Northern California is home to countless compelling stories—in this session, three authors of nonfiction books each get twelve minutes to share one with you.

The first one tells a tale as old as time, or maybe even older—in Deep Oakland, geologist Andrew Alden drills down into Oakland’s fascinating geology, uncovering how fault lines and shifting soils have affected the city’s geography and vegetation, its history of human habitation, and its ongoing urban development.

Speaking of urban development, in A People’s History of SFO, Eric Porter traces the intersecting power systems that contributed to the establishment of an international airport and the cosmopolitan metropolis it serves. Porter’s account ends by reckoning with a growing threat to the city’s development—the climate crisis. Rising sea waters will be an inevitable part of Northern California’s ongoing story, as will wildfires.

In Burnt, veteran firefighter Clare Frank, one of the highest-ranking women in Cal Fire history, brings readers into a world of dark humor and deadly heat, with harrowing stories that reveal both nature’s power and human bravery. Our emcee for this showcase of true stories told well is John King, urban design critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and author of a forthcoming book on the landmark Ferry Building.