Dorothy Lazard is an American writer, librarian, and public historian based in Northern California.
Her new book is What You Don't Know Will Make a Whole New World. Click here to buy it!
Dorothy grew up in the Bay Area of the 1960s and ’70s, surrounded by an expansive network of family, and hungry for knowledge. Here in her first book, she vividly tells the story of her journey to becoming “queen of my own nerdy domain.” Today Lazard is celebrated for her distinguished career as a librarian and public historian, and in these pages she connects her early intellectual pursuits—including a formative encounter with Alex Haley—to the career that made her a community pillar. As she traces her trajectory to adulthood, she also explores her personal experiences connected to the Summer of Love, the murder of Emmett Till, the flourishing of the Black Arts Movement, and the redevelopment of Oakland. As she writes with honesty about the tragedies she faced in her youth—including the loss of both parents—Lazard’s memoir remains triumphant, animated by curiosity, careful reflection, and deep enthusiasm for life.
Today, we have Jim Delgado on the show. As a maritime archaeologist who works around the globe, Jim has spent decades in the fascinating...
In this final episode on the mission system, we explore parts of the history of Santa Barbara Mission.
In this episode, we explore US history in regards to treaties and set the stage for the explorers, settlers, and trappers that will migrate...