KQED's Forum

There was a time when the nation was gripped by an epidemic that leaders felt went to the moral core of the country: bad posture. In her new book, “Slouch,” University of Pennsylvania historian Beth Linker recounts how curved spines, rounded shoulders, and slumped backs were considered reflections of moral fitness, the ability to hold a job, and even intelligence. We’ll talk to Linker about this “posture panic” that contributes to the ableism we see today, and we’ll hear from you: How’s your posture?

Guests:

Beth Linker, author, "Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America"; professor of history and sociology of science, University of Pennsylvania

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When Judith Butler wrote the pioneering book “Gender Trouble” in 1990, they introduced us to the nascent field of gender theory. Now, more than three decades later, gender has become a catch-all term and bogeyman for conservative movements around the world. It’s become a lightning rod for social anxieties, Butler argues, about sex, feminism, racial equality and queer existence. In their latest book, Judith Butler asks: “Who’s Afraid of Gender?” And why? We’ll talk with Butler about how gender became such an incendiary buzz word and why we still struggle to find common language around it.

Guests:

Judith Butler, distinguished professor in the Graduate School Department of Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley

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A drenching rainy season that isn’t over yet has given California another gift, besides a big snowpack and gnarly skiing: a “superbloom.” A superbloom is not a scientific term according to botanists, but this year’s bloom promises to deliver a spectacular display. Anza-Borrego Desert is already reaching its peak, the park currently awash in a carpet of desert sunflowers, dune primrose and dandelions. For many areas across the state, peak blooms are still ahead. We talk to superbloom explorers, experts and wildflower lovers about what to look out for and the best ways to experience this year’s bonanza.

Guests:

Radhika Thekkath, co-president, Santa Clara Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society

Evan Meyer, botanist and executive director, nonprofit Theodore Payne Foundation

Dan McCamish, senior environmental scientist, Colorado Desert District, California State Parks

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Chiura Obata had a promising career when he left Japan for California in 1903. But the pull of this new country was compelling. A long-time arts professor at Berkeley, Obata was a leading figure of the Northern California arts community. His watercolor and ink paintings of the natural world, including vistas of the Sierras and Yosemite, as well as finely wrought and closely observed paintings of flowers, fish and fauna brought him acclaim. But the art schools he opened while incarcerated in concentration camps at Topaz and Tanforan in World War II made him beloved. Reflecting on his career, Obata wrote, “I dedicate my paintings, first, to the grand nature of California, which, over the long years, in sad as well as in delightful times, has always given me great lessons, comfort, and nourishment. Second, to the people who share the same thoughts, as though drawing water from one river under one tree.” We’ll talk about a current exhibit of his work at the SFMOMA with Obata experts, including his granddaughter.

Guests:

Kimi Kodani Hill, Obata family historian - Kodani Hill is the granddaughter of painter Chiura Obata whose solo exhibition is up at the SF MOMA through July 14.

Nancy Lim, associate curator, San Francisco Modern Museum of Art (SF MOMA) - Lim curated the Chiura Obata exhibition currently on display at SFMOMA.

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For decades, it’s been primarily women and girls who tend to be diagnosed with eating disorders. But recent research shows that adolescent boys are prone to disordered eating as well, though they may exhibit different symptoms from girls. Where disordered eating in girls can focus on thinness, in boys, eating disorders can be complicated by athletic training or a desire for increased muscle mass, making it harder to diagnose under current criteria. We talk about the challenges of diagnosing and treating eating disorders in boys, and we’ll hear from you. Do you have a personal experience with an eating disorder?

If you are struggling with an eating disorder and are in need of support, you can find resources and helplines at https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/

Guests:

Dr. Jason Nagata, adolescent medicine specialist, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital

Tim Tollefson, professional ultrarunner and race director, Mammoth Trail Fest

John Schu, librarian and writer. He is the author of "Louder Than Hunger."

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Famine is imminent in the northern Gaza Strip, according to a report released this week by United Nations-backed food experts. The analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) also finds that half of Gaza’s population, 1.1 million people, , would most likely experience “catastrophic” shortages of food by mid-July. We’ll discuss the IPC report and get the latest on efforts to speed up humanitarian assistance as Israel continues to wage war on Hamas.

Guests:

Rushdi Abualouf, Gaza correspondent based in Istanbul, BBC

Alex DeWaal, executive director, World Peace Foundation; research professor, Tufts University

Abby Maxman, president and CEO, Oxfam America

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James and Jennifer Crumbley are set to be sentenced next month after separate juries convicted them of involuntary manslaughter for failing to prevent their son from killing four classmates in a 2021 mass shooting at a Michigan high school. The Crumbleys’ convictions mark the first time in U.S. legal history that the parents of a school shooter have been found criminally liable for their child’s actions. Some legal analysts say the highly specific facts of the case mark it as an outlier. But others say it could set precedent for parental liability — for gun crimes and beyond. We’ll talk about the verdicts and their potential ramifications.

Guests:

Erik Ortiz, senior reporter focusing on racial injustice and social inequality, NBC News

Ekow Yankah, professor of law and of philosophy and associate dean, University of Michigan

Anthony Portantino, state senator, 25th district in Southern California -he authored Senate Bill 53, which would expand existing firearm safe storage laws. Senator Portantino authored California’s safe storage law in 2019

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The Ninja Loop is a 12-mile trail that starts in the Marin Headlands and climbs 2,000 feet to a crest from which runners can witness the rising sun if they time it right. Since its christening in 2008, the trail has become a popular stalwart among many fabled Bay Area trail runs, like the Dipsea, and 3,500 attempts have been made to break its course record of one hour and six minutes. We’ll talk about the Loop and other popular trail runs in the region. What’s your favorite run?

Guests:

Victor Diaz, owner, Renegade Running

Ted Knudsen, owner, San Francisco Running Company; race director, Quad Dipsea race which he has run 25 times

Olivia Allen-Price, host, KQED's Bay Curious - a podcast that investigates questions asked by local residents about things both profound and peculiar that make the Bay Area unique

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Anthropologist Jason De León has spent a career documenting the stories of migrants making their way across the Sonoran Desert at the Southern US border. But in his new book, “Soldiers And Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling,” De León turns his gaze towards the smugglers. For nearly seven years, he embedded with a group of smugglers moving migrants across Central America and Mexico, following them as they led people north. We’ll talk to him about his book, what he learned from this rare look into this side of the billion-dollar industry and what can be done to address the global migration crisis.

Guests:

Jason De León, author, “Soldiers And Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling"; director, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology; professor of anthropology and Chicana, Chicano, and Central American Studies, UCLA

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The City of Berkeley will soon return sacred land to an Indigenous trust, in what Berkeley’s mayor has called the largest urban land give-back in California history. After nearly a decade of litigation the city acquired a 2.2 acre parking lot in West Berkeley which sits on the last undeveloped land of the oldest Ohlone shellmound, which was designated as a city landmark in 2000. The city acquired the land for 27 million dollars, mostly with money from the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. We’ll talk about the plans for the site and what it means for Ohlone people, the city of Berkeley and the future of the land back movement.

Guests:

Sophie Hahn, councilmember, Berkeley District 5

Corrina Gould, director, Sogorea Te’ Land Trust; spokeswoman and tribal chair, Confederated Villages of Lisjan/Ohlone

Melissa Nelson, board president, Sogorea Te' Land Trust; professor of Indigenous Sustainability, Arizona State University

Farimah Faiz Brown, City Attorney, Berkeley

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