KQED's Forum

Literary translators are why we can read poems, novels and essays written in languages we don’t speak, exposing us to otherwise inaccessible ideas and worlds. But even though translators wrestle page by page, paragraph by paragraph, line by line, to convey meaning,humor and pathos, their names don’t always appear on book covers. And translators say their industry is mired in problems of inequitable pay, a lack of diversity and an undervaluing of heritage speakers. We’ll talk with a panel of literary translators about the joys and challenges of their work. Tell us: Have you ever attempted to translate a literary text? What did you notice? What’s your favorite work in translation?

Guests:

Bruna Dantas Lobato, translates from Portuguese; advocate for translators not working into their first language; novelist and author of the forthcoming novel, "Blue Light Hours" - she has just been longlisted for the National Book Award;

Jennifer Croft, author, the forthcoming novel "The Extinction of Irena Rey"; translator for Polish Nobel Laureate Olga Tokarczuk; advocate for translators

Soje, translates from Korean; poet; creator of Chogwa - which presents multiple translations of the same poem in each issue

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Slamming a bedroom door is one of the first signs a young person is entering puberty. Then come the physical changes, first periods, wet dreams, acne, mood swings and many other shifts. But, today’s young people are experiencing puberty in different ways than their parents’ generation. It starts sooner and lasts longer, making a complex stage of life even more challenging. The authors of a new book, “This is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained,” will join us to lay out how puberty has changed and how families can navigate this tricky time in kids’ lives.

Guests:

Cara Natterson, co-author, "This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained" - Natterson, a pediatrician and podcaster, is the author of ten books including the New York Times bestselling series "The Care and Keeping of You" and “Guy Stuff”

Vanessa Kroll Bennett, co-author, "This is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained" - Bennett is co-host of the "Puberty Podcast"

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This week we smash the patriarchy with interviews with multidisciplinary artist, poet, and author Mimi Tempestt on her new collection of poetry, "The Delicacy of Embracing Spirals" and writer and researcher Cat Bohannon on her book “Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution.” Catch up on the week's most compelling interviews in 30 minutes or less.

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Glynn Washington hosts the podcast Spooked, which features stories about the supernatural – told by the people who experienced them first-hand. We talk with Glynn about spirits, ghosts, and the stories that make us question what we know. Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, we invite you to join us as we discuss stories from the Spooked archive, contemplate our relationship with spirits and the afterlife, and explore the cultural roots and value of ghostly tales.

Guests:

Glynn Washington, host and executive producer, Snap Judgment and Spooked podcasts.

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Solar eclipses happen roughly every six months, but they are rarely visible. This weekend, however, Bay Area residents will be able to see the moon pass in front of the sun in an annular eclipse. Another one, a total eclipse, is expected to cross our skies in April 2024. The celestial spectacles will be the last events to appear over the continental U.S. until 2045. We’ll dig into the science of solar eclipses, how to safely view an eclipse and hear the latest in space exploration.

Guests:

Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer and professor, Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco and the OLLI Program at SF State; author of many textbooks and popular books about astronomy

Marina Koren, staff writer, The Atlantic. Koren covers space for the magazine

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Leonard Leo, the powerful and well-funded leader of the Federalist Society who prevailed on the Trump Administration to nominate a slate of conservative, anti-abortion jurists to the Supreme Court, is now the subject of “We Don’t Talk About Leonard,” a new Pro Publica investigation and podcast. Now that he has created a right wing supermajority on the Supreme Court, “Leo has grander ambitions,” according to Pro Publica, “which include fighting against ‘wokism’ in education, ‘one-sided’ journalism, and ideas like environmental, social and governance policies” in corporate America. We learn what Pro Publica’s reporters have uncovered.

Guests:

Andrea Bernstein, creator of "We Don't Talk About Leonard," a podcast from On the Media and ProPublica; author of "American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power"

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Political corruption. Government shutdown battles. Legislative gridlock. Sometimes, it seems like ordinary citizens picked at random might do a better job governing than elected officials. In fact, that’s exactly the kind of lottery-like political system that is now gaining traction in academia. As part of Forum’s “Doing Democracy” series, we’ll talk about “lottocracy” and other ideas that seek to improve democracy and put ordinary citizens at the center of political power.

Guests:

Alexander Guerrero, professor of philosophy, Rutgers University - New Brunswick; author of the forthcoming book, "Lottocracy: Democracy Without Elections"

Hélène Landemore, professor of political science, Yale University; author, "Open Democracy: Reinventing Popular Rule for the Twenty-First Century"

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Communities across California with connections to Israel and Gaza are bracing for more violence, death and devastation after President Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday officially declared war on Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. On Saturday Hamas unleashed a deadly attack that Israel characterized as the “worst massacre of Israeli civilians” in history. Now almost 2,000 people are dead and thousands more wounded after Israel in turn launched unrelenting retaliatory strikes in the Gaza strip. We’ll learn more about what’s happening and how Jewish and Arab communities in California are responding to and processing the conflict.

Guests:

Manny Yekutiel, owner of Manny’s in San Francisco; currently in Israel visiting his family

Janine Zacharia, visiting lecturer, Stanford University; former Jerusalem Bureau Chief and Middle East correspondent for the Washington Post

Steven Erlanger, chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe, New York Times; reporting from Israel

Wael Buhaissy, Palestinian American who lives in San Ramon

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Curating a well-stocked pantry can feel like a never-ending grocery list. Where to draw the line between different types of oil or salt? And what about recipes from countries around the world, with ingredients you may use once and never again? For our next installment of All You Can Eat, our collaboration with the KQED Food Team, we talk to chefs and recipe magicians about how to make the most of your pantry space — whether in the cupboard or the freezer — and how to maximize your food budget without sacrificing the flavor and authenticity of the cuisines you love.

Guests:

Ali Slagle, creator, the newsletter "40 Ingredients Forever" on Substack; author, the cookbook "I Dream of Dinner (so You Don't Have To)"; contributor, New York Times Cooking

Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts & Culture

Linda Tay Esposito, chef; teacher, 18 Reasons, Milk Street Kitchen, and The Civic Kitchen - Esposito specializes in Southeast Asian cuisine

Viola Buitoni, author, "Italy by Ingredient: Artisanal Foods, Modern Recipes"

Sarah Kirnon, chef; former owner of Miss Ollie's

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Every wildfire has at least two stories, according to writers Justin Angle and Nick Mott. One story is about the devastation exacted on humans, their lives and property. The other story, sometimes at odds with the first, is about fire’s positive impacts on ecosystems. Fire is “something we need to suppress and control,” they write, “yet it’s a natural force we need more of.” Angle and Mott’s new book “This is Wildfire” is about reconciling those perspectives and finding practical ways to live healthily and sustainably in an increasingly fire-prone world. We’ll learn about advances in U.S. forest management and get tips for protecting yourself, your home and your community.

Guests:

Justin Angle, professor, University of Montana College of Business; co-author, "This is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself, Your Home and Your Community in the Age of Heat"

Nick Mott, journalist; podcast producer; co-author, "This Is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Community in the Age of Heat"

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