by C. J. Hirschfield –Gather ‘round, young‘uns, while I tell you the story of a magical event that was born way back in the early eighties, the likes of which we haven’t seen here in Oakland since. It was billed as a multicultural extravaganza, with art-making, foods, sports, art, dance, a flower show—and music. Oh, […]
C. J. Hirschfield
David Gans: Every Silver Lining’s Got a Touch of Grey
By C. J. Hirschfield Pre-pandemic, you’d find local singer/songwriter/producer/author/Grateful Dead historian David Gans on the road approximately 80 days a year; he’s been a performer for half a century, and has done live concerts in 45 out of 50 states. But if you think that sheltering in place has in any way slowed down his […]
Irmi—An Interesting Life, Indeed
by C. J. Hirschfield When the feature documentary Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives was released in 1977, it rocked my world. I already loved documentaries, but this one–widely considered to be the first feature film about lesbian and gay identity made by gay people, quickly became a symbol of the emerging […]
Splash Pad News – August 2020
Salsa By The Lake by C.J.Hirschfield You really could call communications/public affairs professional Isaac Kos-Reed the ultimate Lake Merritt lover. He lives on its shore and, for 13 years, he’s been dancing by it. And now? He’s taken a sworn oath to protect it. But the current weekend craziness at his beloved Lake threatens to […]