The Finest

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)

In this first-ever bonus episode of The Finest, we're flipping things around. Host Julia Dixon Evans sits down with producer Anthony Wallace and editor Chrissy Nguyen in a casual conversation recorded at the SDSU theater next to KPBS. We unpack big questions (what is art?), share our hottest takes (sorry, Mona Lisa) and talk about how the show comes together each week. You'll hear how each of us brings a unique perspective to the show, why relatability is our storytelling secret weapon and what keeps us inspired. Expect thoughtful moments, surprising opinions and the kind of banter that comes from real collaboration.

Prefer to watch? This episode is on video too.

Mentioned in this episode:

• SDSU Main Stage Theatre | San Diego State University's main performance venue, home to student-led plays, musicals and showcases from the School of Theatre, Television and Film
• reUnify Yoga | Ocean Beach studio Anthony attended, where a teacher once gave an artistic live singing performance during shavasana
• Shavasana | Also called corpse pose, the final stretch where you lie flat on your back to rest, reflect and reset
• The Mona Lisa at The Lourve | Leonardo da Vinci's iconic 16th-century portrait, sealed behind glass in the world's most visited museum in Paris
• San Diego's proximity to Mexico | Just 20 minutes from the border, with deep cultural, culinary and family ties to Tijuana and Baja California
• San Diego sports teams | Padres (MLB) at Petco Park, Wave FC (NWSL) and San Diego FC (MLS) at Snapdragon Stadium, and the Gulls (AHL) at Pechanga Arena
• JROTC | High school program combining military structure with leadership training, public service and civic education; San Diego has one of the largest cadet programs in the U.S.
• G.I. Film Festival | Annual San Diego film fest spotlighting stories by and about service members, veterans and military families
• Convoy District | Foodie haven in Kearny Mesa rooted in Asian American culture, with bustling plazas, family-run businesses and grocery staples like H-Mart and Mitsuwa

Sources:

• "Martin Scorsese: I Said Marvel Movies Aren't Cinema. Let Me Explain." (Martin Scorsese, The New York Times, 2019)
• Quiz: Toddler Art or Modern Art? (Sporcle)
• "How Duchamp's Urinal Changed Art Forever" (Jon Mann, Artsy, 2017)
• "Mona Lisa: The theft that created a legend" (Sheena McKenzie, CNN, 2013)
• "PARU Tea: How the viral matcha spot is transforming tea culture with love and purpose" (Julia Dixon Evans and Anthony Wallace, KPBS, 2025)
• "Chargers leave San Diego: A timeline of 2017" (Annie Heilbrunn, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2018)
• "Soccer a la Frontera" (Jacob Aere, KPBS, 2025)

For decades, alt-weeklies like the San Diego Reader were a city's rebellious voice, digging into local politics, covering underground arts and publishing stories no one else would. But their survival depended on classified ads and print advertising, both of which were decimated by Craigslist and the rise of digital media. Now, one by one, these once-essential papers are vanishing. As the Reader ends its print run, we look at what their disappearance means for local journalism.

"They were irreverent. They were conversational. They had a point of view, but they also had a way of looking at the news of the day from a different angle because they knew they had to be different," said Scott Lewis of Voice of San Diego. Lewis began his career writing for an alt-weekly in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Photos: A final glimpse inside the now-closed San Diego Reader office

"And so I think it's demise as a print product — as something that was available, especially the music stuff — it's a bummer to think that these major cities are now going to continue, maybe forever, without that staple of the coffee shops. That thing you could pick up to look at what's coming up, just to have. Print products were the original mobile, right? That's what you could carry with you — and now it's gone."

Guests:

• Matthew Lickona, owner and editor in chief of San Diego Reader
• Jim Holman, founder of San Diego Reader
• Scott Lewis, CEO and editor in chief of Voice of San Diego
• Jesse Munyoki, KPBS student assistant and host of KCR's DaCulture

Voice of San Diego is a nonprofit news partner of KPBS in our Public Matters series.

Alt-weekly reads:

• "Insomnia" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• "A Pretty Good Chinese Restaurant" by Jonathan Gold
• "Fifty years of the Reader's best stories" by San Diego Reader authors
• "Tam Hoang, Coronado teacher, recounts his voyage to English" by Tam Hoang
• "Loma Portal and Midway District during WWII - a walking tour" by Margot Sheehan
• "Why Elizabeth Smart Became a Household Name" by Scott Lewis
• "San Diego Orchids & Onions winners, 20 years later" by Matthew Lickona
• "Marilyn Monroe will always be in Coronado" by Matthew Lickona
• "Trailblazing without a screen" by Julia Dixon Evans
• "'We're Gonna Make It': Bob Rabbit Transforms His Beats Into a Heroic Mission" by Anthony Wallace

Matthew Lickona's reading list:

• "Up in the Old Hotel and Other Stories" by Joseph Mitchell
• "The Pump House Gang" by Tom Wolfe
• "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac
• "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe
• "The White Album" by Joan Didion

Mentioned in this episode:

• Craigslist | Online classifieds site launched in 1995, with a San Diego edition added in 2000, known for its no-frills design and endless odd finds
• La Pensione Hotel | European-style boutique hotel in San Diego's Little Italy
• Bob Roth | Founder of the Chicago Reader, the influential alt-weekly he launched in 1971
• Rotten Tomatoes | Movie and TV review site launched in 1998 that distills critical consensus into one score
• Gonzo Report | Recurring column in the San Diego Reader delivering boots-on-the-ground dispatches from San Diego's music scene and beyond
• Blockbuster | Video rental giant that ruled living rooms from its 1985 founding through the early 2000s
• Ernie Grimm | Former managing editor of the San Diego Reader, recruited alongside Matthew Lickona by the paper
• KCR College Radio | Student-run San Diego State University station broadcasting indie, punk and campus voices
• Burn All Books' Mail Mag | Subscription-based zine mailing packed with art, poetry and writing from BAB and friends, sent via postal mail each month
• Substack | Newsletter platform that gives writers a new way to publish and get paid
• The New Yorker | Esteemed magazine known for longform journalism, fiction, and sharp cultural commentary.
• The Atlantic | Influential publication offering in-depth reporting and essays on politics, culture, and American life.
• Hotel del Coronado | Iconic beachfront hotel known for its ghost lore, Victorian design and as the filming location for 1959's "Some Like It Hot" starring Marilyn Monroe

Sources:

• "Are alt-weeklies dying or just moving online?" (Kristen Hare, Poynter, 2017)
• "No One's Sure What the New CityBeat Will Look Like" (Julia Dixon Evans, Voice of San Diego, 2019)
• "San Diego Reader ends print edition after 52 years" (Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS, 2025)
• "TV Guide Magazine is sold for the third time in less than 10 years to NTVB Media" (Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 2015)
• "Reader's Digest changes hands" (InPublishing, 2018)
• "Creative Destruction: Out With the Old, in With the New" (Carol M. Kopp, Investopedia, 2023)

For most of her adult life, artist Mary Jhun has drawn inspiration from a distinct muse: fractured silhouettes of girls, embellished with surreal details. Her paintings have been a way to process trauma, loneliness and despair, while also serving as a fascinating feedback loop into and out of her vivid dream life. She experiences the "girls" in dreams as she paints them, using these visions as fuel for future works.

But when she started using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, her dreams vanished overnight.

"What do we choose? Do we choose the thing that kind of ignites our creativity or our health? And I feel like a lot of artists go through that all the time, no matter what the topic is," Mary said.

Photos: A glimpse into Mary Jhun's studio and signature style

Now, in a new solo exhibition at the Oceanside Museum of Art, Mary has found her way back — to both her girls and her dreams — by incorporating surreal CPAP machinery into her paintings and tricking her body to dream again. Yet a question lingers: What toll does creativity take on our physical, emotional and relational health?

Guest:

• Mary Jhun, artist

Watch: Mary Jhun creates intricate Etch-A-Sketch drawing of her "girls" on classic toy

Mary Jhun's creative touchpoints:

• Cafe Ghibli playlist
• "Kiki's Delivery Service"
• " Manifesto of Surrealism" by André Breton
•  Sigmund Freud
• Carl Jung

Mentioned in this episode:

• Snow White | Disney fairytale princess known for her woodland friends, kindness and cottagecore charm
• Studio Ghibli | Beloved Japanese animation studio behind dreamy, detailed films like "Totoro" and "Spirited Away"
• "In Losing Sleep, I Painted" | Mary Jhun's 2025 exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art exploring the tension between health and creativity through her signature "girls" figures
• Etch-A-Sketch | Red-framed drawing toy repurposed by Mary Jhun as a surprising tool for emotional expression
•  "Nothing Lasts Forever" | 2022 gallery show centered on impermanence, featuring 20 Etch-A-Sketch works by Mary Jhun created in a one week and sold with the reminder: once it's gone, it's gone
• Games of Berkeley | Longtime Bay Area shop packed with puzzles, strategy games, novelties and nostalgic treasures
• "Dune" | Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic of sand, prophecy and power set on the desert planet of Arrakis

Sources:

• Café Table with Absinthe (Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam)
• "F. Scott Fitzgerald's life was a study in destructive alcoholism" (Dr. Howard Markel, PBS News, 2017)
• Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera | Romance & Heartbreak (Rise Art, 2019)
• Sleep apnea (Mayo Clinic)
• Early or premature menopause (Office on Women's Health)
• Surrealism and Dreams (MoMA)
• "Sleep technique used by Salvador Dalí really works" (Yasemin Saplakoglu, Live Science, 2021)
• "Sleep onset is a creative sweet spot" (Célia Lacaux, Thomas Andrillon, Céleste Bastoul, Yannis Idir, Alexandrine Fonteix-Galet, Isabelle Arnulf and Delphine Oudiette, Science Advances, 2021)
• "Targeted dream incubation at sleep onset increases post-sleep creative performance" (Adam Haar Horowitz, Kathleen Esfahany, Tomás Vega Gálvez, Pattie Maes and Robert Stickgold, Scientific Reports, 2023)
• "Relationship between Lucid Dreaming, Creativity and Dream Characteristics" (Nicolas Zink, International Journal of Dream Research, 2013)

For indie musicians like Julianna Zachariou, Spotify has made music more accessible than ever — but at a cost. With payouts that amount to less than a penny per stream, she's had to turn to crowdfunding and direct fan support to fund her projects. She opens up about the personal toll these struggles take and how she's found ways to stay true to her craft while facing these challenges.

"On my bad days, I wake up and think, 'I've already done the best I can do. This is the most people I'll ever reach, and I'm just sinking into anonymity,'" Julianna said, reflecting on an older song that has reached more than 5 million streams.

"But on my better days, I'm grateful for it. I recognize that it was a different time. Spotify's kind of a monster now. There's no room for 'if it's good enough, it'll find its way.' It's just not a thing right now. It's a trap to let metrics determine that you're doing something better or worse than you were in the past," she said.

Watch: Julianna Zachariou performs "Dreamer, Dreamer" live at KPBS' studio

In this episode, we break down Spotify's business model, the economics of streaming and what it really takes to sustain a career without major-label backing. Julianna's story is a powerful reminder of the need for change in the industry and how we can all play a role in supporting the artists who enrich our lives.

Guests:

• Julianna Zachariou, musician
• Liz Pelly, journalist and author of "Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist"

Julianna Zachariou Track List:

• "church st."
• "Subway Song"
• "Hero of Your Heart"
• "Dreamer, Dreamer"

Watch: Julianna Zachariou performs "Becky" live at KPBS' studio

Julianna Zachariou's musical influences:

• The Commodores
• Earth Wind and Fire
• Toto
• Alison Krauss
• Bonnie Raitt
• The Beatles
• The Rolling Stones
• Led Zeppelin
• The Who
• Taylor Swift
• Kelly Clarkson, "American Idol"

Photos: See portraits of Julianna Zachariou and a few snaps of her and Josh Flowers making music together

Mentioned in this episode:

• Josh Flowers, songwriter and musical collaborator
• The D Train | NYC subway line that runs from the Bronx to Brooklyn
• United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) | A grassroots union fighting for fairness in music, from streaming transparency to artist pay equity
• H.R.7763 - Living Wage for Musicians Act of 2024 | 2024 bill introduced by Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, backed by UMAW, pushing for a penny-per-stream payout to make streaming fairer for working artists
• Soda Bar | North Park dive for intimate sets, rising indie acts and vibrant local energy
• Previous GoFundMes: Help Fund Julianna's Next Record and Help Julianna Make Music

Sources:

• "Simulating the emergence of superstar firms: The role of luck vs talent" (A.E. Biondo, A. Pluchino, R. Zanola, ScienceDirect, 2024)
• "Alan B. Krueger | Rockonomics: 7 Key Economic Lessons" (John Murray Books, 2019)
• "How Music Streaming Platforms Calculate Payouts Per Stream 2025" (Royalty Exchange, 2025)
• "The Spotify conspiracy theories about 'Espresso,' explained" (Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 2024)
• "Loud and Clear": 2024 Spotify Annual Music Economics Report (Spotify, 2025)
• "Tlaib Introduces Living Wage for Musicians Act" (Office of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, March 2024)
• "Data Shows 90 Percent of Streams Go to the Top 1 Percent of Artists" (Emily Blake, Rolling Stone, Sept. 2020)
• "A Brief History of American Payola" (Kim Kelly, Vice, 2016)
• "Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist" (Liz Pelly, Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2024)
• "The Ghosts in the Machine" (Liz Pelly, Harper's Magazine/book excerpt, 2025)

What does it mean to be a "government artist" in San Diego?

Outgoing Poet Laureate Jason Magabo Perez shares the lessons he's learned from his two-year term, where he brought the city's neighborhoods to life through his vivid poetry. As Paola Capó-García takes on the mantle, she talks about her plans to bring a fresh perspective to the role and expand poetry's reach.

"I think that poetry has a way of winning anyone over if you're showing them that a poem can look and feel and sound like anything, that there's humor in poetry, that decoding a poem can feel like a game that you do with friends. And how one line or one word can have infinite meanings," Capó-García said.

In this conversation, both poets dive into how they demystify poetry for students and the public, and how they can connect and uplift San Diego's diverse communities through verse.

Guests:

• Paola Capó-García, San Diego poet laureate (2025-27), Professional Learning Coordinator at High Tech High Graduate School of Education
• Jason Magabo Perez, San Diego poet laureate emeritus (2023-24), Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at California State University San Marcos
• David Tomas Martinez, writer

Watch: David Tomas Martinez shares a poem from his second collection, "Post Traumatic Hood Disorder"

Yellow

Paola Capó-García

When I was young I thought the soul was a body part

To the right of my heart and in between the pre-breasts

this soul-thing would nest—and then one day it fell out?—

No It stuck around too long

and made a house of my insides The walls were

yellow which I now know is the color of hunger and

that's why I crave baby chicks and gold There

was so much furniture shoved inside of me and even if

the décor was mid-century, the style was mortal My

memory is hungry She wanted me to paint my face

every morning Makeup could enhance better

make use of this face But then my dog licked the second

face off clean That is my favorite movie

From "CLAP FOR ME THAT'S NOT ME" (Rescue Press, 2018).

Found Fragment on Ambition

David Tomas Martinez

v.

if a hood is a sense of place

& a sense of place is identity

then identity is a hood & adult

hood is being insecure in any

hood a hood scares the whitest

folks why folks scared to stop

in the hood & why folks stop

wearing a hood & call it white

nationalism if i tried i would

fail to pass if i failed i would

try to pass when can i retire my

bowl stop needing to beg for my

person hood you see academically

my ghetto pass was revoked please

sir can you direct me to the window

to turn in my man card where

can i apply to enter the whiteness

protection program ive lost

my found identity is a hood

a hood is a sense of place

a place places a hood hood in us

From "Post Traumatic Hood Disorder" (Sarabande Books, 2018).

We Draft Work Songs for the City

Jason Magabo Perez

Here is a parable,

a prayer, perhaps,

for those unmapped;

Here are new students

considering new lives,

new interrogations, new

footnotes, but no new

friendships, no news. None.

Still, the problem of loans.

Still, the problem of rent.

Still, the problem of property.

This alley off University is

a gallery of abandoned mattresses

Stacked against limp wire fencing that

leans against wood panels that

shade the driveway where the

unmapped fall asleep.

Ancestral spirits are

no less spectacle than

principled remembrance:

The craft of this tissue

we often call ourselves.

From "I ask about what falls away" (Kaya Press, 2024).

Mobility

Paola Capó-García

I keep finding people living in my house mouths I've never seen expressions through paint chips and light fixtures ‎I keep coming back to this place I label "house" because my plane tickets are designed to get me here and the bed has been made in the shape of an invitation

I learned to ride a bike on Wednesday and felt new I always resisted I didn't know how to balance on pavement or glitter I didn't know why that would be required of me this bike does not know the road to my house

Website says woman in tight dress slips on butter for twenty minutes, calls it art well what would you call that? an accident? It seems really lovely to me how the butter would go in and out of her pores as if it's always been trying to get back to that place

From "CLAP FOR ME THAT'S NOT ME" (Rescue Press, 2018).

Jason and Paola's literary influences:

• I Was Born With Two Tongues ("Pillars" plays in episode)
• Talib Kweli / Black Star ("Definition" plays in episode)
• Fredrico García Lorca
• Langston Hughes

Poems Paola often shares with her students:

• Lucille Clifton on the origins of poetry
• "A Small Needful Fact" by Ross Gay
• "Literature of Resistance Re-Imagined with Pepsi" by Tiffany Midge

Photos: San Diego’s poets laureate, captured between words and worlds

Mentioned in this episode:

• San Diego Poetry Futures | Poetry initiative from Jason Magabo Perez that brings people together through workshops, collabs and community verse
•  Love Hoops NYC | New York City-based basketball collective hosting open runs, skills sessions and events that build community on and off the court
• Ada Limón, United States poet laureate
• Lee Herrick, California poet laureate

Sources:

• City of San Diego Poet Laureate (City of San Diego, 2020-2025)
• Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships (Academy of American Poets)
• Creating Poets Laureate Positions in States, Cities, U.S. Territories, and Tribal Nations (Academy of American Poets)
• San Diego Poet Laureate wraps up term by dreaming and planting seeds in new festival (KPBS, December 2024)
• "Here’s why Kendall Jenner's Pepsi ad is so controversial" (Washington Post, May 2017)
• Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Admin (The Art Story)

San Diego's music scene is full of talent, but making a living off your art? That's a different story.

Shua, a Southeast San Diego artist with over a million Spotify streams, has lived both extremes: signing a record deal and later facing near homelessness. In this episode, he shares the highs and lows of his career, what it means to be an independent musician today and why fan support is more crucial than ever.

Watch: Shua performs his song "Broken" live at KPBS' studio

We also break down the brutal reality of the modern music industry, where the biggest stars are increasingly taking home the bulk of the earnings while local and indie artists fight to stay afloat. And we explore why local music matters, what we lose when artists can't afford to make their art.

" I think art, if you're willing, can cut through the noise and say to someone, 'See me. Hear me,'" Shua said.

Whether you're an artist, a music lover or just curious about how the industry really works, this episode offers a perspective you won't forget.

Guests:

• Shua, musician
• David Hesmondhalgh, Professor of Media, Music and Culture at the University of Leeds

Photos: See snapshots of Shua

Shua Track List:

• "Plaza Cuernavaca"
• "You Can Only Go in Pieces"
• "Aren't You Tired?"
• "Broken"

Shua's musical influences:

• Fred Hammond
• The Winans
• Stevie Wonder
• Bill Withers
• "The Jungle Book" Original Soundtrack
• Beethoven
• Coldplay

Watch: Shua performs "Lucid Girl" with The Sacred Souls on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Mentioned in this episode:

• Soda Bar | North Park dive for intimate sets, rising indie acts and vibrant local energy
• San Diego Zoo | World famous Balboa Park destination for animal lovers, families and curious minds
• Petco Park | Home to the Padres — and a downtown hub for major concerts and local shows
• Snapdragon Stadium | Mission Valley venue where Wave FC and San Diego FC play, and top music festivals take the stage

Sources:

• "Rock and Roll, Economics, and Rebuilding the Middle Class" (Alan B. Krueger, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers, 2013)
• "Music Superstars Are the New One Percenters" (Neil Shah, Wall Street Journal, 2019)
• "Musicians and Singers" (Data USA, 2022)
• "Is music streaming bad for musicians? Problems of evidence and argument" [Full PDF] (David Hesmondhalgh, New Media and Society, 2021)
• "Data Shows 90 Percent of Streams Go to the Top 1 Percent of Artists" (Emily Blake, Rolling Stone, 2020)
• "What the Ek? Spotify founder is richer than any musical artist, ever" (Daniel Griffiths, MusicRadar, 2024)
• "How Many Streams Would an Artist Need to Earn as Much as Spotify CEO Daniel Ek? No One's Close" (Wren Graves, Consequence of Sound, 2024)
• "Spotify most streamed artists of 2024" (Guillaume Vieira, Chartmasters, 2025)
• "Our Annual Music Economics Report" (Spotify, 2025)
• "Beethoven's capital" (Dr. Nicole Kämpken and Dr. Michael Ladenburger, Beethoven-Haus Bonn, 2005)

What happens when a viral tea brand moves beyond the café model? For Amy Truong and Lani Gobaleza, it meant embracing a deeper purpose — blending sustainability, mindfulness and tradition. PARU Tea has evolved from a trendy matcha destination into a space dedicated to single origin, custom loose-leaf tea and tea experiences.

But their journey is more than just a business pivot, it's a love story rooted in shared passion and bold choices. In this episode, we dive into how this couple is redefining tea culture in San Diego, proving that slowing down can be just as revolutionary as going viral.

" It really goes into the principle of Japanese tea ceremony. 'Ichigo ichie' is one chance, one meeting. You always want to be your present self because you never know what tomorrow might bring. Everything at this moment counts," Amy said.

Guests:

• Amy Troung, PARU Tea founder
• Lani Gobaleza, PARU Tea co-founder/marketing & partnerships

Teas sampled during our conversation:

• PARU's matcha is freshly milled in their La Jolla shop from shade-grown tencha leaves.
• Hanadoki ("flowering season" in Japanese) is PARU's original blend of cherry blossoms, sencha (sun-grown green tea) and rose petals.
• Blue Chamomile, PARU's first signature blend, combines organic chamomile flowers and butterfly pea flower grown in Thailand.

Photos: A look behind the scenes at PARU’s journey, space and tea culture.

Mentioned in this episode:

• PARU Tea | La Jolla tea shop specializing in loose-leaf tea and matcha sourced from small farms around the world
• An's Dry Cleaning | North Park gelato shop featuring Sandals, a gelato made with PARU's Blue Chamomile tea
• Bica | Normal Heights coffee shop serving drinks made with PARU tea
• Hatsuzakura | University Heights Japanese café offering PARU loose-leaf teas and milk teas steeped with PARU blends