Cal Humanities

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more when it is in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

Interview with Daniel Alarcón

*Note: this is the short version of this interview. You can also find the full-length version of the interview here on our site.

Daniel Alarcón is the author of California Reads selected book Lost City Radio, a fiction rooted in the human experience of the aftermath of war through the focal lens of a radio show. Here, he talks about writing, history, the current state of our democracy, and what gives him hope for the future.

For 2012, the California Reads program is part of our Searching for Democracy initiative. Look for interviews with the other California Reads authors and find out more about the Searching for Democracy inititative here on our website.