It could be argued that in this age of social media and quick-hit information, storytelling has become a lost art. Not so if you’re a listener of Ira Glass, the creator and host of NPR’s “This American Life.” This show, available on radio ( radio?) and podcast, is celebrating 30 years of journalism and entertainment. You can hear it locally on KPBS-FM Fridays.
If you’ve been listening to Glass on the radio lo these many years, you’ll want to hear him live and in person. As part of UC San Diego’s Art Power series, Glass is appearing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at downtown’s Balboa Theatre for a program titled “Ira Glass: Seven Things I’ve Learned.”
How well regarded is “This American Life”? It received the first ever Pulitzer Prize awarded for audio journalism in 2020. Those who’ve listened to these shows over the years know how they capture, through Glass’ unique lens, the fabric of America. If you’re new to the program or have never listened to it, Glass has created a “New to This American Life” feature at thisamericanlife.org/recommended/new-to-this-american-life.
In the days when radio was relevant, programs like this one were often called “theater of the mind.” In the highly visual world in which we reside and consume our information, it’s somehow comforting to know that one man, one voice can weave stories that touch us and make us think.
Thanks to Ira Glass, who once said that the story is “a really powerful tool for imagining yourself in other people’s situations.”
Radio
With Black History Month under way, KSDS Jazz 88 radio in San Diego is devoting time in its musical programming in February to a series titled “Freedom Now! Jazz and Civil Rights.” The segments, which air weekdays at noon, celebrate Black artists and use music to put into context the integral role that jazz played in the Civil Rights Movement.
Among the jazz historians who are hosting the programs: Chuck Granata, Neil Tesser, Will Friedwald, Kenny Washington, Loren Schoenberg and Ricky Riccardi. These programs can also be streamed at jazz88.org or on the KPBS mobile app.
Dance
A towering figure in the world of dance, choreographer Twyla Tharp, now 83, is celebrating her dance company’s 60th anniversary this year. A national tour of Twyla Tharp Dance comes to town next Thursday at the Balboa Theatre downtown presented by La Jolla Music Society.
The program features Tharp’s popular “Diabelli,” first staged in 1998 and set to Beethoven’s variations on a waltz written by Austrian composer Anton Diabelli. Also on Thursday: a new dance titled “SLACKTIDE” which reimagines Philip Glass’ “Aguas da Amazonia.”
Multidisciplinary
Arts lovers who savor a challenge, who gravitate toward the adventurous, have I got a weekend for you. San Diego’s intrepid Project BLANK hosts its fourth annual exhibition of experimental art and music tonight through Saturday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Sixth Avenue uptown.
“Working Title No. 4” (yes, that is the title of the exhibition) melds the work of visual artists with that of musicians, composers, and sound and performance art during the three nights of programming. It all begins tonight 7 p.m. with a performance by the San Diego New Verbal Workshop, followed at 7:30 by Eric Deer, aka Bad Checks, on electronics and percussion, then at 8 tuba (!) and electronics from Jonathan Piper.
Tickets are $17-$27 at projectblanksd.org/working-title.
Movies on TV
What’s the best film adaptation of a novel ever? It’s a subject for debate for sure, but it’d be hard to argue against the 1962 screen version of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Gregory Peck — as the small-town lawyer Atticus Finch defending an innocent Black man accused of rape in 1930s Alabama — the movie was described by Lee herself as a work of art.
I’ve watched “To Kill a Mockingbird” numerous times and never fail to be moved by its power, intensity and humanity. You can watch it uninterrupted on the Turner Classic Movies channel at 8 p.m. Sunday. TCM Daily and Weekly Movie Schedule Meanwhile, if you’ve never read Lee’s novel, which was published in 1960, do that too. It isn’t standard reading in classrooms — at least for the time being — for nothing.
U-T arts and dining stories you may have missed this week
- San Diego spot named the No. 1 most romantic restaurant in America
- With ‘Wicked’ back in town, we picked the top 10 girl songs of musical theater
- San Diego Symphony unveils 2025-26 season featuring ‘a series of musical menus’
- Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan returning to San Diego with 10th anniversary Outlaw Music Festival
- Alicia Keys a double-winner at 2025 Grammy Awards: ‘DEI is a gift,’ she told the audience
- Five new Broadway musicals headed to San Diego starting next fall
- Review: New Village Arts’ ‘Marie Curie’ a moving story of female friendship
- Review: Old Globe’s dark family drama ‘Appropriate’ packs a wallop
UCTV
University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:
“Intersections Presents Kevin Flournoy”
Kevin Flournoy has been a powerhouse behind the scenes of jazz, pop and R&B for three decades. Since his breakthrough in 1994 as a producer and keyboardist for Big Mountain, he has worked with music legends including Chaka Khan, Babyface, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osborne and Jennifer Hudson. Known as the industry’s “go-to” musician, Flournoy has written, performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in music. Now, after years of shaping the sounds of others, he steps into the spotlight with his debut album, “Vers•a•tility.” Featuring an exciting mix of rising talents and seasoned legends, his new work showcases the depth of his artistry as both a producer and performer.
“Space-Based Stem Cell Research”
Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., explores groundbreaking research on how space environments accelerate aging and cancer progression. Microgravity has been shown to speed up cancer cell growth, exhaust stem cells and trigger genomic instability, including the activation of the “dark genome.” Using advanced tools like nano-bioreactors and artificial intelligence, Jamieson’s team simulates these conditions to track cellular changes and uncover how space alters cell behavior. Their findings reveal that while stem cells initially proliferate rapidly, they soon become exhausted, a process linked to telomere shortening and mitochondrial stress. Collaborating with NASA and industry partners, Jamieson’s work aims to develop therapies to counter these effects —insights that could improve cancer treatment and stem cell health on Earth.
“Therapy for Age-Related Macular Degeneration”
Dennis O. Clegg, Ph.D., explores the latest advancements in treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss. While many patients report improved vision after receiving retinal implants, objective tests don’t always confirm these changes, raising questions about individual responses based on genetics and disease progression. Clegg discusses ongoing efforts to reduce immune rejection of these treatments, including the potential of localized immunosuppression. New clinical trials are also testing implants in earlier stages of the disease, while researchers investigate whether secretions from retinal cells might help preserve vision. Despite many unanswered questions, emerging therapies provide hope for more effective AMD treatments in the future.
And finally, this weekend’s events
The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: Feb. 7-9
