Talking About Death Won’t Kill You

By sharing some of the many stories I hear from my personal experiences hosting Death Cafés and volunteering with Final Exit Network, I hope attendees will be inspired to become more comfortable discussing this stigmatized topic.
Market Street Movie Marquees: Neon Nirvana

Time travel with us to experience the elaborate neon movie marquees that once saturated Market Street near San Francisco’s Tenderloin.
Neon Comes Out: San Francisco’s Gay Bar Signs

An illuminating talk on the 1960s/70s era when San Francisco gay bars went above ground and turned on their neon lights.
Peaceful Death: Another Option?

For over 25 years, Final Exit Network has been supporting those who wish to hasten their own deaths. This presentation, based on Jim’s experience as FEN Regional Coordinator and Death Café facilitator, can be tailored to the needs of the constituents.
Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus”

Emma Lazarus’ famous poem is inexorably linked with the Statue of Liberty. Learn the true story of how. Through images, film, and audio clips we explore its relevance to the continuing dialogue about immigration.
Hollywood Shakes San Francisco

The 1906 earthquake and fire is the single most important event in San Francisco’s colorful history. View clips from a number of Hollywood films — some favorites and others unfamiliar — recreating the event.
The Golden Gate Bridge on the Silver Screen

The Golden Gate Bridge has starred in possibly more movies than any other American architectural structure. From its construction to multiple destructions, the Bay Area’s beloved bridge is depicted in this clip-filled program.
San Francisco Before Stonewall

A visual timeline of the many pioneering individuals, organizations, publications, and activities in San Francisco during the 100 years leading up to the pivotal Stonewall Rebellion of 1969.
My Grandmother’s Suitcase

At the age of 54, Jim Van Buskirk, who had been raised “devoutly Unitarian” met with his mother after a long estrangement. Facing her own mortality, she said she had something to tell him: “You are Jewish.”
How Has Hollywood (Mis)Represented Homosexuality?

Trailers from mainstream movies from the 1960s and 1970s inspire an interactive investigation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender characters as depicted by Hollywood.