Introduction to San Francisco

Peter Richardson teaches humanities and American Studies at San Francisco State University. He has written critically acclaimed books about the Grateful Dead, the iconic Bay Area rock band; Ramparts magazine, the legendary San Francisco muckraker; and Carey McWilliams, the Los Angeles author and editor of The Nation magazine. He serves as a senior literary advisor to the Bay Area Book Festival and won the National Entertainment Journalism Award of Online Criticism in 2013. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in San Francisco.

John Graham is a visual artist, published writer and oral historian. His Storyteller project records oral histories of veterans for the United States Library of Congress, Veterans History Project. He is currently recording oral histories for the DeYoung museums 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love exhibit. A native Californian, his work is focused on the stories and legends of the state, which includes the El Fornio story cycle depicting the goings-on of a fictional city and county on the coast. He earned his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara with work focused on California and Mission history and colonial theory.

Sheila transplanted from New York to San Francisco in 1994. She was principal of her own historic preservation consulting firm for over 15 years. Recently she began a travel blog to inspire folks to discover lesser known San Francisco neighborhoods and take a fresh look at familiar landmarks. Sheila earned her Master Degree in Historic Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania. Sheila brings her unique background in historic preservation/architectural history, destination management and travel guide experience to provide discerning travelers with an insider’s knowledge of San Francisco – her home of almost 23 years. She loves an adventure, whether around the world or around the corner.