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Michael French Brings Theater To Our Ears In The New Audio Drama 'Books & Roses'

Irma Gogiashvlli
Theater Director Michael French

Theater director Michael French brings the short story “Books & Roses” by Helen Oyeyemi to life and to our ears as an audio drama. In this interview, the Oakland artist talks about this work and his career from London to the Bay Area.

No one ever knows the event that's going to change your life. It usually starts with something really ordinary. It's not the burning bush.

“Books & Roses” is the story is about a girl, who was left on the steps of a Barcelona monastery as a baby, and the search for her mother.

“Books & Roses” is available on the Word for Word podcast and the third installment will be released on Feb 28. You can also catch their audio dramas on KALW’s “Open Air” on Thursdays at 1 p.m.

Jeneé Darden is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and proud Oakland native. She is the executive producer and host of the weekly arts segment Sights & Sounds as well as the series Sights + Sounds Magazine. Jeneé also covers East Oakland for KALW. Jeneé has reported for NPR, Marketplace, KQED, KPCC, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony magazine, Refinery29 and other outlets. In 2005, she reported on the London transit bombings for Time magazine. Prior to coming to KALW, she hosted the podcast Mental Health and Wellness Radio.