December 19, 2024: Nelson DeMille – Barry Lopez

KPFA - Bookwaves/Artwaves

Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky.

Links to assorted local theater & book venues

Nelson DeMille (1943-2024)

Nelson DeMille, who died on September 17, 2024 at the age of 81, was one of the leading best-selling authors from the 1980s into the 21st Century. Among his novels are The General’s Daughter, the Gold Coast, Plum Island and Word of Honor. Three of his novels were turned into films. On June 13, 1997, Richard A. Lupoff and Richard Wolinsky interviewed Nelson DeMille while he was on tour for Plum Island. In the discussion, we focused on that book, as well as several others. This is the first of two interviews with Nelson DeMille.

Nelson DeMille would return to the character of Paul Brenner from The General’s Daughter in Up Country in 2002, he would return to John Corey from Plum Island in The Lions Game in 2000, and in seven other novels. In all, there would be 27 novels, plus two written in collaboration with his son, Alex DeMille, two early novels written under a pseudonym plus several works of short fiction. Three of his books, most notably The General’s Daughter, became films.

This interview was digitized, remastered and edited by Richard Wolinsky in November 2024. Echo and other faults exist on the original recording. Complete Interview

Barry Lopez (1945-2020)

​​​​​Barry Lopez (1945-2020) in conversation with Richard Wolinsky on June 11, 2004 while he was on tour for Resistance, a collection of interrelated short stories with the theme of resistance.

Barry Lopez, who died on December 25, 2020 at the age of 75, was a master of the short form, both fiction and non-fiction. His non-fiction, collected in such books as Arctic Dreams and his last published work, Horizon, and his fiction in collections such as Light Action in the Caribbean, focused on exploration, biology, morality, transcendence, biology, politics, philosophy and much more.

In this second of three interview, he discusses how he came to write this particular book, and then moves on to discussing what in 2004 was an unnamed threat of totalitarianism. Today, of course, it’s named. He speaks of the inattentiveness of the masses as well, which also has great resonance today. Barry Lopez Wikipedia page. Complete Interview.

Review of “Waitress” at San Francisco Playhouse through January 18, 2025.

Review of “A WhyNot Christmas Carol” at ACT Toni Rembe Theatre through Dec. 24, 2024./a>

Book Interview/Events and Theatre Links

Note: Shows may unexpectedly close early or be postponed due to actors’ positive COVID tests. Check the venue for closures, ticket refunds, and vaccination and mask requirements before arrival. Dates are in-theater performances unless otherwise noted. Some venues operate Tuesday – Sunday; others Wednesday or Thursday through Sunday. All times Pacific Time. Closing dates are sometimes extended.

Book Stores
Bay Area Book Festival See website for highlights from the 10th Annual Bay Area Book Festival, June 1-2, 2024.
Book Passage. Monthly Calendar. Mix of on-line and in-store events.
Books Inc. Mix of on-line and in-store events.
The Booksmith. Monthly Event Calendar.
BookShop West Portal. Monthly Event Calendar.
Center for Literary Arts, San Jose. See website for Book Club guests in upcoming months.
Green Apple Books. Events calendar.
Kepler’s Books On-line Refresh the Page program listings.

Live Theater Companies
Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. See website for specific days and times, and for staged readings at LaVal’s Subterranean Theater.
Actor’s Reading Collective (ARC). See website for upcoming productions.
African American Art & Culture Complex. See website for calendar.
Alter Theatre. See website for upcoming productions.
American Conservatory Theatre A Whynot Christmas Carol, November 26-December 24, Toni Rembe Theatre. Our Class, February 13- 23, Strand.
Aurora Theatre The Heart-Sellers by Lloyd Suh, February 9 – March 9, 2025.
Awesome Theatre Company. See website for information.
Berkeley Rep. The Thing About Jellyfish, based on the novel by Ali Benjamin, adapted by Keith Bunin, January 31 – March 9, World Premiere, Roda Theatre.
Berkeley Shakespeare Company. See website for upcoming shows.
Boxcar Theatre. New Years Eve at the Speakeasy, Jan. 1, 2025. Magic Man, Jan 3 – June 2, Palace Theatre.
Brava Theatre Center: See calendar for current and upcoming productions.
BroadwaySF: Hamilton, through January 6, Orpheum. Some Like It Hot, January 7-26, Orpheum. See website for shorter runs: Mean Girls, Beetlejuice, Dog Man: The Musical. The Golden Girls Live: The Christmas Episodes, thru Dec. 22, Curran. See website for complete listings..
Broadway San Jose: Shrek, The Musical. December 17-22.
Center Rep: A Christmas Carol, December 12-22. Froggy, Feb. 9 – March 7. Lesher Center.
Central Stage. See website for upcoming productions, 5221 Central Avenue, Richmond
Central Works Push/Pull by Harry Davis, March 1 – 30, 2025.
Cinnabar Theatre. Gutenberg! The Musical, January 17 – 26, 2025, Warren Theatre, Sonoma State University.
Club Fugazi. Dear San Francisco ongoing: Home for the Holidays edition through December 30. Check website for Music Mondays listings.
Contra Costa Civic Theatre Beauty & The Beast In Concert, December 22.
Cutting Ball Theatre. See website for information and notice of a final production.
42^nd Street Moon. See website for upcoming productions.
Golden Thread See website for upcoming productions.
Hillbarn Theatre: Anastasia, December 5 -29, 2024.
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. Soulful Christmas, Dec. 20-22. Magic Theatre.
Lower Bottom Playaz See website for upcoming productions.
Magic Theatre. the boiling by Sunui Chang April 3 -20, 2025. See website for additional events.
Marin Theatre Company Waste by Harley Granville-Barker, Feb. 6 – March 2, 2025.
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts Upcoming Events Page.
New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) Deep Inside, Tonight by the Kinsey Sicks, December 4 – January 5.
Oakland Theater Project. A Thousand Ships by Marcus Gardley, World Premiere, December 13 – January 5. Flax Art & Design.
Odd Salon: Upcoming events in San Francisco & New York, and streaming.
Pear Theater. The Gods of Comedy by Ken Ludwig, Feb. 21 – March 16. See website for staged readings and other events.
Playful People Productions. See website for upcoming productions and events.
Presidio Theatre. See website for complete schedule of events and performances.
Ray of Light: See website for Spotlight Cabaret Series at Feinstein’s at the Nikko and upcoming productions..
San Francisco Playhouse. Waitress, November 21, 2024 – January 18, 2025.
SFBATCO. See website for upcoming streaming and in- theater shows.
San Jose Stage Company: See website for upcoming schedule.
Shotgun Players. Thirty Six: Do You Like What You See by Leah Nanako Winkler. November 18 – December 29.
South Bay Musical Theatre: Urinetown, January 15 – February 15, 2025. Saratoga Civic Theater.
Stagebridge: See website for events and productions. Storytime every 4th Saturday.
The Breath Project. Streaming archive.
The Marsh: Calendar listings for Berkeley, San Francisco and Marshstream.
Theatre Lunatico See website for upcoming productions.
Theatre Rhino Doodler, conceived and directed by John Fisher, February 8- March 2. Streaming: Essential Services Project, conceived and performed by John Fisher, all weekly performances now available on demand.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, December 4- 29. Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto.. Rachmaninoff and the Czar, Hershey Felder and Jonathan Silvestri, Jan. 8 – Feb. 9, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.
Word for Word. See website for upcoming productions.

Misc. Listings:
BAM/PFA: On View calendar for BAM/PFA.
Berkeley Symphony: See website for listings.
Chamber Music San Francisco: Calendar, 2023 Season.
Dance Mission Theatre. On stage events calendar.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Calendar listings and upcoming shows.
San Francisco Opera. Calendar listings.
San Francisco Symphony. Calendar listings.

Filmed Live Musicals: Searchable database of all filmed live musicals, podcast, blog.

If you’d like to add your bookstore or theater venue to this list, please write [e-mail]

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