by C. J. Hirschfield Glynn Washington is a wonder. He grew up in an apocalyptic cult, holds a law degree, and has worked as an educator, diplomat, community activist, actor, and political strategist. But it was when he beat out 1,400 entries in a National Public Radio Talent Quest in 2008 that he found the […]
C. J. Hirschfield
Crowdfunding Love
by C. J. Hirschfield Ain’t Love Grand – – Avenue A bookstore. A bar. A beloved storybook park. What do they all have in common? A community that can’t imagine the world without it and that rallied to keep itself alive through highly successful online crowdfunding campaigns. And in each case, a special “angel” arrived […]
East Side Sushi on Netflix
by C. J. Hirschfield A Little Film Shot on Grand Avenue Continues to Win Hearts and Minds Nine years ago, a modest independent feature film was shot in Oakland, with many scenes inside Coach Sushi on Grand Avenue. The earnest—and underfunded—filmmaker appreciated the fact that local restaurateurs (Bacheesos, Sidebar, Chop Bar) stepped up to provide […]
Oysters in a Pandemic
by C. J. Hirschfield Learning a new instrument, a second language, how to create and maintain a sourdough starter. These are some of the most popular skills people are mastering during the pandemic. Me? I’ve mastered the art of oyster shucking. I know that raw oysters aren’t for everybody, but I’m a big fan. And […]
Murals of Time and Place
by C.J. Hirschfield In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, the nation is grappling with both implicit biases and overt images of white supremacy in public places. At the first of the year, Virginia Judge David Bernhard refused to try a Black man in a courtroom lined with portraits of white people. “A […]
Lake Merritt: An “Accidental Zoo” with a Major Mystery
by C. J. Hirschfield – On December 4, International Wildlife Conservation Day, more than 70 people attended the premiere of a new Lakeside Chats series, offered for free by Rotary Nature Center Friends. The title of the talk was “An Unsolved Mystery: The Enigmatic Beach-Hopper of Lake Merritt,” and the speaker was Dr. Jim Carlton, an […]
Festival at the Lake: The Early Years
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. […]
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 […]