Bookwaves is a half-hour literary show produced in KPFA, Berkeley, California that primarily features interviews of authors by Richard Wolinsky.
Bookwaves started back in 1977 on KPFA-FM in Berkeley as an hour-long program about science fiction and science fiction writing called “Probabilities Unlimited.” The first program was hosted by Lawrence Davidson, with Richard Wolinsky at the controls. One of the guests was novelist Richard A. Lupoff. A couple of months later, Wolinsky and Davidson became co-hosts and co-producers for the second program. After a handful of other hour-long specials, the program retitled “Probabilities” and was placed into a weekly slot as a half-hour show, and Richard A. Lupoff joined Wolinsky and Davidson as co-host. During the next few years, Richard Wolinsky gradually become sole editor of the pre-recorded program and eventuallly sole producer.
By the early 1980s, the show expanded into the mystery genre, with forays into westerns. This was during the height of the mystery craze, and “Probabilities” capitalized on it by interviewing most of the major mystery writers of the era. Many of those early shows focused on publishing history and other information these days unavailable at the time but now readily accessible on line.
During the late 1980s, Lawrence Davidson graduallly phased out, and the program became a two-man show, nicknamed “the Richard and Richard show” by regular listeners, and expanded to include literary and popular fiction as well as narrative non-fiction and political topics. There was a brief foray into satellite syndication in the late 1990s as Cover to Cover which ended in 1999 when Pacifica nearly went under. In 2001, after numerous extended sabbaticals, Richard A. Lupoff departed the program as an interviewer (but would continue as occasional co-reviewer) to focus more exclusively on his writing career, and the show was renamed Bookwaves. This was simultaneous with the move from tape to digitral recording and with the rise of the web and the creation of this website. Bookwaves began its current syndication life at the Pacifica Audioport website in 2006.
November 20, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
Claire of the Sea Light
Award-winning Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat discusses her latest novel, "Claire of the Sea Light" and her career as a writer and actress.
ListenNovember 13, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
Oscar Hijuelos
Oscar Hijuelos, Pulitzer Prize winning author of "The Mambo Kings Sing Songs of Love" passed away in October, 2013. This 2011 interview highights his final two books, his memoir "Thoughts Without Cigarettes" and his last novel, "Beautiful Maria of My Soul."
ListenNovember 6, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
Songs of Willow Frost
Jamie Ford, discusses his novel "Songs of Willow Frost", which deals with life in Seattle during the '20s and '30s in the Chinese community.
Read MoreOctober 30, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
Virgin Soul
Judy Juanita, author of "Virgin Soul," a thinly disguised novel about her life as a member of the Black Panthers in the 1960
Read MoreOctober 23, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood discusses her latest novel, "Maddaddam," third in her speculative fiction trilogy that began with "Oryx and Crake," as well as the social and political ramifications of her work
Read MoreOctober 9, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
Oddly Normal
John Schwartz discusses his book, "Oddly Normal," about his gay teenage son and his life as a parent as well as a reporter for the New York Times.
Read MoreOctober 2, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
How Literature Saved My Life
Cultural critic David Shields, discusses his book-length essay, "How Literature Saved My Life" and how he looks at the novel today, and what he hopes will be the future of literature.
Read MoreSeptember 25, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
This Is How You Lose Her
Junot Diaz discusses his award-winning collection of short stories, "This Is How You Lose Her,"
Read MoreSeptember 18, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
The Telling Room
Journalist Michael Paterniti discusses his latest book "The Telling Room," as well as issues about narrative and journalism itself
Read MoreSeptember 11, 2013 Past Program - Arts & Culture
The Late Great Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas served as White House correspondent for over fifty years until her retirement in 2009. She passed away this year. In this interview from 1998, she talks about press conferences, and about life as a reporter
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