City Arts & Lectures

 This week, our guest is Elizabeth Pryor – a professor of history at Smith College, whose work focuses on the histories of race and slavery in the United States. Pryor’s memoir, Something We Said: Richard Pryor, a Notorious Word, and Me, is about growing up as the Black Jewish daughter of comedian Richard Pryor. It also traces the painful evolution of the N-word from the era of slavery to today – including how her father used it in the 1970s.

On June 1, 2026, Elizabeth Pryor came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an expansive talk with journalist Shereen Marisol Meraji about her childhood, and the significance of this six-letter word in American politics, history, and culture.

 This week, our guest is Lena Dunham, best known as the creator of Girls, an HBO series about a group of 20-somethings that one critic called “a generational event.” Her most recent television series, Too Much, is about a New Yorker who moves to London to find her way out of heartbreak.

On May 17, 2026, Dunham came to the SGT to talk about her memoir, Famesick, with her close friend, journalist Michael Lewis. What looked like an enviable life – critically acclaimed work, a romantic relationship with a major musician – was actually overwhelmed by Dunham’s self-doubt - and her chronic pain from undiagnosed physical illness. 

José Andrés is widely recognized for both his culinary achievements – including two Michelin stars, and 40 restaurants worldwide – and his humanitarian work. As the founder of World Central Kitchen, Andrés has fed tens of millions of people across dozens of crises. The model is uncommonly nimble and effective; rather than warehousing aid, Central Kitchen activates local restaurants and cooks on the ground, putting money into affected communities while feeding people with dignity. Andres is also an Emmy Award–winning TV host and producer, and a New York Times bestselling author of Change the Recipe, Zaytinya, Vegetables Unleashed, and The World Central Kitchen Cookbook. His new book is Spain My Way.

On May 21, 2026, Jose Andres came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco for an onstage conversation with philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder and president of Emerson Collective. 

Ben Rhodes is a writer on U.S. and global politics. A contributor to the New York Times and MSNOW, and co-host of Pod Save the World, Ben has authored two New York Times bestsellers - After the Fall and The World As It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House. His latest book, All We Say, is a sweeping look at the battle over American identity and the questions, “What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide?” through reflections on landmark speeches in American history.  Rhodes previously served as speechwriter and Deputy National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama. 

On June 9, 2026, Ben Rhodes came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to be interviewed on stage by Jelani Cobb, an acclaimed historian, staff writer at the New Yorker, and Dean of Columbia Journalism School. 

This week, our guest is Boots Riley, an Oakland-based filmmaker and founding member of the seminal hip hop group, The Coup. Like his music, Riley’s films are politically charged, tackling subjects like capitalism, racism, and class. His debut film, Sorry to Bother You and television series I’m A Virgo showcased a surrealist style, sci-fi tropes and comedy. His hyperkinetic energy is on display again with his newest movie, I Love Boosters. The all-star cast features Demi Moore, Keke Palmer and LaKeith Stanfield. 

On May 28, 2026, Boots Riley came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater to talk to Alexis Madrigal about his art and activism. The evening was co-presented with KQED.  Join us now for a conversation with Boots Riley.