BOOK TV.NET
Videotapes are
$20.00 postage paid for individuals
and $30.00 postage paid for institutions.
Send check or money order to:
Clay Butler
831-477-9029
PO Box 245
Capitola, CA
95010
BTV 001 HOWARD ZINN - The Possibility of Hope - TRT 1 hr,
41 min.
A beautiful three-camera shoot in Santa Cruz. Zinn covers the usual suspects:
capitalism, racism, working class history, etc. Howard Zinn had this to say
about this video:
"My wife and I just saw the video you did of my talk
in Santa Cruz, and we’re just delighted with it. You did a great job! Many
videos have been made of my talks (now I’m boasting) but none as good as
this one. It is photographed so well, and the cuts to the audience are done
so skillfully that you are able to get a real sense of the atmosphere that day."
No other radical historian has reached so
many hearts and minds as Howard Zinn. His A People's History of the United States
has gone into more than 25 printings and sold over 400,000 copies. It is rare
that a historian of the Left has managed to retain as much credibility while
refusing to let his academic mantle change his beautiful writing style from
being anything but direct, forthright, and accessible. Whether his subject is
war, race, politics, economic justice, or history itself, each of his works
serves as a reminder that to embrace one's subjectivity can mean embracing one's
humanity, that heart and mind can speak with one voice.
BTV002 HOWARD ZINN WITH STUDS TERKEL, introduced by ALICE WALKER - TRT 1:29:22
Shot in Berkeley with an excellent introduction by Alice Walker. Studs Terkel, radio personality and author of "Working," "Race,"
"Hard Times," and other oral history classics, joins Howard Zinn in a discussion of the
Civil Rights Movement, the hierarchy of values, and the responsibility of historians. This lively video is a ‘must-have.’
No other radical historian has reached so many hearts and minds as Howard Zinn.
His A People's History of the United States has gone into more than 25 printings
and sold over 400,000 copies. It is rare that a historian of the Left has managed
to retain as much credibility while refusing to let his academic mantle change
his beautiful writing style from being anything but direct, forthright, and
accessible. Whether his subject is war, race, politics, economic justice, or
history itself, each of his works serves as a reminder that to embrace one's
subjectivity can mean embracing one's humanity, that heart and mind can speak with one voice.
BTV003 HOWARD ZINN - "Our Legacy from the Sixties" - TRT 1:23:51
Shot at UC Berkeley, this video features Howard Zinn discussing the successes
and the perceived failures of the Sixties’ rights movements. Howard Zinn
had this to say: "Thanks so much for the video. Just saw the Berkeley one,
and you did your usual artistic job of capturing the atmosphere- the crowd,
etc."
No other radical historian has reached so many hearts and minds as Howard Zinn.
His A People's History of the United States has gone into more than 25 printings
and sold over 400,000 copies. It is rare that a historian of the Left has managed
to retain as much credibility while refusing to let his academic mantle change
his beautiful writing style from being anything but direct, forthright, and
accessible. Whether his subject is war, race, politics, economic justice, or
history itself, each of his works serves as a reminder that to embrace one's
subjectivity can mean embracing one's humanity, that heart and mind can speak with one voice.
BTV004 HOWARD ZINN - "What Does the Past Say About the Future…and
So What?" - TRT 1:15:27
Howard Zinn joins Santa Cruz high school students in a discussion of the nature
of our class system, war, immigration, and authority. Leave it to high school
students to ask the most honest, straightforward and sincere questions I’ve
heard at any Zinn talk. No grandstanding here, folks.
No other radical historian has reached so many hearts and minds as Howard Zinn.
His A People's History of the United States has gone into more than 25 printings
and sold over 400,000 copies. It is rare that a historian of the Left has managed
to retain as much credibility while refusing to let his academic mantle change
his beautiful writing style from being anything but direct, forthright, and
accessible. Whether his subject is war, race, politics, economic justice, or
history itself, each of his works serves as a reminder that to embrace one's
subjectivity can mean embracing one's humanity, that heart and mind can speak with one voice.
BTV005 HOWARD ZINN - "The Community Television of Santa Cruz Interview"
- TRT 53: 00
Interviewed in the studio by Clay Butler, Howard Zinn is asked about rediscovering
Columbus, the nature of war, the role of historians, and democracy vs. capitalism.
Features bonus footage of Howard Zinn in a car, and talking at a banquet.
No other radical historian has reached so many hearts and minds
as Howard Zinn. His A People's History of the United States has gone into more
than 25 printings and sold over 400,000 copies. It is rare that a historian
of the Left has managed to retain as much credibility while refusing to let
his academic mantle change his beautiful writing style from being anything but
direct, forthright, and accessible. Whether his subject is war, race, politics,
economic justice, or history itself, each of his works serves as a reminder
that to embrace one's subjectivity can mean embracing one's humanity, that heart
and mind can speak with one voice.
BTV006 GORE VIDAL in conversation with CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS
- TRT 1hr 14min.
Gore Vidal exchanges sarcastic remarks with Christopher Hitchens at the Berkeley
Community Theater. Lively, deadpan, pull-no-punches commentary as only Gore
Vidal can deliver it. Victims include the Clintons, foreign policy, and DC culture.
BTV007 NORMAN SOLOMON - "The CIA-Crack Cocaine Connection
and the Media’s Response to it" - TRT 1hr 14 min.
Norman Solomon, author of "Adventures in Media-land" "Through
the Looking Glass" and and "Wizards of Media Oz," examines the
corporate media’s role in downplaying the CIA-crack connection evidence.
BTV008 NORMAN SOLOMON - "Overview of Corporate Media"
- TRT 29 min.
Perfect for the novice skeptic. You could give this to your right-wing Grandpa
without worrying about getting banned from Christmas dinner.
BTV009 NORMAN SOLOMON - "Wizards of Media Oz" - TRT 50 min.
Shot at Capitola Book Café, Norman talks about his latest book, "The Wizards
of Media Oz," a collection of his syndicated "Media Beat" column.
Keep track of the number of times he says "media."
Solomon and co-author Jeff Cohen subtitle
their book Behind the Curtain of Mainstream News, and they aren't just in Kansas
anymore. They analyze contemporary American life as reflected in the print and
broadcast media. Their pithy and pointed criticisms spare neither liberals or
conservatives.
BTV010 NORMAN SOLOMON - "The Trouble With Dilbert"
- TRT 29 min.
Not really about the book. Norman Solomon had a tough night ahead of him at
Kresge Town Hall at the UCSC campus. He had to go after Angela Davis, who was
covering the corporatization of our prison system. A standing-room-only crowd
stayed for his talk and were not dissapointed. He was on fire. Really. No kidding.
This is Norman Solomon at his best.
BTV011 ANGELA DAVIS - "The Corporatization of our Prison
System" - TRT 1hr 6 min.
Angela Davis at Kresge Town Hall on the UCSC campus.
BTV012 ANGELA DAVIS - "Blues Legacies and Black Feminism"
- TRT 1hr.
Shot at Bookshop Santa Cruz, Angela Davis looks at the blues from a Black Feminist
perspective. Lively questions at the end, covering sixties radicalism.
BTV013 MICHAEL PARENTI - "Democracy and Class Warfare"
- TRT 47 min.
Full of piss and vinegar, Michael Parenti attacks capitalism with unparalleled
gusto. Fun and sarcastic. Smashing the state has never been so much fun. A must-have
video for lefties with a sense of humor.
BTV014 AMIRI BARAKA - "Poetry, Funk-lore, and Revolutionary
Discourse" - TRT 47 min.
Part one of an incredible talk at UCSC. Even hard-core poetry haters will find
this one irreieeeeeeesistable. An unapologetic Marxist, Baraka sticks it to
The Man.
BTV015 AMIRI BARAKA - "Talkin’ Revolution and Assorted
Topics" - TRT 41 min.
Part two of that same incredible talk at UCSC, this features the question and
answer session. Black Cinema, Alternative Media, class, race, and the usual
suspects are covered here.
BTV016 DAVID BARSAMIAN - TRT 61 min.
Shot at the Pacific Cultural Center at Santa Cruz, David covers the consolidation
of media, fighting back, and general progressive critiques of coporate America.
BTV017 ROBERT ANTON WILSON - "Everything Is Under Control" - TRT
60min.
Shot at Capitola Book Café, Robert discusses his new book, an encyclopedia of
conspiracy theories from the absurd to the merely paranoid. An anthropological
look at the subculture of conspiracy-theorists where nothing is assumed.
BTV018 SAUL LANDAU - "Red Hot Radio" - TRT 60 min.
Professor, columnist, and documentary film-maker, Saul attacks everything assumed
and sacred with a wonderful sense of humor. Topics include GATT, NAFTA, the
Mexican economy, shopping malls, and DC culture.
Saul Landau has been all over the literary
map, winning everything from the Edgar to the Emmy. Currently a fellow at the
Washington D.C. Institute for Policy Studies, his articles have appeared in
the New York Times, The Nation, and Rolling Stone. One thing is certain, Saul
Landau did not gain his ticket to travel by pulling punches. Fasten your seat
belts for a gate crashing tour of politics, vice and corruption in this collection
of witty and brash political commentaries first heard on Pacifica Radio.
BTV019 PAUL HARRIS - "Black Rage" - TRT 60 min.
Attorney Paul Harris discusses the historic use of the "Black Rage Defense":
where an attorney urges the jury to look at the defendant’s environment
as a possible explanation of the defendant’s actions. Paul Harris is the
first attorney to successfully use this defense.
Never before have racial and legal issues
been so intertwined and controversial. Harris, former head of the National Lawyers
Guild, pioneered the original "black rage" defense a quarter of a
century ago. He presents the historical, legal, and sociological issues in sharp,
compelling prose.
"Harris is one of the greatest warriors of civil rights
and justice in recent decades. [This] is essential reading for every thinking
American."
- Congressman John Conyers
BTV020 RON RUIZ - "Guiseppe Rocco" -TRT 60 min.
Santa Cruz County attorney general discusses his second novel. The first half
is devoted to his life story, which is quite interesting. The second half is
devoted to selected passages from the novel.
Ronald Ruiz tells the gripping story of the
rise and fall of two American families. Guiseppe Rocco is an Italian immigrant
and self made millionaire with three sons. When the eldest elopes with Sally
Martinez, an improbable matriarch who has cared for her six younger brothers
and sisters since their mother disappeared, Guiseppe comes to recognize his
daughter-in-law as a
means to perpetuate his empire. A subtle recasting of the Horatio Alger myth
by a writer The Houston Post calls "talented, painstaking and intelligent."
BTV021 MICHAEL RIORDAN - "Crystal Fire" - TRT 60 min.
Crystal Fire covers the history of the microprocessor. What could be more fun?
Actually, Michael makes it about as interesting as possible, with a complementary
slide show to enhance the talk. Topics include Silicon Valley backbiting, CEO
desertions, and the marketing of the microprocessor.
Here is the brilliant story of one of the
most important inventions of the century, the creation of the transistor. It
won the Nobel Prize for William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain of
Bell Labs, and led to the computer revolution. It is a technological and a human
drama, compellingly told by a physicist at Stanford and UCSC.
"Clear, readable,
interesting, deeply knowledgeable - an important subject and a damn fine book."
- Horace Judson, director, Center for History of Recent Science
BTV022 SHELBY STEELE - "A Dream Deferred" - TRT 60 min.
Black conservative Shelby Steele attacks affirmative action. Cool and collected,
Shelby holds his own during a heated Q&A session.
Shelby Steele is currently a Research Fellow
at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. In his new essay collection,
the self-described black conservative and author of The Content of Our Character
explores the untold story behind today's polarized racial politics: America's
collision with its own racial shame in the civil rights era. Steele eloquently
argues that the
liberalism that grew out of the 1960's has as its first and all-consuming goal
the expiation of American guilt rather than the careful and true development
of equality between the races.
BTV023 DANIEL KOHANSKI - "the Philosophical Programmer" - TRT 60 min.
Programmer Daniel encourages his colleagues to take seriously the effects their
programming decisions will have on society. Laid-back and happy, Daniel will
keep you thinking.
Here's a much needed book which examines
computer programs from philosophical and ethical vantage points as well as discussing
how programs work and Daniel Kohanski * are written. In the tradition of Nicholas
Negroponte and Esther Dyson, Kohanski informs and illuminates in clear prose
key issues and questions of our computer era, from privacy and piracy to information
and intelligence.
BTV024 DOUG DOUD - "Blues For America" - TRT 60 min.
An old leftie that’s never lost his fire, Doug Doud attacks the usual suspects
with wit and just the right amount of indignation. If you like Howard Zinn,
you’ll probably like Doug.
This history of America in the 20th century
is also the memoir of a remarkable scholar and political activist. Dowd became
chair of Economics at Cornell after refusing to sign a loyalty oath at Cal in
1950. He was a national figure in the anti-war movement, and has written a powerful
political and economic analysis of modern America.
"A wonderful book...by
the extraordinary Doug Dowd."
- Howard Zinn
"A vivid, witty, moving account of much of the history
of this century" -
- Noam Chomsky
"Personal, provocative, and elegantly written, [it]
ought to be widely read, and relished."
- Jonathan Kozol
BTV025 DAPHNE SCHOLINSKI - "The Last Time I Wore A Dress" -TRT
60 min.
Imprisoned in a mental institution in her teens, she was quickly diagnosed with
Gender Identity Disorder (a fancy way of saying "We don’t think you’re
girly enough"). With a wry, bitter wit, Daphne recounts her experience
in our corrupted mental institutions, and how art helped her deal with it.
This amazing book tells the troubled story of renowned painter
Daphne Scholinski, whose struggles with (and forced commitments for) her own
gender identity bring into question the very nature of self-identity.
"Surely the
most candid account of adolescent life in a bin since Girl, Interrupted, this
compelling story of sexual persecution, artistic birth, and the heretofore undocumented
relationship between sanity and mascara reveals as much about America's obsession
with female conformity (and panty hose) as it does about the heroic author.
Shocking, funny, and triumphant."
- Author Mark Matousek
BTV026 RUBY RICH - " Chick Flicks" - TRT 60 min.
Movie critic Ruby Rich discusses feminist representations in Hollywood film.
Additional topics include film festivals, the nature of film critique.
Ruby Rich finally removes the term chick flicks from the territory
of three hanky love stories, and places it in the realm of feminist film where
it belongs. For over three decades, her voice has described every moment of
change within the women's film movement. This book includes many of those essays,
newly introduced by the personal and political moments from which they were
born. As a member of the selection committee at Sundance, a commentator for
public radio, and a film reviewer for the Village Voice, Elle, The Advocate,
and Sight and Sound, her place as a central figure in the remarkable history
of what she calls "cinefeminism," is immutable
BTV027 CRAIG REINARMAN - "Crack in America" - TRT 60 min.
Subtitled Demon Drugs and Social Justice, this series of essays
on America's drug problems is a powerful look at why we continue to lose the
drug war. It centers on crack cocaine but offers a wide critical analysis of
the sociology of drugs, and the many legal, psychological and moral issues involved.
"Of urgent importance...a devastating, sad, angry, though always scholarly
book about the many failures of our national drug policy." - Professor
Herbert Gans, Columbia University
BTV028 REVEREND JAMES LAWSON - "The Crucifixion of Martin Luther King"
- TRT 90 min.
Reverend James discusses the events surrounding King’s assassination and
the sociopolitical aftermath. The guilt of James Earl Ray is questioned.
BTV029 MARGE FRANZ, BETTINA APTHEKER, RUTH HUNTER - "Red Diapers: Growing
Up In the Communist Left" - TRT 90 min.
A wonderful blend of history, personal nostalgia, and humor, Marge, Bettina,
and Ruth discuss their past.
Suckled from the milk of communism, red diaper babies occupy
a unique place in American history. This extraordinary compilation celebrates
various childhoods rich in possibilities and promise. We are honored to have
Ruth Hunter, Bettina
Aptheker, and Marge Franz recall their past with humorous insight and remarkable
detail. Please join us for a community celebration honoring these three lives.
BTV030 KATHLEEN DESMAISONS - "Potatoes Not Prozac" - TRT 60 min.
Metabolism, fats, carbohydrates, proteins and the nature of weight gain and
loss are discussed. Kathleen runs a clinic that specializes in using diet to
wean people off alcoholism. Her insights are quite valuable, and she’s
really funny.
While the emergence of Prozac has left countless users wondering
about the underlying causes of their mood swings, Kathleen DesMaisons, a pioneer
in the field of addictive nutrition, has uncovered an insidious culprit lurking
in "comfort" foods. She has identified a biochemical predisposition
common to millions: sugar sensitivity. Word has spread like wildfire. A national
bestseller, Potatoes not Prozac shows how to recognize the danger signs and
take concrete steps to combat its devastating impact on health, weight and emotions.
BTV031 FRANCES CONLEY - "walking out on the boys" - TRT 60 min.
She was America's first tenured female neurosurgeon
and is now chair of the Stanford Faculty Senate professor of neurosurgery. Dr.
Frances Conley has also experienced all kinds of sexual harassment and bias.
Her resignation from
Stanford in 1991 caused national headlines, and she tells her story in a dramatic
memoir which is a cautionary tale about today's world of medicine.
" ...heart-pounding reading."
- San Francisco Chronicle
BTV032 GARY WEBB - "Dark Alliance" - TRT 60 min.
Journalist Gary Webb broke the story of the CIA-crack connection in a series
of articles for the San Jose Mercury News. The articles were quickly attacked
by the rest of the corporate media, the Mercury News chickened out and Gary
Webb was fired. Luckily, the entire story is collected in this book. A precise
and informative talk.
Dark Alliance charts the work that began in a stunning series
of 1996 articles for The San Jose Mercury News. Gary Webb won the Pulitzer Prize
in 1989 for his series on the Loma Prieta earthquake, and applied the same tenacity
to his investigation of the crack cocaine epidemic, charting its progress through
an international drug ring with ties to the CIA and the Nicaraguan Contras.
A story that should be fiction but is not, Dark Alliance draws from previously
unreleased information so explosive that The San Jose Mercury News refused to
publish it.
BTV033 CLAIRE CHOW - "Leaving Deep Water" - TRT 60 min.
Claire Chow discusses her family and reads from her book, which is a collection
of interviews about a topic that’s long overdue: Asian-American women speaking
out on assimilation, race, sex, and Aisan versus American parenting styles.
BTV034 WILL SELF - "Great Apes" -TRT60 min.
Droll and very tall, Will Self discusses the inspiration and the meaning behind
his book. Personal anecdotes, simian anthropological humor, and a bonus post-talk
interview explaining how the book cover was done.
Like a modern Kafka, British satirist Self has penned a marvelous
novel of a separate reality populated (so to speak) by chimpanzees. Artist Simon
Dykes is the only human (or thinks he is) as Self propels a wild and instructive
tale through the streets of London.
"Makes you laugh a great deal, ponder more,
and raise a thankful cheer that
a writer
such as Self has managed to survive the late 20th century without
being shot at dawn."
- The Daily Telegraph
BTV035 FRANZ STEIDL - "The Lost Battalions" - TRT 60 min.
Shot at Capitola Book Café, with clever inserts of government-WWII footage.
This talk covers the story of the 100th battallion (an all Japanese-American
army troop).
This is a thrilling tale of a story from World War ll. It involved
some of the fiercest fighting of the war as two battalions, one American and
one German, became completely cut off from support and had to be rescued against
incredible odds. Steidl tells the story of the Alamo Regiment, rescued by the
legendary Japanese-American "Go for Broke" 442d Regiment, and the
German Mountain Battalion, with equal power and research. Steidl was an infantry
platoon leader in Vietnam and is married to the daughter of a veteran from the
442d Regiment.
BTV036 GARY RIVLIN -"The Plot to get Bill Gates" - TRT 60 min.
Bill Gates-haters will love this. Gary is a natural speaker and quite hilarious.
Over the last ten years, Bill Gates has evolved from a mere software
mogul to a full-blown global icon, as universally known and scrutinized as Michael
Jordan or Madonna. Meanwhile, legions of people, obsessed with Gates and his
$80 billion empire, have begun plotting strategies to end Microsoft's dominance
over the technology universe. Gary Rivlin, editor of the East Bay Express, spent
three years researching and writing a chronicle of the software wars. Wickedly
funny, his new book reads like a hybrid of Moby-Dick and Roger & Me. This
is great gossip, and a fascinating inside look at moguls like Larry Ellison,
Marc
Andreessen, Jim Barksdale, Ralph Nader and John Doerr.
BTV037 WENDY CHAPKIS - "Live Sex Acts"
- TRT 60 min.
This provocative new book looks at what the author calls "land
mines within feminism": prostitution and pornography. What are the gender
and cultural issues involved, and who is in control? What are the issues confronting
women, and feminism itself? Chapkis, former professor at UCSC, answers these
questions based on a decade of interviews and research.
"This is social science as it ought to be written...tough realism, a
capacity for clear thinking, and an irrepressible sense of humor.
- Robert Connell
BTV038 MARK ZEPEZAUER - "Take the Rich Off
Welfare" - TRT 60 min.
Former Santa Cruz local Mark sticks it to the Man in his second book, "Take
the Rich off Welfare." A bible of government handouts to the truly wealthy,
and therefore un-needy. Bonus footage of Zepezauer’s parents discussing
Mark’s formative years.
BTV039 VICTOR MARTINEZ - "Parrot in the Oven"
- TRT 60 min.
Unusual for an author, Victor is truly engaging when he reads from his work.
Look for the heated Q&A session that covers literary criticism and Chicano
identity politics.
BTV040 DAWN ATKINS - "Queer Looks" -
TRT 60 min.
Professor and bisexual activist, Dawn covers Queer identity politics in this
long-awaited anthology. Humorous, informative.
BTV041 LAURIE OLSEN - "Made in America"
- TRT 60 min.
Olsen directors the acclaimed California Tomorrow advocacy and
research group. This book reflects three years studying immigrant students in
a California school. Jonathan Kozol calls it a "strong, sensitive, and
valuable book about the many subtle ethnic lines that wall off immigrant youngsters
in our public schools."
BTV042 PETER RADETSKI - "Allergic to the
20th Century" - TRT 60 min.
A serious look at environmental-sensitivity disorders. Peter takes the sufferers
as well as the naysayers seriously in this fascinating talk. Allergy sufferers
will find themselves nodding in agreement as they watch this.
BTV043 ADAM HOCHSCHILD - "King Leopold’s
Ghost" - TRT 60 min.
Likeable and with a great speaking voice, Adam presents this horrific story
of imperialist genocide. Complete with slideshow, Adam’s dark sense of
humor helps take the edge off this depressing subject.
Hochschild's superb account of the genocidal plundering of the
Congo under King Leopold II will haunt you long after its final pages. King
Leopold II of Belgium seized the vast territory surrounding the Congo River
for his thiefdom in 1885, and proceeded to murder ten million people. The courageous
efforts to expose this genocide eventually led to the first great human rights
movement of the 20th century, in which everyone from Mark Twain to the Archbishop
of Canterbury participated. Hochschild brings this largely forgotten story to
life, giving voice to the brave handful of missionaries and young idealists
who witnessed the holocaust. Highly readable, this portrait of greed and terror
in Colonial Africa enables us to better understand the news headlines of today's
Congo. A slide show presentation will accompany this discussion.
BTV044 TIM FERRIS - "The Whole Shebang"
- TRT 60 min.
Tim Ferris rules. In the first part, Tim explains why you don’t have to
read a book to the end, and then moves on to the subjects in his book. Great
questions as the audience plays ‘Stump The Author.’
Tim Ferris is one of the preeminent science writers of our time.
His new book, subtitled A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report, is a fascinating
look at the key issues on the cutting edge of science and cosmology. He engages
topics as diverse as the origins of the universe, curved space, and whether
there may be other universes, all in crystal clear prose.
"A splendid tonic for our all too worldly claustrophobia. Your consciousness will be altered to the point that you'll
never look at the heavens again without
stupified awe and wonderment."
-Jim Harrison, author of Legends of the Fall
BTV045 FRITJOF CAPRA - "The Web of Life"
- TRT 60 min.
A somewhat dry yet informative talk about a complex and emerging field.
Subtitled A New Understanding of Living Systems, this fascinating
book synthesizes the dazzling array of recent scientific findings from chaos
theory to systems theories to new ways of looking at ecology.
"This book, a rare blending of the heart and the head, should be required
reading."
- Theodore Roszak
BTV046 JANIS KEYSER AND LAURA DAVIS - " Becoming
the Parent you Want to Be" - TRT 60 min.
Shot at Bookshop Santa Cruz, Janis and Laura really know how to work a crowd.
Fun and informative. Expecting and current parents will love this one.
Featuring the veteran writer of The Courage to Heal and a longtime
instructor of Early Childhood Education. The book focuses on the first five
years of life, and offers thoughtful advice and writing on what is really going
on in the lives of children.
BTV047 LINDA NIEMANN - "Railroad Voices"
- TRT 60 min.
Linda Niemann reveals a world barely known in downsized, streamlined
America-the gritty, fabled world of the railroad. Eighteen years as a conductor
for Union Pacific has provided her with many powerful stories to tell. She gives
voice to the efforts of women crossing over into non-traditional jobs, as well
as the impact on working people of a 'restructured' economy with no room for
rails. Accompanied by Linda Bertucci's stunning photographs, she captures difficult
lives with compassion and poetry.
BTV048 DAN KINDLON - "Raising Cain"
- TRT 60 min.
Precise and engaging, Dan covers the social conditions that leave so many adolescent
boys with very few options to express their emotions. A good talk.
Over the past several years, a rash of incidents involving boys
who have inflicted violence on others--including children, teachers and their
own parents--has heightened public awareness and sparked widespread discussion
of the "boy problem" in communities across the country. In Raising
Cain, Dr. Kindlon, an expert in child development from Harvard, and Dr. Thompson,
a preeminent child psychologist, shine a light on the troubled inner world of
boys in contemporary society. Drawing on their combined thirty-five year's experience,
the authors explore how our culture miseducates boys to disregard their emotional
lives, and how this in turn plays out in boys' relationships with their parents,
their peers, their schools, and ultimately themselves. A timely and essential
book for parents and educators alike.
BTV049 SUSAN FERRISS AND RICARDO SANDOVAL - "The
Fight in the Fields" - TRT 60 min.
Local journalists for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Ferriss and Sandoval cover the
rise of the United Farmworkers’ Movement. Not too radical, this is definitely
a mainstream view of an American struggle.
BTV050 SUSAN SAMUELS DRAKE - "Fields of Courage"
- TRT 60 min.
In 1962, Cesar Chavez initiated a movement to empower farmworkers
with a labor union. Hundreds of middle-class supporters joined him as the workers
struggled for social justice. On his staff was a mother of two, Susan Samuels
Drake. Now this Santa Cruz resident brings us a collection of heartfelt poetry
reflecting on her 31-year friendship with Chavez and the formation of the United
Farm Workers AFL-CIO.
BTV051 VICKIE LEON - "Uppity Women of the
Rennisance" - TRT 60 min.
Oh my god. Vickie is hilarious. This is a great talk.
In the bonfire-happy fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, it
took particular courage to be an uppity woman. Nonetheless, author Vicki León
uncovered hussies and homemakers of every social class who had the brass to
become sheriffs, spies, soap entrepreneurs, sci-fi writers, army commanders,
and professional ice skaters. Much like her previous Uppity Women of Medieval
Times, León educates and delights with the whimsical tales of Joan Dant-a humble
peddler who franchised herself into an Avon empire; and Catalina de Erauso,
who dueled, drank and cross-dressed her way through Spain and North America.
Combining meticulous research, period artwork, and a wicked sense of humor,
this latest volume in the Uppity Women series gives us 200 of the most daring
dames you'll ever meet!
BTV052 VALERIE KULETZ - "The Tainted Desert"
- TRT 60 min.
Complete with slideshow, Valerie scares the bejeezus out of the audience in
her expose of an American nuclear waste disposal empire run amok. Straightforward
and dry, this will appeal to nuclear waste buffs the most. You know who you
are.
Culture, politics, and environmental concerns collide in this
controversial and timely book. In The Tainted Desert, Kuletz sheds light on
the tragic consequences of U.S. nuclear policy for the American inter-desert
region and its inhabitants. The UCSC professor and current lecturer in American
Studies at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand stresses the future legacy
of
nuclearism, focusing on the potential movement of thousands of tons of high-level
nuclear waste through America's communities toward its proposed national repository
at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
BTV053 SUSANNE JONAS AND SUZIE DODD THOMAS - "Immigration"
- TRT 60 min.
Public policy on immigration will be central to determining the
form and character of U.S. society in the twenty-first century. The political
Right has so far seized the initiative in defining the parameters of the discussion,
in effect limiting national debate to choosing between degrees of restriction.
Immigration fills a gap in the literature by offering a range of perspectives
among those who agree that immigrants have rights, but may differ about how
to assert those rights. Authors ranging from the diverse disciplines of sociology,
anthropology, political science, and law share their insights in this timely
and valuable collection of essays. Editors Susanne Jonas, a Latin American and
Latino Studies Professor at U.C. Santa Cruz, and Suzie Dod Thomas, Managing
Editor for Social Justice, will be discussing the current debate on immigration.
BTV054 SUSIE BRIGHT - "The Sexual
State of the Union" - TRT 60 min.
Local sex-positive activist, columnist, and founder of On Our Backs, Susie examines
puritan hang-ups and the resulting cultural baggage of our sex-phobic society.
Funny and laid-back.
One of the country's most thought-provoking
commentators on sex and culture, Susie Bright returns for a (rather timely)
discussion of the current state of sexuality in America..
"[She] approaches sexuality with an openness and humor that
are as disarming as they are radical."
- L.A. Reader
BTV055 SUSIE BRIGHT - "The Best American Erotica
‘97" - TRT 60 min.
Local sex-positive activist, columnist, and founder of On Our Backs, Susie examines
puritan hang-ups and the resulting cultural baggage of our sex-phobic society.
Funny and laid-back.
BTV056 SUSIE BRIGHT -"The Best American Erotica
‘99" - TRT 60 min.
Local sex-positive activist, columnist, and founder of On Our Backs, Susie examines
puritan hang-ups and the resulting cultural baggage of our sex-phobic society.
Funny and laid-back.
Radical feminist, sex-positive educator, and pornography advocate,
Susie Bright is one of the best known and most prolific sex writers in America.
Philosophical and funny, she sets out to cure us of our erotic illiteracy. We
welcome her back for the newest edition of the Best American Erotica, a collection
full of diverse stories guaranteed to stimulate and delight.
BTV057 SUSIE BRIGHT - "Full Exposure" - TRT
60 min.
Local sex-positive activist, columnist, and founder of On Our Backs, Susie examines
puritan hang-ups and the resulting cultural baggage of our sex-phobic society.
Funny and laid-back.
BTV058 JOHN ROBBINS - TRT 60 min.
Santa Cruzian John Robbins discusses the effects our food choices have on society.
John Robbins is the author of the classic "Diet for a New America."
BTVO59 FRANK WILSON - "The Hand" - TRT
60 min.
Hand expert Wilson discusses the link between intellectual development as it
relates to hand use. An excellent and engaging speaker. This video will appeal
to lay-people and science buffs alike.
In this ambitious, captivating book, Frank Wilson argues
that the key to the evolution of intelligence lies in the peculiarities of the
human hand. The Hand describes the way in which our hands have shaped our cognitive
and emotional development in light of the most recent research being done in
anthropology, neuroscience and linguistics. Frank Wilson, a neurologist and
medical doctor of the Peter F. Oswald Health Program for Performing Artists
at U.C. San Francisco School of Medicine, incorporates the insights of jugglers,
surgeons, musicians, and puppeteers to illustrate how the hand influences learning.
BTV060 SUSIE BRIGHT - "Sexual State
of the Union" (Capitola Book Café) - TRT 60 min.
Local sex-positive activist, columnist, and founder of On Our Backs, Susie examines
puritan hang-ups and the resulting cultural baggage of our sex-phobic society.
Funny and laid-back.
One of the country's most thought-provoking commentators on sex
and culture,
Susie Bright returns for a (rather timely) discussion of the current state of
sexuality in America.
"[She]
approaches sexuality with an openness and humor that are as disarming as they
are radical."
- L.A. Reader
BTV061 KEVIN DANAHER - "Corporations are Gonna Get Your
Mama" - TRT 60 min.
Kevin Danaher, co-founder of Global Exchange and the editor of "50 Years
is Enough: the Case against the World Bank and the IMF," rips it up on
the UCSC campus. Humorous, in your face, pull-no-punches commentary.
BTV062
JOHN TRUDELL - "No title" - TRT 60 min.
Native American activist and poet John Trudell attacks capitalism, racism, Christianity,
sexism, and the usual suspects with wit and wisdom. People who like Howard Zinn
or Michael Parenti will probably like this.
John Trudell is a poet, a singer and one of the most powerful
voices of the human spirit today. He came to prominence as a long time activist
for Native American rights and freedoms, as the national spokesperson during
the Indians of All Tribes Occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969, culminating
in the formation of AIM (American Indian Movement) in the 70's. He was the
National Chairman of AIM, 1973 - 1979, at a time of great turbulance and intensity
for Native Americans, culminating in the seige of Pine Ridge, the Occupation
of Wounded Knee, the Jumping Bull Incident (2 FBI agents, 1 Native American
were killed) and the years of trials and continious attacks following these
events. These events mark the beginning of intense surveillance and scrutinization
of John Trudell by the F.B.I. (Federal Bureau of Investigation), a 17,000 page
FBI file is testimony to this, as well as the overt beginning of a war on the
members of AIM by the FBI's cointelpro factions to subvert
the movement.
BTV063 NORMAN SOLOMON - "Community Television Interview"
- TRT 60 min.
Complete with rain-soaked hair, Norman Solomon kicks it with Clay Butler in
a laid-back interview. Topics include: deciphering corporate media, community
television, and other grass-roots media ventures.
BTV064 HOWARD ZINN AND CLAYBOURNE CARSON - "Revisiting
the 60’s" - TRT 90 min.
Howard covers the civil rights movement like no one else. Joined by Claybourne
Carson, this talk is loaded with historical context, personal stories, and humor.
No other radical historian has
reached so many hearts and minds as Howard Zinn. His A People's History of the
United States has gone into more than 25 printings and sold over 400,000 copies.
It is rare that a historian of the Left has managed to retain as much credibility
while refusing to let his academic mantle change his beautiful writing style
from being anything but direct, forthright, and accessible. Whether his subject
is war, race, politics, economic justice, or history itself, each of his works
serves as a reminder that to embrace one's subjectivity can mean embracing one's
humanity, that heart and mind can speak
with one voice.
BTV065 DALE AND MARLON SHERMAN - "Examining Contemporary
Native American Land Use Issues" - TRT 90 min.
Dale and Marlon Sherman cover Native American Issues in this talk shot at Kresge
Town Hall on the UCSC campus. It’s slow-moving, but Native American rights
activists might enjoy this.
BTV066 JANA MARCUS - "In The Shadow of the Vampire"
- TRT 60 min.
Local writer/photographer Jana Marcus exposes the world of Anne Rice fans in
this book of photo-essays. Includes bonus footage of Anne Rice fans who appeared
in the book (complete with funny costumes. You know, spooky).
The origins of this fascinating book were in Anne Rice's appearance
at the BookCafe in 1995. Marcus met Rice that night, and eventually went to
New Orleans and around the country to photograph and interview Anne Rice fans
whose lives have been changed by her work.
BTV067 CALIFORNIA POETRY OF PLACE - TRT 60 min.
A local gathering of poetry hot-shots at the Capitola Book Café. Poetry nuts
will love this one.
With a rich diversity of landscapes and people, California has
nurtured poets born and raised on its soil, and drawn to it established writers
from all over. This volume brings together seventy-six contemporary poets who
present their visions of California. We are honored to have so many fine poets
in the Santa Cruz area and tonight we celebrate their accomplishments.
BTV068 MARTIN LEE - "The Beast Reawakens" - TRT
60 min.
Can you cover the rise of international fascism from the 1940’s to the
present in 56 minutes? …Martin Lee thinks he can, in this incredible talk.
Includes bonus diagram created on posterboard!
Ever since the Oklahoma City bombing America has struggled to
understand the issues of repression involved. This extraordinary book details
the resurgence of facism and Nazism in modern America, by carefully following
the dispersal of
hatred from Nazi Germany to the present. "This compelling, intelligent
investigation, which reads more like a thriller than a history lesson, contributes
much toward understanding the politics of hatred." (Publishers Weekly)
Lee is a longtime journalist for The Nation, Newsday, Mother Jones, and many
other publications, and is a co-founder of FAIR, the media watchdog group.
BTV069 LOU HARRISON - - TRT 60 min.
Found-instrument pioneer, composer, and poet Lou Harrison covers it all in a
talk that fans of his work will definitely enjoy.
BTV070 MORTON MARCUS - "When People Could Fly" - TRT 60 min.
Local poet and professor Morton Marcus reads from his new book of poetry. Morton’s
engaging speaking style makes this enjoyable for even poetry-haters.
The venerable and much praised teacher from
Cabrillo College presents a new collection of stories from the beginning to
the end of time, his own history of the world.
"This generous spirited book...is a major contribution
to our lives and to out literature."
- poet Vern Rutsala
BTV071 ROXANNE DUNBAR-ORTIZ -"Red Dirt" - TRT 60 min.
Okie Roxanne covers her life in California versus Oklahoma in an
informative talk.
This is a memoir about, as the subtitle states,
Growing Up Okie. Dunbar-Ortiz was born during the Dust Bowl as the youngest
child of sharecroppers and experienced a tough childhood.
"There are many qualities to praise in Red Dirt: its
masterful evocation of a time and place, its telling details of both the pain
and beauty of rural life, its straightforward yet elegant prose."
- LA
Times
BTV072 NANCY SCHEPER-HUGHES " Small Wars "- TRT 60 min.
Editor and anthropologist Nancy discusses the socioeconomic and cultural conditions
of children in the world, focusing on developing nations. Honest, straightforward
assessments with a touch of black humor keeps this topic interesting and not
too depressing.
In the past decade, commendable efforts to
assure the survival of children in the world's harsher environments have occurred
primarily on the medical and nutritional fronts. Now, by focusing on case studies
ranging from Cuba and Brazil to Portugal and New York City, Small Wars emphasizes
the cultural ideas of childhood and parenthood, specifically the economic and
political realities that give rise to various forms of abuse and early death.
Philippe Bourgois, one of the contributors, will be joining Nancy Scheper-Hughes
for this insightful discussion.
BTV073 CAMREN MANHEIM - "Wake Up: I’m Fat!!"
- TRT 60 min.
Emmy award winner and cast member of "The Practice," Camren keeps
the audience laughing, thinking, and at the edge of their seats as she reminisces
about her experiences as a radical feminist in Santa Cruz.
BTV074 JUAN RAMIEREZ - ""- TRT 60 min.
Watsonville resident and Vietnam vet Juan tells it like it is in a brutal and
honest talk about his experiences.
This startling, poignant memoir tells the
toll of Vietnam on the flesh and spirit of Watsonville resident, Juan Ramirez.
In 1968, the year of the Tet offensive, he joined the marines and two bloody
tours later, was wounded, undesirably discharged, and plagued by survivor's
guilt. By tracing his roots, and exploring the cultural pressures and social
demons that weighed on his family and community, Juan Ramirez offers an unflinching look at the fall and
redemption of one Mexican American veteran.
BTV075 BLAIR JACKSON - "Garcia-An American Life" - TRT 60
min.
Light and breezy, with just the right amount of mix of reporting and
storytelling, rock and roll journalist Blair discusses the life of Jerry Garcia.
This comprehensive biography of Jerry Garcia,
late leader and guitarist of the Grateful Dead, follows the amazing trajectory
of his life, from Acid Test parties at the dawn of the LSD age, to the flowering
streets of Haight Ashbury. We continue on from Woodstock and Altamont, to the
infamous notoriety of the Dead as the most popular touring rock group in America.
Veteran rock journalist Blair Jackson has woven together Garcia's personal and
professional story from the more than 100 of his own interviews with Garcia,
his friends, lovers and bandmates. The color images and testimonies offer an
intimate portrait of a brilliant guitarist and songwriter.
BTV076 ROBERT F. BARSKY - "Noam Chomsky" - TRT 60 min.
Shot at Capitola Book Café, Robert shares his comprehensive knowledge of
Noam Chomsky’s life. Informative, humorous, and as close to a Chomsky
Autobiography as we’re going to get.
Subtitled A Life of Dissent, this is the
first comprehensive biography of the famous professor, linguist, and political
thinker. It looks at the forces which shaped him, the intellectual and developmental
underpinnings of his groundbreaking work, and offers a generous selection of
Chomsky's own writings and speeches on a myriad of topics political and psychological.
"This is an essential book not only for Chomsky aficianados
and adversaries, but for all students of American political and intellectual
life."
- Russell Jacoby, UCLA