History is for the living

On exploring ourselves through our ancestors

My dad died two weeks ago, following a long struggle with dementia. After his passing, I went to visit my family and take stock of dad’s few remaining possessions. Tucked inside a dusty box of photo albums, I found a large ziplock bag full of loose pictures and documents, which included my great-grandparents’ marriage certificate and images of their wedding day. I stared at the grainy, black-and-white photographs for a long time, unsure of how to feel. 

Other than a few basic facts (they lived in Chicago, he was a doctor), I don’t know much about these great-grandparents, or any of the generations that preceded them on my dad’s side. I have blurry memories of being told that the O’Donoghues fled Ireland during the Potato Famine, but this could be wrong. Either way, my family wasn’t the type to dwell on the past when I was growing up, so without having much context, finding rare photos of my great-grandparents didn’t make me particularly emotional. Mostly, I was left with a sense of emptiness – and deep regret about my own ignorance. By failing to have meaningful conversations with my dad about his grandparents, I’d allowed a vital link to my past to be lost forever. Maybe things could have gone differently… 

About a decade ago, I traveled to Germany with my grandma, who grew up there, and my mom. Going into the trip, I was mostly interested in sight-seeing, but learning about my German ancestors ended up being one of the most profound experiences of my life. Hearing about my great-grandparents’ bookstores (which were shut down by Nazis) and their love of the arts made me feel connected to my family in a way I never had before. (Looks like I’m not the only anti-authoritarian bookworn in my family!) Listening to tales of their passions and personalities helped me understand myself so much better… less as an individual, more as part of a tradition. 

When I got back to the States, I immediately got a tattoo on my arm of the logo of my great-grandfathers’ bookstore, to give myself a permanent reminder of how these people I’d never met shaped my identity. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this logo consists of a book and a boat – and that a major part of my career as a historian is taking people on boat tours to share stories of the past…

I don’t know if I would have made such a significant connection by talking to my dad more about his grandparents. But even if I’d learned that we didn’t have much in common, there’s still something comforting that comes with the sense of being part of something bigger than yourself. In this case, a lineage. The feeling of seeing yourself as one small branch on a sprawling family tree reminds me a bit of standing at the bottom of a canyon and looking up at the stratified layers of rock towering above, knowing that each thin layer represents millions of years. In my experience, embracing this sense of insignificance is the best cure for the dread that comes with confronting one’s own mortality.   

Since I started East Bay Yesterday in 2016, several people I’ve interviewed for the show have died. In a few cases, I’ve reached out to families of the deceased, to offer audio files of their loved ones sharing their stories with me. I like to imagine future generations listening to these conversations many years from now. I don’t know what kind of impact hearing their ancestors’ voices will have on them, but it’s nice to know they’ll have the option of discovering that for themselves, if they choose.

The day my dad sent me off to college in 1998.

East Bay Yesterday Updates & Events
One of my favorite local podcasts is Select Five, a show that asks guests to discuss personal connections to a handful of their favorite songs. For my episode, I chose to focus exclusively on “Oakland music” and did my best to represent various genres and eras. Obviously, there are tons of great tunes that didn’t make my top five, so I also made a playlist* featuring some of The Town’s greatest hits. (*If you have suggestions for songs to add, let me know – my plan is to keep expanding this list.)  

I’m currently helping to produce a video documentary about the history of Lake Merritt. Along with director Brandon Jourdan, we’ve launched a fundraiser campaign so we can finally finish this project after +3 years of filming, so please check out the GoFundMe page to see the trailer and a more detailed description. I’d like to host an event in July that would involve screening some work-in-progress clips and possibly moderating a Q&A panel. If you have a suggestion for a free (or low-cost) venue, please drop me a line. (And if you haven’t heard my podcast about Lake Merritt and Children’s Fairyland yet, here’s the link.) 

People have been asking for more details about my KPFA 75th anniversary event on June 3 at Shotgun Players Theater in Berkeley. I’ve been pretty tight-lipped, because I’m planning something really unique, and I want the audience to be surprised. But here’s what I’ll say… the presentation will include many rare visual images – and even a few props! Obviously radio is an audio medium, so previous KPFA anniversary specials throughout the years have relied primarily on archived radio clips to tell the story. Since my event will be on stage, I’ll be using that format to share the history in a totally different way. You can get tickets by going to the KPFA support page and selecting the “Rebel Airwaves” event under the “Pledge Gifts - Misc” section.

Tickets for my summer boat tours are going fast. A few of the dates have already sold out, but you can still join me for a ~2.5-hour Bay cruise on July 17 or July 26. Just a reminder that this season’s tours will feature exclusively new stories, all rooted in the cultural, ecological, and political history of the Oakland and Alameda shorelines.  

Save the date: On July 27, I’ll be doing my “Bygone Berkeley” presentation at the Central Library’s “Mystery Room.” The event is free and no reservations are needed.

In Other News
Happy 50th birthday to Heyday Books! If you’re a longtime listener of East Bay Yesterday, you’ve heard me interview many authors associated with this beloved local publisher, including Dorothy Lazard, Andrew Alden, and Laura Cunningham. Check out this Berkeleyside longread, which traces the history of Heybay back to its hippie roots with founder Malcolm Margolin. And if you want to congratulate Heyday’s current director Steve Wasserman in person, he’ll be in conversation with author Tony Platt about “The Scan at Cal” on May 13 at Clio’s Bookshop.

Ishmael Reed’s profile of Marcus Books, the oldest Black bookstore in the country, offers several interesting anecdotes from the shop’s decades-long history. When asked about her experience with the production of “Made in America,” a 1993 Whoopi Goldberg rom-com filmed in Oakland, owner Blanche Richardson said: “They hired us to create a Black bookstore in a storefront on College Avenue. Whoopi was to be a bookstore owner in the film. After-hours, she shopped in the fake store but never came to Marcus Books.” Head over to Alta to read the full story.  

You might be aware that Alameda was connected to Oakland until 1902, but did you know how challenging it was to actually dredge the channel that created the island? My friend Pauline Bartolone dug (get it?) into this complex story for Bay Curious. 

“The West Coast Blues Society will be honoring the history & legacy of 7th Street blues with backyard stories, live music and visual arts” on May 25. I haven’t seen the lineup yet, but this sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon. Details here.

Raimondi Park has been in the news lately due to the Oakland Ballers revitalizing the ballfield in advance of their debut season. If you’re wondering about the park’s name, The Eville Eye has the answer: It was “named after Oakland native Ernie Raimondi who went to McClymonds high school and played for the Oakland Oaks as did his brothers Billy, Al and Walt. Ernie was killed in action in World War II in Europe on February, 1945. Raimondi Park was dedicated in his honor in 1947.”

This New York Times feature shares the story of how Creative Growth, an art program for adults with disabilities, started in a garage 50 years ago, but is now the subject of a major exhibition at SF MOMA. As someone who has attended many of Creative Growth’s First Friday art shows, I can assure you that this honor is well-deserved. I covered the history of this organization in one of East Bay Yesterday’s very first episodes, and it’s still one of my favorite stories. Seriously: if you’ve never been to CG’s gallery, go check it out next time they do a show. 

I mentioned this in the last newsletter, but please consider signing Oakland Heritage Alliance’s petition to Save 16th Street Station. One more earthquake could doom this historic building! Here’s a link to my SF Gate article about current efforts to preserve this West Oakland landmark. Oh, and if you have a particularly good story about this place, hit me up. I’m gathering sources for an upcoming episode (and possibly an event).

Sponsored Messages
For over 100 years, the children’s hospital in Oakland has been a pillar of care for generations of families from all over the Bay Area. On May 11, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital is proud to host Notes & Words, its annual fundraiser at Oakland’s historic Fox Theater. 

It’s a night of music, a night of stories, and a celebration of the heroes at Children’s Hospital Oakland. This year Semisonic singer/songwriter Dan Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Nicolas Kristof, and local favorites Oakland School for the Arts will take the stage in what will be a night of smart, satisfying entertainment. 

100% of the proceeds go directly to providing hope and healing to the kids and families who need it most. You can get your tickets at notesandwords.org.

Next up, I want to tell you about the exciting films coming to the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive this summer. The season kicks off in June with a retrospective of the late Berkeley icon Les Blank, who made sensitive, poetic documentaries about regional American cultures. The series features in-person appearances by many of Blank’s collaborators and subjects.

The summer program also features Hayao Miyazaki’s animations, film noir classics, iconic Italian Westerns scored by the legendary Ennio Morricone, and more. In August, BAMPFA will host Lynne Ramsay, director of We Need to Talk About Kevin starring Tilda Swinton, to present a retrospective of her work.

BAMPFA has an internationally renowned film program, playing the best of world cinema on the big screen. Find out more at bampfa.org/film and then visit their  state-of-the-art Osher Theater in Downtown Berkeley.

Finally
The clock is ticking if you plan to visit the Oakland History Center. The library’s entire main branch is shutting down on May 26 for much-needed renovations. When I expressed my growing anxiety about being cut off from the History Center’s invaluable files to my friend Gene Anderson, one of the primary contributors to Oakland Wiki, he sent me this image of the building from a 1951 edition of Architect and Engineer Magazine. At least the library’s digital archive will still be available – but I’ll be counting down the days until this building reopens…

Thanks for reading! And extra special thanks to those of you supporting East Bay Yesterday through Patreon or through a paid subscription to this Substack. The only reason that I’m able to devote so much time to this project is because of your generosity.  

-Liam

PS: Just as I was about to publish this newsletter, I was asked to moderate a panel at the Town Life Ecofutures Festival. I don’t have many details on the full lineup yet, but you can get a free ticket at this landing page, which should be updated soon.