'California Voices' is a new podcast that gives us the opportunity to hear the recollections, observations, viewpoints, the hindsight and foresight, of the extraordinary human beings that live in the Golden State...and the chance to get to know one another through the stories we share.
Check It Out! A Conversation with California's State Librarian
Greg Lucas was appointed California State Librarian in 2014, and like institution he leads, he's a valuable archive of information & perspective about California's history. A former journalist, a Grateful Dead fan and an avid reader, Greg is also, professionally and personally, a passionate advocate for California's 1100+ community libraries. "Everybody has a cool library story; is there a single person out there who doesn't like libraries?"
9 Sept 2026
A Mortician's Views on Death & Life: "I can tell you right now that I cry at every funeral..."
Hannah Broyles-Grundy is a Northern California funeral director and apprentice embalmer. Having dealt with much loss and grief in her young life, Hannah brings to her work not only a licensed skill at handling 'dead bodies' but an instinctive sensitivity to helping and caring for mourning families. And she wants to change the perception the public may have that morticians don't care; "You can't see this side of people without feeling for them, without understanding what they're going through..."
20 Aug 2026
From Afghanistan to America ~ "Holding Two Cultures in One Hand"
Nesar Ahmad served as a battlefield interpreter for the US military in Afghanistan, Yalda Rahmatee graduated with a college degree in business administration; they secretly fell in love as Afghan teenagers, married, then immigrated to the US in 2014. Now, as American citizens and sucessful professionals in their respective fields, Nesar and Yalda share their story of leaving their 'home country' and making a new life with their children here in Northern California, balancing respect and obervance of their Afghan culture with the joy and hope of seeking continued opportunities for the future.
5 Aug 2026
"What's the danger, talking about it or keeping it in?" ~ A Sister's Story
Sara Hansen's sister was murdered by a serial killer in 1981. Sara has kept her grief, her trauma, her anger, inside of her for nearly 50 years. Now, Sara has decided to share her story.
22 Apr 2026
Immigration & Fantasy ~ Leslie Adame, LatinX Author
From LA this time, we meet Leslie Adame, a young, LatinX author and SoCal native, who has written and published her first novel, a middle-grade, fantasy tale called "Chloe Vega & the Agents of Magic." It's an entertaining yet serious story about young immigrants and their families, which Leslie hopes will bring further representation to a community of immigrants in this country that doesn't always have exposure and identity.
26 Mar 2026
Penelope the Powerful Poet...is Not Your 'Typical Teenager'
Penelope Oliver's parents began exposing her, at a very young age, to 'what our collective humanity looks like,' opening her innocent eyes to the challenges facing human beings across the world. Now, as a college student, Penelope is already a seasoned & engaged advocate, the founder of a non-profit, community arts project, partnering with influential leaders to speak out on behalf of children in Gaza and immigrants...all the while sharing stories & writing her poetry, with her pen as part of her power.
15 Mar 2026
A Writer for the Future - Author Kim Stanley Robinson
Science Fiction Novelist Kim Stanley Robinson, who lives in Davis, CA, has been writing Science Fiction for decades but his acclaimed 2020 book "The Ministry for the Future" brought him additional recognition worldwide for its prescient, sobering and yet hopeful description of the harrowing impacts of climate change across the globe, even in California, prompting TIME Magazine to call Robinson 'a hero of the environment.' Kim Stanley Robinson talks about his literary work, the art of writing science fiction...and the future.
3 Mar 2026
"Equity, Access & Justice" - Darcy Totten, Executive Director, California Commission on the Status of Women & Girls
March is Women's History Month! In recognition and celebration, here's a spcial conversation with Darcy Totten, who has been leading the CA Commission on the Status of Women & Girls since 2024. The Commission marked its 60th anniversary last fall, and begins the new year continuing its work prioritizing access to leadership, equality, freedom and safety, for half of the world's population. Darcy shares her own personal story of coming out, rising up, and guiding the Commission towards a not-too-distant future when "it's the women who are in charge."
20 Feb 2026
Legacy of Preservation & Restoration - Robert Hanna, the Great-Great-Grandson of John Muir
Robert Hanna finally made the connection in middle school that he was a descendant of naturalist John Muir. Robert has spent his life since then learning about John Muir's work and developing a deep appreciation for what Muir stood for and what he was able to accomplish as a protector and advocate for our country's national parks and wild & scenic spaces. Robert is carrying on his famous ancestor's legacy through his own campaign to restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley near Yosemite National Park to its original scenic beauty. (www.hannaplus.com/restorehetchhetchy)
This conversation was recorded at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA.
10 Feb 2026
The Planting & The Harvest - Farmer Joe Del Bosque
Joe Del Bosque is the familiar 'farmer in the white cowboy hat,' and the namsake of Del Bosque Farms, in Firebaugh, on the western side of the San Joaquin Valley. Joe has been immersed in the world of farming all of his life, and he shares his story about his family's farming legacy, the ever-changing dynamics of planting and harvest in California's Central Valley...and about a 2014 visit to his farm from the President of the United States!
28 Jan 2026
"The Editor's Opinion" - Mike Wolcott, Editor-in-Chief, The Chico Enterprise-Record Newspaper
Mike Wolcott has been a journalist for nearly 50 years; he grew up on the family farm in Tehama County, and wrote his first news story as a professional journalist when he was 16. What followed was a career as a sports reporter/columnist for distinguished newspapers all over Northern California, spending the last 7 years as the editor of one of the few remaining newspapers in the north part of the state that publishes a print edition 7 days a week. Mike shares his stories about running a newspaper in a 'purple' part of California, being the world's eyes and ears while covering the disastrous 2018 fire in Paradise, CA, and always championing a reporter's obligation to get the facts right and always be fair.
13 Jan 2026
Keeping Faith in Challenging Times - Rabbi Mona Alfi, Congregation B'nai Israel in Sacramento
On our DEBUT podcast episode, Rabbi Mona Alfi, Senior Rabbi at Congregation B'nai Israel in Sacramento, talks about her personal faith and spiritual journey, the challenge of keeping faith during difficult times, and our human desire to find a deeper 'moral vocabulary.'
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