KQED's Forum

Hong Kong’s famed pineapple bun does not contain pineapples. Samosas can be found in many cultures outside of India. And the birria taco owes a lot to indigenous cultures who helped cultivate a love and devotion to chiles. These are some of the surprising food backstories that host Cecilia Phillips and the team behind KQED’s digital program “Beyond the Menu” explore in this new series. We’ll talk to Philips about where our favorite foods come from and hear from you. What dishes do you love that have an intriguing backstory?Guests:Cecilia Phillips, host, "Beyond the Menu" a KQED digital production focused on getting the backstory of some of our favorite dishes; coordinating producer and reporter, "Check, Please! Bay Area"Emmanuel Galvan, founder and owner, Bolita: Masa y Más L.L.C. - makes and sells artisanal masa and other productsHetal Vasavada, author, "Milk and Cardamom"; former contestant, MasterChef; Vasavada's work can also be found in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and other publications Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across Mexico, clandestine treatment centers for drug addiction – locally referred to as anexos – have been accused of unethical therapeutic practices and even patient abuse. But among Mexico’s working poor, in the absence of government support, they provide hope and protection from the country’s catastrophic drug war. Anthropologist Angela Garcia spent a decade studying anexos, getting to know the people who run them and families that have come to rely on them. She chronicles their stories and her own reflections in her new book, “The Way That Leads Among The Lost: Life, Death, and Hope In Mexico City’s Anexos.”Guests:Angela Garcia, associate professor of anthropology, Stanford; author of the new book “The Way That Leads Among The Lost: Life, Death, and Hope In Mexico City’s Anexos” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Protests against Israel’s war in Gaza continue to grow and spread on college campuses in the Bay Area and across the country. The protests gained momentum earlier this month after more than 100 demonstrators were arrested at Columbia University in protests demanding the school divest from companies that do business with Israel. While the actions have been largely peaceful nationwide, there were scuffles between the protesters and pro-Israeli demonstrators at UCLA on Sunday, and hundreds of protesters were arrested over the weekend at other campuses. We’ll check in on what’s happening at UC Berkeley and other Bay Area schools, and talk with a historian about what past movements can teach us about student protests and social change.Guests:Malak Afaneh, law student, UC Berkeley; co-president, Law Students for Justice in PalestineAngus Johnston, professor and historian of American student activism, City University of New YorkNoah Cohen, law student, UC BerkeleyDan Mogulof, assistant vice chancellor of public affairs, UC Berkeley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United Nations on Friday warned of a “dramatic escalation of tensions” among warring parties near El Fasher, North Darfur. The area is already on the brink of famine, according to the UN, and an attack on the city could have devastating consequences for civilians. The crisis in El Fasher comes as Sudan’s calamitous war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces enters its second year. The war has left more than 15,000 people dead and more than 8 million displaced, according to relief agencies. We look at conditions on the ground, the forces that are driving the conflict and how the global community is responding.Guests:Beverly Ochieng, senior journalist and Africa analyst, BBC MonitoringAli Ali-Dinar, Sudanese scholar and senior lecturer in the department of Africana Studies, University of PennsylvaniaAmb. Susan Page, professor of practice in international diplomacy, University of Michigan; former US ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan (2011-2014)Susan Stigant, director of Africa programs, United States Institute of Peace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you walk into the historic, beloved City Lights in San Francisco’s North Beach, it’s easy to get lost in the winding shelves packed with thousands of titles from classic literature, poetry and philosophy to contemporary fiction. There’s a legendary man behind the careful curation. Chief book buyer Paul Yamazaki has worked at City Lights since the 1970’s and has dedicated his career to filling the shelves with titles that spark conversations between books and readers. “Any single book has a constellation of conversations, consequences, and causes,” Yamazaki says in his new book “Reading the Room: A Bookseller’s Tale.” We’ll talk to Yamazaki about independent bookstores and what he sees for the future of books.Guests:Paul Yamazaki, chief book buyer, City Lights Bookstore - In 2023, Paul won the National Book Foundation's Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary CommunityMelinda Powers, head book buyer, Book Shop Santa Cruz; president, California Independent Booksellers AllianceStephen Sparks, owner, Point Reyes Books and Wayfinder BookshopHannah Oliver Depp, owner, Loyalty bookstore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NPR's Sarah McCammon, author of 'The Exvangelicals', discusses leaving the evangelical church due to misogyny, homophobia, and racism. She explores her upbringing, influences, and struggles with doubt. Listeners reflect on their own paths post-organized religion.

The WNBA is coming to the Bay Area! Fans will have a new women’s team to cheer for, at a moment when female superstars like Caitlin Clark have captivated basketball lovers of all ages. As part of KQED’s Youth Takeover week, high school athletes Mahi Jariwala, Jessie Lin and Olivia Ma bring together a sports journalist, a basketball coach and a Title IX attorney to talk about the impact of women’s basketball in the Bay Area – and the arrival of a new professional team.Guests:Mahi Jariwala, senior, Monte Vista High SchoolJessie Lin, senior, Woodside High SchoolOlivia Ma, junior, BASIS Independent FremontMarisa Ingemi, women's sports reporter, San Francisco ChronicleKim Turner, co-CEO of the nonprofit Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative; Title IX attorneyJeff Addiego, vice president, Warriors Basketball Academy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’d be forgiven for associating Rainn Wilson primarily with Dwight Schrute, the overbearing, mansplaining geek on “The Office.” And in his bestselling book “Soul Boom” the three-time Emmy Award-nominated actor acknowledges the connection: “Why is the beet-farming, paper-selling, tangentially Amish man-baby with the giant forehead and short-sleeved mustard shirts writing about the meaning of life?” But then again, why wouldn’t he be curious? Wilson joins us to talk about his own journey with faith, why big philosophical questions make life worth living and why we need what he calls a “spiritual revolution.” And we’ll also hear why he thinks “The Office” is such a cultural mainstay, informing TV mockumentary trends, cringe humor and Gen Z artists like Billie Eilish.Guests:Rainn Wilson, actor who played Dwight Schrute on the TV show, "The Office." His most recent book is "Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cecil Williams forever changed San Francisco, the Bay Area, and even the world. As the long-time pastor at Glide Memorial Church, known for serving the poorest, most vulnerable residents of San Francisco, he led a congregation that was infused with the spirit of care and social justice as well as love, joy and music. Cecil Williams died this week at the age of 94, to celebrate his life and legacy, we listen back to his interviews, a sermon and the music of Glide.Guests:Cecil Williams, founder and Minister of Liberation, Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often think of film as a visual medium. But a carefully placed sound effect or a well crafted sonic atmosphere can evoke emotion just as profoundly. Can you imagine a movie like “Godzilla” without the monster’s signature roar? Or the terrifying silence of “A Quiet Place?” For Erik Aadahl, the Oscar nominated sound designer behind both of those films, sound is the human sense tied closest to our emotions. We talk with Aadahl about what his work entails, how he sources sound for his films and how he creates soundscapes both otherworldly and joyous. What movies stand out to you for their sound?Guest:Erik Aadahl, sound designer; co-founder of the studio, E Squared - credits include "Transformers," "Godzilla," "A Quiet Place," "Argo," "Kung Fu Panda," and "The Creator" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices