In this episode, recorded live at the KPBS San Diego Book Festival, authors Emily Greenberg ("Alternative Facts") and Moses Ose Utomi ("Forever Desert" trilogy) delve into storytelling across genres. Greenberg's politically charged, experimental fiction and Utomi's fantasy, rooted in West African mythology, may appear vastly different, but both investigate how societies — real and imagined — navigate truth, lies and the narratives that guide culture.

Each book in Utomi's trilogy is separated by 500 years, showing how events in his world become distorted and mythologized over time. Greenberg's short stories feature characters drawn from our real world today, bringing readers inside the mind of Kellyanne Conway and exploring formative moments in the childhood of George W. Bush.

The authors' conversation reveals where their unique voices intersect, highlighting how imagination shapes understanding of identity, history and the forces that influence perception.

Guests:

• Moses Ose Utomi
• Emily Greenberg

Sources:

• Storytelling and Cultural Traditions (National Geographic Society, 2025)
• Familiar Aliens: Science Fiction as Social Commentary (Elaine J. O’Quinn and Heather Atwell, The Alan Review, 2010)
• 7 Speculative Fiction Works That Offer Powerful Social Commentary (Erin Crosby Eckstine, Electric Literature, 2025)
• Why Genre Fiction Is So Effective in Tackling Social Issues (Cindy Fazzi, Publishers Weekly, 2023)
• The late 19th and early 20th centuries in African American literature (Willliam L. Andrews, Britannica)
• Report: Conway punched a man three times at inaugural ball (Jennifer Calfas, The Hill, 2017)
• Man says Hawaii missile-alert panic caused near-fatal heart attack (CBS News, 2018)
• Welcome to Post-Truth America (Tony Rehagen, Boston College Magazine, 2020)
• Truthiness (Ben Zimmer, The New York Times, 2010)
• Deepfakes, Elections, and Shrinking the Liar’s Dividend (Josh A. Goldstein and Andrew Lohn, Brennan Center for Justice, 2024)
• Emily Greenberg's 'Alternative Facts': A post-truth blend of fiction, politics and pop culture (Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS, 2025)

In 1975, Lucky's Breakfast, also known as Lucky's Golden Phenix, opened in North Park with a few U-shaped booths, a short-order griddle and a man named Lucky Wong at the helm. Well into his 80s, Lucky worked as a one-man show: He took every order from memory, cooked and served every plate and made every customer feel like family.

"Everybody thought they were special to him," said Ruth Kramer, a longtime patron. "I don't know how he did it, but you knew he cared about you."

The no-frills diner outlasted neighborhood changes, the pandemic and even a viral TikTok surge that brought lines down the block. When Lucky closed his doors in 2024 and later passed away, the loss was felt far beyond San Diego.

" I felt like a family member had passed and it was sad," said Jerry Rickett of Corbin, Kentucky, who visited every other year.

In his honor, the city renamed the block of Grim Avenue where the diner stood "Lucky Lane." Through stories from family, regulars and friends, this episode remembers the man who poured the coffee, cracked the eggs — and the jokes — and quietly built a community, one breakfast at a time.

Guests:

• June Wong
• Matt Lyons, Tribute Pizza
• Brian Foxworth, Jr., Mom's Chicken and Waffles
• August Wang
• Dan Anderson
• Colleen Haynes
• Douglas Saboe
• Lesley Fong
• Gail Higgins, The Girl Can't Help It
• Ana Christina
• Ruth Kramer
• Thursday Garreau
• Jerry Rickett
• Omid Golchehreh
• Hannah Sweet

Sources:

• r/FoodSanDiego/ (Reddit, 2014-present)
• Lucky's diner viral TikTok video (@domexican1, TikTok, 2022)
• Lucky's Golden Phenix (Petite Films,YouTube, 2021)
• Lucky's Breakfast in North Park goes viral (Ciara Encinas, ABC 10 News, 2022)
• More Closures: Lucky's Breakfast & Wildwood Flour Bakery (Reddit, 2024)
• Lucky's Breakfast Owner has Passed Away at Age 86 (Reddit, 2024)
• Lucky's Breakfast Closes Its Doors In San Diego's North Park After Nearly 50 Years In Business (SanDiegoville, 2024)
• Remembering Lucky's Breakfast Founder Wong "Lucky" Chong: A San Diego Icon (SanDiegoville, 2024)
• Second Sino-Japanese War (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2025)
• What happened to San Diego's Chinatown? (Julianna Domingo and Jade Hindmon, KPBS Midday Edition, 2025)
• San Diego High School History (San Diego Unified)
• Median Gross Rent for Zip Code 92104 in 2011 (United States Census Bureau)
• Median Gross Rent for Zip Code 92104 in 2023 (United States Census Bureau)
• The Real Restaurant Failure Rate Is Lower Than You Think (2025 Data) (Adam Guild, Owner, 2024)
• 34.7 percent of business establishments born in 2013 were still operating in 2023 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024)
• Gail Higgins: The PKM Interview! - Part 1 (Gillian McCain, Please Kill Me, 2015)
• 50 Top Pizza USA 2024 (Guide to the Best Pizzerias in the world, 2024)
• Tribute Pizza Pop-Up Finds Permanent Home in North Park (Candice Woo, Eater San Diego, 2015)
• North Park block to be renamed 'Lucky Lane' after the man who served it for 50 years (Katie Hyson, KPBS, 2025)
• Make Lucky Lane real & take Lucky's Legacy a step further! (GoFundMe, 2025)
• Designating the 3800 Block of Grim Avenue From University Avenue to North Park Way in the North Park Community as Lucky Lane (The City of San Diego Official Documents, 2025)
• North Park's new Lucky Lane named in honor of community restaurant owner (M.G. Perez, NBC San Diego, 2025)

Blink-182 is the biggest band to ever come out of San Diego. But their path — from the dungeon of the original SOMA to global stardom — was shaped by a lot more than just talent. With music journalist Dan Ozzi, co-author of bassist Mark Hoppus' new memoir, "Fahrenheit 182," we revisit the band's early years and the lucky breaks that helped launch them, from skate videos to a last-minute drummer switch.

"There was kind of a Blink-182-shaped hole in pop culture at that time that they just came at the right place, right time and filled," Ozzi said.

We also check in with emerging local acts at the North Park Music Fest, where bands like Peach Cooler are building community through live shows. Their stories spark bigger questions about selling out, staying local and what gets lost in an industry driven by algorithms and infinite playlists. In contrast, local music still offers something deeper: a sense of presence, a shared culture and the kind of connection that streaming can't replicate.

Guests:

• Dan Ozzi, music journalist and bestselling author
• Peach Cooler, indie pop band from San Diego

Music heard in this episode:

• Blink-182 - "Fentoozler" (live at SOMA in San Diego, Oct. 7, 1994)
• Blink-182 - "Dammit" (live from "The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show" live album, 1999)
• Blink-182 - "Josie" (1997)
• Blink-182 - "Carousel" (live from Chicago, 2001)
• Blink-182 - "Lemmings" (1996 version, which appeared in "Good Times")
• Taylor Steele's "Good Times" (1996 surf movie that included "Lemmings")
• The Aquabats - "Super Rad" (1997)
• Travis Barker - "Violence" drum solo (live from MUSINK Festival in Costa Mesa, 2018)
• Blink-182 - "I Miss You" (live from Pepsi Smash concert series, 2004)
• Jawbreaker - "Accident Prone" (1995)
• Blink-182 - "All the Small Things" (live from Petco Park in San Diego, 2024)
• Blink-182 - "Feeling This" (2004)
• Peach Cooler - "Falling Forward" (Live at Capricorn Studios, 2025)

Dan Ozzi's writings:

• "Fahrenheit-182: A Memoir" | A 2025 memoir by Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus, co-written with Dan Ozzi, blending personal stories, band history and reflections on life after cancer
• "Sellout: The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore" | A 2021 nonfiction book by Dan Ozzi chronicling the major-label debuts of punk and emo bands between 1994 and 2007
• "Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout" | Laura Jane Grace's 2016 memoir about gender transition, punk rock life and the rise of her band Against Me!
• VICE | A media company that began as a punk magazine in the 1990s and expanded into digital journalism, video and documentaries

Mentioned in this episode:

• Blink-182 | San Diego pop-punk band made up of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker, whose catchy hooks and irreverent humor made them one of the most famous bands in the world, selling millions of albums and influencing generations of musicians
• North Park Music Fest | Annual outdoor festival in San Diego's North Park neighborhood featuring local bands, food and craft beer
• SOMA | San Diego concert venue that has hosted punk, metal and alternative bands since the early 1990s
• Sombrero | Mexican food chain in San Diego County, famously referenced in Blink-182's song "Josie"
• Enola Gay | U.S. Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, marking a turning point in World War II and the beginning of the nuclear age
• NOFX | California punk band formed in the 1980s, recognized for fast tempos and political lyrics
• Green Day | Grammy-winning punk band from Northern California whose breakthrough album, "Dookie" (1994), brought punk to mainstream audiences
• Pennywise | Los Angeles punk band known for its energetic live shows and socially conscious lyrics
• Jawbreaker | San Francisco punk and emo band influential in shaping the 1990s underground scene
• Against Me! | Florida punk band led by Laura Jane Grace, known for its raw sound, political themes and later groundbreaking exploration of gender identity in punk rock
• Rick DeVoe | Longtime manager of Blink-182 and other action sports–associated bands, with deep ties to surf and skate culture
• Petco Park and the San Diego Padres | The Padres' home stadium, where Blink-182 songs are regularly played during games
• Tony Hawk | A professional skateboarder from San Diego County whose career and lifestyle helped define modern skate culture, from competitions and video games to a global brand built around skateboarding
• Skate and surf brands | Labels like Airwalk, Volcom and Billabong that became staples of 1990s skateboarding and surfing style, often linked with punk rock culture

Sources:

• Blink-182: A Timeline of the Band's History (Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 2023)
• 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time (Christopher R. Weingarten, Jon Dolan, Matt Diehl, Ken Micallef, David Ma, Gareth Dylan Smith, Oliver Wang, Jason Heller, Jordan Runtagh, Hank Shteamer, Steve Smith, Brittany Spanos, Kory Grow, Rob Kemp, Keith Harris, Richard Gehr, Jon Wiederhorn, Maura Johnston, and Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2016)
• Blink-182 Frontman Mark Hoppus Explains How His Cancer Diagnosis Brought Band Back Together (Ryan Fish, The Hollywood Reporter, 2023)
• Here's Everything That You Need To Know About The Tragic 2008 Plane Crash That Travis Barker Survived (Stephanie Soteriou, BuzzFeed News, 2022)
• 100 Greatest Music Books of All Time (Billboard, 2016)
• Making it in music: How do you create a local music scene in a 'superstar economy'? (Julia Dixon Evans and Anthony Wallace, The Finest, 2025)
• Spotify is changing, so one indie artist is advocating for fairness in a stream-heavy world (Julia Dixon Evans and Anthony Wallace, The Finest, 2025)

Romantasy has become one of the fastest-growing book genres in publishing — a blend of epic love stories and magical stakes that's capturing the imaginations of readers. Once dismissed as unserious or overly indulgent, the genre is now being embraced by a new wave of fans, thanks in part to #BookTok, viral buzz and social commentary that touches on real-world issues through fantastical stories.

On this episode of The Finest, we explore romantasy's rise, with roots in fan fiction, online communities and personal storytelling. We talk with San Diego authors, booksellers and fans, and hear from a professor who studies popular romance and romantasy fiction to understand what makes the genre so powerful — and why it's resonating so deeply across the culture.

"This idea that romance trivializes is not new," says Netta Baker, an advanced instructor of English at Virginia Tech. "All the way back in the 18th century, Ann Radcliffe novels were thought to stir improper passions in young women."

We also take you inside Comic-Con 2025, where romantasy panels drew some of the longest lines of the weekend, and unpack the genre's biggest misconceptions — that it's unserious, overly steamy or somehow not "real" fantasy. What we found instead was a powerful form of storytelling — one that reflects the real world, often giving women power and agency they don't always feel in daily life, and bringing thousands of people back to books.

Romantasy might just surprise you.

Guests:

• Netta Baker, Advanced Instructor of English at Virginia Tech
• Adalyn Grace, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling fantasy author of the "Belladonna" series
• Kaylie Smith, #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling dark fantasy romance author of the "Wicked Games" series
• Comic-Con 2025 attendees we met during romantasy panels and signings, including Autumn Mitchell and Julia

Books mentioned in this episode:

• "Flame and Thorns" by Marion Blackwood
• "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas
• "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros
• "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
• "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
• "A Curse Carved in Bone" by Danielle L. Jensen
• "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L. James
• "Belladonna" by Adalyn Grace
• "Phantasma" by Kaylie Smith
• "A Hunger Like No Other" by Kresley Cole
• "Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Mentioned in this episode:

• Brandon Sanderson | Bestselling fantasy author whose influence helped shift perceptions around genre fiction
• Anne Radcliffe | 18th century gothic novelist whose work sparked early moral panic about women reading romance
• Harlequins | Mass-market paperback romances, known for being inexpensive, widely available and foundational to how romance has been consumed and critiqued
• Fabio Lanzoni | Male model who became the iconic face of steamy romance covers in the '80s and '90s

Sources:

• What Is Romantasy, Anyway? (M. K. Lobb, Writer's Digest, 2024)
• Print Book Sales Fell 2.6% in 2023 (Jim Milliot, Publishing Weekly, 2024)
• Print Book Sales Saw a Small Sales Increase in 2024 (Jim Milliot, Publishing Weekly, 2025)
• These were the bestselling books of 2024. (Emily Temple, Lit Hub, 2025)
• Romantasy and BookTok driving a huge rise in science fiction and fantasy sales (Ella Creamer, The Guardian, 2025)
• How Dragons, Magic and Steamy Sex Took Over the Book World (Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, Ellen Gamerman and Isabella Simonetti, The Wall Street Journal, 2024)
• The Power of BookTok: Why TikTok's Book Community Is Driving a New Era In Publishing (TikTok via Forbes, 2025)
• Erotica and Pornographby: A Clear and Present Difference (Gloria Steinem, Ms. magazine, 1978)
• Dragons and Sex Are Now a $610 Million Business Sweeping Publishing (Ella Ceron, Bloomberg, 2024)
• Federal Data on Reading for Pleasure: All Signs Show a Slump (Sunil Iyengar, National Endowment for the Arts, 2024)
• What Helps Stress, Your Mood and Brain Health? Books (Ari Cofer, Right as Rain by UW Medicine, 2024)
• Does reading fiction make us better people? (Claudia Hammond, BBC, 2019)

Isauro "Junior" Inocencio, Ron Recaido and Romali Licudan grew up as second-generation Filipino Americans in Southeast San Diego during the 1990s. As violence intensified in their community, they found inspiration in comics, hip-hop and murals. They formed a crew to create large-scale, permission-granted graffiti on a neighborhood wall. Their goal was to express themselves and offer something positive to those around them. But national policing efforts blurred the line between art and crime, and the group came under surveillance. Though only one of them was arrested, all three were affected by the fallout.

Years later, they return to the same wall — not to rewrite the past, but to reconnect, repaint and reflect on the power of claiming space through art.

"In graffiti, the basis of it is putting your name up. But a lot of people don't realize that graffiti can also be used — or it should be used — as a message board, to inspire," Romali said. "And it's also like, we can show the younger generation what they could do with graffiti and what they can do with their art."

We first learned about this story from our colleague KPBS reporter Kori Suzuki. Check out his original reporting here.

Guests:

• Isauro "Junior" Inocencio
• Ron Recaido
• Romali Licudan

The crew’s influences:

• "X-Men”
• "Robotech”
• NWA
• A Tribe Called Quest
• De La Soul

Mentioned in this episode:

• Microsoft Word | A word processing program by Microsoft that replaced the typewriter, used to draft everything from essays to letters
• The Gulf War | A 1990–1991 conflict after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, marking a major U.S.-led military operation in the Middle East
• Parkour | A movement style focused on jumping, climbing and flipping through obstacles, often practiced in urban spaces
• Grommet | A slang term for a young or inexperienced kid, commonly used in surf and skate culture to describe up-and-coming riders
• CIF Championships | High school sports championships governed by the California Interscholastic Federation, representing a pinnacle of athletic achievement for student athletes in the state
• Cyrus from "The Warriors” | A charismatic gang leader from the 1979 cult classic film, known for his iconic line "Can you dig it?” and for sparking a citywide gang truce in the film’s plot
• Icarus | A figure from Greek mythology whose wings melted when he flew too close to the sun, often used as a metaphor for overambition or hubris
• "Star Wars” trap | A reference to the iconic line "It’s a trap!” from "Return of the Jedi,” famously shouted by Admiral Ackbar, often used to signal a sudden ambush or betrayal
• "The Dukes of Hazzard” | A 1980s American TV show centered on two Southern cousins known for car chases, stunts and the General Lee — a Dodge Charger
• Cal Arts | Short for California Institute of the Arts, a renowned private arts school in Valencia, Calif., known for producing top talent in animation, visual arts and performance
• "The Art of Living Consciously” | A 1997 self-help book by psychologist Nathaniel Branden that explores how self-awareness and mindfulness contribute to personal growth and authenticity
• Ilocano | A major Filipino ethnolinguistic group and language
• Ampalaya | A bitter melon common in Filipino cooking and herbal medicine
• Kamatis | The Tagalog word for tomato, a staple in Filipino dishes
• Calamansi | A small, sour citrus fruit used in Filipino marinades, dipping sauces and drinks

Sources:

• Skyline‑Paradise Hills Community Plan (City of San Diego Planning Department – City of San Diego)
• The Philippine-American War, 1899–1902 (U.S. Department of State)
• The Congressional Gold Medal Tribute to Filipino WWII Veterans (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
• July 4, 1946: The Philippines Gained Independence from the United States (The National WWII Museum)
• Agreement amending the Military Bases Agreement of 14 March 1947 (U.S. Supreme Court E-Library)
• Navy to Stop Recruiting Filipino Nationals (Los Angeles Times, 1992)
• In Paradise Hills, a legendary art wall lives again (Kori Suzuki, KPBS, 2025)
• What Is Redlining? How Residential Segregation Shaped U.S. Cities (Jameelah Nasheed, Teen Vogue, 2021)
• Modern-Day Impacts of Historical Redlining on Schools (Giving Compass, 2022)
• Race and the War on Drugs (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2022)
• Despite the Recent Increase, Crime in San Diego Is Still Well Below Its 1990s Peak (Jesse Marx, Voice of San Diego, 2021)
• Low Crime Rates Reported In San Diego (KPBS, 2011)
• 43 Years of Crime in the San Diego Region: 1980 Through 2022 (SANDAG, 2023)
• Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs (U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, 2010)
• Gang Involvement as a Means to Satisfy Basic Needs (New York University’s Applied Psychology Online Publication of Undergraduate Studies, 2016)
• "The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop" (Carole Boston Weatherford, Vanderbilt University Library)
• Hip-Hop: A Culture of Vision and Voice (The Kennedy Center)
• Hip-Hop’s Origin Story Is One of Political Struggle, Creative Resistance (Cameron Newman, The Hoya, 2020)
• Unjust and Ineffective: A Critical Look at California's STEP Act (Sara Lynn Van Hofwegen, Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal, 2009)
• Graffiti: Guide No. 9 (ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, 2002)
• 7 Tagged Out in Sheriff's Graffiti Sting (Martha L. Willman, Los Angeles Times, 1991)
• In tagger film ruse, they star in 'The Sting' - 37 arrested, 6 sought in operation to trap vandals (Kelly Thornton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1994)
• Workers United: The Delano Grape Strike and Boycott (National Park Service)
• "A Minority Within a Minority": Filipinos in the United Farmworkers Movement (Mariel Barbadillo, "Prized Writing 2016-2017," UC Davis)
• The 1965-1970 Delano Grape Strike and Boycott (United Farm Workers, 2017)
• What is "Isang Bagsak”? (Pilipino Cultural Exchange)
• Filipino American History Month: Student Stories (UC Berkeley Industrial Engineering and Operations Research)
• Tagalog (University of Arizona Critical Languages Program)
• Emo Brown: The Interviews — Ron Recaido on The Kwento Thesis: Roots & Routes (Emo Brown: The Podcast, 2025)

The Kumeyaay have long told stories through rock art, vivid images carved into stone that preserved culture, memory and meaning. Today, that tradition continues in a new comic book created by Kumeyaay educators and historians to challenge the erasure of Indigenous history in California classrooms. Co-written by SDSU professor Ethan Banegas, a member of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, the book brings Kumeyaay life — from ancestral knowledge to colonization and resistance — into a format designed for students and teachers.

Photos: Peek inside the comic book, plus a handful of images from Ethan Banegas

" Oftentimes history is written as: We are victims, we are passive. And what I like about this page, in general, is this is us creating and fighting for our own future. So I think that's why this comic is a real game changer for people like me growing up in today's world," Banegas said. "You just know these things are true, but you don't have any way or material to support it. They have this comic now to go to bat for 'em."

Blending community memory, academic research and lived experience, the comic is both a resource and a tool of reclamation. It replaces silence with story, and invisibility with truth.

Download the comic book ↗

Guest:

Ethan Banegas:

• Co-author of "Our Past, Present, and Future / Beyond Gaming" along with Michael Connolly Miskwish, Lorraine Orosco and Stanley Rodriguez, and illustrated by John Swogger
• Historian at the San Diego History Center
• Professor at San Diego State University

Mentioned in this episode:

• Barona Band of Mission Indians | A federally recognized Kumeyaay tribe located in San Diego County, known for preserving language, culture and history while running one of the region's most well-established tribal casinos
• Fisherman's Wharf | San Francisco waterfront near Alcatraz, where Native activists staged part of the 1969 occupation to demand Indigenous rights and recognition
• Tom-tom | A type of hand drum used across many Native American tribes in ceremonies, storytelling and music

Event: 'Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project Exhibition'

Sources:

• "​​First Catholic mission in California dedicated" (History.com, 2010)
• A History of American Indians in California: 1769-1848 (National Park Service)
• California Indians (Benjamin L. Madley, Oxford University Press, 2021)
• California's Long "War of Extermination" (John Briscoe, California State Library)
• California Indian History (Edward D. Castillo, California Native American Heritage Commission)
• "California's Little-Known Genocide" (Erin Blakemore, History.com, 2017)
• Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (National Park Service)
• Kumeyaay Look to the Sky (Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians)
• "History and Memory: The Mission Indian Federation's Tools of Resistance" (Chris McCormack, California State University, Fullerton, 2019)
• "1969 Occupation of Alcatraz: How Native Americans took over former prison and ignited a movement" (Ken Miguel and Cornell Barnard, ABC7 News, 2021)

Watch: The story of the 1969 Native occupation told through rare footage in "Escape to Alcatraz"

• "The radical history of the Red Power movement's fight for Native American sovereignty" (Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, 2020)
• "Preserving Kumeyaay culture through higher education" (Jade Hindmon, Julianna Domingo and Brooke Ruth, KPBS, 2023)
• "Junípero Serra's brutal story in spotlight as pope prepares for canonisation" (Andrew Gumbel, The Guardian, 2015)
• Pope: Junipero Serra, a witness of the "Church which goes forth" (The Vatican Archive via YouTube, 2015)
• Pope Francis praises Junipero Serra during Mass in Washington (CNN via YouTube, 2016)
• The Jesuits and Native Communities (Alan Ziajka, Pierless Bridges, 2022)
• Eusebio Francisco Kino 1645-1711 (Kino Historical Society)
• "The conflict between the California Indian and white civilization" (Sherburne Friend Cook, University of California Press, 1976)
• "Native Americans Call For Rethink of Bering Strait Theory" (Cecily Hilleary, Voice of America, 2017)
• "Did humans cross the Bering Strait after the land bridge disappeared?" (Amanda Heidt, Live Science, 2023)
• "The 1st Americans were not who we thought they were" (Laura Geggel, Live Science, 2023)"Remarkable New Evidence for Human Activity in North America 130,000 Years Ago" (Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 2017)
• FACT SHEET: President Biden Designates Avi Kwa Ame National Monument (National Archives, 2023)
• Gaming and Peon (Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians)
• "After council vote, Navajo is now the official language of the Navajo Nation" (Arlyssa D. Becenti Arizona Republic, 2025)
• "Kumeyaay community in Baja California seeks to preserve their language" (Natalie Gonzalez Rodriguez, KPBS, 2024)
• "As part of cultural revitalization, Kumeyaay community celebrates launch of 50 tule boats" (Lauren J. Mapp, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2023)
• Donovan Nation Singing Kumeyaay Bird Songs (Birdy Escalanti via YouTube, 2024)
• Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall (USD Student Media, 2019)
• St. Kateri Tekakwitha (Britannica)

San Diego is one of the most biodiverse birding regions in North America, with more than 500 recorded species — and its annual Bird Festival draws crowds from around the country. One of its most popular (and ambitious) events is the "100 or More" challenge: a daylong sprint to identify at least 100 different birds.

Photos: Meet the birds (and the birders) from the "100 Birds or More" field trip

In this episode, producer Anthony Wallace follows the action across scenic lakes, rugged foothills, city reservoirs and coastal wetlands to see how this classic hobby has taken on new energy.

Map: San Diego 100+ Birding Route

Along the way, we meet passionate birders — both seasoned listers and recent enthusiasts — learn many mind-blowing bird facts and explore how birds inspire everything from healing to obsession to joy.

Anthony's top 4 reasons to love birding:

1. Every bird has a story.
2. Bird migration is mind-blowing.
3. It opens up your ears — you'll start noticing sounds you never paid attention to.
4. Bird behavior is entertaining and mesmerizing: bizarre, dramatic and constantly unfolding.

Watch: Anthony's "A day in the life of a birder" video diary

Guests:

• Jen Hajj, San Diego Bird Festival coordinator for the San Diego Bird Alliance
• Rick Grove, birder and wedding officiant
• "100 Birds or More" field trip participants and guides, including Dorothy Arnold, Samantha Richter, Mark Dayton and Jehudy Carballo

Bird species (in order of mention throughout the episode):

1. Lilac-crowned amazon (Audubon)
2. Tricolored blackbird (Audubon / All About Birds)
3. Great-tailed grackle (Audubon / All About Birds)
4. Yellow-rumped warbler (Audubon / All About Birds)
5. Song sparrow (Audubon / All About Birds)
6. Black phoebe (Audubon / All About Birds)
7. Phainopepla (Audubon / All About Birds)
8. Neotropic cormorant (Audubon / All About Birds)
9. Woodpecker (Audubon / All About Birds)
10. Townsend's warbler (Audubon / All About Birds)
11. Orange-crowned warbler (Audubon / All About Birds)
12. Wilson's warbler (Audubon / All About Birds)
13. Red-shouldered hawk (Audubon / All About Birds)
14. Allen's hummingbird (Audubon / All About Birds)
15. 
    
16. Black-crowned night heron (Audubon / All About Birds)
17. California towhee (Audubon / All About Birds)
18. Cooper's hawk (Audubon / All About Birds)
19. California scrub-jay (Audubon / All About Birds)
20. Oak titmouse (Audubon / All About Birds)
21. Gadwall (Audubon / All About Birds)
22. Western grebe (Audubon / All About Birds)
23. Say's phoebe (Audubon / All About Birds)
24. Parakeet (Britannica)
25. Cliff swallow (Audubon / All About Birds)
26. Hooded oriole (Audubon / All About Birds)
27. Eastern phoebe (Audubon / All About Birds)
28. Common swift (Audubon / Birds of the World)
29. Iceland gull (Audubon / All About Birds)
30. Thick-billed kingbird (Audubon / All About Birds)
31. Yellow-crowned night heron (Audubon / All About Birds)
32. Little blue heron (Audubon / All About Birds)
33. Reddish egret (Audubon / All About Birds)
34. Tricolored heron (Audubon / All About Birds)
35. Anna's hummingbird (Audubon / All About Birds)
36. Lark sparrow (Audubon / All About Birds)
37. American crow (Audubon / All About Birds)
38. Common raven (Audubon / All About Birds)
39. Clark's grebe (Audubon / All About Birds)
40. Laughing falcon (Birds of the World)
41. American coot (Audubon / All About Birds)
42. Least sandpiper (Audubon / All About Birds)
43. Whimbrel (Audubon / All About Birds)
44. Elegant tern (Audubon / All About Birds)

Birding terms to know:

• Listers - Birders who keep track of every species they've seen.
• Big Year - A challenge to spot as many bird species as possible in a single year.
• Vagrants - Birds spotted outside the regions where they're typically found.
• Rushing - A synchronized mating dance where birds like Western or Clark's grebes run side by side across the water's surface.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• eBird | One of the top birding apps to log sightings, find birding locations and track trends across regions
• Merlin Bird ID | Go-to app for birders to identify species by photo or sound, powered by Cornell Lab experts
• "The Residence" | Netflix murder mystery where the detective uses birding skills to spot clues others miss
• Michael Jordan | NBA legend and six-time champion — his name's become shorthand for being the best
• Honda Accord and Ford Mustang | One's an everyday car, the other a head-turner — a way to explain the gap between something common and something extraordinary
• Nancy Christensen | Local birder and one of California's top listers
• Pokémon Go | Popular mobile game that gets players outside to collect virtual creatures — similar to how birders track species
• "The Big Year" | 2011 comedy starring Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Jack Black as birders racing across North America to spot the most species in a calendar year — the movie's big year record is 750 species and you could get over halfway there just in San Diego
• Tijuana River Estuary | Cross-border birding hotspot with incredible biodiversity
• Shih Tzu | A toy breed whose name means "lion dog" — small but spirited

Sources:

• Local Birding Resources (San Diego Bird Alliance)
• "Big year for two local birders as they set county record" (Ernie Cowan, Union Tribune, 2024)
• "The Birds Are Not on Lockdown, and More People Are Watching Them" (Jacey Fortin, The New York Times, 2020)
• "Soaring to New Heights: Recapping the 2025 San Diego Bird Festival" (San Diego Bird Alliance, 2025)
• "Predicting co-distribution patterns of parrots and woody plants under global changes: The case of the Lilac-crowned Amazon and Neotropical dry forests" (María de Lourdes Nuñez Landa, Juan Carlos Montero Castro, Tiberio César Monterrubio-Rico, Sabina I. Lara-Cabrera and David A. Prieto-Torres, Journal for Nature Conservation, 2023)
• "San Diego's parrots have returned. How did they get here in the first place?" (Danielle Dawson, FOX 5/KUSI, 2024)
• "What is poaching?" (The International Fund for Animal Welfare, 2024)
• "Parrot Illegal Trade Decreases in Mexico 2022" (Juan Carlos Cantú Guzmán, María Elena Sánchez Saldaña, Emer García De la Puente and Jesús Manuel Pimentel Ontiveros, Defenders of Wildlife, 2022)
• "Help Study LA's Parrots" (Jacob Margolis, LAist, 2024)
• "The Naturalized Parrots of San Diego County" (Lesley Handa, Sketches San Diego Audubon, 2020)
• Interesting Facts on Hummingbirds (UC Davis Hummingbird Health and Conservation Program / School of Veterinary Medicine)
• "Hummingbird Hearts Beat 10 Times Faster Than Yours" (Bob Sundstrom, BirdNote, 2021)
• "The Hummingbird in Mexican Culture" (Vanessa Hernandez Urraca, 2022)
• "Hummingbirds, the champions of the sky" (Elizeth Cinto Mejía, W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Bird Sanctuary, 2022)
• "When Birds Get Lost, Space Storms May Be to Blame" (Rebecca Heisman, Audubon magazine, 2023)
• "The Common Swift Is the New Record Holder for Longest Uninterrupted Flight" (Jenna O'Donnell, Audubon, 2016)
• "Editorial: Vagrancy, exploratory behavior and colonization by birds: Escape from extinction?" (Richard Reed Veit, Lisa Louise Manne, Lucinda C. Zawadzki, Marlen Acosta Alamo and Robert William Henry, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolutionary Ecology, 2022)
• "AviList: A Unified Global Checklist of the World's Birds is Now Available" (AviList Core Team, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2025)
• "With an Orange-Tufted Spiderhunter, Birder Breaks Record for Sightings" (Joe Trezza, The New York Times, 2024)
• "Nature's Greatest Dancers" (BBC One)

What started as a low-key folk set behind a desk in a newsroom has become one of music's most iconic stages. This year, NPR's Tiny Desk Contest drew a record-breaking nearly 7,500 entries. Among them were 75 hopefuls from San Diego, all dreaming of a breakthrough moment.

In this episode, we spotlight two rising artists who stood out for their originality and emotional depth: Aleah Discavage, whose raw, autobiographical ballad is rooted in personal healing, and The Neighborhood Kids, who turned protest and passion into a high-voltage performance.

Watch: Aleah Discavage's NPR Tiny Desk Contest entry "runaways"

Watch: The Neighborhood Kids' NPR Tiny Desk Contest entry "BIDDI BOMB x HUSH"

Plus, we'll unpack the fascinating origin story of Tiny Desk, explore why this unconventional contest continues to resonate with artists and fans alike and hear what drives these musicians to keep creating — even when the stage is small and the odds are long.

Guests:

• Aleah Discavage
• Verde and Amon the MC of The Neighborhood Kids

Tiny Desk Concerts mentioned in this episode:

• Ruby Ibarra
• Laura Gibson
• Adele
• Yo-Yo Ma
• The National
• T-Pain
• Mac Miller
• Dua Lipa
• Anderson .Paak
• Fantastic Negrito
• Naia Izumi
• Shua / Shua's NPR Top Shelf feature

Aleah Discavage's influences:

• Taylor Swift
• Hozier
• Olivia Rodrigo
• Paramore
• Briston Maroney
• Krooked Kings

The Neighborhood Kids' influences:

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Malcolm X
• Immortal Technique
• KRS-One
• Rage Against the Machine

Mentioned in this episode:

• South by Southwest (SXSW) | Annual festival and conference in Austin, Texas, focused on tech, film, music, education and culture
• Auto-tune | Common term for pitch-correction software used to fix or stylize vocals in music production
• "American Idol" | Reality TV singing competition that began in 2002 and popularized the rise of unknown singers to music stardom
• Voice memos | Mobile recording feature that many musicians use to capture song ideas and drafts on the go
• Ringo Starr | Drummer of The Beatles and solo artist, often cited by musicians as a musical influence and cultural icon
• Keds | American shoe brand known for its simple canvas sneakers
• "Shrek 2" | 2004 animated sequel starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, following Shrek as he meets Fiona's royal parents
• "Beavis and Butt-Head" | 1990s MTV animated series starring two dim-witted teenage metalheads known for crude humor, social satire and music video commentary; later revived for new seasons and a 2022 film

Sources:

• "Ruby Ibarra: Tiny Desk Concert" (Elle Mannion, NPR, 2025)
• "Laura Gibson: Tiny Desk Concert" (Bob Boilen, NPR, 2008)
• "Tiny Desk Unit: A deeper history" (Michael Barron, BobBoilen.info, 2007)
• "The 'T-Pain Effect' Is About Way More Than Auto-Tune" (Bryan Parys, Berklee, 2020)
• "Oakland artist Fantastic Negrito wins yet another Grammy Award" (Jim Harrington, East Bay Times, 2021)
• "Naia Izumi Gets a Premium Wash in 'Soft Spoken' Video for Original Tracks" (Dean Brandt, Flood Magazine, 2019)
• "Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending right to abortion upheld for decades" (Nina Totenberg and Sarah McCammon, NPR, 2022)

Our Lady of Guadalupe is everywhere in art, memory and protest. She's instantly recognizable — hands in prayer, floral dress, starry mantle — but she represents much more than religious devotion. Her 500-year history weaves through colonial violence, activism, survival and cultural adaptation. Today, she remains a powerful symbol, embraced across generations, communities and identities.

"She's pervasive everywhere. She hangs on cars, people tattoo her on their bodies, and artists in particular have expanded that image. They might not look at her in religious terms, but they definitely look at her culturally," said Jeanette Rodriguez, a professor of theology at Seattle University.

This episode explores the evolving meaning of her image through the lens of artists and scholars. Mingei International Museum curator Ariana Torres reflects on the contradictions that give Guadalupe lasting relevance. Theologian Jeanette Rodriguez offers a decolonial interpretation of her origin. Designer Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski draws on family and heritage to bring la Virgen into contemporary fashion. And muralist Josue Baltezar shares how he honored the connection between the Virgin and an Indigenous earth deity.

Photos: See the artistry up close from Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski's jacket to moments from our visit to the Mingei

"I think that she's kind of been reclaimed since the beginning. I think reclamation is really what has built her. She's been reclaimed to be against Spain, to be the symbol of Mexican identity. And then she's been reclaimed to, I think, in a way, reject even a broader Mexican nationalist identity — to be like, this is a very personal symbol to me and it has nothing to do with maybe even just being Mexican," Torres said. "And I think it's really interesting how she has been reclaimed as a feminist figure with a lot of people."

Across borders and belief systems, Guadalupe's image lives on — reshaped by those who continue to find meaning in her presence.

Guests:

• Ariana Torres, assistant curator at Mingei International Museum
• Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski, fashion designer and owner of Sew Loka
• Jeanette Rodriguez, PhD, Professor of Theology at Seattle University
• Josue Baltezar, muralist and designer

Mentioned in this episode:

• Yolanda López | Chicana artist and activist known for reimagining Our Lady of Guadalupe as a symbol of empowerment
• "Fashioning an Icon: Virgin of Guadalupe Imagery in Textile Design" | Exhibition exploring the Virgin of Guadalupe's influence on textile design and fashion currently on view at Mingei International Museum
• Nahuatl | Indigenous language of the Aztecs, still spoken today in parts of Mexico and the United States
• Northridge earthquake | A 6.7-magnitude quake that struck Los Angeles in 1994, causing widespread damage and lasting trauma
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Church | Catholic church in Logan Heights that also runs an elementary school
• Las Maestras Center | UCSB-based organization uplifting Chicana, Latina and Indigenous feminisms through research and storytelling
• Arianna Ystelle | Chicana photographer whose photo series in "Fashioning an Icon" captures 30 portraits taken across San Diego and Tijuana
• Diana Benavídez | Binational artist from the San Diego-Tijuana border region known for piñata art that blends pop culture and social commentary, including "Even Guadalupe Needs a Break," featured in "Fashioning an Icon"

Sources:

• "Mexican Catholicism: Conquest, Faith, and Resistance" (Jessica Frankovich, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, 2019)
• "Mexico's Independence Day marks the beginning of a decade-long revolution" (Heather Brady, National Geographic, 2018)
• "Pilgrimage and revolution: How Cesar Chavez married faith and ideology in landmark farmworkers' march" (Lloyd Daniel Barba, The Conversation, 2023)
• "Sew Loka creates 4 x Jackets for the San Diego International Airport" (Sew Loka, 2024)
• "Earth system impacts of the European arrival and Great Dying in the Americas after 1492" (Alexander Koch, Chris Brierley, Mark M. Maslin, Simon L. Lewis, Quaternary Science Reviews, 2019)
• "Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs" (Camilla Townsend, Oxford University Press, 2019)
• "How smallpox devastated the Aztecs – and helped Spain conquer an American civilization 500 years ago" (Richard Gunderman, The Conversation via PBS News, 2019)
• Yolanda M. López: Works: 1975-1978 (UC San Diego MFA Thesis Exhibition Program, 1978)
• "Remembering Yolanda López, Chicana Artist And Activist From Barrio Logan" (Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS, 2021)
• "How painter Yolanda López gave the Virgin of Guadalupe a feminist tweak" (Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 2022)
• "Is our Lady of Guadalupe inspired by the goddess Tonantzin?" (Mexico News Daily, 2023)
• "From Coatlicue to Guadalupe: The Image of the Great Mother in Mexico" (Patrizia Granziera, Studies in World Christianity, 2004
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Explained (Steubenville Press via The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, 2013)