Podcast appearances and mentions of pat mesiti miller

"His secrets filled the air around him like smoke..."  A young boy idolizes his karate instructor. Each kick, throw, and punch a step on the path to becoming a man. But the power of his presence cannot hold back the questions of his character.STORIESThe Master"His secrets filled the air around him like smoke..."  A young boy idolizes his karate instructor. Each kick, throw, and punch a step on the path to becoming a man. But the power of his presence cannot hold back the questions of his character.Thank you, Simon Shieh, for sharing your story! Read the poems featured in this story and more -- in Simon's debut poetry collection Master.And an extra special thank you to Katherine Litwin.Produced by John Fecile. Edited by Anna Sussman and Nancy López. Original Score by Renzo Gorrio and Doug Stuart. Artwork by Teo Ducot.Ego Tripping - Nikki Giovanni Read by Flo Wiley. Music by Pat Mesiti-Miller.Burning BooksGlynn's mom finds the devil in her house.Performed by Glynn Washington at Snap LIVE. Original score composed and performed by Alex Mandel, Tim Frick, and David Brandt. Season 16 - Episode 11 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Andy Marra is on a mission to Korea in search of the mother she never knew with a secret she absolutely has to tell. And when two close friends can't see each other face-to-face, they exchange letters from two very different places.The Birth DreamAndy Marra is on a mission to Korea in search of the mother she never knew with a secret she absolutely has to tell.Thank you, Andy, for sharing your story with Snap! Find out more about her advocacy work here.Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot.Letters from UncuffedIt's been almost a year since friends and family have been able to visit their loved ones in prison, due to the pandemic. Letters to the inside are always a lifeline. This year, more than ever.Today, from Uncuffed, we hear from Adamu Chan, who was recently released from San Quentin State Prison, while his friend Edmond Richardson, is still on the inside.Uncuffed is a storytelling project made by people behind bars, from inside California prisons, in collaboration with KALW. To hear the full version of this story, visit Uncuffed and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!Produced by Adamu Chan, Ninna Gaensler-Debs, Angela Johnston, Pat Mesiti-Miller & Eli Wirtschafter.Snap Classic – Season 16 – Episode 4 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Standup comic Cassandra Dee struggles with depression. She jokes about it in her standup comedy but isn't sure if she can pull it off. She jokes about the kids that bullied her growing up, the bad dates, the suicide ideations, the failed therapy sessions. The audience laughs, but she wonders… has she gone too far? And - a story from a young woman feeling trapped in her body, until one day she finds the perfect getaway vehicle. STORIES The Last Thing on the List from Love & RadioStandup comic Cassandra Dee struggles with depression. She jokes about it in her standup comedy but isn't sure if she can pull it off. She jokes about the kids that bullied her growing up, the bad dates, the suicide ideations, the failed therapy sessions. The audience laughs, but she wonders… has she gone too far?Although this is a story about finding hope, please note it discusses suicidal ideation. Please take care while listening.Thank you, thank you, to Cassandra Dee for sharing her story. Cassandra's comedy special, Uncle Earth, is available for free on YouTube from Helium Comedy Studios. You can also find her on Instagram.This story was produced by Justin Kramon with Ana Adlerstein for the Love and Radio podcast. Love and Radio is like family to Snap. Their stories are intense, strange, and unlike anything in podcasting – and they're launching their tenth season later this year. Special thanks to Aviva DeKornfeld for her help on this story. Huge thanks also to Brett Wean at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Artwork by Teo Ducot.Help is available. If you or a loved one is in crisis, please call the Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988 in the US. You can learn more about suicide prevention, healing, and connect locally with others whose lives have been affected by suicide through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.The Minivan A young woman feels trapped in her body, until one day she finds the perfect getaway vehicle.This story was performed at Snap LIVE at The Power Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in partnership with Michigan Radio and The Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Original Music by Alex Mandel. Music performed by Alex Mandel, Tim Frick, and David Brandt. Re-recording mix by Pat Mesiti-Miller.Season 16 - Episode 3 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The "Home Alone" Curse is all too real. The big-budget movie is in peril, and only one actor can save it. Not Macaulay Culkin. Not Joe Pesci. It's the goofball cop, Larry Hankin, with one iconic glazed donut.Thank you, Larry Hankin, for sharing your story! From Escape to Alcatraz to Friends to Seinfeld and Breaking Bad, Larry has left an indelible mark on your TV screens over the last five decades. Yes, Llarry has a book, entitled, That Guy: A Cautionary Memoir.Special thanks to Sam Shaw for sharing Larry's story with us. Sam is working on a documentary on Larry's improvisational theater company, The Committee. A special shoutout to The Crow Comedy Club in Santa Monica for hosting Larry during one of their unforgettable storytelling nights. Engineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller & Miles Lassi. Artwork by Teo Ducot. Happy Holidays Snap Nation! Thank you for your support over the years -- we couldn't run this Snap train without you. Season 15 - Episode 55

We are thrilled to share our new show Fire Escape, in partnership with Wondery! This 10 episode series, hosted by Anna Sussman, explores one woman's journey as an incarcerated firefighter as she fights fire from behind bars -- defying a system intent on burying her under the weight of her worst moment.This episode contains strong language and mentions a car crash and its aftermath. Please take care while listening.Episode 1: The CrashHow did Amika Mota go from a midwife and mother of three to a prisoner inside one of the largest women's prisons on Earth? Handcuffed to a hospital bed, awaiting trial, Amika tries to come to grips with the tragic crash that cost one man his life and took her away from her children. Inside the Chowchilla prison walls, she faces the "green cops" and the threat of solitary confinement. Outside the walls sits Firehouse Five, the home of the legendary crew of incarcerated firefighters called the Fire Girls.Thank you, Amika Mota, for your help and generosity in sharing your story with us!!!Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED and Wondery. This series was created, written, and produced by Anna Sussman. For Snap Studios, our senior story editors are Mark Ristich and Nancy López. Marisa Dodge is our Director of Production. Original music by Renzo Gorrio, Dirk Schwarzhoff, and Doug Stuart. Doug Stuart also created our original theme song. Sound design and engineering by Miles Lassi. Special thanks to Pat Mesiti-Miller and the SF Fire Department. For Wondery, our senior story editor is Phyllis Fletcher. Our development producer is Eliza Mills. Clare Chambers, Lauren Dee and Mandy Gorenstein are our senior producers. Sarah Mathis is our managing producer. Our executive producers for Snap Studios are Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich. Executive producers for Wondery are Marshall Lewy, Morgan Jones, George Lavender and Jen Sargent. Binge all episodes of Fire Escape early and ad-free right now by signing up for Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. Start your free trial: www.wondery.com/links/fire-escape now.Season 15 - Episode 50

A woman's life changes forever when she decides to tell a secret that she's kept for 23 years. The first all-woman race car driving team in the Middle East is forced to find the center of gravity on and off the track. And a young boy makes waves in his family.STORIESRacing HaroldGlynn races a rival for the ultimate prize.Score and Sound Design by Pat Mesiti-MillerThe Secret Life of Katherine Ann PowerWhat happens when you decide to keep a secret for a really long time...And then, you decide to tell.To learn more about Katherine's experience, check out her book Doing Time: Papers from Framingham PrisonProduced by Adizah Eghan, original score by Renzo GorrioSpeed SistersMarah is the best racer on the Speed Sisters team--the first all-female racing collective in the Arab world. That is, until Betty joins the team.This story is a collaboration with Amber Fares, director of the documentary Speed Sisters. Produced by Eliza Smith, sound production by Leon MorimotoTranslation and voice over: Amber Fares, as Marah. Jazmin Aguilera, as Betty. Avery Trufelman, as Maysoon. Mark Ristich, as Marah's dad. Pat Mesiti-Miller, as Khaled.The Boy Who Made WavesJoe Blair is a pipe fitter in Iowa who writes in his spare time. He is the father of four, including one autistic son—Michael--who has been both a source of joy and a source of stress.This story was brought to us by Modern Love: the Podcast, a collaboration between The New York Times and WBUR Boston. It takes essays from the paper's popular Sunday column and matches them with top talent from the stage and screen. Mykelti Williamson, who played "Bubba" in Forrest Gump and most recently Gabriel in the Oscar-nominated film "Fences" reads Joe Blair's essay "For The Boy Who Makes Waves."For more incredible stories of modern Love, go visit the Modern Love website and subscribe to their podcast.Then check out Joe Blair's memoir, By The Iowa Sea, about the joys and sorrows of life on the great plains. And if you haven't already, go see Mykelti Williamson in Fences, directed by Denzel Washington. Original score by Pat Mesiti-MillerEpisode artwork by Teo DucotSeason 15 - Episode 30

Four hairstylists compete to win the Bronner Bros Hair Battle, a one-of-a-kind hairstyling showdown. Winning this competition doesn't just represent a feather in one's cap, it's a stepping stone to getting celebrity clients. Big hair. Big personalities.BIG thanks to all the stylists who shared their stories with us!Ashley Payne, the bob queen, moved her salon to a new location, a private, appointment-only, suite. She suffered some health blows and started a gofundme to help pay for a liver transplant.Check out Tammie B's work! Que Barnes is still at the helm of her salon in Atlanta. Terrence Davidson, the king of hair, started selling hair products online called Kingz N Queenz.Produced by Chris Hambrick & Nancy Lopez, with assistance from Shaina ShealyOriginal score by Marco Prestige, sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller, artwork by Teo DucotSnap Classic - Season 15 – Episode 25

Hyphy, the legendary youth culture movement from the Bay. Uptempo music, oversized airbrushed T-shirts, stunna shades and candy painted cars doing donuts in intersections. It was an unbridled, livewire, communal celebration. The people fueled the music, and the music moved the people. But beneath it all? That's where it gets real. Plus, a big story from a little boxer. STORIES Hyphy Kids Got Trauma from KQED This week on Snap, we have a special story to share from our friends at KQED's Rightnowish podcast– it's from host Pendarvis Harshaw's series, Hyphy Kids Got Trauma. In 2006, Pen was 18 going on 19, and he had a front row seat to one of the most notable times in Bay Area hip-hop history– a period often referred to as “the hyphy movement”. It was an era of uptempo-bass-heavy music, oversized airbrushed white t-shirts, candy painted cars and stunna shades. There was exuberant dancing, extravagant slang, and goofy party antics. While there was a lot of partying and celebration, there was also a lot of pain. That year Oakland saw its second highest annual homicide total ever. Pen experienced all the highs and lows back then, but feels like the full story of the culture didn't get told, until now when he brings us into the real meaning of “hyphy.” This story contains explicit language, mention of drug use, and violence. Sensitive listeners please be advised. BIG thanks to KQED and the whole Rightnowish team who shared this incredible story with us! Listen to the Hyphy Kids Got Trauma four part series on Rightnowish - wherever you get your podcasts! Hosted by Pendarvis Harshaw, produced by Maya Cueva, edited by Chris Hambrick, sound designed and mixed by Trackademics. With support from Eric Arnold, Jen Chien, Holly Kernan, Victoria Mauleon, Marisol Medina-Cadena, Gabe Meline, Xorje Olivares, Delency Parham, Cesar Saldaña, Sayre Quevedo, Katie Sprenger, Nastia Voynovskaya, and Ryce Stoughtenborough. The Little Boxer It's the 1950s in San Francisco. After getting beat one time too many, little Gus Lee decides to fight back. A big thanks to Gus Lee. This story comes from his novel, “China Boy,” based on his childhood. Lee is a courage-based leadership trainer and consultant. He's now completing his eighth book, "Courage Is a Verb." Produced by Liz Mak, original score by Renzo Gorrio Engineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller, illustration by Teo Ducot Season 15 - Episode 3

One Beauty Pageant. 12 contestants. 1000 rattlesnakes. And a story from a young girl who is confronted with the opportunity every kid at the orphanage dreamed of. Plus, the legendary Xiao Xiao. STORIES Been There Better Than That Glynn witnesses a lady show what real class looks like. 12 Pageant Queens, 1000 Snakes One Beauty Pageant. 12 contestants. 1000 rattlesnakes. Produced by Anna Sussman A Hard Knock Life Sharon Skolnick was nine years old and an orphan in the Murrow Indian Orphanage, when she was confronted with the opportunity every girl at the orphanage dreamed of. Find out more about artist Sharon Skolnick at here. Sound Design by Renzo Gorrio, produced by Anna Sussman Xiao Xiao When Cindy adopted a four year old girl from China, there was a lot the two didn't understand about each other. Find out about Cindy's story (and her books) at CindyChampnella.com. Sound Design by Pat Mesiti-Miller, produced by Anna Sussman Art by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 51

Some commitments go way beyond words. STORIES True Friends Glynn discovers the true meaning of friendship. The Belfast Project It's not always easy to deal with the past, especially if it's a troubled one. Do you hold on to it or do you let it go? For Anthony McIntyre the answer was easy. Anthony McIntyre is a journalist and you can check out his writings on his website: The Pensive Quill. Thank you to Ed Moloney for sharing the archival tape of the Brendan Hughes interviews from the Belfast Project that were featured in his book, Voices from the Grave. Sound design by Renzo Gorrio, Produced by Nancy Lopez Love Me Two best friends have never met in person ... and one of them insists they keep it that way. That was Allison Williams, and that piece was produced by Mira Burt-Wintonick  and Cristal Duhaime for CBC's Love Me. You can hear more at cbc.ca/loveme or subscribe on iTunes. 13 Ways To Destroy A Painting How far would you go to save the person you love? This radio play was adapted from Amber Sparks's story, 13 Ways of Destroying a Painting, from her short story collection The Unfinished World. You can find more of her work at www.ambernoellesparks.com Narrator: Thao Nguyen of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller, produced by Eliza Smith Season 14 - Episode 40

It's Senior Year and Alex, Damaris, and Brantin have been waiting for the day they get to leave Mission High and enter adulthood. Snap follows the three students for a whole year as their dreams turn into reality. Plus, we have life updates from the students about what they're doing now. A very special thank you to our heroes: Brantin, Damaris and Alex. Thank you also to Mission High School Principal Eric Guthertz, everyone in the Wellness Center and our guide Chandra Shivakumar. Produced by Adizah Eghan, Liz Mak, Eliza Smith, Anna Sussman, and Mark Ristich Original score by Pat Mesiti-Miller and Renzo Gorrio Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 39

How did it happen that after decades of being confined to the margins of cinema, this grand myth of Wakanda was weaved out of the history and culture of the “most broken people?” To conclude the story of the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ta-Nehisi Coates returns to the beginning of the journey with producer Nate Moore, and reflects on the ancestor who made it all possible with artist Simone Ledward Boseman and director and co-writer Ryan Coogler. Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast is a production of Proximity Media in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment. The series is written and hosted by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Produced by Paola Mardo. Executive Producers are Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Paola Mardo. The film score is composed by Ludwig Göransson. Story editing by James Kim. Audio editing by Cameron Kell and Cedric Wilson. Sound design and additional music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Audio engineering by Lauryn Newson. Production assistance from Polina Cherezova. Learn more at ProximityMedia.com and by following @ProximityMedia, @Marvel, and @MarvelStudios on Twitter and Instagram. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming only on Disney+.

White supremacy, the system which enabled the descendants of Europe to steal an outsized portion of this world's labor and land, has always been tied to a specious notion of beauty. What does it mean that Wakanda and Talokan give us a beauty created not to justify enslavement but to celebrate freedom? Ta-Nehisi Coates dives deep into the beautiful and complex portrayals of Shuri, Namor, Wakanda, and Talokan with actors Letitia Wright and Tenoch Huerta and cultural consultant Dr. Gerardo Aldana. Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast is a production of Proximity Media in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment. The series is written and hosted by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Produced by Paola Mardo. Executive Producers are Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Paola Mardo. The film score is composed by Ludwig Göransson. Story editing by James Kim. Audio editing by Cameron Kell and Cedric Wilson. Sound design and additional music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Audio engineering by Lauryn Newson. Production assistance from Polina Cherezova. Learn more at ProximityMedia.com and by following @ProximityMedia, @Marvel, and @MarvelStudios on Twitter and Instagram. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming only on Disney+.

Every film is a machine, a complex device made of people with a myriad of jobs and responsibilities. Ta-Nehisi Coates breaks apart the machinery of Wakanda Forever, zooming into the creative processes of actor Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams), costume designer Ruth E. Carter, and composer Ludwig Göransson. In an episode filled with music from Göransson's soundtrack and score and some clips from director Ryan Coogler's audio diaries, we learn more about what it takes to build a film that not only entertains but makes us feel something in the process.  Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast is a production of Proximity Media in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment. The series is written and hosted by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Produced by Paola Mardo. Executive Producers are Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Paola Mardo. The film score is composed by Ludwig Göransson. Story editing by James Kim. Audio editing by Cameron Kell and Cedric Wilson. Sound design and additional music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Audio engineering by Lauryn Newson. Production assistance from Polina Cherezova. Learn more at ProximityMedia.com and by following @ProximityMedia, @Marvel, and @MarvelStudios on Twitter and Instagram. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming only on Disney+. Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever is coming to Disney+ on February 22

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. This episode on APEX EXPRESS highlights Khamsa, the Arabic word for “five,” is a multimedia art project showcasing Black, Muslim, Immigrant, and Refugee visual artists and musicians traversing the five stages of grief. In September 2022, Khamsa launched with an art exhibition at Aggregate Space Gallery in Oakland with a line-up of community events featuring musical performances from the project's hip hop artists and guest artists such as dancer Linkk and harpist Destiny Muhammad. Khamsa continues with an ongoing podcast series and a hip hop album released on October 23, 2022 through Simmons Music Group. Khamsa aims to address the different forms and contexts of grief, weaving both personal and universal experiences of loss. From the personal pain of losing a loved one, to the toll of Islamophobia and prejudice, Khamsa will draw in each and every one of us while bringing the stories and experiences of Black, Muslim, Immigrant, and Refugee artists to the forefront. Khamsa is a project to find harmony in our shared stories, bridging differences in cultures, beliefs, and history. Check out more about their work here: https://www.artogether.org/khamsa/ This episode was interviewed, produced, and edited by @Swati Rayasam.     Muslim, Black, Refugee rappers and artists launch healing project in West Oakland: Khamsa Project OAKLAND, CA – Khamsa, the Arabic word for “five,” is a multimedia art exhibition showcasing twenty Muslim, Black, Immigrant, and/or Refugee visual artists and musicians traversing the five stages of grief. Oakland-based organizations ARTogether and Gathering All Muslim Artists (GAMA) encourage the audience to explore different aspects of trauma's universality, striving to spark new narratives around grief and trauma, by using varied media and disciplines to present new perspectives on mental health. “The 5 stages of grief are not a linear process, we may spend some time in anger and then move to acceptance, spend some time there and move to depression,” says Abbas Mohamed, Executive Director of GAMA. “Our goal is not to remove grief from the community, because grief never goes away, but rather to equip the community with the perspectives needed to process and heal through the grief.” Weaving both personal and universal experiences of loss—from the personal pain of losing a loved one, to the toll of Islamophobia and prejudice—Khamsa is a project to find harmony in our shared stories, bridge differences in cultures, beliefs, and history, and heal through the grief. “Art plays an important role in healing our communities, especially for people of color.” Guled Muse, Executive Producer and Lead Artist, states. “I am truly excited that I was able to work with ARTogether and GAMA to collectively bring artists from different mediums, nationalities, and beliefs to explore their minds in how they process emotions and grief through music and visual arts.” Khamsa ran from September 2 – October 15, 2022 at Aggregate Space Gallery in Oakland. This program is made possible with support from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art's Building Bridges Program. Featured visual artists include Keyvan Shovir, Meriam Salem, Nabi Haider Ali, and Zara. Featured musical artists include Bryan C. Simmons, Cheflee, Mani Draper, Spote Breeze, and Sukina Noor. Khamsa Project Transcript Attachment    Khamsa Project Transcript: [00:00:00] Swati:  [00:00:33] Swati: Good evening everyone. And welcome to apex express. This is Swati Rayasam your very special guest host. Tonight I got the chance to sit down with Leva Zand and Guled Muse to talk about their recent project Khamsa which launched at the aggregate space gallery in west Oakland. Khamsa the Arabic word for five is a multimedia art project, showcasing Black, Muslim immigrant, and refugee visual [00:01:00] artists and musicians transversing the five stages of grief.  [00:01:03] Swati: I was so glad I was able to learn about not only Humsa but more about Leva and Glad's backgrounds and how in the process of putting together this show. They navigated their own grief and the multifaceted nature of grief, from the personal, such as the loss of a loved one to the societal toll of the COVID 19 pandemic, Islamophobia, or other forms of prejudice and violence.  [00:01:26] Swati: Stay locked in.  [00:01:28] Swati: Leva and Guled I'm so excited to have you. Welcome to APEX Express. I'm really thrilled to talk about your show, Khamsa, to talk about the music Guled that you've been working on, and Leva to talk a lot more about Art Together and kind of your, vision for using art as part of social change.  [00:01:45] Guled: Absolutely. For sure. And thank you so much for bringing us to the show. Truly appreciate it. My name is Guled Muse. Vallejo, Bay Area. I'm a music producer, curator, event, and content creator[00:02:00] had a lot of years, community organizing in San Francisco.  [00:02:04] Leva: My name is Leva Zand I was born and raised in Iran and I came to the US with my family in 2003 as refugees. My professional background was an international development. And I founded and I started Art Together in 2017 and I'm currently the executive director of the organization. [00:02:25] Swati: Awesome. And can you tell me a little bit more about what Art Together is? [00:02:29] Leva: Absolutely. The promise of Art Together is that we can do community building through art. Our original story is that during 2016 we were all very mad and sad and angry of election of Trump. To me, it was actually a shock because I didn't expect, and I realized that after, like being here for 15 years, I don't really know people enough. And also I experienced a sort of anger and rage in me that was very unique and new. [00:02:56] Leva: And that feeling stayed for a couple of months and I was like, I have to do [00:03:00] something about this. And it's very interesting because it seems like that election of Donald Trump was the moment that I felt American in a way that I felt like I have some skills. This is my community, this is my place, this is my people. I wanna bring those skills home. My goal was like, what is missing in the services that refugees and immigrants are receiving? [00:03:23] Leva: If you remember, we had lots of anti-refugee, anti-immigrant rhetoric back then. Muslim Ban and all of those. So I start researching what services available, what has changed since my family came here. And I realize not that much. There are amazing organizations who are providing services when refugees arrived, or social services, like mental health food or logistical support, like helping them finding housing or employment, but I couldn't find any community building program. I remember when we came here, me and my siblings speak English, but that was not the [00:04:00] case for my parents. And it took them many years to basically found their community. And knowing that, and also be familiar, that, language, is a barrier for new arrivals here for many of them. I was thinking like, what can be a medium that bring people together that they don't necessarily needs language or enter a room, a space that don't immediately feel like, oh, they don't know English, and the shame or isolation that ca comes with it. And that's why art came to mind basically. [00:04:28] Leva: It is something that everybody can enjoy, everybody can practice that you don't have to be artists to go enjoy music or theater or arts. So I started talking with a few friends of mine. And, we put together some concept of this Art Together, like how can art be used as community building? And then I started reaching out to, some service agencies, some resettlement agencies that, Hey, what do you think about this idea? Many of them welcome this idea of like how to use art to bring community together, so [00:05:00] that was the origin of story basically the first year. [00:05:02] Swati: Awesome. Yeah. Guled, if you could just give our listeners like a background, How did you become a musician? What was your inspiration? What's your vibe?  [00:05:12] Guled: As far as my music, it really just started with Rap City, back when I was like 10 years old when I first immigrated to this country and we got cable in the apartment. I remember, the channels we were just flipping through and BET was one of them. And more specifically Rap City. I remember it vividly because I remember like just that small television in the living room. We didn't have too much furniture. And, I remember seeing Black Star, Definition, the music video. And just seeing these brothers just spitting the way that they were was like, was absolutely fascinating. I've always had an experience with hip hop, but then it was much more like the commercial, like bad boy puffy, big willy style, men in black soundtrack. And from a global perspective you only get like what is being pushed to you, but [00:06:00] then really starting to understand regional hip hop, whether it was Outkast, whether it was, listening to hieroglyphics. It was something that fascinated me to the point where I started to participate in the culture as an mc, I was known as that little rapper in school. And, went on and just, things evolved. Being in college, doing a lot of events hip hop related in SF State. Shout outs to Professor Fisher, Donna, Lisa, the whole Africana studies department over there. Major love to them and the experience that they had provided me in being able to also participate in the educational aspects of teaching hip hop. [00:06:36] Guled: I remember moving to Oakland. I think that was the city that really provided the spirit inside of me. I was once outer shell of myself, just didn't know who I was and like really Oakland around that time just like really embraced me. And just being around a lot of creators, a lot of artists inspired me, but then there's so much politics within the rap game. There's a lot. [00:07:00] To the point where artists had to compromise the way that they would rap. The music that they would create. And I was seeing, an underground movement happening at the same time in Oakland, shout outs to Smart Bomb. They're doing phenomenal work. And they really inspired me to the point where, my colleagues and I, we created a website, a music project called Speak With Beats, where we were highlighting, beat makers and musicians from the Bay Area because in the Bay, we are very unique, due to the fact that we're siloed from a lot of other regions where we're not really inspired by what is hot at the moment. It's always been a thing, but now with the internet, everything sounds the same, right? Because you're being inspired by so many different artists from a click of a button. [00:07:44] Guled: But still, there's this unique aspect of people making original music and I wanted to reward them and to highlight these artists that I was just fans of before I was friends, like fans of, just to give them a platform was very important. [00:07:58] Guled: And that's where I [00:08:00] saw where my skillset was. It's transmuted from, like participating more as an mc now, just being much more behind the scenes and utilizing the organizing experience that I've had to empower my people, my colleagues, my friends who are just extremely talented and just to know that I see them.  [00:08:19] Swati: I love that. I love, that's such like a beautiful local Bay Area story. How did you two get into contact? How'd you find each other?  [00:08:27] Guled: It's funny that Leva mentioned like the 20 16, 20 17, moments of our politics. Around that time I was dealing with personal issues, to the point where I just wanted to just step away from a lot of things, including music, art, activism. I was just personally more or less burnt out. And all of this stuff started happening. During 20 15, 20 16, I was wanting to think about ways of like really pushing, the culture that I was witnessing and experiencing and supporting at that [00:09:00] time to like new heights, right? Because when it comes to beat making music, like the instrumental hip hop scene, folks are now getting the taste of it with the lo-fi Cafe Girl, but I wanted to take it, one step further because I seen like the process of how people were creating the music, the way that they were sampling the music, the way that they would just come up with the production out of thin air. And I wanted to merge it in a, in such a way where it was like classical music, like jazz music, right? Because people were just putting out beat tapes consistently. Didn't have no theme, no nothing whatsoever. So I was like, let me try to curate something that was going to affect people in a way that words cannot describe. [00:09:44] Guled: So that's where like the origins of the Khamsa project started coming to be, just bubbling. So around that time I stepped away from a lot, but that project always lingered. It always was there. And I would have not [00:10:00] brought this project into manifestation if it wasn't for my co-creator, my brother, Abaas Muhammad from the GAMA collective Gathering All Muslim Artists. [00:10:10] Guled: Major love to him. He was someone who really just inspired me to push this further because as somebody who was providing support, sometimes you need support, right? I remember, some of my peoples telling me, a therapist also needs a therapist, right? At that moment, he was a person who really helped me out, who just didn't want me to stop my artistry. he recognized it and he really supported me to the point where he brought me into the attention of art together. [00:10:40] Guled: And then just from there, that's where it really started and it's been a long time coming, it's been a long time coming. This project has been years in the making, but it's just started having a mind of its own and I can't thank art together enough. [00:10:54] Leva: Thank you. Thank you for saying that you came from your mind. Let me also share my side of a story. First of all, part [00:11:00] of our mission was supporting refugees and immigrants. Very soon we realized that the disparity in art community and also the exclusivity of art community here, especially for immigrants or refugees it's very hard to get into the art world here. So, I think it was 2018, that we start thinking about how can we support, art together and support artists, refugee and immigrants artists. [00:11:21] Leva: And by then there were a team of like few interns who were working volunteers so we decided to partner with, GAMA, gathering all Muslim artists and Oakland Art, Asian Cultural Center to put a group show together to celebrate refugee immigrants artists in Auckland. [00:11:38] Leva: So we put the show together, I think we showcased at the work of more than 30 of such artists at O A C C, March 16th, 2020. Four days before everything goes down . And, Basically Guled came to one of our meeting. We didn't have office gallery or any of those things back then. And he said, well, I need a [00:12:00] couple thousand dollars for this. And we were looking at the project and we were like, this can be a major project. [00:12:05] Leva: This can be a lot bigger than this. Just the music. So we told him that yes, we are in. Let's see if we can find resources for that. First we didn't get them, and then we applied for a major grant through Doris Duke Foundation, building varied bridges, which is about, bringing more Muslim artists and our Islamic arts to the community here. And back then Angira Huka was our program director and the project developed a lot through talking through meetings and gatherings. we were really trying that not let funding or that the direction of fund shaped the project. And that's always a challenge because funders are interested in specific things. So we took some liberty on that. We took some liberty to making sure Guled's Ideas is actually coming out and GAMA shout out to them. Great partner. and that's how this came together.  [00:12:56] Guled: Yeah. I wanted add as well too, I told Abbas, if I [00:13:00] wanted to pursue this project, like I had to provide compensation for the artists. I feel like it was really important, especially like in the hip hop community over here, there's a lot of pro bono work that goes on. I just wanted to break that culture of pro bono work because people are just working so many jobs while doing music and some of them, they just basically making music for free. [00:13:25] Guled: But just to have that component, to say once again that I see you, like I wasn't going to do this project with without that. So to be able to partner up with Art together, partner up with GAMA, partner up with the Doris Duke Foundation, it was really humbling. It was really one of those moments in my life that kind of reinvigorated my admiration and my aspirations in the arts. And since then, it was just like, it was history.  [00:13:56] Swati: Yeah. I think that it is so critical, for [00:14:00] both of you having worked in community spaces and actively involved in community spaces in different ways, it's so important that like when you create projects or when you pursue things, that you do it with that code of ethics, right? I know that what I am doing is building up folks who are behind me, who are with me, that We seek to create a world in art and in any other aspect that is less exploitative than the one we inherited, the forever pursuit of liberation through that. So, tell me a little bit about what the Khamsa project is and then what was it that inspired you or that kept, you kind of stuck on it.  [00:14:37] Guled: Yeah. It's grief, like there's multiple levels to it. Everybody has their own relation to it. But at that moment, once again, it was just like me losing myself, I was grieving my hopes or whatever that I was personally dealing with at that time. I wanted to create this music project but then have people step inside the music project, [00:15:00] inside the mind of it. [00:15:01] Leva: I got interested in the project because it was about shared human experience. It was a thing that you don't need to be from Somalia, Iran, America, Texas, I don't know. You name it. You don't have to be from any of those to experience grief. [00:15:15] Leva: So it's a shared human experience and that's basically what we are doing at art together to emphasize on things that we can share rather than things that dividing us. And also it is not just grief. It's not grief for life. It can be loss of land, loss of people lots, loss of home. All of those things are lost. [00:15:33] Leva: So it's not necessarily just life that we are losing and we are grieving for. So for me, that aspect was very interesting that this is a shared human experience. And of course the timing of it you know, COVID was happening and before that, the experience of gun violence in this country and what's happening for the Black community specifically here. [00:15:51] Leva: So all of this came together for me at least, it was like this is a shared human experience and this is something that everybody can come and enjoy and [00:16:00] understand and also process. Guled is talking a lot about the music aspect of that, but we also put lots of emphasize and work on the visual, part of it for your listeners who may not know, Khamsa project, we partnered with aggregated Gallery space, which is a gallery in West Oakland, and we basically turned the space, like people could walk and they could, there were stations that they could listen to music, but they were also seeing different form of art forms. We had abstract art. We had video art, digital art. We had fabric art. So all of them were in the one place that walking people through this stages of grief, we all experienced it in a different way and different stages. It's not a linear thing. But Khamsa itself was a project walking through grief while music is with you. And while you are looking at some of these visual arts, this is how I describe it. and also I like it that it's hard to describe because it was very intersectional. It was very different from like other exhibitions or other albums [00:17:00] that you go through because it was just very intertwined with each other.  [00:17:03] Guled: Yeah. the aspect of bridging the gap between different communities was an important aspect, as someone who identifies as Muslim, and I've been in a lot of Islamic art shows and it was always something that relates to politics. They're always, something relates to Islamic history. I really wanted something that was more human. So to be able to have my homies who created the music project at the same time, the visual artists, they were also doing their own thing, creating art for the gallery. The funniest aspect is that none of them riffed ideas off of each other. They were all working independently away from each other. So it was a way to look at this concept from different vantage points, from different identities, but we're all looking at the same thing. [00:17:51] Guled: And that's like kind of the commonality of us just being humans in general. Somebody who now sees the world different. Like what I saw is [00:18:00] like a lot of different groups, they would always share their culture. [00:18:04] Guled: So just like the music project was one component, it was gonna be an instrumental music project, but then, I needed that element of the mc and needed the element of just raw MCs that were in our local area who were just phenomenal to speak on grief, to speak on the state of the community. [00:18:22] Guled: And in the meantime, like just being able to have these visual artists express themselves in such a way was the idea. But things just started . As Leva said, it just started becoming this, when the exhibit got launched, it just became a safe space for people to go through that journey and heal each other. [00:18:42] Guled: Because there was a question in the exhibit where it says, how do you heal and grieve? And the last piece of the puzzle was the people. And they all shared some phenomenal answers and I feel like it's just in the end, became such a community project, like what makes the Bay Area so great, makes the Bay Area so unique.[00:19:00]  [00:19:00] Swati: Yeah. I think that's so beautiful. I am so intrigued by the fact that you had all of these visual, auditory, otherwise artists grappling independently with what is grief to them. Being at the exhibit, you know there were a lot of different examples of grief, right? [00:19:17] Swati: Grief around lost girlhood, grief around home, grief around relationships within family, within community, and all these different aspects. How did you stitch the visual, the auditory, and even the live performance? I'd love for one of you to talk about the live performance.  [00:19:36] Leva: I feel like we were working with immensely talented people. We had two amazing project manager, Abbas and Michelle Lin from Art Together. Shout out to her. I think they did a phenomenal job in coordination because it was not easy to coordinate between that many artists. [00:19:53] Leva: And so part of it was coordination and also, be intentional about every connection. This [00:20:00] project as Guled said was very intertwined with people who were there. Like it was a different experience if you would go there and people were there, and then if you go just watch or look at the arts or listen, it became a safest space for grief because people immediately felt connected to the message. And what I loved, loved about the project was that it brought people to, to see the exhibition and listen to music that we don't necessarily consider them gallery goers or exhibition goers. Right, aunties and uncles came and they were part of creating this space.  [00:20:34] Guled: Yeah, absolutely. I would to say strategically for this project, once again, special shout outs to Angira and, and Michelle for really holding us down, my brother Abbas was such an important part and Art together was such an important part to this project. Their wheelhouse was understanding the visual arts realm and the exhibits and galleries and what it takes for the artists to come up with their pieces. [00:21:00] Myself was on the music. What I really enjoyed about it so much about the music project was just like, once again, I'm just a fan of everybody. I'm a fan of everybody. It was just like, if you had a basketball team, who would you pick? It was my version of Oceans 11 , just like picking the best artists that I knew at that time, you know?  [00:21:21] Guled: When it came to the music production side, I wouldn't have, done this project also with one of my good brothers, Pat Mesiti Miller, phenomenal audio engineer, beat producer and also a curator as well. He would take things sonically to another level. So, once that was done, it was like two worlds coming together and I really feel like the Aggregate Space Gallery really brought these two worlds to merge. [00:21:50] Swati: Guled you know can you tell me a little bit about, Khamsa the music album component of your project and how you originated it. [00:21:58] Guled: Yeah. Right now the, yeah, the Khamsa Music [00:22:00] Project is a five track ep. Each one of the tracks represent the different five stages of grief. I initially wanted to create this more as an instrumental music project. Same way you can kind of feel jazz music, classical music, if you were thinking about, or processing an emotion, creating music that words can't describe, right? [00:22:21] Guled: Like such, like these types of experiences that you go through with grief. But however, as, as years went on, I just felt that the importance of having an mc was crucial. I felt like we needed a voice. We were losing too many hip hop artists, to gun violence. COVID affected us. George Floyd affected us, whenever experiences, critical moments in history happened like the way that hiphop responded was always powerful to me. Whether it was the death of Amadou Diallo and how a lot of the hiphop artists at that time spoke up against his death to Tupac, to Biggie, like they [00:23:00] were reflections of their time. And I just felt it was important the MCs, speak on the state of their consciousness, but also in return, being able to let the community know that they're with them. [00:23:11] Guled: Initially also, we were going to have interludes within each of these tracks, with a phenomenal artist, by the name of Sekina Noor, based out in London, with these MCs talking and rapping with each stage of grief, it was going to be her spoken word pieces during the interludes this divine feminine consciousness of what was going on in the way that we were processing this journey altogether. But yeah, just really touched base with all my homies from the Bay Area who are born and raised in Oakland Richmond, or who have had many years being in the bay, gotten in a lot of game from the Bay Area and these are all like my favorite artists I'm a fan of all of them. [00:24:00] And I guarantee three, four or five years from now you're gonna hear a lot more noise from these people.  [00:24:05] Swati: So in the process of reaching out to all of these artists that you respect all your friends, right? How did you go about curating each of these tracks did you pair the track or the theme to the artist? was that collaborative? [00:24:20] Guled: And what's funny is, cuz all these other MCs, I spoke with them, a long time ago, I told them, straight up like, Hey, listen, I'm not going to ask of this from you if I don't have a budget and as soon as Allah blessed me with the grant money from the Doris Duke Foundation, it was on.  [00:24:36] Guled: These were people that I've known for years, so I've kind of recognized their strengths except for D. Lee, D. Lee is just like one of those people who I met on the fly, and he's such a natural, he's just a phenomenal artist.  Denial [00:24:49] Guled: I was wanting to work with another artist for the track denial, but that didn't work out. But in the meantime, out of the blue, I remember I was just like listening to Water, [00:25:00] water for the Town Project, a project that's a compilation project of the Smart Bomb Collective. And it was a track with D.Lee, with his cousin, spoke Breeze and when I heard him, I was just blown back. I had to just like, you know, press it on repeat again. And I was just like, this is, he's great. You know? And so I had to reach out to my boy, spoke and spoke, reached out to D. Lee and we politiced. And what's funny is that he was the first person to deliver the track to me. And then the dope thing about it too was on the production side, you got pASDOO, who's a phenomenal producer who understands the science of sound.  [00:25:37] Guled: [00:26:00] As far as with the track anger with Mani Draper, you know, shoutouts to Grand National, Mani to me he's such a great artist. I feel like he was able to bring anger home, like if you listen to the track, it sounds like Grand Master Flash is the message. You know, like, just don't push me. And he, I feel like can represent that. And then the energy that he brought with the track, I just knew he would be the right fit. We have Brian Simmons, a phenomenal composer. He tours with fantastic Negrito and this music project that's on his label, he brought it home .   [00:27:00]  Bargaining [00:27:03] Guled: When I was thinking about who will be the right mc for bargaining, Spote Breeze just popped in my mind because of his albums, because of his music. He's a very, very layered, very complex lyricist, and I feel like the stage of bargaining was perfect for him. Cheflee is a genius, and Spote Breeze and Cheflee works together so well. And he brought it home not only providing the instrumental, but also he included the hook and the instrumental, so it was like a song that was writing itself and it just paired so well [00:28:00]  Depression [00:28:14] Guled: When it came to the track of depression, I reached out to my boy Nu Nasa, and Nu Nasa to me is one of the most positive, positive MCs. If you listen to the rest of his catalog of music, it's very uplifting. It's highly spiritual, and I've only known him artistically on that side. I wanted to see his shadow self something that was different. shout outs to aboveclouds from Virginia, he really brought that Boom Bap the style of Boom B ap was perfect.  Acceptance [00:28:46] Guled: [00:29:00] As far as with acceptance, my man, Gavin Anthony. He was somebody who I knew in my years being an mc. He was like, one of my OGs, one of my big brothers in the hip hop community. And he is not only a phenomenal lyricist, he's a phenomenal freestyler and his reflections and is just being like, older than me. [00:30:00] You know, I feel like he's been through the cycles of grief himself, so for him to talk about acceptance, it's kind of like this brotherly advice and just wisdom of somebody who's went through all of this and was able to accept. And I felt like it was a great piece to the puzzle. And then Sydequest really bringing the project home.  [00:30:18] Guled: [00:31:00] Each one of these tracks were challenging for the artists to process. So once again, all of these people I am a fan of, and I just thought like, what would happen if these folks were paired up together. and, The first time I heard it was two months after it got mixed. My boy pASDOO. He was also the audio engineer of this project. He was like, Hey, listen, you're not gonna listen to this project until the listening session. So we had a listening session at the Reef Studios on Oakland, OG Jaren and Brian C. Simmons spot. And when I first heard the project, I was just blown back, I didn't expect, the magic. [00:31:38] Guled: It was hair raising to be in the studio, listening to the songs blare out, the speakers to be around my people. It was definitely a dream come true. Like just sitting there and listening to it all. It felt like I was at a brief moment living my aspiring self. Just being there, [00:32:00] just seeing, just witnessing everything and just knowing that the art was coming from a very deep place. It just came out to being something that I thoroughly enjoy just as a fan and I felt like I put all my chips in one basket and got double in return.  [00:32:16] Swati: Yeah. No, it's a really seamless album. As you said, it had been years between when you talked about this project and when it finally got funded you were like, it's go time. And I think it speaks to the strength of the Oakland hip hop community to your music community that like, everybody was like, absolutely, let's go.  [00:32:38] Swati: You're tuned in to apex express at 94.1 KPFA and 89.3 KPFB in Berkeley and online@kpfa.org. Coming up we have two songs from Khamsa the album. The first Anger by Mani Draper. Co-produced by Mani Draper and Brian C. Simmons followed by [00:33:00] Something by spote Breeze produced by Cheflee    [00:33:03] Swati: [00:34:00] [00:35:00] [00:36:00] [00:37:00] [00:38:00] you just heard Something by Spote breeze produced by Cheflee and before that [00:39:00] was Anger by Mani Draper. Co-produced by Mani Draper and Brian C. Simmons from Khamsa at the album. Now, back to the interview.  [00:39:09] Swati: Going back to kind of what I think both of you said at different points that like this exhibition was really about breaking barriers in terms of who is considered somebody that goes to a gallery, goes to an art show, and also what art is appropriate and then even then, what belongs together. And I think particularly in the space of Islamic art, it's so important both that you married the visual of having, artists of color having, Islamic art, but then also really having this huge hip hop auditory component to explicitly have that conversation of blackness and muslimness and creation together.  [00:39:51] Guled: The thing is that this project was challenging for everybody. Like, for everybody. And when I've approached my homies about it, they're like, [00:40:00] you know, I have to really dig deep because there's trauma involved. We don't normally talk about it as much so for people to muster that up, even with the visual artists as well too, for them to really go into these spaces, that is hard, but they understood that the purpose of it was to really let people know that they're not alone, you know? To bring these world together cuz there was so much, these years, like from the moment this project was thought of to like, when the exhibit was happening, so much was going on in the world. And for people to be that vulnerable it takes a toll. [00:40:38] Guled: But some of the best art, I've ever seen came from those spaces and for them to become the mirror for people to reflect on their own sense of grief gives all this work a lot of meaning. Just the way that the people was also able to participate, in these events. I know you mentioned something about the event [00:41:00] program inside, some were planned and others weren't, one of them in particular, cuz there was just so much gun violence going on in Oakland, we had a shooting that occurred around that time in the mosque, that took the lives of, Asam Al-Awjri and Belal Esa, two people from the community, were lost to gun violence, and also the school shootings that were happening as well. Like even during that moment, while the exhibit was going, we had to curate spaces for that as well. And, just to kind of reflect back, even after the exhibit was done, some of that emotion, some of that energy, it still lingers with me to this day. [00:41:42] Guled: Yeah. Thank you for sharing that also I attended the closing ceremony and you know, Leva you gave this really beautiful speech around the crisis in Iran and what grief was bringing up for you in this space. I was wondering if you'd be open to speaking about that. [00:42:00]  [00:42:01] Leva: Yeah, it takes a lot to be comfortable with vulnerability and that is something that Khamsa and the space that it created, for it to be safe for me as the director of an organization, feel comfortable enough and feel safe enough to come and talking about what's going on in my community. [00:42:20] Leva: Right. And feel safe enough to just cry and talk.  [00:42:23] Swati: just to interject, could you give a very brief overview of what the crisis in Iran is from your perspective? [00:42:29] Leva: So what's happening in Iran is that people are tired of 40 years, four decades of autocracy and dictatorship, and a version of Islam, a version of religion that has been dictated to them no matter what they want or how they want to practice religion. [00:42:46] Leva: Unfortunately, what happened is that under this Islamic regime, I'm not calling it Islamic country because the regime itself is a dictatorship, and this is different from people. So like any fascism, they are harassing [00:43:00] people. They're killing people.  [00:43:01] Leva: I came to the US as refugee because as religious minority back in Iran, my family around their persecution, my uncle is in right now, a couple of my friends are in prison. My uncle is in prison just because he was teaching in a university to people like us, right? So the current uprising started after a young woman got killed under custody of police, morality, police, if you don't know, in Iran, there is morality police who is basically telling women in the streets how to wear hijab, how to practice their religion. [00:43:29] Leva: And people basically got tired of that so the uprising started with that, and very soon people got united that everyone wanted this regime to go. Unfortunately, what's happening is massive execution that has been regime's strategy in the last 40 years. Because again, they're killing and executing young people, young folks, without having any reason for that or any. Fair trial. So that is also grief. And it feels like for my community, we've been grieving for 40 years and that's [00:44:00] why I feel like sharing this stuff and sharing about this emotion is important. But yeah, Basically that's what's going in Iran, protests are still going, the mass execution, basically every day we're waking up to some execution news and we really hope that again we are so desperate and helpless from here. [00:44:17] Leva: That was a day that a big fire was happening in a prison that most of the political prisoners are there. And I had no idea how to process that but still be a professional person, go to work, go to the speech, do the speech, because again, that's my job. So having that space and feeling so comfortable for that many people to just see me crying.  [00:44:38] Leva: Again, the beauty of Khamsa I don't know if I would be able to be the same or talk the same way or tell the same story if it was in another exhibition or another art opening. The space itself I feel like gave me and of course people who were around and I will see them I feel comfortable enough with them. And this is not common in our communities, especially men Muslim men, because [00:45:00] I know many of them and they're friends of mine, it's not common to talk about this emotions, what's going on. And again, Shout out to Guled and the whole team who created that space. during that time, one of our staff member was going through a shooting. And again, as a whole, we felt like, my God, this is space Khamsa, was the right time, right place for all of us to be able to be vulnerable and still feel safe and connected.  [00:45:26] Swati: I really empathize with that feeling of desperation and hopelessness being in diaspora currently. But I think, you know, maintaining conversations around what is going on currently in Iran keeping tabs on what is going on, talking about it, talking about injustice and lending complexity to a narrative and not giving it to the regime, not giving it to the United States government, but really giving it to the people who have deserved it for all this time. [00:45:50] Leva: Absolutely. Absolutely. And again, this is also important for me personally, having many Muslim friends that I want them to also understand that this is not an uprising [00:46:00] against religion and the way that hijab was dictating on us we never had a choice. For me to be able to go to a school, I had to wear hijab, right? We never had a choice to practice what we wanted to do. So this is not an uprising against Islam, it's not about being Islamophobic. or don't want that. It's just people tired of fascism that govern them under the name of this religion. And that's why I feel like solidarity of Muslim community outside of Iran is crucial for them because the government in Iran can't say that, oh this anti-Islam, this is anti-religion movement. But thank you for bringing that up. Absolutely correct that we also have duty to keep this conversation going. [00:46:40] Swati: Yeah, definitely. And I think back to just really what the whole purpose of Khamsa is, right? In terms of humanizing people and bringing to light and bringing to immersive experience. [00:46:53] Swati: This really, scary emotion that all of us are feeling constantly and trying [00:47:00] to avoid. I mean, Guled, how has grief modified and changed over the lifetime of that project and what does it mean to you right now? [00:47:09] Guled: I feel like grief is like one of those, like eternal human tragedies, just when we are very well versed in what it is theoretically, like when it happens to you, you feel the effects, whether you far away, whether you're close to someone. It's like one of those truths, right? For me, just living with it, I remember seeing something really cool about Japanese art where they glue pieces together of like pottery with gold. Because even through all of that, amidst of all of the suffering and the trauma. You gain wisdom, you gain light, you gain hope. You gained this understanding of what it is to be human because day by day we're still like running around. You're just going from one place to another and not really sitting down with the experience, like what it is to live this life, in the third dimension . And I felt that art has always been a [00:48:00] way to bring something from the ether or from a different dimension, from a different place these things that really affect us to the core. [00:48:07] Guled: As far as with, my Muslim identity like Islam. You know, there's a really important fact that people have to understand is that, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) there was a period of his time called the Year of Sorrow, where he lost his beloved uncle who protected him from his persecutors and his first wife who was holding him down, who supported him since day one. This is somebody who we revere as extremely holy, somebody who had divine revelations from the most high in a very personal way. But yet somebody of this stature still dealt with grief, he still dealt with that. So, the beautiful part about the Muslim artists is the fact that, there's people who identify with Islam you know, and from a different perspective. You could [00:49:00] be Shia, you can, speak on like the history of what happened to the grandson of the prophet Muhammad and his family, and the anger that community still feels to this day during Karbala, you can, speak on behalf of Leva's experience where , you have this regime that is pushing Islam in such a way where it's suppressing people when it's supposed to liberate us. [00:49:22] Guled: And I myself, even though I identify as Sunni, for Somali people in general, when I did the knowledge, you know, we have Sufism we have that spiritual component in our faith. And just knowing the spiritual wisdom behind the experiences that we deal with, in our day-to-day, is kind of way of God still communicating with us. Even outside of a book is God still communicating with us. So this project really, you know, after going through it, it really brought me closer to a higher power. But in the meantime, made me [00:50:00] realize like there's still so much that we have to do. Not even on the activism way, but to just even call somebody. Just tell them that you love them. Like how many of us are really doing that? Because we're chasing money. We, are putting our lives or putting our value towards things that are material, you know? It gave me such a deep reflection and for others to share their art this way and for the community to show up and provide their wisdom. It helped me a lot. It helped me a lot emotionally. It helped me a lot spiritually. It still has a mind of its own, it's still lingering. But I'm grateful and I'm blessed  [00:50:40] Leva: Thank you Guled for sharing. People processing grief very differently. I believe that, I think when I was a child, somebody told me that everybody who's living your life is taking a little piece of your heart with him. And there is a hole there that you have to learn to live with that hole and still survive. There are lots of holes in our hearts, and as we are [00:51:00] growing up, there are more and more of them. So it is actually, how are you gonna manage that? To me, over time, it became the celebration of life. It became the celebration of what we lost. [00:51:10] Leva: If it was a relationship, if it was land, if it was home, how can I cherish the moments because I cannot have them back. Coming to the realization of that, and also give it time, it's like we cannot say that, oh, I'm gonna give a five months timeline to this grief, and then I'm gonna be fine. No, every grief is different.  [00:51:28] Leva: For now I'm at the stage of my life that for me, it became more about celebration of life. Then go back and thinking about that piece of the hole that I have in my heart. It may change in a few years, but I am there. Right now . [00:51:44] Swati: That's such a beautiful sentiment. So for both of you, as we're closing, what projects are currently in the works or up next for either of you, or are you taking a very well deserved nap? [00:51:59] Guled: [00:52:00] As a matter of fact, right now I got the Khamsa Music project on all streaming platforms I have a Spotify playlist right now drop a Gem on them. It's a, It's a song from Mob Deep, one of my favorite hip hop groups. And it's a lot of just powerful hip hop music from different artists, from my own personal listening collection that got me by cuz hip hop taught me a lot. And I just feel like in this moment, I wanted to share that so people could, can get educated and learn and to also feel, and the same way that I really love hip hop. But in the meantime, you know, working with different artists and their music projects, Got some stuff under wraps, I'm still pushing. No matter how much, I'm, I'm trying to , I try I feel like this always still calls me and this still inspires me.  [00:52:50] Leva: We just opened Art Together's center in downtown Oakland. We started with a gallery. We really hope to make it a[00:53:00] new cultural hub for artists who may otherwise not have the opportunity.  [00:53:03] Leva: right now, Unfortunately, artists needs to be artists, they're social media manager, marketing person, project manager. So they have to be all of those things while also their brain is working on the art. I feel like organization like Art Together and specifically artist support program is coming handy because we are trying to take care of the logistic of the board and let the artist brain work the way that it's working. [00:53:27] Leva: Right? And that's why we are trying to have one or two major artistic project every year, the end result is going to be a public display of art, but we are here to support the logistical part of it and make it happen. This is unfortunately part of being an artist that you need to do everything and everything is harder for artists of colors and refugee immigrants, Black artists, everything is harder for them, so this is a mission for this space. I invite everyone to please come 1200 Harrison, downtown Oakland, close to Bart, make a visit. You wouldn't regret that. In terms of like major [00:54:00] projects, we are currently working with Toro Hatari, Japanese American artists for a participatory project that contains some installation coming out of workshops that spark conversation between refugees and non-refugee and locals, sharing experience and sharing a story. So we are excited about that one. That is our major art project for now. But our community art programs and many other stuff are going on. Look at our website, www art together.org. [00:54:28] Swati: Amazing. I am so glad, Leva, that you were all able to find a new home at 1200 Harrison, you said in downtown Oakland. And you know, Guled I think for the most part, all I can say is that we have to keep an eye on you. But, I really appreciate, both of you coming onto Apex Express. Is there anything else that you wanted to talk about before we closed out?  [00:54:50] Guled: So the Humsa album is on Bandcamp, on all streaming platforms this project was, an artist-led one. So all money is gonna go [00:55:00] towards, the folks that were involved. just [00:55:02] Guled: Shout out to Simmons Music Group or shout out to Brian Simmons. Shout out to Mani Draper,Nu Nasa, pASDOO. My brother D. Lee, definitely he's next up from East Oakland. Fire! Spote Breeze, Cheflee, my brothers Sydequest, Gavin Anthony, all my brothers. And the music project, major love town, major love to leva, major love to art together. Once again, it gives me reassurance to keep going. And in art and once again, . Major shoutouts to Abbas Muhammad GAMA Collective and shout out to all the listeners [00:55:40] Swati:  [00:55:40] Swati: Amazing. So that would be khamsaprojectartist.bandcamp.com/album/khamsathealbum. We'll drop that in the show notes for those of you who are curious.  [00:55:52] Leva: Everything that Guled says, plus I wanna name the visual artists who were part of this project Fahd Butt, Romina Zabihian, [00:56:00] Keyvan Shovir, Shaghayegh Cyrous, Gazelle Samizay, and Nabi Haider Ali, Meriam Salem, Fatima Zara. They were amazing visual artists. Shout out to Miles, Michelle, Angira, Velasani and everybody else who make this project possible. And thank you. Thank you for giving us this platform and opportunity to talk.  [00:56:21] Guled: See we have like a hundred people on this project. [00:56:24] Guled: Yeah. You say, I was like, this  [00:56:26] Swati: is, this is absolutely a community project.  [00:56:29] Guled: Yeah, definitely a community project.  [00:56:32] Swati: Awesome. Well, thank you both so much.  [00:56:35] Swati: To learn more about Khamsa a collaborative and very clearly community involved project by ArtTogether and Gathering All Muslim Artists Collective or GAMA visit www.art together.org/khamsa. That's KHAMSA. From there, you'll be able to find and purchase the album on Bandcamp, listen to the podcast and learn more about the project as a whole.  [00:56:58] Swati: Thank you [00:57:00] so much for joining us, please check out our website, kpfa.org/program/apex express to find out more about the show tonight and to find out how you can take direct action. We thank all of you listeners out there, keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important. Apex express is produced by Miko Lee, jalena Keane-Lee, Paige Chung, and today Swati Rayasam.  [00:57:30] Swati: Thank you so much to KPFA staff for their support and have a great night.   [00:58:00]  The post APEX Express – 12.26.23 – Khamsa Project appeared first on KPFA.

Being on the set of Wakanda Forever was a different kind of filmmaking experience. It was a wake. It was a celebration. It was therapy. Angela Bassett joins Ta-Nehisi Coates to discuss where art met reality in her award-winning performance as Queen Ramonda. Then production designer Hannah Beachler and director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw break down how they used grief, joy, and a lot of research to bring the worlds of Wakanda and Talokan to the screen. Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast is a production of Proximity Media in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment.  The series is written and hosted by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Produced by Paola Mardo. Executive Producers are Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Paola Mardo. The film score is composed by Ludwig Göransson. Story editing by James Kim. Audio editing by Cameron Kell and Cedric Wilson. Sound design and additional music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Audio engineering by Lauryn Newson. Production assistance from Polina Cherezova. Learn more at ProximityMedia.com and by following @ProximityMedia, @Marvel, and @MarvelStudios on Twitter and Instagram. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming soon on Disney+.

The story of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever emerged out of the very real death of Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played T'Challa. But there was an earlier version of the script, a different story written when no one involved in the movie knew that Chadwick was gravely ill. Ta-Nehisi Coates is joined by director and co-writer Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole to discuss the original screenplay, the changes they needed to make, what makes a Black Panther film, and their special collaboration on both movies. Ta-Nehisi also talks to producers Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, and Nate Moore, Executive of Production and Development, to learn about the 22-year journey to bring Black Panther to the screen and what excites them about Namor, comic book storytelling, and making movies. Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast is a production of Proximity Media in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment. The series is written and hosted by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Produced by Paola Mardo. Executive Producers are Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Paola Mardo. The film score is composed by Ludwig Göransson. Story editing by James Kim. Audio editing by Cameron Kell and Cedric Wilson. Sound design and additional music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Audio engineering by Lauryn Newson. Production assistance from Polina Cherezova. Learn more at ProximityMedia.com and by following @ProximityMedia, @Marvel, and @MarvelStudios on Twitter and Instagram. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming soon on Disney+

Ta-Nehisi Coates speaks with Ryan Coogler about the journey from Black Panther to Wakanda Forever and the loss of his lead actor and friend Chadwick Boseman. Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast is a production of Proximity Media in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment. The series is written and hosted by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Produced by Paola Mardo. Executive Producers are Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Paola Mardo. The film score is composed by Ludwig Göransson. Story editing by James Kim. Audio editing by Cameron Kell and Cedric Wilson. Sound design and additional music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Audio engineering by Lauryn Newson. Production assistance from Polina Cherezova. Learn more at ProximityMedia.com and by following @ProximityMedia, @Marvel, and @MarvelStudios on Twitter and Instagram. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming soon on Disney+

Starting on live TV at a beauty pageant, we follow four women across two referendums to explore the consequences of talking about abortion and discover the quiet power and hidden dangers of speech itself. And when a young Josh Healy learns some unexpected news from his girlfriend, his first thought is of his grandmothers. STORIES Lights Out: A Sense of Quietness This story follows a line of connection through four women across two referendums to explore the unexpected consequences of talking about abortion. Starting on live television at a beauty pageant, we hear from a journalist, a radio producer, the founder of a woman's clinic and a woman traveling from Ireland to the UK - and discover the quiet power and hidden dangers of speech itself. This story contains threats of sexual assault and discusses abortion. Please take care while listening. A Sense of Quietness' was originally produced for Lights Out, a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. It was produced by Eleanor McDowall and features Brianna Parkins, Siobhan McHugh and Anne Connolly, as well as the anonymous woman who traveled. With additional recordings courtesy of Zoë Comyns and Regan Hutchins. To hear more documentaries from the Lights Out series, everything is freely available on the Falling Tree website. Barbara & Esther When Josh Healey learns some unexpected news from his girlfriend, his first thought… is of Grandma Barbara and Grandma Henrietta This story was told at SNAP LIVE in New York. Watch Josh's live performance! The original music was composed by Alex Mandel, and performed by Alex and the Snap Judgment Playaz — Tim Frick and David Brandt. It was recorded and mixed by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Artwork by Teo Ducot Special thanks to Yera, Annie Ngyuen, and Richard Bowie for collecting tape out on the streets for this episode. Season 13 - Episode 37

When Swiyyah and Dederick got married, her schizophrenia was a challenge they thought was under control. Until it wasn't. And Glynn tells a story at Snap LIVE in Brooklyn about searching for his lost friend in Las Vegas. STORIES Swiyyah and Dederick When Swiyyah and Dederick got married, her schizophrenia was a challenge they thought was under control. Until it wasn't. Listen as they share their story of facing life's many challenges with love, faith, and each other. This story comes to us from the amazing Unseen & Unheard podcast. This show aims to change the way we see schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder by revealing the untold stories of those actually living with these illnesses. Hear from adults in the US going through life with these conditions. The hardships. The humanity. But also, the hope. Learn more at www.UnseenUnheardPodcast.com. This story was produced by PRX productions, Jocelyn Gonzales, Ian Fox, with writing by Sarah Lilley, and engineering by Tommy Bazarian with assistance from Marisa Dodge. It is sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Leaving Las Vegas Glynn tells a story at Snap LIVE in Brooklyn about searching for his lost friend in Las Vegas. Music by Bells Atlas. Engineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller. This story contains some strong language. Sensitive listeners please be advised. Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 13 - Episode 33

When record store owner Jeff Bubeck buys an old record collection out of an abandoned storage unit, he has no idea what he's stumbled across. Jeff learns the collection once belonged to the late great J Dilla, one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time. Along with the thousands of LPs from Dilla's personal collection, there is something else that is uncovered, something huge. Producer Pat Mesiti-Miller talks with Jeff Bubeck and Dilla's mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey. Learn more about the J Dilla Foundation. Want to hear some of the music from the recovered tapes? Go listen to: The Lost Scrolls, Vol. 1 - EP J Dilla. Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller, artwork by Teo Ducot Season 13 - Episode 11 - Snap Classic

A computer learns to speak with emotion and conviction but lacks the ability to distinguish good ideas from absolute madness. And a man has a chance to work on a secret project involving millions of flying mammals that could put an end to World War II. STORIES Theodora Making sense of the world is always a struggle.  And that's why, as far back as time has existed, some people have chosen to stand up in front of others and tells stories and share ideas that make sense of the chaos around us. We call them "orators" or "the ones who speak"  They turn the chaos into meaning and inspiration. But there's a bad side of orators too—it's the snake oil salesmen....the buzzword charlatans...the intellectual xenomorphs who prey upon those who just want to find some deeper truths. Producer Jeff Emtman is particularly sensitive to this dual nature of public speaking...he's got some of those darker traits himself.  So he developed a simple robot named Theodora who could speak to him about the highly porous barrier that separates inspiration and madness. This piece comes to us from the podcast Here Be Monsters (HBM146: Theodora). Music by James Li, of Liance.  Album: This Painting Doesn't Dry Theodora's also a Twitterbot. Read her latest meanderings on Twitter at @hypo_inspo. The Other Secret Weapon A young man has the chance to work on a very secret, very powerful weapon that could put an end to World War II. The project involves no toxins, no chemicals, no shrapnel and no bullets. Instead, the project involves lots and lots of flying mammals. Lots. This story details a war situation involving both people and animals, sensitive listeners please be advised. BIG thanks to Jack Couffer, who is now 97, and BIG love to the entire Couffer family. Special thanks to producer Elizabeth Nakano & to Doctor Peter Kuznick from the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University. The bat recordings were made for us by artist & composer Geneva Skeen. Learn more about Geneva's work. Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio, sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller, artwork by Teo Ducot Season 12 - Episode 32

An Israeli soldier’s decision to speak out against his own violent actions comes back to haunt him. And a little girl in Brooklyn devotes herself to becoming a nun… or does she? STORIES Crimes, Lies, and Videotape When Dean Issacharoff was a commander in the Israeli Defense Forces, he patrolled the Palestinian city of Hebron, and later fought in Gaza. Then, after he got home from the army, Dean’s decision to speak out about his own violent actions came back to haunt him. This story contains images of war and violence, sensitive listeners please be advised. Thank you, Dean, for sharing your story with us. A special thanks to the University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture, the John Templeton Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust, and KALW’s Spiritual Edge podcast – this story would not have been possible without their support. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations. Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Pat Mesiti-Miller. The Flying Nun A little girl in Brooklyn can help her whole community if she just devotes herself to becoming a nun but what if she doesn’t want to? A big thanks to Eileen for sharing your story with us. Read more of Eileen O’Toole’s story in her book, At Sister Anna’s Feet. Produced by Anna Sussman Season 12 - Episode 22 - Snap Classic

It's been almost a year since friends and family have been able to visit their loved ones in prison, due to the pandemic. Letters to the inside are always a lifeline. This year, more than ever. Today, from Uncuffed, we hear from Adamu Chan, who was recently released from San Quentin State Prison, while his friend Edmond Richardson, is still on the inside. Uncuffed is a storytelling project made by people behind bars, from inside California prisons, in collaboration with KALW. To hear the full version of this story, visit Uncuffed and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Produced by Adamu Chan, Ninna Gaensler-Debs, Angela Johnston, Pat Mesiti-Miller & Eli Wirtschafter Season 12  - Episode 21

A young native girl is forced to choose: stay in her home state with her foster parents or return to her tribe in North Dakota. Today, over a decade after making that choice, she takes us with her to find out... what could have been. STORIES Mulatto Glynn’s brother wants him to take a DNA test but Glynn already knows he’s one part Luna and one part Midnight. Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller, original score by Cheflee Bloodlines When Adreanna Rodriguez was a kid, she was given a choice about whether or not she wanted to stay in her home state of California. It was a choice she’s reckoned with for her entire life. Today, over a decade after she made that choice -  Adreanna takes us with her to North Dakota to find out… what could have been. This story was supported by the USC Center for Health Journalism, which helps journalists investigate health challenges and solutions in their communities reporting that serves as a catalyst for change. BIG love to Adreanna’s mom, Sylvia, and her kid sister, Maudy. Produced by Adreanna Rodriquez and Shaina Shealy Original score by Renzo Gorrio You can also hear this story on a new podcast from VICE Audio called Strongman. It’s a six-part series of intimate stories about power and control at every level... all over the world. It’s out now… subscribe & listen wherever you get your podcasts! Special thanks to the incredible VICE squad: Adizah Eghan, Annie Aviles, Stephanie Kariuki, Joaqlin Estus, Karen Brown, and Catherine Stifter. Full Episode This episode features music from Cheflee, check out more of Cheflees’s music at cheflee.bandcamp.com! Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 12 - Episode 14

Four women share their stories of loving incarcerated men, and the challenges they face in maintaining their relationships, staying hopeful about an eventual reunion, and carrying on with their lives on the outside. We also hear from a man sentenced to Life without the possibility of parole. Snap Judgment presents, “Hold That Space,” a special spotlight on the Ear Hustle Podcast, from PRX’s Radiotopia. Content Advisory: This episode discusses sex and contains explicit language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. Thanks to Erica Olson, Loraine Serrano, Darlene Burke, Annette Shields, Raven Campbell, Raylene Ruiz, Theresa, Sutina Green, and Steven Green for sharing your stories for this episode. And BIG thanks + so much love to the entire Ear Hustle family! Be sure to visit www.EarHustleSq.com to hear more stories, see pictures from episodes, and follow everything Ear Hustle. They just dropped a new season! Ear Hustle comes to us from PRX’s Radiotopia, this episode is produced by Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, Rhasaan “New York” Thomas, John “Yahya” Johnson, Pat Mesiti-Miller, and Bruce Wallace. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and David Jassy. Artwork by Antwan Williams 

Team Snap brings you voices from four amazing people - some looking to the future, some looking at the past, and those who never emerged. We proudly present our sixth installment of “Letters from Lockdown.” STORIES Sarajevo Alma Telibecirevic was living in the suburbs of Sarajevo when Serbian paramilitary forces invaded her neighborhood and threatened to put her father and brother into a camp. Her family escaped, running deep into the city, a city under siege. That siege lasted four years. Learn more about Alma. Yangon Ko Bo Kyi was arrested twice when he was a student in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city. It was 1988, during the nation-wide uprisings calling for democracy and the release of political prisoners. He later founded an advocacy organization and museum, The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, where he advocates on behalf of former political prisoners in Myanmar. New Orleans Jordan Michael Bridges had just started his senior year of high school when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The year didn't go as planned - and Jordan is here to offer some love to this year’s graduating class of high school seniors. San Francisco Brian Basinger lived in San Francisco back in the nineties, during the height of the AIDS crisis. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Q Foundation. Thank you, Alma, Ko Bo Kyi, Jordan Michael, and Brian for sharing your stories! These stories were produced by Naomi Zeveloff, Shaina Shealy, Liz Mak, Anna Sussman Music by Renzo Gorrio, additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller Artwork by Sanaa Khan Digital Producer: Marisa Dodge Season 11 - Episode 19 The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.      

Police shootings, mistaken arrests, and growing up Black / Brown up in America. This week, Snap presents amazing stories from people facing our nation’s original sin. STORIES Never Again Glynn and his family protest in Oakland where thousands gather to scream light at our national darkness. Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller  Thick Blue Line In 2012, Kari Brandenburg became the longest-serving district attorney in Bernalillo County, where Albuquerque sits. But at the start of her fourth term in office something big started to take hold of the county. Police shootings were at an all-time high and everyone was looking to Kari’s office for answers. For more on what went down in Albuquerque, check out Jeff Proctor’s reporting for the Albuquerque Journal. Produced by Nancy Lopez, original score by Renzo Gorrio Captive Audience  When Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter was mistakenly arrested at the airport, he learned that his fame could only get him so far. Performed live by Tariq Trotter at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for Snap Judgment LIVE. Music by Alex Mandel, performed by the Snap Players Alex Mandel, Tim Frick, and David Brandt. DRANO A reluctant young Boy Scout comes face to face with DRANO, and earns his merit badge in "reality." Shannon Cason is a writer, award-winning storyteller, and the host of the Shannon Cason’s Homemade Stories podcast and the In Good Co. Detroit podcast. Listen and subscribe!  Produced by Mark Ristich Episode Artwork: Teo Ducot  Protest tape: Annie Nguyen + Lauryn Newson Episode production: Pat Mesiti-Miller We stand with the black community. We stand with our black listeners, storytellers, employees, creators, supporters, family, and friends. Please stay strong and stay safe as we write the next chapter of our collective history. 

Some stories that seem the furthest away hit closest to home. Team Snap presents more lockdown advice from around the world, even from the places you least expect. Listen to the fifth installment of "Letters from Lockdown." Philippines Father Picx is a Catholic priest from the Philippines. Every year he spends months alone in his hermitage, but his first experience with real solitude wasn’t on a retreat... it happened in a place called the Dragon Room. Greece Noah and Freya met in a refugee camp in Greece. But after they fell in love, and wanted to start a new life together, they found it wasn’t quite so easy to leave. Watch Noah recite his poem + learn about Freya’s business. Michigan Alison wanted to take a nice long soak and found herself trapped for days. Special thanks to Juuni in Michigan for helping us out during the pandemic. Libya Rafram is a visual artist who grew up in Jerusalem and traveled to Libya 10 years ago to photograph synagogues and Jewish graveyards. Rafram says he was granted permission from the Libyan government and police, but on the last day of his visit... Rafram was kidnapped. These days, Rafram lives in Tunis, and usually posts pictures of his culinary adventures on Instagram. But he’s currently on a social media break for 170 days, to mark 10 years since he spent 170 days in prison. “Freedom is priceless, and real freedom is happening inside us,” he wrote in his last post. Thank you, Father Picx, Noah, Freya, Alison, and Rafram, for sharing your stories with us! Produced by Shaina Shealy, Naomi Zeveloff, Liz Mak, Anna Sussman, and John Fecile Music by Renzo Gorrio, additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller Artwork by Sanaa Khan Digital Producer: Marisa Dodge Season 11 - Episode 16 The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

Who better to seek advice from than a mother? This week, Team Snap brings you the fourth installment of, "Letters from Lockdown,” featuring moms around the world. Happy Mother's Day to all the Snap Moms out there! Liberia In the Liberian city of Monrovia, there was one neighborhood, notoriously the poorest neighborhood in the city, that was completely locked down during the Ebola crisis. Bendu Kanu Pajibo is a mother of three and has lived in that neighborhood her entire life. Find out she managed to keep her smile.  Columbus After years struggling to get US papers, Edith Espinal finally had no choice but to hide from the government in the only place she felt safe.  Learn more about Edith’s story, and support her case. Her team also put together a COVID-19 Stay of Removal, sign the petition.  Chicago This isn’t the first time Ameena has been worried about her kids going outside. A violence interrupter talks life and death in Chicago. Hear her message to all the parents out there. Learn more about Ameena and check out these Chicago organizations: Pause for Peace and Protector of the Bread Food Pantry.  Thank you, Bendu, Edith, and Ameena, for sharing your stories with us! Produced by Shaina Shealy, Naomi Zeveloff, Anna Sussman, Liz Mak, Ana Adlerstein, John Fecile Music by Renzo Gorrio, additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller Artwork by Sanaa Khan Digital Producer: Marisa Dodge Season 11 - Episode 14 The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

V grew up hearing about her parent’s epic love story... but she never knew about the song behind it. BIG thanks to V and her mom for sharing their story with us here at Snap. Produced by Liz Mak, original score by Pat Mesiti-Miller  Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 11 - Episode 13 The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

While most of the world continues to shelter-in-place, Team Snap brings you the third installment of, "Letters from Lockdown.”  STORIES Jericho Osama Iliwat spent days in solitary confinement inside an Israeli prison during the First and Second Palestinian Intifadas. Learn how peace reached him in the midst of conflict. Today, Osama runs a cell phone shop in Jericho, is a peace activist, and leads international tours in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. He advocates for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and speaks to international groups with an organization called Combatants for Peace.  Rwanda In the 90s, Eric Murangwa was the star goalkeeper of Rwanda’s most beloved football team, Rayon Sport. He was also a Tutsi - at the time when death squads were hunting Tutsis. Find out where - and with who - Eric took refuge. Eric now runs a charity called Ishami Foundation, which brings people together through sport.  He’s currently raising money for vulnerable families affected by coronavirus during the genocide commemoration in Rwanda. Help him reach his goal.  Brooklyn Estee grew up in an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn where her then-husband isolated her from friends, family, and activities for nearly two decades. Hear how Estee’s spirit could not be contained by four walls.  Today, Estee lives in Jerusalem with her eight children and recently remarried a very kind man. She teaches Zumba Extreme at the Jerusalem YMCA. Hear more of Estee’s story in the Snap archives. Thank you, Osama, Eric, and Estee for sharing your stories with us! Produced by Shaina Shealy, Naomi Zeveloff, Liz Mak, and Anna Sussman Music by Renzo Gorrio, additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller Artwork by Sanaa Khan Digital Producer: Marisa Dodge Season 11 - Episode 12 Our team is working quickly to put together more pieces of advice from people all over the world - stay tuned for more. And if you have advice from a past lockdown you’d like to share with Snap Nation - reach out to us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook - or email pitches@snapjudgment.org  The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

Team Snap proudly presents the second installment of, "Letters from Lockdown," featuring stories from people around the world who have experienced lockdown before. STORIES:  Guantánamo Mansoor Adayfi comes from Yemen but was detained at Guantánamo for fifteen years. Find out what he did to survive the brutality and isolation of a terror prison. Mansoor is available for speaking and writing. Find him on Twitter (@mansooradayfi), Instagram, Facebook, or check out his website.  Utah If you could only write down one sentence a day what would it be? Dr. Judy Elsley found herself as a patient battling for her life. An artist and retired English professor, she lives with her husband in Ogden, Utah. Learn more about Judy. On the Run Meg and Elena were in love... and escaping Russia. They set sail on a small boat, heading out into the open seas, knowing only that they had each other. You can find Meg and Elena’s blog and books on their website. Thank you, Mansoor, Judy, Meg, and Elena, for sharing your stories with us! Produced by Shaina Shealy, Naomi Zeveloff, Liz Mak, and Anna Sussman Music by Renzo Gorrio, additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller Artwork by Sanaa Khan Digital Producer: Marisa Dodge Season 11 - Episode 11 Our team is working quickly to put together more pieces of advice from people all over the world. If you have advice from a past lockdown you’d like to share, email us at pitches@snapjudgment.org. The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

In other parts of the world, the concept of lockdown isn’t new at all — being forced to stay inside a room, a building, or a closed territory is a familiar experience. What can we learn from people who have been under lockdown before, whether in a war zone, in prison or another setting? During quarantine, Team Snap is bringing you pieces of wisdom, hope, and defiance from people who have experienced lockdown. Gaza Majd Waheidi has lived through war and siege in Gaza. She found a way to drown out the sounds of rockets with her own voice. Follow Majd on Twitter.  Myanmar Nandar is from a village in Shan State, in Northern Myanmar. At fourteen, she was sent to a menstruation hut when she got her first period. Her lockdown lasted five days, but changed her forever. To learn more about Nandar’s activism in Myanmar, check out her organization Purple Feminist Group.  At Sea Martin Machado works on container ships and is at sea for up to six months at a time. Old tarps and messages in bottles are just a few things Martin uses to stay creative. Check out Martin's artwork. Thank you, Majd Waheidi, Nandar, and Martin Machado, for sharing your stories with us! Produced by Shaina Shealy, Naomi Zeveloff, Liz Mak, and Anna Sussman Music by Renzo Gorrio, additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller Artwork by Sanaa Khan Digital Producer: Marisa Dodge Season 11 - Episode 9 The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. had a complicated relationship with his mother. But after she passed, he traveled across the world to try and make things better. This story comes from Transom.org and was produced by Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. and Jay Allison Additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller Special thanks to Kadijatu Suma, Haja Suma, Fatima Rahman, Alimamy Conteh, Sheri Rickson, Lynn Levy and Gimlet Media. Thomas King, Brima Thomas, and Jartu Tejan-Thomas. Thanks also to Milo, Mason and Melissa Allison, Viki Merrick, Samantha Broun, Sydney Lewis, Rob Rosenthal, and WCAI and Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole Massachusetts. Season 11 - Episode 7 The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

The story of a chimpanzee and a man whose dream brought disaster to a small American town. This story details violence against animals. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.  Thank you, Carson Vaughan, for sharing your story with Snap! Read more about Zoo Nebraska in Carson's book, Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream.  Additional thanks to Patti Ragan from the Center for Great Apes. Produced by John Fecile and Carson Vaughan, original score by Renzo Gorrio Additional production by Jesse Dukes and Pat Mesiti-Miller  Interested in protecting Great Apes? Learn more at the Center for Great Apes Season 11 - Episode 6 The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

A young teacher's daily struggles provide the backdrop for this harrowing reflection on the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Snap spotlights the amazing, "Have You Heard George's Podcast?" from BBC Sounds.  #HYHGP In a move from journalism to drama, George departs with the documentary-style narration of previous episodes to deliver a heart-wrenching story of resilience and neglect in London's inner city. Enlisting the help of rising star Jade Alleyne, poet Sophia Thakur, as well as his own brothers, Freddie, Michael and Kenny Mpanga, George, introduces a small universe of characters whose witty exchanges offer insight into their respective environments.   BIG thanks to George the Poet, Benbrick, and BBC sounds for sharing this story with us!  Written by George the Poet, original score by Benbrick. Produced by Benbrick and George The Poet. Additional music by Pat Mesiti-Miller.  Featured songs: Chika Dole - Touch Abi Ocia - Running Snap Spotlight - Season 11, Episode 5  The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

It’s Senior Year and Alex, Damaris, and Brantin have been waiting for the day they get to leave Mission High and enter adulthood. Snap follows the three students for a whole year as their dreams turn into reality. A very special thank you to our heroes: Brantin, Damaris and Alex. Thank you also to Mission High School Principal Eric Guthertz, everyone in the Wellness Center and our guide Chandra Shivakumar. Donate here to support Alex's Education Fund Produced by: Adizah Eghan, Liz Mak, Eliza Smith, Anna Sussman, and Mark Ristich. Original Score: Pat Mesiti-Miller and Renzo Gorrio Snap Classic - Season 9 Episode 4 The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

Best of the Best is Third Coast’s annual ode to audio storytelling, taking listeners on a journey through the full breadth of what’s possible in stories made from sound. This episode showcases two of the winning stories from the 19th annual Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition: the Best Documentary Honorable Mention, Bronze & Silver Award winners, plus a behind-the-scenes interview with producer Neena Pathak.A Sense of Quietness [Excerpt], produced by Eleanor McDowall for Lights Out, a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.Winner of the 2019 Best Documentary: Bronze AwardIn a beautifully flowing narrative, the stories of four unrelated women in the UK and Ireland connect in unexpected ways, as they discover the quiet power and hidden dangers of speaking out about abortion. Listen to the full piece here.ROW-cub, produced by Neena Pathak.Winner of the 2019 Best Documentary: Honorable Mention AwardAfter Aaji innocently asks if her granddaughter, Mithu, is bringing her "friend" home for the holidays, Mithu struggles to translate her heartache. [Note that this story is bilingual, but it can still be understood by non-Marathi speakers - to view a subtitled version of ROW-cub, go to RadioAtlas.org]This Is Not A Drill, produced by Jazmín Aguilera with Anna Sussman for Snap Judgment from WNYC. With co-producers John Fecile, Erika Lantz, Nancy López, and Eliza Smith; original score by Renzo Gorrio; sound design by Renzo Gorrio, Leon Morimoto, and Pat Mesiti-Miller; edited by Anna Sussman and Mark Ristich; with executive producer Glynn Washington.Winner of the 2019 Best Documentary: Silver AwardFor exactly 38 minutes on January 13th, 2018, the state of Hawaii was thrown into a state of panic. This story recounts what it was like for residents on that unforgettable morning as they tried to wrestle with impending doom, death and destruction. You can hear all the winning stories from the 2019 Competition at ThirdCoastFestival.org.The program is made possible with support from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and distributed to public radio stations by PRX.Music in this hour by Pablo Torri (“Retorno” & “Volta”), Skill Borrower (“Heartstring Hotel”), VicthorA3 (“Los Derechos Se Consiguen En La Calle”), and Aviscerall (“Sanctuary”). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tom was a cop. Jason was a teenager in a gang. One night in 1997, they had a violent encounter that Tom describes as “inevitable.” Tom and Jason relate the story of that night and the series of events that unfolded in the years afterward.  Snap Judgment presents, “Tell Christy I Love Her,” a special spotlight on the Ear Hustle Podcast, from PRX’s Radiotopia. Content Advisory: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence. Listener discretion is advised. Thank you to those who shared their stories with Ear Hustle for this episode: Jason Samuel and Tom & Christy Morgan. A BIG thanks and so much love to the Ear Hustle crew!  Also, thanks to Jason Cohen and CNN for letting Ear Hustle use audio from their episode,  “Officer Down” from the program, The Redemption Project. This story wouldn't have been possible without Martina Lutz Schneider from the restorative justice group, Ahimsa Collective. Be sure to visit www.EarHustleSq.com to hear more stories, see pictures from episodes, and follow everything Ear Hustle. Listen to the full song from Antwan Banks Williams, “Powerful”, and follow Antwan here. Ear Hustle comes to us from PRX’s Radiotopia and is produced by Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, Rhasaan “New York” Thomas, John “Yahya” Johnson, Pat Mesiti-Miller, and Bruce Wallace. This episode is scored with music from Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Rhashiyd Zinnamon, Lee Jaspar and Matt Glasbey. Senior Producer Curtis Fox, Digital Producer Erin Wade, and Executive Producer Julie Shapiro. Artwork by: Antwan Williams   

A poet delivers a devastating portrait of the relationship that made him who he is today. Two men come face to face one night in the dark canyon-lands of southern Utah. And a dangerous anarchist steals, kills, and escapes, until one day when he can run no further.  It’s Snap’s 2019 Look Back Special... time to look back before we move forward. Happy Holidays to all!  STORIES A Little Time  Glynn and his son stumble upon an incredible creature in the woods.  Produced by Lauryn Newson My Best Friend  In his first appearance on the Snap Judgment stage, Ise Lyfe delivers a devastating portrait of the relationship that made him who he is today. Performed at Snap LIVE. Original Music by Alex Mandel, music performed by Alex Mandel and the Snap Judgment Players (Tim Frick and David Brandt), re-recording mix by Pat Mesiti-Miller Produced by Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich The Incident At Poison Spider Mesa The story of two men who come face to face one night in the canyonlands of southern Utah. Brody Young is a Utah State Park Ranger and motivational speaker, helping other people figure out how to survive the unsurvivable.  To find out more about his story, be sure to check out his website. Produced by Joe Rosenberg, original score by Leon Morimoto Chaotic Good Malaclypse was part of a dangerous anarchist group. They stole, they killed, they escaped, until one day when Malaclypse could run no further... Dan has been playing and organizing LARPs for 20 years. He posts bad LARP advice on Twitter at LarpTips. Produced by Jazmin Aguilera, original score by Renzo Gorrio  Season 10 Episode 37

An aid worker is held hostage in Iraq, a detective’s toughest case turns out to be an investigation into his own past, and a hauntingly beautiful story of a simple piece of fruit. Snap proudly presents a classic, "Leap of Faith." Amazing stories from real people who absolutely, positively have to take a big chance. STORIES Sorry Pops Glynn scours the earth for new ways to disappoint his Dad. Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller Nahoko Takato: Hero Held Hostage In 2004, aid worker Nahoko Takato was taken hostage in Iraq. When she finally returns back to Japan, she was not prepared for her homecoming. Check out her work. Produced and scored by Davey Kim Past Life Detective Detective Bob Snow never could have imagined that the toughest case of his entire career, would be an investigation into his own past....life. Check out Bob Snow’s books. Produced by Liz Mak, original score by Renzo Gorrio The Orange Storyteller Joel ben Izzy tells the hauntingly beautiful story of a simple piece of fruit. Visit Joel’s site for more stories. Produced by Stephanie Foo, original score by Renzo Gorrio Snap Classic - Season 7 Episode 18

When Dean Issacharoff was a commander in the Israeli Defense Forces, he patrolled the Palestinian city of Hebron, and later fought in Gaza. Then, after he got home from the army, Dean’s decision to speak out about his own violent actions came back to haunt him in a twisted turn of events. Sensitive listeners - please be advised this story contains images of war and violence. Thank you, Dean, for sharing your story with us. A special thanks to the University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture, the John Templeton Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust, and KALW’s Spiritual Edge podcast - this story would not have been possible without their support. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations. This story was produced by Shaina Shealy and the original score was by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Season 10 Episode 26

Lake Tahoe is the backyard playground for many in the Bay Area, so earlier this year we asked the Bay Curious audience what questions they had about this recreational hot spot. We collaborated with TahoeLand, a podcast from Capital Public Radio, to answer them! – Are there dead bodies at the bottom of the lake? – What’s the story behind Tahoe Tessie? – What does it mean to keep Tahoe blue? – Why is keeping Tahoe blue important? Find more reporting on how climate change is impacting Lake Tahoe by checking out the TahoeLand podcast. Web story: Do Preserved Bodies Dwell in Lake Tahoe’s Depths?! The Truth Behind Tahoe’s Myths Reporting by Ezra David Romero, Sally Schilling and Emily Zentner. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Robert Speight, Katie McMurran and Paul Lancour. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey and Pat Yollin. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org

Back in the 1960s, San Francisco had really bad television reception. By many accounts, it was the worst of any city in America. Good reception required a clear line of sight from the broadcast tower to your TV antenna, and in hilly San Francisco this was a challenge. Broadcasters began the hunt for a location to build a very tall tower that could send a clear TV signal far and wide. A site was selected and plans were drawn up — but not without a bounty of controversy. Read the full web story: Sutro Tower: The Origins of an ‘Eyesore’ Video from Jessica’s trip to the top: A Trip to the Top of Sutro Tower This episode first aired on Jan. 5, 2017. It features question asker Craig Rubens. === Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Adam Grossberg and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Julie Caine, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey and Patricia Yollin. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question, vote in a voting round or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

If you’re in Berkeley and wander far enough up Marin Avenue, there’s no doubt you’ll run into the Fountain at The Circle. The grand Beaux Arts fountain has become a symbol of the neighborhood and has inspired numerous paintings and drawings. It even has its own Berkeley Public Library card design. But this fountain also symbolizes a big moment in Berkeley’s history, and how one developer’s dream almost changed California history forever. Reported by Maggie Galloway. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Patricia Yollin, Carly Severn and Bianca Hernandez. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

It might seem like everyone thinks their local airport is the worst of them all: the longest security lines, the worst food, the most delays. But we in the Bay Area have good reason to complain. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2018 SFO was the third-most-delayed major airport in the U.S. in terms of arrivals, with about 26 percent of arriving flights delayed. And that’s not unique to last year. Since 2010, SFO has consistently ranked in the top four of the most delayed airports, some years dipping as low as 69 percent of flights arriving on-time. Also, what’s the deal with the ‘O’ in SFO? Read the full web story on airport codes here: Why the ‘O’ in San Francisco’s Airport Code, SFO? Read the full web story on delays here: Why SFO Is Notorious For Delays Reported by Maggie Galloway and Jessica Placzek Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Maggie Galloway, Robert Speight, Katie McMurran, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org

On a recent visit to San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, KQED listener Michelle Morby didn’t like what she saw. In the middle of the champagne-sipping, pre-performance throng, she spotted someone wearing jeans and white sneakers. “That to me is completely offensive,” Morby said. Morby is someone who likes to dress up when she goes out. “If I got a ticket to the opera tonight, I would pull out a silk jumpsuit. I would wear it with the tallest platform sandals that I have. And I would do my makeup, and I would wear all my jewelry,” she said. Like beauty, fashion is very much in the eye of the beholder. So the fashion faux-pas prompted Morby to ask Bay Curious the question, “Why has the Bay Area become the Casual Capital of the World?” Read the full web version: How the Bay Area Came to be a Hub for Casual Style Reported by Chloe Veltman Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Maggie Galloway, Robert Speight, Katie McMurran, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org

After Joseph Morales, an electrician from Chicago, moved to Emeryville this past winter, he found himself wondering: What’s with all the palm trees in the Bay Area? Like Joseph, they didn’t originate here. But they’re all over the place. Not that Joseph minds. “They remind me of vacation,” he says, “having a good time with a cold drink and sitting under a palm tree.” Then again: “Northern California doesn’t really seem to be the ideal location for palm trees. I’m expecting hot weather and sun and beaches. And there’s just palm trees and mountains and cold water. So it just seemed weird.” Read the full web version: Why Are There So Many Palm Trees in the Bay Area? Reported by Daniel Potter Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Maggie Galloway, Robert Speight, Katie McMurran, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org

Ever had your late night revels ended abruptly by the bartender announcing last call just before 2 a.m. here in the Bay Area? If this strikes a chord, you’re not alone. California’s 2 a.m. last call frustrates a lot of people. KQED listener Tara Downey even gets a little embarrassed by it when out-of-town friends visit. “I have friends that live in New York, and so when they come back here it’s a little bit of a shock to them,” she explained. “They’re kind of like ‘OK, where do we go next?’ And… there’s not really an answer for that. We go home.” Now she wants to know why last call is so early in San Francisco compared to other big cities. Read the full web version: Think Bay Area Nightlife Ends Early? That Could Be About to Change Reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Maggie Galloway, Robert Speight, Katie McMurran, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org.