Zócalo at Central Library
Tuesday, December 7, 7pm at Central Library
D.J. Waldie, "City of Angels: City of Faith?"

In a city that retails its desires to the world, belief comes easy.
Faithfulness, however, is more elusive for Angeleños. Is there any point in
believing in Los Angeles, either as a place or a metropolis? Why should
anyone be loyal to something that disappoints so often? The fate of the city
and its region is tied to questions of faith, which will be explored by poet
and essayist D. J. Waldie, author of Where We Are Now: Notes from Los
Angeles.

(((Audio Broadcast)))* mpeg: part 1 & part2

Zócalo in the News.

Zócalo at Central Library
Monday, November 1, 7:30 pm at Central Library
Federico Campbell, "Memories of Tijuana"

Mexico City novelist and essayist Federico Campbell will take us back to the Tijuana of his youth.  In his fresh and evocative voice, Campbell will trace the seductive landscape and culture of a burgeoning frontier city caught between two worlds.  Through his memories of people and places, he will lead us through the ambivalent, fascinating links--from Hollywood movies to Mexican folklore--that tie together the two nations, cultures, and peoples.

Zócalo in the News

Zócalo SPECIAL EVENT at Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Thursday, October 21, 7 pm
Orly Castel-Bloom on "A Fragile Life: Terror and Satire in Contemporary Israel"

Novelist Orly Castel-Bloom has been called one of the 50 most influential women in Israel.  Fearless, provocative, and original, she uses bitter satire to explore contemporary Israeli life.  Her most recent novel, Human Parts, is an absurdist look at life under the intifada.   When it was published in 2002, a literary critic from Ha'aretz said that it was not that Castel-Bloom had become a realist, but that reality had turned Castel-Bloomian.  One of the most outstanding writers of the Eighties Generation, Castel-Bloom insists that the cold, rational language of politics and the media are not adequate to describe life amid terror. She will explore the delicate interplay between tragedy and satire. 

Zócalo in the News

Zócalo at California Plaza
Tuesday, September 28 7pm
¡EL SHOW DE TONIGHT! An Evening with Jeff Valdez and Tomás Cookman
Hosted by Oscar Garza

Valdez started his career in entertainment as a stand-up comedian. Today, he is the executive producer of Nickelodeon's The Brothers Garcia and founder of Sí TV, a new, national Latino-themed network. Dubbed "the Ed Sullivan of Latino talent" by the Los Angeles Times, Valdez will discuss growing up in the projects, the future of Latinos in Hollywood, and some of the things that still make him laugh. Tomás Cookman is the president of Cookman International, a full service Latin music firm that has represented many top artists, including La Ley, Fabulosos Cadillacs, Nortec Collective, Manu Chao, and others.  Founder of the Latin Alternative Music Conference, Cookman will talk about the joy of nurturing emerging artists, memories of his first live concert, and the future of Latin Music, both in and out of the U.S.

Zócalo at Central Library
Tuesday, September 7, 7 pm
An Interview with Michael Kinsley
Moderated by Larry Mantle, host of KPCC's AirTalk

Michael Kinsley, the new editorial and opinion editor of the Los Angeles Times, will make his long-awaited public debut in LA. A pioneering writer and editor known for his incisive logic and cutting wit, Kinsley has found success in the worlds of cyber, television, and print journalism. Previously a columnist and founding editor of Slate, he also co-hosted CNN's "Crossfire" and served as editor at The New Republic, Harper's, and the Washington Monthly. He'll join us for a wide-ranging interview.

(((Audio Broadcast)))* mpeg - 33min, 14.9mb

Zócalo at California Plaza
Tuesday, August 24, 7pm
¡EL SHOW DE TONIGHT! An Evening with Cheech Marin and Louie Perez
Hosted by Oscar Garza, deputy editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine

A live talk show with guests Louie Perez of Los Lobos and comic/actor Richard "Cheech" Marin. Perez is a gifted musician, song writer, visual artist and witty cultural observer. From Cheech & Chong to Judging Amy, Marin has been a trailblazer in Latino entertainment and has amassed a museum-quality collection of Chicano art.

(((Audio Broadcast)))* mpeg - 29min, 13.4mb

Zócalo at California Plaza
Tuesday, August 17, 7pm
“An Evening with Willy Tsao”

Willy Tsao, the director of both Hong Kong's City Contemporary Dance Company and the Beijing Modern Dance Company, will talk about the challenges and opportunities facing contemporary artists in China.  China is home to a number of contemporary performing artists who are working in a new environment, mixing public support with entrepreneurial efforts to bring their work to their audiences.  The extraordinarily gifted Mr. Tsao will also discuss the state of artistic expression in a rapidly changing China.

(((Audio Broadcast)))* mpeg - 30min, 13.5mb

Zócalo at California Plaza
Tuesday, August 10, 7pm
“An Evening with Peter Sellars”
Moderated by Sasha Anawalt, director of the USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program

Renowned theater director Peter Sellars, will discuss his newest project, The Children of Heracles, and explore its startling relevance to contemporary society.  This wide ranging conversation will touch on issues as varied as immigration, free speech, and the question of whether American citizens should hold themselves up to a higher standard of accountability.

(((Audio Broadcast)))* mpeg - 30min, 13.5mb

Zócalo in the News

Zócalo at Central Library
Tuesday, July 6, 7 pm
“An Evening with Amy Wilentz and Nick Goldberg”

Amy Wilentz, author and former New Yorker correspondent in Jerusalem, and Nick Goldberg, Op-Ed editor at the Los Angeles Times and former Middle Eastern bureau chief for New York Newsday, in conversation. Husband and wife, novelist and former daily reporter, Wilentz and Goldberg will compare notes and share their sometimes clashing perspectives on Iraq, Israel, September 11 and the chances of peace in the Middle East.

(((Audio Broadcast)))* mpeg - 30min, 13.5mb

Tuesday, June 1, 7 p.m.
MARIE ARANA, “The Contemporary Memoir: Is Your Life Your Own?”

Marie Arana, a National Book Award finalist for her memoir of growing up between Latin- and Anglo-American cultures, American Chica, discusses the slippery slope between truth and fiction in memoir writing. At the heart of the matter is the question: Can your life be considered your own? The book editor for The Washington Post and a former publishing executive, Arana is also the editor of the collection, “The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work.” Her forthcoming book is a novel entitled “Cellophane."

(((Audio Broadcast)))* mpeg - 1hr, 28.5mb

Wednesday, May 5, 7 p.m.
JOHN PHILLIP SANTOS,“ An Elegy for Identities: Who We Are In a Globalized World”

Drawing from contemporary events as well as recent discoveries in genetics and cosmology that redefine our place in the universe, John Phillip Santos, producer, journalist and author of Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation, will discuss the destiny of identity in an era of globalization. The worldwide rise of murderous nationalisms testifies to the destructive role that cultural identity can play in world affairs. For many minorities though, these same times have offered the first chance to celebrate their own neglected heritages. What will we make of this poignant contradiction? How can we guard against the violent excesses of identity? What do our identities tell us about who we are as humans, as members of an emerging global polity?

(((Audio Broadcast)))* MAC, MP3 - 7.5mb | PC, WMA - 3.5mb

Thursday, April 8, 7 p.m.
MICHAEL BARONE, “Life, Liberty, and Property: How 9/11 Changed the American Political Landscape”

The results of the 2002 mid-term elections revealed just how 9/11 changed American politics. Michael Barone, principal co-author of The Almanac of American Politics and senior writer for U.S. News and World Report argues that these changes are reflective of Thomas Jefferson’s original words in the Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty, and Property. Contending that a nation that believes it is in peril behaves differently than one that believes it is safe, Barone will map out America’s new political landscape.

(((Audio Broadcast)))* MAC, MP3 - 7.5mb | PC, WMA - 3.5mb

Tuesday, March 2, 7 p.m.
A Conversation with CARL FRANKLIN
Moderated by Oscar Garza of the Los Angeles Times

Thirty-seven years old at the time he enrolled in a directing course at the American Film Institute, Carl Franklin asserts that the best training for a filmmaker is to “live a little.” Director of the acclaimed films, “Devil in a Blue Dress,” and “One False Move,” Franklin will discuss a variety of topics including: the lure of Hollywood, his role as Captain Crane on “The A-Team,” crime thrillers, growing up in Richmond, California, how bad television roles forced him to quit acting and go behind the camera, the role of African Americans in American film, and what it’s like to work with Eva Mendez and Denzel.

(((Audio Broadcast)))* mpeg - 31min, 14.2mb

Wednesday February 5, 2003 at 7 pm at Central Library
Matt Miller on "The 2 % Solution: Fixing America's Problems In Ways That Liberals And Conservatives Can Love"
 
Matt Miller, syndicated columnist and co-host of KCRW's "Left, Right & Center," discusses his new book, The 2 % Solution, in which he offers a common sense plan that can bring liberals and conservatives together to deliver health care, great schools, and a living wage for everyone--for just two cents on the national dollar. Filling the void in a public debate in which ambitious talk of social justice has all but vanished, Miller provides big picture solutions to some of the nation's most pressing domestic problems.

Tuesday, January 6, 7 p.m.
Harold Meyerson, “The LA-DC Connection: The Meaning of Los Angeles in American Politics”

Harold Meyerson, political editor of the LA Weekly, editor-at-large for "The American Prospect" and columnist for The Washington Post, will discuss "The LA-DC Connection: The Meaning of Los Angeles in American Politics." Does LA represent the future or is it, as some claim, increasingly irrelevant in national politics? Harold Meyerson, one of the most respected voices on the American Left and an expert on both the national and local scenes, argues that LA's political evolution has turned the city into an arena for political experimentation. As America moves to incorporate the vast waves of contemporary immigrants, LA has become ground zero for tomorrow's politics.