s work was considered radical for his time. Plus, our series “Speaking of the Arts” features surrealist sculptor Morgan Lugo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Hotel Portofino’s” executive producer Walter Luzzolino and the show’s writer, Matt Baker, share details on the aesthetically sumptuous PBS series, which airs Sundays on WABE TV. Plus, our series “Speaking of Music” features the  rock and soul  band, Rare Birds.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Curator Deleon Blakely and artist Melody Thomas detail the community undertaking known as the 44 Murals Project, located in Bankhead at 1060 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawnya Harris, in-house curator for the Georgia Museum of Art, shares details on their new exhibition, “Carrie Mae Weems: The Usual Suspects.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we host a Stranger Things Theme Show! We begin by speaking with Regina Ting Chen, the actor who portrays Hawkings High School’s guidance counselor. Then, we head to the Film Crew Files and hear from 4 local professionals who helped create Stranger Things Season 4. And we’ll listen back to Lois’s 2018 interview with Finn Wolfhard. The actor portrays Mike on the hit show and is also a musician...

The Atlanta creatives behind the “Hugo Girl!” podcast discuss Science Fiction with a feminist lens. Today, they join City Lights to share the story behind their recent Hugo Award nomination. Plus, Algebra Bassett stops by! The R&B artist is hosting WABE’s “Mixtape LIVE” festival this Sunday at Monday Night Garage. And, our series “Film Crew Files” features directory of photography, Alexxiss Ja...

City Lights’ contributors Chef Asata Reid and food historian Akila McConnell present our food series “Atlanta’s Savory Stories.” Today, they explore everyone’s favorite summertime treat – ice cream. Plus, R&B artist Jazmine Robinson tells us about her Bridgerton-influenced music video for her hit song, “Money and Cars.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Avery Willis tells us about the “Southern Fried Queer Pride” festival coming up this weekend. Plus, music contributor Von Phoenix shares his music recommendations on this month’s “Punk Black to Go.” And a look at the Atlanta Lyric Theatre’s production of “Matilda: The Musical” with director Bethany Irby and star Marissa Bondurant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Multidisciplinary artist Jamele Wright Sr. shares details of his exhibition “Project Wall West” on view at Kennesaw State’s Zuckerman Museum of Art. Plus, our series “Speaking of Music” features the alternative rock band Wieuca. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta composer Carlos Simon shares the story behind his Juneteenth release, “Requiem for the Enslaved.” Plus, we hear about “String Awakening,” an upcoming performance from “Challenge the Stats” and their “Juneteenth Orchestra.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WABE’s Summer Reading list is out, and today we explore a couple of Lois’s favorite books from the past year: “Liarmouth” by John Waters and “The Parted Earth” by Anjali Enjeti. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Master puppeteer Jeghetto tells us about “Spinokio,” his Hip-Hopera performance and museum exhibition, coming to The Center for Puppetry Arts. Plus, artist Jeremy Bolen examines our collective human patterns and their effects on our planet’s habitability. And our series “Speaking of Music” features Bill Taft of the band W8ing4UFOs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Playwright Dermot Bolger and director Clinton Thornton share details on Bolger’s adaptation of James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” The play is presented by Aris Theater and premieres June 16th, “Bloomsday,” at 7 Stages. Plus, we hear how Underground Atlanta’s new exhibition, DIGATL, explores the future of how we view art. And our series of artists in their own words, “Speaking of the Arts,” features abstract...

Comedian, journalist, author  and  actor Faith Salie stops by to share stories from her book, turned one-woman show, turned Audible original, "Approval Junkie." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Terry Burrell and director Eric Little of Theatrical Outfit’s “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.” The play takes place in a 1950s Philadelphia jazz bar where the legendary Billie Holiday is giving one of her final performances. Plus, Chris Escobar, owner of the Plaza Movie Theater, shares details on the historic theater’s upcoming renovations.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Co-curators Hannah Redler-Hawes and Floyd Hall share details on “HOOKED: When Want Becomes Need” on view at Pullman Yards through September 4th. Plus, acclaimed fashion designer Christian Siriano tells us about his exhibition “People are People,” on view now at the SCAD Fash Museum of Fashion and Film in Atlanta through October 9th. And our series “Speaking of Music” features the Atlanta cinematic...

Conductor and longtime ASO music director Robert Spano reflects on his upcoming final performances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Plus, Attaboy, co-founder of Hi-Fructose magazine and creator of “Game of Shrooms,” shares his inspiration for creating an international art holiday based on the playful game of “Hide and Seek.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Leesa Cross-Smith shares details from her new book, “Half Blown Rose.” The story centers around Vincent, a woman who remakes her life with a year of travel, art and passion in Paris. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer” is coming to Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre next week, and we hear from playwright Cheryl West and director Joy Vandervort-Cobb. Plus, the latest installment of our series, “Speaking of the Arts,” features visual artist Paula Brett. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the Orly plane crash. The accident killed 122 people, most of whom were members of the Atlanta Arts Association. Two of those aboard the plane were Betsy Bevington and Dell Rickey, the grandmother and great-grandmother of award-winning journalist Rickey Bevington. Rickey joins City Lights to reflect on the Orly tragedy and share how she continues to honor her fa...

“City Lights” host Lois Reitzes spoke with director Martin Damien Wilkins and actor Parris Sarter about Actors Express’s production of “Bootycandy.” Plus, the story behind the hot-button decision Roe vs. Wade now on stage at Horizon Theatre. Director Lisa Adler and actors Jennifer Alice Acker and Rhyn McLemore discuss the play, “Roe.”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Photographer Jim Alexander and film producer Adam Davis-McGee discuss the two exhibitions on view concurrently at the Hammonds House Museum-- “No Justice, No Peace: Protest Photography from 1967 through 2022” and the virtual reality film series, “In Protest: Grassroots Stories from the Front Lines.” Plus, we listen back to Lois Reitzes’ 2021 interview with experimental guitarist and composer Kaki...