Crosscurrents

A Palestinian folk dance group is bringing their people’s story to the big stage. Blending the old and the new into one struggle for freedom. And, a first generation immigrant from the Palestinian and Lebanese diaspora shares poetry. Plus, how the wrongful conviction of two Filipino-immigrant nurses inspires a dance production in San Francisco.

Duration:00:26:51

Palestinian folk dance troupe amplifies their struggle for freedom through dabke

Dabke is an Arabic folk dance with roots in Palestine. In Oakland, one troupe is bringing the generations-old dance to the big stage on April 26th- along with the story of their people’s struggle for freedom.

Duration:00:09:22

Bay Poets: 'A Silent Poem, بروح' by Camellia Boutros

Today we will be listening to musician and poet Camellia Boutros read an excerpt from her poem.

Duration:00:03:04

Sights and Sounds: 'Burden of Proof' dance production

How the wrongful conviction of two Filipino-immigrant nurses inspires a dance production in San Francisco.

Duration:00:09:16

SHOW: Taking a different perspective

Today, how the ocean can be a very queer place, literally and metaphorically. Then, one play is bringing the excitement of basketball to the stage. And, a poem that takes photobombing to an almost spiritual level.

Duration:00:26:50

How queer communities are seeing themselves reflected in tide pools

There is a growing number of people connecting with the ocean through the outdoor activity called tidepooling. KALW Reporter Anna takes us to a queer tidepooling events in the Bay Area to figure out what makes exploring these places on our coasts important, particularly for queer folks.

Duration:00:10:11

Sights and Sounds: 'Flex' basketball play

The play “Flex” takes audiences back to 1998, right after the launch of the WNBA. It is an exciting time for a high school girls basketball team in a dusty, rural Arkansas town. The young ladies are playing hard to win a state championship.

Duration:00:10:37

Bay Poets: 'Photos I Appear in by Chance'

For poetry month Berkeley poet Zack Rogow ponders how the simple act of photobombing persists with a life of its own.

Duration:00:01:55

Our Changing Climate

4/20/2026

Today, we hear how the need for housing can clash with the need to protect our natural resources. Then, how residents of the agricultural town of Pescadero have been dealing with flooding for decades.

Duration:00:26:50

When housing needs clashes with protecting our natural resources

4/20/2026

Cities along the Bay Area shoreline are trying to restore wetlands to help mitigate floods and fight climate change. But as housing prices in the Bay skyrocket some cities like Newark, are also looking to that empty land to build housing.

Duration:00:10:48

Sea Level Rise — Growing community from a flood plain

4/20/2026

Pescadero is a small farming town about two miles east of highway 1 on the coast. Today how the residents of the agricultural town in San Mateo County have been dealing with flooding for decades.

Duration:00:11:12

SHOW: Our Collective and Personal Histories

Today, we peer through the lens of over 120 years of Muni photography. Then, an immersive show that is set in one of the San Francisco homes that survived the 1906 earthquake. And, a dad gets a first class lesson in empathy at a family visit in prison.

Duration:00:27:22

The history of San Francisco through the lens of Muni photographers

A photographic exhibit at City Hall that came from a hidden archive highlights one of San Francisco’s most venerable institutions.

Duration:00:11:34

Sights and Sounds: 'EARTHQUAKE! Shaken, But Standing Strong'

"EARTHQUAKE! Shaken, But Standing Strong" is an immersive historical show and tour of the surviving Haas-Lilienthal House that will take place on April 17 and 18.

Duration:00:07:42

Baseball, a broken window, and an empathy lesson

Uncuffed producer Michael Callahan shares a story about how sometimes the roles get reversed when he's parenting from prison.

Duration:00:04:23

'What Remains Eternal' by poet James Cagney

For poetry month Oakland poet James Cagney walks us down memory lane with an ode to the home he grew up in. Here is his piece 'What Remains Eternal.'

Duration:00:01:55

SHOW: Politics and Poetry

Today, a conversation with Congressional candidate Marie Hurabiell. Then, the return of the East Bay literary festival Beast Crawl. And, we honor poet Bob Kaufman.

Duration:00:26:50

State Of The Bay: Marie Hurabiell's Congressional Bid

KALW’s State of the Bay has been inviting the candidates for California’s 11th district to come on their show. And we’ve been airing segments of those conversations here on Crosscurrents this month.Today, the final candidate in the series: Marie Hurabiell.

Duration:00:12:37

Sights and Sounds: Beast Crawl 2026

April is National Poetry Month and Downtown Oakland has some of the best Bay Area poets delivering powerful prose. That’s because they’re part of the annual Beast Crawl, Oakland’s longest running literary festival.

Duration:00:09:44

Bay Poets: "Suicide" a Bob Kaufman poem read by Josiah Luis Alderete