Legendary Musician Joan Baez Joins Us in Studio

Sasha Coka (0:04)

On the California Report magazine, we bring you stories about Californians helping out their neighbors. Like a little store in Oakland where shoppers can walk out with one item for free.

Marilyn (0:15)

I mean, opening up a shop and giving away stuff for free. My first customers thought I was insane.

Sasha Coka (0:21)

Still here, so it seems to be working. I'm Sasha Coka. You can hear more community connection stories on the California Report Magazine podcast.

Mina Kim (0:33)

Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. Legendary singer, songwriter, author, and activist Joan Baez is with us. She's inspired decades of fans since emerging in the late 50s and 60s as the queen of folk, leading the march on Washington and singing We Shall Overcome, protesting the Vietnam War. Since her farewell tour in 2019, more people are getting to know her through the documentary I Am a Noise, from Monica Barbaro's Oscar-nominated portrayal of her in the film A Complete Unknown. As people seek out the protest song she sang to power nonviolent movements. These days, you can find Baez performing in an immersive circus theater production in Alameda called The Soiled Dove.

It is a pleasure to have her here with us today on Forum. Joan Baez, welcome.

Joan Baez (1:22)

Yes. Absolutely my pleasure to be here. Thank you.

Mina Kim (1:24)

Thank you. First, tell me about the circus show you're in.

Joan Baez (1:28)

Well, the guy who got me into it is the director.

Years ago, I apparently was walking around the parking lot of the Zanzani Circus after and I was all excited because I'd just seen it. This guy said, hey, do you really like it? I said, yeah. I said, you want to be in the circus? I said, yeah, before I knew anything. I joined that long time ago and enjoyed. It was a family circus. This circus, the Soil Jub, Dove, same guy, got me in a parking lot. You want to be in a circus?

SPEAKER_5 (2:01)

I said, sure.

Joan Baez (2:02)

I didn't know it was a burlesque until I got there to rehearsal. So I thought, okay, I can do this. So it is not a family circus, it's much more fun.

Mina Kim (2:12)

Good to know. 21 and over, right?

Joan Baez (2:14)

Yeah. So Soil Dove, Alameda will get you there.

Mina Kim (2:17)

What does it give you to be in this? It seems like you have a lot of fun when you're out there.

Joan Baez (2:22)

I have a tremendous amount of fun, and I think that we are all designing how we can navigate these days, weeks, months, probably years. One of the ways that really gets me okay in the head and having fun is the circus. I mean, it's super fun for me, and I dance a lot, and when it's over, I dance forever, end of the night. So for me, it's a lifeline, and it also is all the things that we're not supposed to be doing. We're dancing and singing. We have gays and Latinos and trans, you know, and cross dressers and me.

So yeah, so it's its own form of joyous resistance.

Mina Kim (3:09)

Yeah. Joy as a form of resistance is something that we've heard a lot these days, but it sounds like you truly experience that.

Joan Baez (3:17)

Oh, I do. Yeah, I do. And because I have to do the have to's and I have to live, I have to listen to the news periodically anyway. Thank you for being here.

It makes it easier to find your algorithm. And I'm grateful for it.

Mina Kim (3:38)

Yeah. I've heard you say it's okay to live some part of your life in denial right now, to navigate these times. And I'm curious what you mean by denial. Do you mean like a sort of escapism or a sort of compartmentalizing?

Joan Baez (3:53)

No, denial is probably a form of escapism. Just, I mean, and my, you know, my remedy for all of us is to remain in denial most of the time. And then when you come out of it, do something. I mean, really do something. It's hard for people because you have a vision of, I'm going to do something is going to change everything. Probably isn't now. I mean, this is not the 60s anymore.

And so my little saying is we, we can't turn the tide right now, but we can certainly save some fish.

And so if you find, you may think it's not enough if you find, you know, you want to work with a group that's working with immigrants, if you want to work in a group that's growing vegetables for, you know, for healthy purposes and to give away and to feed people, whatever it is that calls you, just get up and do it. And you think, well, it's not enough. Well, it's not enough for you, but it might be enough for the recipient, might be enough for the person you're serving. So I would just encourage people to find what calls you.