I have retired from regular hosting of of Dead to the World (Wednesdays 8-10pm on KPFA 94.1 fm Berkeley).
I sent this letter to the management on October 28:
Dear colleagues –
I need to step down as the primary host of Dead to the World. I have a book and a CD coming out in November, and I need to focus my attention on those two projects.
As I have been working on the record and book all year, I have been less and less engaged with my KPFA program. I don’t feel I am able to do justice to the gig, as I have less and less time to prepare for it. My musical career is on the rise everywhere but in the Bay Area, so I am on the road more than half the time these days. My travel is only going to increase in the near future.
Tim Lynch, my cohost, is fully engaged and delivering a first-rate show every time he takes the reins. I have discussed this with him and he seems willing to take on more of the work. I hope you will allow him to continue as the lead host. I will host DTTW occasionally – maybe once a month, more or less.
I will, of course, do the marathon (with Tim’s help) next February and every winter for the foreseeable future.
I will continue to serve on the LSB until my term ends, and I will continue to support professionalism among the staff and community.
This is an entirely positive development. I’m on the road a lot these days, pursuing my own musical adventures. Because of the increasing demands on my time and attention, I don’t think I’ve been doing a very good job on DTTW. Tim has been covering for my absences for several years, and I made him the official cohost a while back because he was doing it more than half the time anyway. I wouldn’t hand the show over to just anybody! He’s great on the air, and deeply committed to music and to KPFA.
I needed to do this for a number of reasons. I feel my identity has been confused here in northern California: I have always seen myself as a musician with a radio show, as opposed to a DJ with a guitar, and this move allows me to be clearer about who I am.
So from here on out, if you have an event or a record you want to get on the air, please contact Tim. I’m out of that business.