Ten Years That Shook the City: San Francisco 1968-78 is A collection of first-person and historical essays spans the people’s history of San Francisco in the tumultuous decade from 1968, the year of the San Francisco State College strike, to 1978 and the twin traumas of the Jonestown massacre and the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. This volume provides a broad look at the diverse ways those ten years shaped the world we live in today. From community gardening to environmental justice, gay rights and other identity-based social movements, anti-gentrification efforts, neighborhood arts programs and more, many of the initiatives whose origins are described here have taken root and spread far beyond San Francisco.

This book was published by City Lights Publishers in June of 2011, and tonight on Circle A Radio we have an interview with its editor, Chris Carlsson. Chris Carlson is also  one of the founders of the Critical Mass cycling movement. He is also a writer, blogger, and director of the multi-media history project Shaping San Francisco.


More information about the peoples history of San Francisco is at foundsf.org or shapingsf.org. Thanks to Chris Carlsson , and all the authors who read from their essays.