Wednesday at 12:00 pm
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.
Upcoming episodes
“Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal” June 19, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Mary Roach discusses her latest book, "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal" and her research for the book, with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
The Last Train to Zona Verde June 26, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Paul Theroux talks about his latest travel book, "The Last Train to Zona Verde" as well as the life of a traveler.Read More
Recent episodes
The Return of Easy Rawlins June 12, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Walter Mosley discusses the return of Easy Rawlins in his novel "Little Green," and about the relationship between politics and literature. Hosted by Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Tiger Writing June 5, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Novelist Gish Jen talks about her intellectual autobiography, "Tiger Writing," and about the relationship of the independent and interdependent self in her work and in literature in general, with host Richard WolinskyRead More
Joyce Carol Oates May 29, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Noted novelist Joyce Carol Oates discusses her two latest novels, "The Accursed" and "Daddy Love" and her career with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Future Shock: How Everything Happens At Once May 22, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Media theorist Douglas Rushkoff discusses his book, "Future Shock: How Everything Happens At Once."Read More
Song WIthout Words May 15, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Gerald Shea discusses his memoir about living as a partially deaf person, "Song Without Words."Read More
Elizabeth Strout May 8, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize winning fiction writer for "Olive Kitteridge," discusses her newest novel, "The Burgess Boys," which has been gathering rave reviewsRead More
Beautiful Ruins May 1, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Jess Walter, whose latest novel, "Beautiful Ruins,"is just out in paperback, is interviewed by Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Roger Ebert and Great Movies April 24, 2013 | 12:00 pm
At the time of his death last week, Roger Ebert had become an American institution. In this remarkable 2005 interview with host Richard Wolinsky, he talks about his book, "Great Movies II" as well as his views on political discourse in America.Read More
The Fun Parts April 17, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Sam Lipsyte is the author of the recent short story collection, "The Fun Parts" and the novel "The Ask."Read More
Manil Suri April 10, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Manil Suri is the author of the novel "City of Devi," set in a near-future Mumbai as characters attempt to find each other in the wake of a war between Pakistan and India. Manil Suri is the author of the highly acclaimed novel, "Death of Vishnu."Read More
“Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prism of Belief March 20, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Lawrence Wright, author of "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prism of Belief"Read More
The Chemistry of Tears March 13, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Peter Carey, two-time Booker Prize winner, discusses his latest novel, "The Chemistry of Tears," about the relationship of man and machine.Read More
Dave Barry March 6, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Dave Barry, noted humorist, discusses his latest novel, "Insane City" and his career with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
George Saunders February 20, 2013 | 12:00 pm
George Saunders, author of the highly acclaimed short story collection, "The Tenth of December " discusses his working methods, politics and the nature of fictionRead More
Ayana Mathis February 13, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Ayana Mathis, author of the best-selling novel "The Twelve Tribes of Hattie" about an African-American family in Philadelphia, talks about her work and career with host Richard WolinskyRead More
Amy Wilentz February 6, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Amy Wilentz, author of "Farewell, Fred Voodoo: A Letter from Haiti" discusses the situation in Haiti today, from the camps to new construction to the cholera epidemic, three years after the earthquake that demolished Port-Au-PrinceRead More
Luis Alberto Urrea January 30, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Luis Alberto Urrea, author of "The Hummingbird's Daughter" and "Queen of America" (just out in trade paper) discusses this two-volume novel about the life of his great aunt, Teresa Urrea, known as the Joan of Arc of Mexico.Read More
Terry Bisson January 23, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Terry Bisson, author of the novel "Any Day Now" and other novels and short stories talks about his long career as a writer with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Emma Donoghue January 16, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Emma Donoghue, Booker Prize nominated author for her novel, "Room," discusses her latest collection of short stories, "Astray" as well as her career with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
“The End of Your Life Book Club” January 9, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Will Schwalbe, author of acclaimed memoir "The End of Your Life Book Club" and former editor at William Morrow, discusses his book, along with the publishing industry, with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Moonwalking with Einstein January 2, 2013 | 12:00 pm
Joshua Foer discusses his book, "Moonwalking with Einstein," out in trade paper, which deals with the nature of memory, the ancient technique of the Memory Palace, and the art of memory competitions, with Richard Wolinsky.Read More
The Entertainer December 26, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Margaret Talbot discusses her book, "The Entertainer," which looks at American cultural history in the 20th Century as seen through the eyes of her father, actor Lyle Talbot.Read More
Tom Reiss December 19, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Tom Reiss, author of "The Orientalist" discusses his latest book, "The Black Count," the story of racial freedom in France during the French Revolution, and Gen. Alexandre Dumas, a Black man who rose to a higher position than Napoleon during the French Revolution.Read More
Alan Hollinghurst December 12, 2012 | 12:00 pm
A conversation with Booker Prize winning novelist Alan Hollinghurst, who discusses his career along with his latest novel, "The Stranger's Child," just out in trade paperback, with host Richard WolinskyRead More
Sandra Cisneros December 5, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Sandra Cisneros, noted Mexican-American poet and author, discusses her latest work, "Have You See Marie?" as well as her career with host Richard WolinskyRead More
Katherine Boo November 28, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Rebroadcast of a conversation with Katherine Boo, author of Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity", which was just named winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Best Non-Fiction of the Year.Read More
John Schwartz November 21, 2012 | 12:00 pm
John Schwartz, New York Times reporter, is author of the memoir, "Oddly Normal" about raising a gay son.Read More
A.M. Homes November 7, 2012 | 12:00 pm
A.M. Homes, author of the acclaimed new novel, "May We Be Forgiven" discusses her work, her career, and the relationship of her new novel to American culture and politics today.Read More
Martin Amis October 31, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Martin Amis, author of the new novel "Lionel Asbo: State of England" discusses his work, the political and social implications in his novel, and his close friendship with the late Christopher Hitchens in this interview with host Richard WolinskRead More
Junot Diaz October 24, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Next week: Junot Diaz, National Book Award nominee for "This Is How You Lose Her" and Pulitzer Prize winner for "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" talks about his work and career with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Salman Rushdie October 17, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Salman Rushdie, author of "Joseph Anton: A Memoir" discusses his life during the fatwa and other issues with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Brian Castner discusses his memoir, The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life that Follows October 10, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Brian Castner discusses his memoir, "The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life that Follows," which talks about his time in Iraq as member of a bomb-defusing squadron and the difficulties he faced after coming back to the United States.Read More
William Gibson October 3, 2012 | 12:00 pm
William Gibson, author of such novels as "Zero History" and "Neuromancer" discusses his latest collection of essays, "Distrust That Particular Flavor," just out in trade paperback, and other issues relating to futurism and the cyberworld with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
A Tribute to Ray Bradbury September 26, 2012 | 12:00 pm
An interview, conducted in 1991, with the late Ray Bradbury, author of "The Martian Chronicles" and other books..Read More
Laura Lippman September 19, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Laura Lippman, author of the noir novel "And When She Was Good," and Edgar Award winner for her Tess Monaghan series of mysteries, talks about her book, her career and fills us in on some details about "The Wire" and "Treme," produced by her husband, David Simon.Read More
Don Winslow September 12, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Next week: Don Winslow, author of several novels including "The Death and Life of Bobby Z" and "Savages" discusses his latest novel, "The Kings of Cool," and about his work with Oliver Stone on the film version of "Savages." He is interviewed by Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Nell Freudenberger September 5, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Nell Freudenberger, author of the novel "The Newlyweds" about a Bangladeshi woman who marries an American man and moves to New York, discusses her work and career and her research on this book with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
David Vann August 29, 2012 | 12:00 pm
David Vann, author of the novels "Dirt" and "Caribou Island" discusses his work and career with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Delia Ephron August 22, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Delia Ephron, author of the novel "The Lion Is In" discusses her work as a novelist, playwright, and screenplay writer with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Jess Walter August 15, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Jess Walter, author of the novels "Beautiful Ruins" and "Financial Lives of the Poets" talks about his work, his career, and the writing life with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Sand Queen August 8, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Helen Benedict discusses her novel, "Sand Queen", based on her non-fiction work "The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq" with host Richard Wolinsky.Read More
Christopher Hayes, author of “Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy” August 1, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Christopher Hayes, author of "Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy"Read More
Catherine Chung, author of the novel, “Forgotten Country” July 25, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Catherine Chung, author of the novel, "Forgotten Country,"Read More
Garry Marshall July 18, 2012 | 12:00 pm
Garry Marshall, author of the memoir, "My Happy Days in Hollywood" discusses his career,Read More
Programmer
No programmer(s) found
