S1: It's time for KPBS Midday Edition. On today's show , a local author takes us back to 1960s San Diego in a heartfelt story about family , faith and war. I'm Andrew Bowen with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. A new documentary takes viewers on a cross-country tour of the nation's grammar questions , and explores language as a force of unity. Then , in our weekend Arts preview , a concert celebrates the legacy of San Diego based dancer and choreographer Jeanne Isaacs. That's ahead on Midday Edition. A new middle grade book takes us to the San Diego neighborhood of Palms City , where a young girl is growing up against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. The book Julie's Favorite Things , follows 12 year old Yolanda as she makes a pact to keep her brother chewy from getting drafted. Author Patricia Santana grew up in Palm City in the South Bay. Her other books in crew include Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility and Ghosts of El Grillo , both of which have received various awards. And Patricia joins me now. Welcome to Midday Edition.
S2: Thank you. I'm happy to be here.
S1: Tell us a bit more about Yoli. The protagonist in this book.
S2: And she likes to think of her family as very similar to the family of the von Trapps of her favorite movie , The Sound of Music. Um. We won't mention the fact that she doesn't live in a mansion like the Von Trapps did. She lives in a little house with three bedrooms , one for the Five Sisters and then one for the four brothers and the parents. But that's okay. She still feels that there are many wonderful things that are similar to the Von Trapp. And so she lives in a kind of a reality , but also a fantasy that helps her cope with her everyday life.
S1: Now let's talk more about The Sound of Music and the role that that film plays in this novel. The title , of course , Julie's Favorite Things , is a riff on that song from The Sound of Music. And , um , so talk about the the significance of this film in Jolie's life and the role that it plays in the story.
S2: Well , it it plays a very big role in that just like the Von Trapps , we're dealing with the war that we're dealing with World War Two. So Jolie and her family are dealing with the Vietnam War that has come and knocked at their door. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. And what can you tell us about the family dynamic that we explore in this novel ? It's a large family , also similar to the Von Trapps.
S2: He's a very strict Mexican immigrant father , and he is very protective of his daughters , more so of his daughters than his sons. They can do whatever they want , but oh no , no , not his , his , you know , daughters. And so there's the sense of , uh , especially with the older daughters having to break the ice for the younger ones. Um , and Jolie and her sisters are saying , you know , we are we don't live in medieval times. Time. So please give us some more freedom. And that is one of the concerns of the novel , is trying to be American , but also being respectful of the Mexican traditions.
S1:
S2: Right ? I have been keeping a diary since I was 11 years old , and people often ask me how much of this is like your own life ? And I would say , oh , maybe 86.5% if it is. And I did draw lots from my family and the experiences we had. Um , I also felt it was important to highlight this Mexican-American family during the Vietnam era and the civil rights movement , because I don't. It doesn't seem like there's been much written about it. And I wanted to talk about one family's experience. Both. So even though it is fiction , it is based , as my daughter says , it's autobiographical fiction. Mom.
S1: So you started keeping a diary at 11 years old. That's pretty young.
S2: And then there's a small page for each day. But I realized that that was not enough space to write about my whole day. And I also read The Diary of Anne Frank for the first time after , you know , and then I I've read it many times since. And that novel or that book actually is not a novel , but Diary of Anne And Frank inspired me to make my own diaries out of remnants of my mother's sewing projects. And so now my diaries were big , you know , eight by 11. And I could write to my heart's delight , as many pages as I wanted for one day. And that's what I did. And when you're a teenager , this that's so important to have some sort of an outlet. And being in this big family where there isn't a lot of privacy , the diary and my writing allowed me that. It allowed me a certain kind of therapy to deal with everyday issues in my life , in junior high and also in the family.
S1: You've prepared a short excerpt to read for us from Julie's Favorite Things.
S2: In this excerpt , Big Brother chewy , who is about to be deployed to Vietnam , has just taken Jolie on a bicycle ride down Suicide Hill , where they tumbling get scraped up. In this scene , he's cleaning her wounds. He doused the cotton balls with alcohol. It's going to sting a bit , he warned as he patted the wet cotton on the wounds , wiping off the gravel and dirt. The blood and I started to cry first , just a little bit , and then I couldn't catch my breath. I was sobbing in gulps. Sorry , he said , quickly blowing on the cuts. I know it hurts , y'all. It'll stop in a couple of seconds. You're pretty banged up. That's not why I'm crying , chewy , I said. You know that's not why I'm crying. He dabbed the Mercurio on the cuts and then unwrapped the Band-Aids , applying one to each gash gently , carefully , as if he were performing delicate surgery. He avoided my eyes. Promise me that you'll come back , chewy , I said. Promise me that you know I can't promise you that , Yoli , he said. He crumpled the Band-Aid bandaid wrappers and dropped them in the brown paper bag along with the bloodied cotton balls. He closed the cap on the alcohol bottle all the way back. He didn't say a word I said on the bike as he walked beside it , both of us holding on to the handlebars as he steered us home.
S1: I'm struck by Chuy's honesty to Yoli. You know , he says , you know , I can't promise that I'll come back. This. Talk to me more about this relationship dynamic between Yoli and her brother , Chuy.
S2: Chuy is is I , I would say Chuy is one of her favorite brothers in a group of favorite brothers. And and they have had a very special relationship. He's always been very protective of her , and she's always loved the way he jokes and and acts goofy. So , yes , they have a very special relationship. Um , and so , uh , she's very worried that he's going to be drafted. And of course , now in this scene , it's happening , he's about to be deployed , and she's just terrified , which is why she makes the pact with God. Um , but , um , even then , she she knows and probably the reader realizes it pretty soon , that it's inevitable that he's going to be drafted.
S1: There's so much detail about the neighborhood of Palm City where I believe you grew up. Is that right ? Yeah.
S2: You have Don Epifanio , one of the oldest members of the neighborhood , and Donna Socorro , who is kind of the the gossip of she has a pin , an opinion on everything but the sense of community and an Palm City that I have in the novel , but also in my real life there was a wonderful , um , a solidarity of coming together during difficult times , like with the Vietnam War and Chewie being drafted.
S1: I've also noticed there's a several references to the Interstate five freeway , which so many of us drive on every day. It's something of an imposing presence , uh , in Jolie's life , there's a spot where she sits on the edge of a canyon , and she can look and hear and see the the five in the distance. There's one passage where you write car sounds on the freeway competed with the cooing of mourning doves nesting nearby.
S2: The relationships are very similar. Both your lives and mine to me , because the canyon overlooked the freeway and you could hear the hush hush. I like to think that it was waves. The waves of the ocean , which was about five miles away. But it was a it was very comforting. The other thing , the three way brought the community together because whenever we'd hear a crash and we'd all run. No matter what time of day or night it was , the whole neighborhood would run to the end of the street that overlooked the freeway , the down the embankment. And it was a time for us to chat and gossip. And somebody would always call , you know , the ambulance and say , okay , there's a crash on freeway five by Palm Avenue and Main Street. And then we'd just hang out there and have a kind of impromptu neighborhood chat.
S1: So you mentioned there's a pact that Yoli makes with God. It's part of your exploration of Julie's relationship to her own faith. Can you talk to me more about that ? How did you want to approach that and depicting the complexities of faith ? Hmm.
S2: Lydia is Jolie's best friend. And so they made a pact when they were eight years old to become nuns when they grow up. But now that she's 12 years old , she has a. Jolie , has a crush on the altar boy , and she's not sure she wants to be a nun. And so one of her preoccupations is how to tell this to Lydia. But it when she's thinking , no , no , I don't want to be a nun. How can I be a nun if I have a crush on on Benjamin Sandoval ? But then she makes a pact with God and decides , all right , if you keep Chewie from the war , I will become a nun. And I will go to Vietnam and be a missionary nun and help repair the country.
S1:
S2: Yeah. Yes , definitely.
S1: Another parallel to Sound of Music there. Absolutely.
S2: Absolutely.
S1: And this book is also a prequel. Can you tell us about the other stories that you've told in this universe ? Right.
S2: Um , it's a prequel to motorcycle , right on the Sea of Tranquility. And in motorcycle , Chewie returns. The very first chapter , he returns from Vietnam , and when he returns , he's not the same brother before , um , having gone to Vietnam. And in that novel , it's about trying to heal , help Chewie heal , um , through the PTSD that he has.
S1: These are really heavy themes. Mental health war. How do you approach writing these themes specifically for a younger audience ? This is meant for children 9 to 12 , I believe.
S2: Right , correct. Um , partly. I look to my diaries. Um , and partly I think I have the heart of a 14 year old , especially when I'm writing. I do get into character , and but with this particular novel , I did go to my diaries. And because I wanted some dates to be very accurate in terms of when , you know , Doctor Martin Luther King Jr spoke his speech and then his interview with Merv Griffin and things like that. So I did look to my diary because my diary had these moments. I didn't even have to Google it so much. I had it in my diary. So I think I'm reading my diaries when I'm 12 and 13 years old , helped put me into that voice.
S1: You spoke earlier about the power of writing , especially in turbulent times , which I think we're experiencing right now.
S2: We've had other difficult times. And I think it helps me stay positive and hopeful that we will get through this. And and that's what my writing does always is it. I always end with a hopeful note. I have to.
S1: And Jolie's coming of age in this , you know , really seminal moment in American history , there's a lot of societal upheaval and change.
S2: But I think reading about other people , other young people having these challenges. I hope it brings them some sort of healing and some sort of acceptance , and to go forward and to be active as best they can.
S1:
S2:
S1:
S2: Oh , oh , which sister am I supposed to be ? And so I just I don't answer those questions , but they have been very , very pleased. And as a few of them said , oh , it took me back to that time. And one of my sisters drove around Palm City just to relive those memories.
S1: You said , I think it was your daughter who told you this is something like a fictional autobiography.
S2: And then I came to the Von Trapps. I said , oh , well , you know , the Santana's are a lot like the von Trapp. And then I paused. I said , hmm , I think I'm going to make this fiction because it allows me more freedom and the chance to be more creative. And in this way , if with a memoir , I always feel like perhaps I'm going to step on people's toes. And and did I get the dates right ? Etc. , I thought , nope , let's just make it where I'm a little freer about telling the story.
S1: You said you like to end your novels on a happy note or a hopeful note.
S2: And that even when things are dark , Find the light. Find the light. Even if that means of fantasizing that you are the Von Trapps escaping over the Alps. Um.
S1: Well , I've been speaking with Patricia Santana. She's the author of the new book , Julie's Favorite Things. Patricia will be doing a reading and signing at the Book Catapult in South Park tonight. That's Thursday at 7 p.m.. She'll also be doing an event at the new Barnes and Noble in La Jolla Village Square on November 1st at 4 p.m. , and you can find all of those details at KPBS midday. Patricia , thank you so much for joining us.
S2: Oh my pleasure. Thank you.
S1: Coming up , hear how one filmmaker traveled across the United States to talk to people about grammar.
S3: I probably deal more with the common themes , you know , like , people want to know how to use apostrophes in South Dakota. They want to know how to use them in Florida. They want to know how to use them in Oregon.
S1: How language can unite us when Midday Edition returns. Welcome back to Midday Edition. I'm Andrew Bowen in for Jade Hindman. A new documentary opens up next week at Digital Gem Cinema. It's called Rebel Without a Clause. The film follows Ellen Jovan as she takes her pop up grammar table on a road trip across 50 states , navigating dangling participles and split infinitives along the way. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando spoke with Jovan and her husband and filmmaker Brandt Johnson , who are now on the road touring with the film.
S4: Ellen , you have an obsession with grammar.
S3: I think it's a combination of nature and nurture , but I've always just loved language. My earliest childhood memories are mostly of language incidents.
S4:
S3: My whole life I've been a writer. I've taught , I've studied love languages. So I always had a ton of grammar things going on in my life. And one of the main differences between , say , yeah , nine years ago and eight years ago is this $40 folding table I bought , which just allowed me to move it to the street. So all my activities , basically whatever I was doing online or in my brain. So I set up this table outside our building and then Brent began loitering.
S5: Yeah , I , I would sit at a park bench nearby and just take in what was happening at the grammar table , and Ellen plopped it down for the first time in September of 2018 , and after a few weeks I was convinced I really needed to start filming. So I started shooting in December of 2018.
S3: I just realized my mouth was off.
S5: Yes , it wasn't eight years.
S3: Yeah , the difference.
S5: Between six and a half years ago.
S3: I don't know. Time is so it's so exciting to have a grammar table that the time issue just just gets confusing.
S4: It's okay. You're a grammarian and not a mathematician.
S3: Well , actually , I was captain in my high school math team , so I don't want my math teacher , my former math teacher , to hear this.
S4: And , Brant , when you decided to make this into a film. I mean , documentaries are hard to. You can't script them in advance.
S5: fun , humor , connection that was happening at the table. And I really wanted to do that justice. And if I could sort of get out of the way and have people be able to experience what the handful of people were experiencing when they arrive at the table , that I could bring that to a broader audience , that would be fantastic. So I really I didn't have , beyond that a a structure or a very specific idea. I wanted to have this movie be about this. I let it emerge. I shot 400 hours of footage in our travels , and it was six years of editing that to have emerge.
S4: I think this is a good moment to listen to a little bit of the trailer , and here's some of the energy from the people you were speaking with at that table.
S6: Can you start a sentence with and or ? But I do it all the time. Boom.
S7: I'm a huge Oxford comma person. Yes. And it drives me crazy when you're thinking like.
S8: The comma before the fire. I know I had to teach my ex-husband the difference between well and good. And I should have known that very minute that it would be ex someday.
S9: Okay , here we go. Yeah. I'm ready.
S4: So explain what the film is about , in the sense you guys decided to travel around the country with your grammar table. So what kind of prompted that and how was that experience.
S5: Once it became clear ? As soon as Ellen plopped down on the table that it was a hit. People came up to the table immediately , had questions , wanted to vent , wanted to talk. And so that that , uh , prompted someone and people started asking Ellen , well , you should write a book about this. And Ellen thought , that's a good idea. And I was going to be shooting the film and thought , well , let's , let's have the the travels and the shooting and the road trip be part of the. Ellen made that part of her proposal for the.
S3: Part of my book proposal. That's true. I initially did this just for grammar , hedonism. It really just , I don't know , it changed so quickly and I love seeing places that I haven't seen before. Um , but , uh , so we've been tourists all over the country already. We've been tourists all over the country already having a grammar advice stand , and setting it up on the streets of a random place is , I think it has to be one of the most efficient ways to learn about the community that you've just entered into , because people share language is intimate , and so they share stories from their childhood. You meet their relatives , their children. It's just really it's it's very moving.
S4: And did you notice anything geographically in terms of what kind of things people were interested in , or particular kinds of language issues that came up in different areas ? I mean , I'm just curious if there was any sort of difference or pattern in terms of your travels.
S3: There are regional differences in English , but I would say more often there's a lot of people move around the United States a lot , and we were often in major urban areas , although not always so I , I probably deal more with the common themes , you know , like people want to know how to use apostrophes in South Dakota. They want to know how to use them in Florida. They want to know how to use them in Oregon. So that's that's similar. We did we did have some y'all more more y'all discussion in the South.
S10: The proper way to use y'all. Yeah. Tell me , does the apostrophe go before or after the a go at all ? What are you talking about before. Oof well thank you I agree with that. I hate to use it after the a , I can't stand it.
S3: All y'all and all y'all. And then , um , hardly anyone ever asks me about the word ain't , but for some reason , just statistically , probably just chance. Two people asked about that in Ohio and nowhere else.
S4:
S5: Well , the the first step was just to understand what I had. And just to catalog it , it was a giant mountain of data and tagging , cataloging , recognizing themes and just having it really a giant database in the in the program I was working in to edit it , to be able to cross-reference and and think , oh , here , here's a theme. Where did I see that and be able to just search for it. So that took months and months and months just to just to know what I had. I've heard I heard a great quote. It is if you don't know where something is , you don't have it. I like that. So I have this thing. Where is it ? I don't know. Well , you don't have it.
S3: Well that's good. I know you really helped me organizing things.
S5: So I thought , first off , I need to know where stuff is. Otherwise it's just lost in a mountain of. And I might as well not help.
S4: And I'm actually speaking with you while you are in the car that you've toured the United States with and you're now touring the film.
S5: We are we are going all over the country to screenings of the film , doing Q&A sessions. Afterwards. Ellen is setting up her grammar table at these screenings , many of them. And it's fascinating that after the the experience of the grammar table itself and that was , you know , all over the country and interacting with communities and building little communities at the table that these years later , now that the film is done , it's sort of picking up where we left off or rebooting the travels of of the grammar table in a different way , but still a sort of community building , exploring the country way again. We we just counted up. Where have we're at to 30 something states with screenings of of the film. And it looks like we're going to close in on 50 before too long.
S4: And what you do at the grammar table is very personal , because you're actually interacting with people every time they come up to your table with the film , you're kind of sending it off into the world and , you know , people can watch it on their own. So what do you hope people are kind of taking away from that film ? If you're not there at the grammar table to add an extra element to it ? Right.
S3: Well , there are a huge number of grammar nerds in the world. You know , people , even people who say they hate grammar will stop at the table and ask a question about something. I think people get this idea that it's an icky thing that that they didn't enjoy in school , but they still we all negotiate language in our daily lives , so I hope they enjoy the language part of it. But I also think in our lives , we need to have time for the things we have in common , and that give us peace and pleasure so that we don't just it. There's a lot of negativity around. We do actually still all punctuate mostly and and deploy language. So I want them to feel that thing , that sense of community , whether they're at the table or not. And I think the way Brandt filmed this has made that really possible for them.
S5: And this , this film for sure. It's a grammar road trip , docu comedy , rollicking , fun film. But at its heart , it really is about human connection. Absolutely.
S3: Absolutely.
S4: And you are actually coming to San Diego to our digital gym cinema. You've already sold out your screening with Martha Barnette. Uh , talk about coming to San Diego.
S3: Well , I'm very excited about it because I grew up in Southern California , Los Angeles specifically , and I believe my first encounter with San Diego was the zoo on a field trip in school. Um , we I mean , we've been there since , but it's going to be really wonderful to be in the area where I actually in the general area where I learned a lot of the grammar that I use in my life. Um , that's going to be a lot of fun. And , uh , and to see some of the , the grammar nerds we've accumulated through our travels already , we've met , you know , made lots of grammar friends. Some of them are in San Diego , some of them have read the book. Um , and it's just I , I actually I actually kind of start crying sometimes I try to not be too obvious about it , but it's so moving to me to see people again that we that we met through this thing that has been so special. So , uh , I'm looking forward to it. And I love Martha.
S4: So do you have any particular fond memories of shooting and anything like that stood out for you that maybe surprised you.
S5: So many fond memories of shooting. The whole experience was really miraculous , and the interactions of every every imaginable person kind of person coming up to the table.
S3:
S5:
S3: I think he or.
S5: I have a favorite. I have a favorite , I have , right. A couple of favorites. One one visit for me that was it was January 13th of 2020. It was our last stop before Covid hit. We didn't know at the time , of course , but two young men strolled up to the table and I was just getting set up with the gear and everything. And educator in Decatur , Alabama. As soon as I started talking , I thought , oh my God , this is just too good to be true. And I was just scrambling to get the gear set up and press record. That single take went more than an hour before I paused the camera , because the hits just kept coming. Those young men were just fantastic.
S3: They were. They were , um , at work , supposedly. But they stayed and talked to us instead. And they were a little profane , very irreverent. They're the they're the opposite of what the stereotype of a grammar nerd is. So that's , you know , that's always interesting. You think you know who's going to have the grammar questions. But no , it's the chain smoking guys wearing a leather one's wearing a leather jacket. Um , and they just I can't repeat some of it on the air.
S5: And that that surprise was such a central feature to the whole experience of just the confirmation that you just don't know when someone , when you look at someone you don't know whether they're going to love grammar or not or love something else or not , and that that sort of surprises was just a wonderful part of the whole experience.
S3: I think that's also just why the surprise of the people who come up to the table , but also the surprise of the table itself. I think life is more fun when you have surprises and , you know , just it's little. But if you suddenly come across a grammar advice , stand on your way to work. Or you can ask a question about a comma that's been bugging you. I just , I like that in my own life in other ways. Not. I don't like surprise parties , but a surprise pop up grammar advice stand is different.
S1: That was KPBS Beth Accomando speaking with Ellen Joven and Brant Johnson. Their film Rebel Without a Clause opens at Digital Gym Cinema next Thursday , with a sold out screening featuring a way with words Martha Barnette but fear not. There will be additional screenings through October 30th. Still ahead , the founder of San Diego Trolley Dances showcases her life's work. Stay tuned. Welcome back to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Andrew Bowen , filling in for Jade Hindman for our weekend arts preview. We take a look at a San Diego dance legend's 60 year career , a zine fest , the popular streaming convention , TwitchCon , and more. And joining me with all the details is KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , welcome.
S11: Hey , Andrea. Thanks for having me.
S1: So , first up , you talked to Jeanne Isaacs this week. She's the longtime artistic director of San Diego Dance Theater , and she's probably best known for starting the popular Trolley Dances series. Right.
S11: Right , right. And she retired in 2021. She was artistic director of San Diego Dance Theater for 24 years , and that's when she started and developed trolley dances. But she had , like , this entire career of choreography before. And during that she says that she has 150 dances that she has choreographed. It's pretty impressive. So this concert is a chance to celebrate that legacy. There'll be a bunch of dancers , including long time collaborators like the also legendary Monica Bill Barnes , who worked with Isaacs when Barnes was based here , Blythe Barton , Ivan Flores , Cecil Holcomb and more , including Jeanne Isaacs own daughter and two of her young grandchildren. And even Gene herself will be on stage. She's now 81 , and she said that she does tend to get dizzy and mostly just dances in her chair with her grandkids. But she has been practicing and will be on stage for this concert. She said that she'll depend on Monica Barnes to support her literally if she loses her footing , and depending on others , is kind of an extension from her career. She's always worked with other choreographers. She told me that this is the first time in her career that a show is just her choreography.
S12: And all those years and all those 150 dancers , and none of them were just geniuses. But it's something about the human condition. And what what does it mean to to be together with other humans and , and when you're not together , which often happens as you get older.
S11: And , you know , I remember talking to Isaacs almost four years ago when she was about to retire , and she was feeling so disheartened about the work of running a dance company , the work of creating art in a society. And this was early 2021. Um , not traditionally an easy time for performing arts , the industry. So I asked her this week if she's feeling any differently after some distance and some rest , and she for sure is feeling more at peace. And a big part of that is her family.
S12: I feel very lucky that I've been given this thing that that not only me , but my children and my children's children also see the beauty of of live concert dance. They love it.
S11: So it's going to be extra meaningful that two of our grandkids will perform her choreography this weekend. There's two concerts on Saturday , 2:30 p.m. , and then an evening show at 730. This is at Liberty Station's Lightbox Theatre , which is a really nice and intimate place to see a performance.
S1: So it's also the Zen Fest this weekend. I have to say , every time you bring us with something that was already on my radar or feel extra cool.
S11: I feel cool now.
S1: Yeah , great.
S11: Um , zines and DIY culture in general , they're just really thriving right now. Um , DIY are like scenes. They're built upon this idea of accessibility that anybody can make and produce something on whatever topic they want. And this started decades ago. All you needed was like a copier and a stapler. But the zine fest celebrates all of it. It's at Woo Studios in Barrio Logan. This year there'll be dozens of artists , small presses , and also other creatives sharing and selling their stuff. They'll have musical performances and DJ's all day each day , and some after hours events from 6 to 8. And Zine Fest is always packed. It's just a really nice way to browse so much local talent. But also people come here. Vendors come here from out of town. It has it's an it's an attraction. And this is 12 to 8 Saturday and Sunday and it's free.
S1: And we love a free event.
S11: Love a.
S1: Free one. And there's a local gallery that is honoring the work of painter Wayne Teboe this week. What do you what do you know about this ? Yeah.
S11: So late American artist Wayne Teboe. He's known for these almost , like , pop like , whimsical paintings of everyday objects. And I mostly known for , like , his desserts. So the pie slices , these ice cream cones , candies. But he also had these thoughtful , line driven landscapes , cityscapes and even some portraiture. And La Jolla is to Sendai Gallery. They're opening an exhibit tonight showcasing Tebow's work and also celebrating the release of a new book about him and his work. It's a collection of essays , and one of the contributors is local art historian and curator Derek Carteret. And they'll be doing a book signing. That's tonight at 5:00 in La Jolla.
S1: So let's transition to literature. Tell us about the indie reading series that's happening on Sunday. Yeah.
S11: Yeah. So this is a literary journal in reading series. It's called Peel Lit. And they're going to release their second issue and also a chapbook. And to launch these , they'll do a reading with a bunch of writers , including Liora Montoya , Alison Evans , Becca Rae Rose , and more. It's 7:00 on Sunday at Burn All Books in Normal Heights. Really great space to hear a reading , and also a chance to shop for a bunch of zines and small press books if you can't make the zine fair.
S1: And we got about we got to talk about TwitchCon. There's a very big event happening this weekend. It's the annual convention of the streaming platform Twitch , and it's celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. So what's on your arts and culture radar at TwitchCon.
S11: So Twitch has so much culture. The convention or the platform ? There's gaming , esports , cooking , drag performance and believe it or not , Bob Ross.
S1: Oh , we love Bob Ross.
S11: Bob Ross is huge on Twitch , and we all know that he's famous for like , this genuine belief that anyone can paint and anyone can paint a beautiful picture. He's famous for this like wet on wet painting technique and also his catchphrases happy little accidents ! And there's a channel on Twitch dedicated to his work. They do rewatch parties of old episodes of the Joy of painting , and also paint alongs with what's called a certified Ross instructor. Uh , about six years ago , I went to TwitchCon and I participated in the official Bob Ross paint along. It was magical and like , really amazing to see people actually doing it. I decided to call up one of the the instructors. These these are women who became Bob Ross instructors decades ago , and I wanted to ask them why they do it. What's so great about Bob Ross and Twitch ? This is Faye Dasher. She called me when she was traveling here for the convention.
S13: I love how he , you know , just talk about , you know , happy accidents. And he just is so , so real. And it it feels to me like apart from the art instruction , but it's like a hug coming through. I feel like a lot of the young people and all of us actually could use that. A warm bob hug.
S11: And one of the things that I heard about Bob Ross is that he used to pretend that he was talking to one person when they were filming the show , and that connection got me thinking about why something like Bob Ross is so popular on streaming , like why it works , and it's like this early version of parasocial connection. Like the kind of thing that we look for in our internet celebrities. So this is going to be Friday at TwitchCon. It's at 1130. They're going to fill a room. Hundreds of convention goers , and they will do an actual paint along , all materials provided. And TwitchCon passes. They're not cheap. It's $160 for the full day , 169 or 249 for all three days. But the variety of things you'll find performances , panels , hands on activities like this , it rivals Comic-Con , if you ask me.
S1:
S11: It's indie darlings Rilo Kiley and Waxahachie Dream lineup , if you ask me. Um , Waxahachie had an album come out last year. It's called Tiger's Blood , and that really solidified her as one of the greatest American songwriters working right now. this track is much ado about nothing.
S14: I'm making their assumptions. I was just looking for a pain. Oh , no. I'm down man , I'm tragically in this. Tell you I'm undefeated. I'm not worth fighting with. Oh , no. I'm a lost my.
S11: And Rilo Kiley. They've been around since the late 90s and it got really big in the early OHS. This is a project of Jenny Lewis. I'm going to leave you with my favorite Rilo Kiley song , With Arms Outstretched , from their 2002 album , The Execution of All Things.
S14: If you want me , you better speak up I'll go away so you better. Fast. Don't fool for yourself and thinking you.
S1: And you can find all the 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.
S11: Thank you. Angie. This is fence.
S14: To the Promised Land. And I promise you , I'm doing the best I can.
S1: And that's our show for today. I'm your host , Andrew Bowen in for Jade Hindman. Thanks for listening to Midday Edition. Have a great day.
