129 - Dorothy Lazard, Writer, Librarian, Public Historian, and the Author of What You Don't Know Will Make a Whole New World

June 14, 2024 00:57:43
129 - Dorothy Lazard, Writer, Librarian, Public Historian, and the Author of What You Don't Know Will Make a Whole New World
History of California Podcast
129 - Dorothy Lazard, Writer, Librarian, Public Historian, and the Author of What You Don't Know Will Make a Whole New World

Jun 14 2024 | 00:57:43

/

Show Notes

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.

Other Episodes

Episode

February 21, 2023 00:49:35
Episode Cover

81 - Dr. Glenna Matthews, Thomas Starr King and the Civil War

Glenna Matthews received her Ph.D. from Stanford University. Among her major publications are “Just a Housewife”: The Rise and Fall of Domesticity in America,...

Listen

Episode

August 22, 2023 00:19:49
Episode Cover

98 - Chiura Obata Part II

In this episode, we continue Obata's story as he journeys to Yosemite and ventures into the High Sierra. 

Listen

Episode

May 16, 2019 00:17:35
Episode Cover

4 - The Achomawi and Atsugewi

In this episode, we explore two tribes from the northeastern part of California. We look at their material culture, spirituality, and rituals.

Listen