KALW Archives
Some more of the stories I've done for KALW's Crosscurrents.
The Diana Diaries
These are the radio diaries of Diana Arbas -- a first-time teacher in her first year tackling the classroom by herself at Oakland High School. Oakland’s a hard city to teach in. Oakland High is in East Oakland. The student body is made up of kids with very diverse backgrounds, many from the poorest neighborhoods in the city. Not all come to the ninth grade ready to tackle that level of work. In this four-part series, hear how she learns how to handle the demands of public school teaching, while meeting the needs of her students.
Diana’s teacher diaries were produced by Martina Castro with help from Alyssa Kapnik. They were edited by Casey Miner.
Diana’s teacher diaries were produced by Martina Castro with help from Alyssa Kapnik. They were edited by Casey Miner.
A peek into the secret world of girls
Imagine for a moment that you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, say at about age nine. What would have been your biggest dreams? Favorite color? Best friends? What would you hope to never forget as a grown up? These are just a few of the questions that KALW’s Martina Castro posed to three 4th grade girls, all friends and classmates at the Park Day School in Oakland. They attend an after school art and mindfulness class at Honey Moon Studios.
Martina collaborated with their teacher, Emily Frost, to record a little time capsule for each of them – an interview that would capture this moment in their lives. Here’s a bit of what they each had to say. (3/5/12)
Martina collaborated with their teacher, Emily Frost, to record a little time capsule for each of them – an interview that would capture this moment in their lives. Here’s a bit of what they each had to say. (3/5/12)
Bay Area Beats: DJ Atish on the art of mixingThe Chemistry between people on a dance floor and the DJ mixing for them is not something to take lightly. The DJ is like a combination of artist, entertainer, and performer – taking the crowd on a musical journey.
DJ Atish recently spoke with KALW'S Martina Castro about his approach to DJ-ing, and what goes into making a good mix. He says it's about way more than just pressing play. It's an art form. |
Bay Area Beats: What inspires new music pianist, Sarah CahillSarah Cahill is considered one of the architects and champions of the new music scene in the Bay Area. She founded the annual Garden of Memory concert at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, which is one of the many ways she tries to make contemporary music more accessible to a wider audience. She also does that Sunday nights on her radio show Then and Now on KALW on Sundays at 8pm.
Cahill spoke with KALW's Martina Castro and played some songs for her, as she described why she ended up leaving the more formal classical world, for the freedom of the experimental genre. (3/7/13) |
Bay Area Beats: Kelly McFarling finds her musical home in San FranciscoLocal musician Kelly McFarling wrote her song “Atlanta” as an ode to her hometown, but she didn’t write it – or any other song, as a matter of fact – until she settled into her current home in San Francisco.
In this edition of Bay Area Beats, McFarling tells KALW’s Martina Castro why she credits San Francisco with helping her launch her musical career, and better understanding the idea of home. (9/19/12) |
Creating utopia on Market StreetThere’s talk that we’re in the midst of a second tech boom in San Francisco. Twitter is opening its new headquarters in the Central Market district and residents are buzzing about what’s to come. Mayor Ed Lee has been courting start-ups since he came into office, hoping they’ll bring thousands of new jobs to the city. But many contend there’s an unwanted side effect: the boom has been pushing up already high rent and property values, and it’s threatening to push out many low-income residents living downtown.
See how a group of local artists create an interactive installation on the streets of mid-market, calling it Streetopia. KALW's Martina Castro was there. (6/6/12) |
Meet the "thinking man's conceptual artist," Jonathon KeatsJonathon Keats is a writer, a philosopher, and an artist – a conceptual artist, who plays with people’s sense of time, money, and even space. KALW's Martina Castro went to see why he created the Local Air and Space Administration, or LASA, and its Exotourism Bureau as part of an art installation in downtown San Francisco. (12/21/11)
Regreterature: The sorry literary past of some of San Francisco's best writersEvery year, members of the esteemed San Francisco Writers’ Grotto will stand up and read their worst writing, in front of an audience. It’s part of the annual Litquake Festival, and it’s called "Regreturature." KALW’s Martina Castro went to a show and did some thinking about her own creative process. (4/23/13)
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Confronting Life's Fears on a Surfboard
Hear how author and surfer Jaimal Yogis tests his greatest fears as he learns why we are such an anxious and fearful society -- after numerous interviews with neuroscientists, sports psychologists, and extreme athletes, he finds that the best way to fight our fears is to expose yourself to them. So he tackles love and a 20 foot wave for his "Fear Project." (This story was performed live on stage)(5/20/13)
A centenarian reveals the keys for longevity
A lot of the change we’re seeing in the Bay Area is happening rapidly. Neighborhoods, industries, and infrastructure are transforming right before our eyes.
Now, just imagine how much things have changed in the last hundred years. Well, 103 years, to be precise. 1911...Back then, you got around the Bay Area by boat - the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges wouldn’t exist for another couple decades. 1911 also marked the year that Dr. Ephraim P. Engleman was born. He directs the Rosslyn Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis at UCSF, and he just released a book called, 'My Century.'
Today is his birthday. In this story from our archives, KALW's Martina Castro asked him to share some of his rules for living. (3/24/14)
Now, just imagine how much things have changed in the last hundred years. Well, 103 years, to be precise. 1911...Back then, you got around the Bay Area by boat - the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges wouldn’t exist for another couple decades. 1911 also marked the year that Dr. Ephraim P. Engleman was born. He directs the Rosslyn Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis at UCSF, and he just released a book called, 'My Century.'
Today is his birthday. In this story from our archives, KALW's Martina Castro asked him to share some of his rules for living. (3/24/14)