A podcast posted every Sunday featuring extended interviews and discussions from Bookwaves, Art-Waves, and Bookwaves Artwaves Hour programs on KPFA, and newly digitized and edited archive interviews from the pre-digital Probabilities series dating back to 1977. Literature, theater, film, the visual arts: in-depth interviews from a progressive and artistic viewpoint, with long-time KPFA/Pacifica host Richard Wolinsky.
Andrew Altschul discusses his latest novel, The Gringa, with host Richard Wolinsky. The Gringa tells the story of an American activist who goes to Peru in the early 1990s and becomes involved with a radical group who is eventually charged and incarcerated with terrorist crimes, based loosely on the real-life story of Lori Berenso
From the Probabilities Archive: Michael Crichton, recorded December 5, 1990, while on tour for his novel “Jurassic Park,” interviewed by Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff in the KPFA studios; extended version.
E.L. Doctorow (1931-2015). A look at the life and career of E.L. Doctorow, author of Ragtime, The Book of Daniel, The March, Loon Lake and other novels, one of America’s greatest writers, who died on July 21, 2015. Interview One: Recorded May 12, 2004, while on tour for his collection, Sweet Land Stories. Interview Two: Recorded Sept/Oct 2009, while on tour for his novel Homer & Langley.
Mary Higgins Clark (1927-2020) died January 31, 2020 at the age of 92. Best-selling author of 51 novels, many of which were adapted into theatrical and made-for-television films, she was interviewed by Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff on May 24, 1989 in San Francisco. From the Probabilities archive.
Colum McCann, whose latest novel is Apeirogon, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky. Apeirogon is the story of two men, Rami Elhanan, an Israeli, and Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, best of friends, who have been traveling the world attempting to bring about peace in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Apeirogon is only tangentially a novel. These are real people and this reads more like augmented non-fiction.
Terrence McNally, who died on March 24, 2020 of complications from Covid-19, was one of America’s most successful and influential playwrights and librettists. In this 2004 interview, he discusses his techniques and his personal history with Richard Wolinsky.
Lidia Yuknavitch discusses her collection of short stories, “Verge.” The author of novels, essays, a memoir and short stories, Lidia Yuknavitch details life of people on the margins of society. In conversation with Richard Wolinsky.
Katya Cengel, whose latest book is a memoir, “From Chernobyl with Love: Reporting from the Ruins of the Soviet Union,” is interviewed by host Richard Wolinsky. She talks about her life in Ukraine and Latvia as a reporter in the years just before and after 9/11, and how these countries were affected by the fall of the Soviet Union.
Salman Rushdie discusses his latest novel, “Quichotte,” along with other topics, with host Richard Wolinsky.
Jim Lehrer, who co-anchored the MacNeill Lehrer News Hour on PBS from 1975 to 1995 and was the sole anchor until his retirement in 2009, died at the age of 85 on January 23, 2020. He was interviewed by Richard Wolinsky & Richard A. Lupoff on October 19, 1998 at the height of the Cinton/Lewinsky scandal, while on tour for his novel “Purple Dots.”
