Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden," where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show, we take you to Books Inc. in Alameda, where host Jeneé Darden interviewed Oakland poet James Cagney about his latest collection "Ghetto Koans: A Personal Archive." In this book, James let's readers see life in the inner city through his poetic lens. Then, we re-air an interview where James discusses Black manhood and loneliness.
Today’s theme is about ghetto life, Blackness in the Bay and belonging.
James Cagney at Books Inc. in Alameda
The first time Host Jeneé Darden learned of the word "koan" was when she bought a copy of the poetry collection "Ghetto Koans: A Personal Archive" by James Cagney. "Koan" is a Japanese word for a paradox or riddle that can't be solved. Koans are used to train Zen Buddhists to release dependence on reason, and gain spiritual enlightenment. So what do koans have to do with the ghetto?
James Cagney is from Oakland. His collection is in part about the mystery, the magic and the absurd that comes with living in the ghetto. James is the winner of a PEN Oakland award, a James Laughlin Award and he's a Cave Canem fellow.
Jeneé interviewed James in front of a live audience at Books Inc. in Alameda in January 2026. The program began with a few words and poetry from the store's events coordinator Jerry Thompson.
We had a few tech issues and apologize for the static you may hear during a few parts of the interview.
James Cagney's "Martian: The Saint of Loneliness"
In 2022, Host Jeneé Darden interviewed James about his 2022 book "Martian: The Saint of Loneliness." In it, he expresses how as a Black man, the world doesn't treat him like he belongs here.
