S1: It's time for KPBS Midday Edition for today's arts and culture show. We are talking about an upcoming comedy show , a newly released novel , and your weekend preview. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. Award winning comedian , producer and author Kamau Bell joins us to talk about his comedy tour Stop in San Diego. Then a new novel explores what it's like to feel adrift. Plus all of the weekend happenings on the arts calendar. That's ahead on Midday Edition. So you might know Kamau Bell for his CNN docu series United Shades of America. It's a show driven by tough questions , covering everything from indigenous activism to megachurches to the US-Mexico border. Or maybe you know him from the show. We Need to Talk about Cosby , where he interviews survivors , journalists and comedians , or his documentary exploring racial identity. 1,000% Me growing up mixed. Oh , and he's also a Peabody Award winner , four time Emmy winner , bestselling author and Celebrity Jeopardy champion. To the point I'm just gonna make here is that Camus keeps himself pretty busy. Kamau. Uh , I mean , he's returning to the standup stage with his new special. Who's with me ? He's also launching a new podcast by the same name. Kamau will be at a mic drop comedy this weekend , and he joins me now. Kamau , welcome to Midday Edition. Thanks.
S2: Thanks. Unfortunately , we're out of time. Thanks for having My my intro was too long. I had too many things.
S1: You know , we had to set you up , right ? You know.
S2: I appreciate that. And I love hearing all that stuff.
S1: All right. Um , how'd you like the music ? Did you like the show ? Open music.
S2: I saw that was vibing to that. Yeah , I was dancing.
S1: I saw that you were bobbing your head. I appreciate that. I'm glad that you liked it.
S2: We always talk typical NPR , uh , jam. Yeah , I appreciate it.
S1: It's a local band , you know , called the Surefire Soul Ensemble. They do their thing. So , um , but , listen , you know , I'm really honored to have you on the show today. Uh , the story goes like this. You thought you were done with stand up after Covid. That , uh , has changed.
S2: So even though I didn't do stand up for about five years after our third daughter was born , my brain was still writing routines and jokes and noticing things. And a lot of that stuff I could put out on social media or just say to my friends. But then a couple of things happened with my kids where I was like , oh man , I can only tell this on stage where I was like , if I ever came back , I would this would be something I would tell. And enough of those things happened that I was like , eventually it was like , I just want to try some stuff. I just want to see what happens. But then because I was surrounded by people around me like , you can't just go once. You got to like , you know , like you got to like , see what's going on here. So I partnered with the Berkeley Rep here in the Bay area , and they let me do an extended run. We did shows on Saturday afternoons like 4:00 in the afternoon , because for parents , which is mostly my demographic parents and grandparents. And so I built it back up together. And now every now and again , I go out on the road and do it. And this is a great club. I was there last year and happy to be back. Wow.
S1: Wow. You know , you got three daughters. Um , how has becoming I know ? Well , yeah. You're like , you ain't gotta tell me.
S2: I'm aware I saw them this morning.
S1:
S2: I don't think of myself as a girl. Dad. I had girls before. That was a thing. Like , I think that , like , I'm a dad who happens to have girls and that could change. Uh , but. Yeah. So I'm a I'm , I , I , I certainly the moment you have a kid , there's two things that happen. You go , oh , man. This is , this is the most adorable person I've ever met. I just made a new friend. This is awesome. Oh , man. I gotta feed this thing. And how's this thing ? And figure out what happens next. And then , if you're lucky , like I am. Your kids are their own human beings with their own personalities , and they're also funny in their own right. And so then they start to become content providers for your act. So like , I think it's let me be clear , I ask permission. I'm not allowed to tell stories or do things unless they gave me permission.
S1: Okay , then , as long as this got the stamp of approval there. I mean , so you've got this Substack by the same name as your special who's with me ? And I want to talk about something you wrote about recently , and that's the death of the Comedy Roast.
S2: I had so many people be so angry at me as I have with this piece that I wrote. I've. I've inflamed the MAGA hordes in the Rogan sphere. Oh , this piece. Check out my Instagram mentions. It's it's it's a it's a crime scene right now. Uh , so , uh , you know , I'm not , as I say in the article , I'm not like , a fan of the roast. I think the comedy roast used to take up a very small part of stand up comedy culture , and I sort of , I do this whole thing where I learned about the history of the roast through writing the piece , and it was the thing. It was a thing that happened in a private club , the Friars Club in New York. That was invite only , and it was to honor somebody , and it was only for the people who wanted to go. But because showbiz is so like eating its own tail and sort of like anything that is that is sort of established IP , they want to blow up the comedy roast , moved from that to like then it went to , then it went to TV. But in the 60s and 70s , then comedy , then Comedy Central in the 90s. And by time it gets to Comedy Central , the 90s , it just becomes who's the biggest star , who will agree to do it , and who are the comedians who are going to look up , look to make a name for themselves because they're going to say mean things about this person. And then by the time you get to Netflix , it's like a global activity that we all have to engage in , even if we don't want to watch it. Because if you're on your phone and you like pop culture , it's going to come across your face. And that means that , like I was talking to Kristen Kish from Top Chef and she was like , can you explain why that guy said that horrible thing about George Floyd ? Tony Hinchcliffe told the joke. And it's like , that's the problem. Like , like Kristen was like , I don't know who he is. I don't I didn't want to watch the roast , but it came up on my phone and suddenly I'm listening to this guy tell a horrible joke involving the the murder of George Floyd. Right.
S1: Right. And you write about , you know , the number of jokes relying on , you know , anti-Black racism as the punchline.
S2: They are about making fun of people. And so in some level , they're going to use some low hanging fruit to make fun of you. But the fact is , is that if it's in a room that is invite only , then only those people have to hear it. But once white supremacy gets Ahold of this white supremacy , which is like , as you say , and I'm so happy you just said it like it's no big deal. That hasn't happened on the radio all the time. That like , it just means it's a part and parcel of this country and American capitalism , which is braided , which is sort of I don't know which came first. Well , I guess no white supremacy. And then American Cowboy was like , we can blow up white supremacy through American capitalism. And so it means , again , that it gets blasted out to the to the universe , to the whole thing , to the whole universe. And we have a harder time not taking it in , because American capitalism is so effective at monetizing the things it wants to monetize , that suddenly anti-Black racism , which is one of the founding principles of American , one of the founding principles of principle of American white supremacy , is now something that my 89 year old mom has to take in , and it's like she grew up in Indiana in the 30s and 40s. Didn't she do enough for this country ? Does she have to hear this ? These jokes on Netflix. And again , she didn't watch it. It just comes through your algorithm , you know.
S1: Right , right. It's it's it. Main streams it. For those who didn't know , it was already mainstream , right ? Um , you've won three Emmys , though , for your CNN series , United Shades of America. You deal with all these kinds of topics in it. You tackle tough conversations that many Americans really have to grapple with every single day.
S2: So a few months ago , I was talking to a friend of mine who was also my publicist , and it was after Alex. It was after Renee Goode was murdered in Minneapolis by Ice agents. And I said to my friend , man , if I was doing United Shades , I would want to go to Minneapolis right now. And she talked to some people. We ended up at the McKnight Foundation , which was the family foundation in Minneapolis. And in the in the interim , as they were talking to them , suddenly Alex Brady was murdered by Ice officials and by federal officials in Minneapolis. and within about a week I was in Minneapolis making videos and talking to people in the same way I used to do with the United States. Except now most of the videos were vertical , and the crew was about a 10th of the size of the United States. And I and they're called they're called. I spent three days in Minneapolis and I just uploaded them , uploaded them to all my social channels and on Substack. And to me , that's what that gave me a blueprint of like , oh , that's what I should just be doing. You know , the the time when television was going to make this stuff on their own is gone. You know , the mergers or the mergers are clearly fueling like low hanging fruit of entertainment. And a friend of mine , Kareem Rama , who does subway takes just had an article , was in an interview and he said it's all about the creators just making it themselves now. And so as much as I would take the deal to the United Shades , if CNN wanted to call me back and fire it up again , I'm a smarter and better than I was then and wiser. I also know that that's not likely to happen , and if I want that content out there , I got to do it myself. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. What does that to you say about , you know , independent journalism.
S2: I mean , you know , I'm old enough to remember when when journalism was on was three channels basically , you know , like when it was the , the evening news. I'm old enough to remember when people read the newspaper in the morning and they didn't read the newspaper until the next morning , and that was enough. So I think because our culture moved so fast and the pace of moves new so fast , and also we have a president who is flooding the zone with nonsense amidst the news. So you sort of you get like you get to people like my wife is like , I just can't take any of it in , you know , or my mom is like , I can't take any of it in. And I understand that. I think what it means is that there is more power in the hands of independent journalists to go , just go tell the story. You don't have to wait for permission. I mean , look what's happening at CBS news right now. You know , Anderson Cooper just quit after 20 years there. Anderson Cooper wanted to be at 60 minutes for the rest of his life , I believe.
S1:
S2: That it.
S1: Was something.
S2: It was the North Star and now it's now. They aired an interview on 60 minutes , which was not even with a 60 minute correspondent , because that's who I think Netanyahu wanted to sit down with. You know what I mean ? Like , so the idea being that , like , mainstream journalism , it's not that it's dead. There are good people working there , but you're not going to get the kind of immediacy of the independent journalist. You're like , I'm just going to fly to the city. I'm going to talk to the people , I'm going to edit it myself , and I'm just going to put it up online. And that might get more people might will see that than see an episode of the Evening News. Indeed.
S1: Indeed. And this is why public media is so important to I got I got to throw that in there.
S2: Oh for sure. I mean , I think that I mean , I think , you know , when I heard that story , I heard an NPR story the other day about there being like an $8 million shortfall at NPR. And here's the thing I think is so that we have to rich people , I'm talking to rich people right now , the really rich people , like , there's there's somebody who's hearing my voice right now who could write NPR , the $8 million check and not even feel it like they could. They would take it out of their cash account. And I think that for people , if people really want places like NPR to continue and to survive and thrive. These rich people who are used to giving their money to causes which I'm not saying that's wrong. You need to actually start putting money in the hands of the creators if you want the things that you sort of take for granted to still be around. Indeed.
S1: Indeed. You know , you.
S2: I just did I just did a pledge drive.
S3: You really did. We appreciate. That.
S1: That. You also , um , you know , I want to talk about this this new podcast that you have , you're launching next week. I hear you're going to drop two episodes on Wednesday. Uh , tell me a bit about that.
S2: Try to again. I'm. That's my way of flooding the zone. Uh , I live in Oakland , California. And so a lot of the , a lot of this podcast is about people in Oakland who live here , who I think people don't realize live here , and also me being proud to be an Oakland resident for all these years. You know , all my kids were born out here. I've moved out here in the 90s. And so the first episode is Delroy Lindo , uh , Academy Award nominated , should have been winning actor from sinners , who I met just because he's an influential person. He lives out here , and I'm a somewhat influential person who lives out here , and we've been able to build community together. And then the second episode is with my congresswoman Latifah Simon , who I've known since she was running for the Bart board , the Bay Area Rapid Transit Board in the early 2000 and is now like the new. She took over the seat from Barbara Lee , Congresswoman Barbara Lee , who had a legendary career in the Congress. And Latifah is , I think , one of those people that I say in the episode , I hope the future of the Democratic Party centers you in however you wanted to. So those are the first two episodes that were dropping that , you know , so you get a little bit of like showbiz entertainment talk. And you also and you also get even from Delaware. So I'm like , here's how we win talk. Every episode starts with me giving the person their flowers things I admire about them. Then we do an interview and at the end I ask them , what's a cause ? Or an organization you want people to know more about and support ? Because I think it's also about my audience. They want homework. They want to know how to help. So every episode you will hear about a new way that you can help.
S1: And , you know , I mean , there are a lot of stand up comedians in the podcast space , Um , and it sounds like you're bringing something new to that space. So tell me a bit about that. Speak on a little more.
S2: I'm not saying I'm black Marc Maron , but I did. I did come up under the Marc Maron tree of comedy , where you're supposed to care and you're supposed to speak truth to power. And that also means that there's a that the the comedy manosphere Rogan sphere of podcasting has actually done a lot to make this country worse. It has actually. I mean , when you look in the in the VIP section of Trump's inauguration and you see stand up comedians like , that's not what we're supposed to be doing. That's not. I don't know that we should be doing it at a , at a president I even support. I don't think we should be in the VIP section of. That's not where the comedians role is. You're seeing people who are craving for power and influence and also cash , but not most of them aren't getting paid and just willingly giving over their influence to somebody who's not going to even pay them back effectively and made the country worse. I think it's no , I mean , you know , there's no question that like the things that Joe Rogan has done and the people under his umbrella have actually contributed to a coarsening of the United States of America. And so for me , I don't have the platform he has now , and I don't even care if I ever get that platform. I'm just saying , I know there's room for a voice that says no , and also a voice that actually , in the words of Mr. Rogers , is like helping you find the helpers. Wow.
S1: Wow. You know , like when I hear you talk , I hear this this through line. And that is your commitment to to social justice.
S2:
S3: And as I said , no.
S2: No , I mean , I could stop there for many , for the black audience , but like , I just I understood growing up that I had two jobs as her , as she had two jobs and her parents had two jobs. The job you're being paid to do. Like , I got to put money at food on the table and pay for this domicile. But also I gotta make it easier on the people in my community who can't do what I'm doing. Like , that's just it just baked into the bread of of being black in America. Now , not every black person feels it the same way , but I would say most of us do. And it doesn't mean that everybody's going to be famous , but it just means that , like you help people , you recommend people , your mentor people. My dad did that throughout his career. He mentored people and and mentor specifically black folks who to get into the kind of corporate world he was into. And so for me , my platform is bigger than the one that my mom had. So I got to do it a different way. And so and also my mom's she lives with us. She's 89. I can't come home every day and just be like , mom , I made a lot of money today but didn't do anything else , but I made money. She doesn't want to hear that. So , uh. So yeah , I think for me it's about the community I grew up in and the parents I had. Right.
S1: Right. A lot of intention behind what you do. Um , you know , we listed a bunch of your accomplishments at the top of the show , but what's an accolade you're proud of that doesn't get enough recognition ? You think ? Uh.
S3:
S2: I mean , there's so many cool aspects of my career that people don't even don't really think about how cool it is. So all this to one. I , I grew up one of the things that people know about a little bit about that grew up was a huge fan of Bruce Lee. And it's been so cool that in my adult life , I've been able to become friends with Shannon Lee , his daughter , in such a way that I and also she's been able to I've been able to support whatever she's doing or spread the word or whatever she's doing. So every now and again , I'm thinking like 13 year old me would not understand that I was friends with Bruce Lee's daughter. He would be. He would not even be like he wouldn't understand how that would have worked. Like , are you guys married ? Do you have kids ? No , just not like that. We're just friends. Uh , and then I would say very recently. So the other thing , when I was 18 , one of my favorite bands was a band called Fishbone out of Los Angeles. And I went to all the concerts. I saw them live in concert , and I've seen the other band. Well , my level of fame has risen to the place where I went and saw them. And Chris Dowd , one of the original members like , knew who I was. He was like , hey man , I know you was a fan of mine , was a fan of the Cosby Dock , and I've been so vocal about my love of Fishbone that they have made me the official ambassador for the band Fishbone , which to me is like , I didn't know there was a title I was pursuing , but I certainly take it. And they call me The Ambassador all the time , and that's probably my proudest accomplishment currently.
S1: Oh my gosh. Well , it's been such a pleasure to meet you and to talk to you. I've been speaking with Kamau Bell , Emmy winning documentary maker , comedian , activist , and bestselling author. Head to our website , pbs.org for more details about his shows this weekend at Mic Drop Comedy. Kamau. Thank you so much.
S4: Thank you.
S1: Coming up , a new novel explores what it's like to feel adrift here from the author when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. What does it mean to be adrift ? Well , a new young adult novel , An Expanse of Blue , explores that feeling. It's it's a coming of age story about a native Hawaiian teen , Olu Ali , and she navigates love , faith and identity. I'm joined now by the author called uncannily , hula McCoy Adams , I butchered that.
S3: No , I did not.
S1: Awaken Neal McCoy. Adams.
S3: Adams. Yes , you got it.
S1: An Expanse of Blue is her new debut novel in verse , actually , and she joins me now in the studio. Thank you so much for joining us.
S5: Mahalo for having me. I'm so happy to be here.
S1: I can't wait to hear more about your novel. Um , it's an expanse of blue and is based on your own upbringing in the Pacific Northwest. So how did your childhood inspire this story ? Yeah.
S5: So , um , I always start by saying that this is a work of fiction. However , um , it is definitely rooted in my , um , experience growing up as a part of the Native Hawaiian diaspora. Um , it was kind of an odd and sometimes isolating experience , uh , to be Native Hawaiian , raised outside of the Hawaiian Islands. And besides , my brother and some of the extended family that had also migrated from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest around the same time my parents did in the 90s. Um , it felt very it felt like I was the only one living this experience , that I was the odd Hawaiian out. Um , and I also grew up in a very devout , uh , religious household. Um , my family is Catholic. We went to mass every Sunday , and , um , a lot of my identity was built around this sort of clash of religion and culture. Um , and I really wanted to write a book that showed other diasporic Native Hawaiian teens and young people in general that , um , we are not alone out here. We exist. In fact , 55% of Native Hawaiians , according to the last US census , now live outside of Hawai'i. That's for a plethora of reasons , a large one being financial and not being able to afford to live there anymore. And so this is a reality , and I wanted to try my best to capture just one of those stories. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , when we meet the main character , uh , Louie , she's she's feeling pretty lost. Um , from where she sits , she doesn't fit in at home or at church , like you alluded to. What can you tell us about her and what she's navigating in the story ? Yeah.
S5: So Orly is somewhat of the black sheep in her family , which I may or may not have some experience with myself , and , um , she is just really trying to find herself and find her voice. Um , her she feels like she's growing up in the shadow of her seemingly perfect older sister. Her father is very strict and has very , um , sort of strict , uh , expectations on his children. And while her older sister seems to always be meeting them , she always feels like she's falling short. Um , and her mother is very quiet , timid , and doesn't really do much to defend her kids , um , against their very overbearing father. Um. Ali also is struggling in her own friendships with her best friend. As things start to change , as you get older and boys get involved , and I think we've all had an experience where our best friend stops hanging out with you because of a boy. Um , and , um , she's just going through a lot at once , which is the teenage experience. It's everything all the time , at once coming at you , and everything feels new and scary. Um , and so she is quite , as you said , lost and adrift at the beginning of the story. Wow.
S1: Wow.
S5: Um , this poem is from the beginning of the story. Actually , it's just about ten pages in and only breaks down her name for the reader. Dear God. My name is Oli Elizabeth Smith. Oli. Hawaiian meaning blue sky expanse. My soul is great. Sweeping like the sky and a thousand different shades of blue. Elizabeth. Hebrew Meaning my God is an oath. My body is a promise I didn't make to a God I've never seen. Smith. German meaning to strike , to smite. My heart is made of only sharp edges. Fashioned to cut from the inside out. All Elizabeth Smith origin unknown. Meaning a thing unintentionally made in the name of the father , daughter and the holy something. Amen.
S1: Thank you so much for that. That was beautiful.
S5: Thank you. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I mean , like you say , her first name means blue sky expanse. I'm just curious , why did you choose that name for her ? Yeah.
S5: So , um , in Native Hawaiian culture , our names are everything. They really , um , tell a story about who you are , and , um , I chose that name because , um , all these families. Um , Amakusa , which is like an ancestral guardian , is , um , Alola , which is the Hawaiian crow. And I wanted her to have a name that captured that sort of expansive feeling of flying in the sky. Um , and to also be , um , sort of an anchor for , um , her , I think destiny that she comes to in the book , which is finding her own wings to expand and fly on her own journey. Um , so that was the story behind the name.
S1: How did you want to explore that and the tension between the two things. Yeah.
S5: Yeah. So I wanted it to feel like a very honest , almost open conversation between Ollie and the reader. Um , I think that I wanted to. I wanted to show young readers that it is absolutely okay not to have all the answers , um , to what's out there , what life means. Like , who am I supposed to be when you're 17 ? Um , I mean , I'm not 17 anymore , but I still don't have all the answers. Um , and so I think I , I wanted to show that it is completely natural and okay to feel like a push and pull tension between the different parts of yourself , especially when they feel so , um , in contradiction to each other. Um. And I really , really never settles , Um , one way or the other. Does she feel more connected to being Hawaiian ? Does she feel more connected to being Catholic ? Um , though she does start to feel more pulled towards her culture towards the end. The answers still aren't all there for her by the end , and that was incredibly intentional on my part. Um , because I want to let the reader make the decision for themselves. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. I mean , and Allie is she's mixed , which which reflects your own background. How did you want to explore themes of cultural identity there and belonging ? Yeah.
S5: So , um , one specific thing that comes up in the book is Ollie is questioned by someone in her church youth group about being Hawaiian. And they basically imply that , like , they don't , that she doesn't look Hawaiian to them. Um , and this is something that I very much so have dealt with my whole life as a fair skinned Kanaka , and , um , I wanted to show that , you know , native people were we exist even mixed , even in lighter skin tones , darker skin tones , light eyes , dark eyes. And we come in all different shapes , sizes and colors. And that does not take away from your indigeneity. Um , and so it was really important to me to have a scene in there. Well , when she's questioned. But the thing that I had her do that I was not brave enough to do it myself as a kid. What ? She really stands up to them. Um , and at least she tries to in her best way , and she feels almost indignant that , um , someone would ever question her identity. And that's just a sort of confidence I wish I had and wanted to show young readers that they can have , um , as well. So. Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S5: it's all about not feeling alone , you know , because I think what is so powerful about , um , for me , what's so powerful about being Native Hawaiian is the community aspect of it. And feeling seen in known by other native Hawaiians around me. And , um , actually in the book meets another native Hawaiian boy who , um , they who she starts to have feelings for as the book goes on. And he really sees her , um , and he looks very different than her. He looks more what people would expect , um , a native Hawaiian person to look like. He's darker skin. He has dark eyes , dark hair. Um , but he sees her fully and completely. And not once ever questions her identity. And I think that becomes a real confidence booster for her. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. You know , one thing you do in the novel is play a lot with form and structure. Do you feel like poetry gives you more space to experiment and be creative in that way ? Absolutely.
S5: I think that , um , why I'm so drawn to writing , um , in verse , especially for a novel like this that deals with really like tough and sometimes even traumatic topics. Um , is that poetry allows you to utilize space , repetition , sound to , um , more gently usher the reader into the story. And I'm able to capture , um , sort of the enormous big waves of feelings that Olly is going through , um , in a way that you might not normally see in a prose novel. I use a lot of concrete poetry. Um , there's one where Ollie feels incredibly sad and it's raining outside , and I wrote the poem in the form of a raindrop. Um , in an effort to sort of capture the big feeling of that she's experiencing. And so it kind of gives an added layer , um , that also , in turn , makes the book more accessible , especially for reluctant readers.
S1: That's so important. And this is really one of those stories that , um , that can make a lot of young teens feel seen and encourage them to seek out community. How have you found community with other Native Hawaiians in San Diego ? Yeah.
S5: So , um , my husband and I moved here a couple years ago , and when we did , I knew I really wanted to connect with other Hawaiians in the area , and I found just the most wonderful community through a , through my hula halau , which is a hula school. And , um , it's Kauai halau only. Kahuku up in North County. Um , and I was able to connect and have been able to connect with other native Hawaiians in the living in the diaspora , and while also dancing and reconnecting to my culture that way through art , through dance , through , um , through singing , through chant. Um , and it's really brought me so much joy , but also confidence in myself. And I'm noticing I keep coming back to that confidence part , because I didn't really have that as a teenager. Um , and so it's been a really beautiful , um , sort of parallel paths happening of this book coming out , while I also feel very confident in my own , um , community and very seen by the other Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders around me.
S1: That's a great thing.
S5: And so that coupled with also dedicating myself to really highlighting stories of Hawaiians growing up in the diaspora , because I love writing for teens and I don't really see myself straying too far from that. Um , and so I , um , I really try to make sure , like , whatever work I'm doing is in the spirit of , um , of gently reminding people that native Hawaiians are still here. We exist. We live not just in Hawaii. We live all over , um , for our own different reasons. Our own paths have taken us this way and that. And , um , it is been extremely filling and fulfilling. To be able to , um , find so many different ways in which I can really go towards that own personal mission of mine , of uplifting Native Hawaiian culture and Native Hawaiian voices.
S1: That's wonderful. I've been speaking with Neal Adams , author of the young adult novel An Expanse of Blue. She'll be celebrating the book launch at Barnes and Noble Mira mesa on May 23rd. An Expanse of Blue is out now. Carla , thank you so much.
S5: Thank you so much for having me. Mahalo.
S1: Up next , the events happening in on Julia Dixon Evans weekend arts calendar. Midday edition is back after the break. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman for our weekend preview. We have art made from Ocean Trash Ballet inspired by Parisian artist mission trails , photography , and much more. Joining me with all the details is KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , welcome.
S6: Hey , Jade. Thanks for having me.
S1: Glad to have you here. So , first , there's a new exhibit at the Nat. Tell us about washed ashore. Yeah.
S6: Yeah. So this is a traveling exhibit. It's from the Washed Ashore project , which is based out of bend , Oregon. And what they do is transform plastic trash that's collected from oceans and beaches , and then they build them into sculptures that are inspired by the sea and the sea life. And this is opening at the San Diego Natural History Museum tomorrow. They have 25 of these , like huge immersive marine creature sculptures , like there's a whale's rib cage that you can actually walk through , and there's these like colorful suspended jellyfish hanging. Um , it's really cool. It's all made out of trash. So things like plastic bottles and their lids , sand toys. Uh , apparently there's flip flops in there. Whatever you can find on the beach. And this is I think this is really great for kids , especially in the context of the Natural History Museum. Like , this is art that's totally accessible , and they can identify not just animals , but like the objects that it's made of , and also make them think about like ocean trash , the environment and how you can make something beautiful out of it. But also , you know , try to change the world. Right. Right.
S1: Keep the environment clean.
S6: So the opening is just in time for the first. Not at night of the year. The museum's open late on Friday nights throughout the summer. It's half price admission to the museum after five. Parking is free after six. And for the event , the exhibition area will be kind of turned into a little bar as well. They're calling it a dive bar.
S1: It.
S6: It. And the exhibit's going to be up starting Saturday through the end or starting this weekend through the end of February 2027.
S1: All right. Well , let's stay with nature , because I like this. I like this path.
S6: We got a theme today.
S1: Yes , yes. Um , so there's something special happening at Mission Trails. Yeah.
S6: Yeah. So this is one of my favorite annual art shows. It's the public photo contest at Mission Trails Regional Park , and I was a judge this year once again to help score for some of the top prizes , and it's so fun to look through the submissions. They're so good this year. I mean , they always are. And the way it works. Is anyone an amateur or a professional ? All ages can submit any photo taken in the park. There's a bunch of categories like landscapes , people , plants , animals. There's a kids category , a teens category. I mean , not just any photo. They have to like follow the rules of the park so you can't go off trail. You can't have an off leash dog , for example. But the finalists and there's over 100 of them , I think like 120. They're displayed at the visitor center and like an art exhibit. Starting tonight , you can check them out. You can vote for your own favorite. There's an award for the People's Choice Award , and it's just a great way to celebrate Mission trails. I think one of the one of our gems. Yeah , there's a reception tonight from 6 to 8 , but it's also on view whenever the visitor center is open , which is 9 to 5 daily. So yeah , you can go see the exhibit , go for a little hike. There's so much right around the visitor center. Um , and while you're there , you can take photos for next year's contest.
S1: I like it. All right. More art inspired by our local nature , scene , environment. And. Right. Keep it going. Keep it going. All right , so there's a there's a Kumeyaay storytelling and performance project hosted by New Village Arts , right ? Yeah.
S6: So it's a traveling indigenous art and nature project. It's partially funded by Parks California's Art and California Parks program. Um , working with indigenous poets and the Queer Soul Collective. It's called A Walk with Yammy. They've taken this across a few local nature spots in the North County. This Sunday , they're bringing it to the Agua Onda Lagoon. It's a lot of marshlands and intertidal mudflats. And this is in Carlsbad. It's a guided nature walk , but also there's room for reflection. There's going to be live poetry , live music , visual art happening. Participants will get a journal and a pencil while you're there , and you can , you know , however you want to capture the inspiration. You can , um , write notes , write a poem , sketch something. And everybody also gets to take home a copy of a book that had inspired the project in the first place. It's called Yami An Anthology of Feminine Perspectives across Indigenous California. It's this Sunday from ten to noon. It's a free event , but you do need to register. And if you can't make it. This week , New Village Arts Theatre is also hosting one more nature session June 20th.
S1: All right. Sounds like a great performance and art there. Moving a little further away from our oceans and trails. Next we're off to Paris with the San Diego Ballet. Yeah.
S6: Yeah. So their event this weekend is called Impressionism. I love Paris , and the performances are at San Diego Museum of Art in their Copley Auditorium. One of the pieces is inspired by the work of the painter Toulouse Lautrec , famous for those like nightlife café poster scenes. There's a special exhibition of his work that's up at the museum right now. And , um , San Diego Ballet artistic director Javier Velazquez got the idea for the pieces. He was like , listening to music and imagining taking the stroll through the different neighborhoods of Paris. And they're also playing another piece inspired by Impressionism , the set to the music of Debussy. And the third piece is by San Diego Dance Theater co-founder Jeanne Isaacs. Her Water Lilies piece. It's also inspired by Impressionist art. The Sunday matinee is already sold out , but there's still tickets for Friday and Saturday night.
S1: All right , well , let's talk about music now.
S6: So this is Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra , which you might not know. That's the actual title of it. And it's commonly known as just the Music from 2001 A Space Odyssey. It's such like this beautiful and complex piece of music overall. Like , that famous part is just the prelude. Um , so you can hear the entire piece that the symphony. Um , they're also playing a piece by Béla Bartok. Um , his fairy tale inspired Bluebeard's Castle. They have choral soloists for that to. And the symphony has two concerts. This is at Jacobs Music Center downtown Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.
S1: All right. Well , for the jazz lovers , there's a chance to check out some music and the Giants exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art , San Diego. Tell us about Future is Colors jazz night and listening session.
S6: All right , so this is part of the museum's free third Thursday event. So I mean , let's start with that. Like this is a really good chance to go and check out Giants Art from the Dean Collection of Swiss Beats and Alicia Keys for free. And I know you've seen this one , Jade.
S1: I mean , just the art is amazing. Yeah , we're so lucky to have it here.
S6: It's incredible. So yeah , if you haven't seen it go today , it's free and they're going to be open late. And there's music. And music is a huge part of the Giants exhibit and future is Color is this local jazz and music collective they're hosting one of their studio session jazz nights in the evening. But also they're turning like the museum's axion caught into a giant vinyl listening room. This listening session is from 3 to 5. This afternoon , they're going to spotlight the work of Um Kulthum and Fela Kuti. And when I was gathering my notes for this yesterday , I spent a bunch of time listening to these artists. It's going to be such a treat. This is Fela Kuti. Water. No jet enemy. And then at 530 , they'll kick off the Jazz Night studio session concert. It'll go until nine. They have performances from Riva. We are here now. And more. It's free. It's all free. Even the museum. And it's too late to RSVP for the actual Jazz Night performance , but you can still just show up and line up. The museum galleries will be open till seven. But yeah , the jazz night will go on in the sculpture garden for a little bit longer.
S1: I like it , that's my kind of carrying on , you know , you might just see me out there. All right. You can find details on these and more arts events on our website , KPBS. I've been speaking with KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , thanks so much.
S6: Thank you. Jade. This is fun.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
