Info

The Soul of California

Let them share.....That's the goal. Let the leading thinkers, writers, academics, artists and activists talk about their work and the influence of California on that work. In these podcasts, I hope to bring out the myth and the ethos that is not only a leading administrative entity in the United States, but also the world. No commercials, just content. Feed your soul. Keep listening.
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
The Soul of California
2019
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: January, 2016
Jan 21, 2016

The 6th street bridge is dead! Long live the 6th street bridge! 

Photographer Kevin Break has been photographing downtown LA’s bridges for over 20 years. As the iconic 6th street bridge is being demolished, Break provides listeners with a history of the dozen bridges that span the LA River, comments on the replacement bridge and reflects on its eery silence and the unexpected nature in the concrete-lined river. He shares the logistics of going into the river and why 2am is the best time to shoot photos. He ends with how the Jesus Wall came into existence, the impact of going digital and the importance of archiving….26 minutes. 

http://www.kevinsbridges.com

Next month - Tom Williams on crime fiction writer Raymond Chandler. 

Thanks for listening, subscribing, sharing.

Jan 11, 2016

In this second episode on electric mobility (19 minutes),  industry expert Chelsea Sexton talks about the fear of a limited range, lessons from Silicon Valley, the politics of electric mobility, low oil prices, the evolution of batteries,  fixing incentives, and the potential bubble in the industry. 

@evchels

Watch out for the next show with photographer Kevin Break on LA’s iconic 6th Street Bridge, scheduled to be released in the coming days. 

 

Jan 4, 2016

In this first of two episodes (24 minutes), electric mobility expert Chelsea Sexton talks about the state of play in the sector. She gives us a brief background how she became involved through her time as a sales rep for GM and the ill-fated EV1 project, which was the main protagonist in the cult documentary film “Who killed the electric car?”.  

Chelsea discusses how she and her cohorts went from pot stirrers with a goal to save the first cars and then embarked on a quixotic journey to make them part of today’s mix. That journey has taken them from the consumer’s enthusiasm (and anxiety) to some company’s full embrace (i.e. Tesla and Nissan) or minimalist compliance-based approach. At the forefront of the electric mobility debate, she argues that the industry is still misjudging the market.

The second episode will air just as the North American International Auto Show kicks off in January and will discuss the current déjà vu environment in which she feels the industry finds itself. 

Jan 4, 2016

In this 19-minute episode, we take a look at some of 2015’s best stories, reflections and outtakes. We have (in the following order): 

  • Dave Alvin’s first songwriting lesson (at 13 years old) from Big Joe Turner
  • Susan Shillinglaw on why John Steinbeck is still so read today
  • Friends of the LA River’s Lewis MacAdams on the river’s state in the 1980s and how he became involved in restoring it
  • Chelsea Sexton on electric mobility about how the walkman was the precursor to the smartphone (and how consumers would never have asked for the technology if companies didn’t invest in innovation)
  • UC Berkeley’s Gray Brechin on how mining technology contributed to the development of San Francisco
  • Architectural critic Alan Hess on Palm Springs as a mecca of the emerging recreational economy. 
  • EPIC’s Rob DiPerna on his "best place on earth”
  • UCLA’s Ehrhard Bahr on why many of Germany’s intellectuals chose Los Angeles over New York during World War II 
  • Architect Donald MacDonald on the "bridge aesthetic" of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges
  • Peter Case reflecting on his early days in San Francisco and his thanking Lawrence Ferlinghetti for his contribution to Case’s education
  • UC Berkeley’s Richard Walker on the development and use of pesticides on citrus trees in the 1870s
  • Thomas Oesterdiekhoff on composer Harry Partch’s early influences which led to Partch's very atypical musical journey
  • Photographer Kim Stringfellow on the alternative history of California’s water wars as one drives up the picturesque Highway 395. 

This is just a taster of the many eye-opening stories and reflections of the Soul of California’s guests over the course of 2015. 

Enjoy them and feel free to download the complete interviews.

Have a good 2016.

1