Rightnowish

On this final episode of the Rightnowish podcast, we end back where we started, but with some pretty significant updates.

In the fall of 2019, renowned visual artist Timothy B. gave us the first full Rightnowish interview for an episode titled, 'From D-Boys to Dope Art.'

During that interview Timothy B. was flanked by his mother Dana Bluitt and his father Timothy Bluitt Sr., as he shared with us his perspective on mural making, community building and his work in Oakland. Now, five years after our last conversation on tape, Timothy B. is a father too. Stepping into parenthood has changed his painting schedule and personal priorities. But still, he remains creative.

This week we discuss how Timothy B. has grown and how Oakland has changed. And then Timothy B. gives us some advice on how to deal with major life transitions; advice I needed to hear as we close this Rightnowish podcast series.

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The dense green woods of Sonoma County's Forestville are home to a two-story music studio and residence that runs on solar energy. Known as The NEST, the terracotta colored building is made completely of wood, clay and cob; and it was created for the purpose of serving Native artists.

Ras K'dee, a Pomo-African, hip-hop musician who grew up in the area, is the caretaker of the space but he didn't build it alone. He worked with over 350 people from youth groups to his own family and friends. This week on Rightnowish, we talk about the importance of working together to create spaces for artists to grow and the ins-and-outs of land reclamation in the North Bay.

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Human memory can be triggered by certain smells, sounds or even a photo. It's funny how the mind works; one small symbol can lead to the rehashing of feelings from years ago.

The latest work from artist Marcel Pardo Ariza urges people to take a trip down memory lane by using images of gone but not forgotten bar signs. Pardo Ariza is clear: these bars served more than booze, they were sanctuaries for folks from San Francisco's queer and trans community and they should be celebrated as such.

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West Oakland's Loove Moore is a superhero. His special power? His ability to participate.

He's a talented musician, dancer, and community documentarian, who interviews people about everything from current events in the Bay Area to how they define love. Plus he can get down behind the camera, producing all of his own stuff.

Known for his interview series, The Loove Moore Show and for making songs that sample classic Bay Area tracks, what drives Loove Moore's affinity for culture and dedication to his community is a deep-seated spiritual conviction.

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Tomas Moniz's novel All Friends Are Necessary explores the profound depths of friendship and the unique ways in which love is expressed. The book is chock-full of remedies for grief, sweet moments between friends, observations about Mother Nature and shoutouts to some key Bay Area landmarks and cultural institutions — all of which we discuss on this week's episode of Rightnowish.

 Tomas Moniz will read and sign copies of his new book at Doña (3770 Piedmont Ave., Oakland) on June 13, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. and at Green Apple Books (1231 9th Ave., San Francisco) on June 18, 2024 at 7 p.m.

Also, Moniz is a big fan of exchanging letters. He can be reached at P.O. Box 3555, Berkeley, CA, 94703.  

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Jazz and hip-hop are technically two different genres of music, but for bassist and composer Giulio Xavier Cetto, the connection between the two is indivisible. Both genres seamlessly compliment each other as they show up in the music Cetto listens to as, as well as the music he makes. On this week's Rightnowish, San Francisco's own Cetto discusses the story behind his Instagram handle, his favorite Bay Area music venues, and what it's like to lead Big Trippin, a band that features drummer Thomas Pridgen, saxophonist John Palowitch and pianist Javier Santiago.

 This story was originally published June 30, 2023 as part of “Liner Notes” a five-part series, about jazz in Bay Area.

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This week we revisit a story that was originally published September 2, 2022 as part of “Permanent Behavior: Getting Tatted in the Bay” , a four-part series, about local tattoo artists.

 Miguel "Bounce" Perez is a visual artist who owes a lot of his talents to childhood memories with his family. His mother introduced him to sketching, as she'd draw “chola-style” portraits of women with feathered hair and sharp brows. His uncles taught him the art of lettering in "Cali-Chicano" Old English script. And Bounce's father was part of a car club in West Berkeley, a neighborhood that was also home to a number of graffiti murals. Through these interactions Perez was introduced to what he does today: spreading culture through murals and tattoos.

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This week on Rightnowish we take a little dive into family history and explore the big concerns of the next generation with published poet, educator and youth advocate, Michelle "Mush" Lee. 

Lee is the executive director of the well renowned poetry organization, Youth Speaks. The organization boasts a long list of alums who are playwrights and poets, actors and activists. Just two years after its founding in 1996, Youth Speaks launched the annual youth poetry slam, Brave New Voices. This year, the three-day conference that pulls young poets from all corners of the country will be in the nation's capital, Washington D.C., just months before the presidential election.

As an organizer, Lee is looking ahead to this year's conference with a clear understanding of why young people's voices are so important right now.

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We love having conversations about culture, identity and place with local change makers and hometown heroes. If you appreciate the work that we do on Rightnowish, please visit https://donate.kqed.org/podcasts to support us.

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As we celebrate Mother's Day, we're taking some time to honor those who have strained relationships with their mothers, are missing their mothers or grew up without their mothers. We're also thinking about the mothers who are missing their children for one reason or another.

More than just thinking about them, we're hearing from them. This week we're passing the mic to our friends over at "Ear Hustle", a podcast from PRX’s Radiotopia. This special episode highlights the stories of elderly mothers who are incarcerated at California Institution for Women, a prison located in Chino, CA.

Their tales of aging behind bars, while yearning for family are gut-wrenching but necessary, for we can't grow as a people unless we understand the plight of those on the margins of society. And when it comes to ensuring that we grow as a people, that's something that mothers know best.

Happy Mother's Day from the Rightnowish family!

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