Michael Krasny (talk show host)
American professor and radio host (born 1944)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Jay Krasny (born September 22, 1944) was radio host of Forum, a news and public affairs program on San Francisco public radio station KQED-FM, covering current events, politics, and culture from 1993 to 2021.[1][2] Additionally, Krasny taught in the Department of English at San Francisco State University from 1970 to 2021.
Michael Krasny | |
|---|---|
Krasny in 2008 | |
| Born | Michael Jay Krasny September 22, 1944 Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| Show | Forum |
| Stations | KQED-FM, Sirius |
| Time slot | Monday–Thursday, 9:00-11:00 a.m. (Pacific) |
| Style | Presenter |
| Country | United States |
| Previous shows | KTIM (FM) - Beyond the Hot Tub - KGO (AM) - Nightfocus KRON-TV - Take Issue NPR - Talk of the Nation |
Early life
Born in Cleveland and raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and his father worked at an ice cream factory.[3] Krasny is a second-generation American whose grandparents immigrated from Russia and Lithuania. He grew up in a Jewish household.[4][5]
Krasny is among the graduates of Cleveland Heights High School (class of 1962) featured in the book Every Tiger Has a Tale.[6] Despite his intellectual reputation today, Krasny admits to having had a "bad boy" reputation while growing up in Cleveland Heights.[7]
Career
In the late 1970s, Krasny hosted a weekly Marin County talk show called "Beyond the Hot Tub" on low-power rock radio station KTIM-FM.[8][9] He went on to host a popular radio program on KGO (AM) from 1984 to December 1992.[10] He became the host of Forum in 1993, expanding the focus of the program to more national themes.[11] On November 9, 2020, Krasny announced that he would retire from Forum on February 15, 2021.[12] His last Forum broadcast was on February 12, 2021.
Krasny taught in the Department of English at San Francisco State University from 1970 to 2021.[2] He received his B.A. cum laude in 1966 and M.A. in 1967 from Ohio University, where he attended the Honors College and became a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He holds a Ph.D. in 20th century American literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[2]
Krasny is a widely published scholar, critic and fiction writer. He has also worked widely as a facilitator and host in the corporate sector and as a moderator for nonprofit events.[2]
Personal life
Krasny is a long-time resident of Greenbrae, California.[8] SFSU Online Magazine reports that Krasny's wife is an attorney and an alumna of San Francisco State University, and that Krasny has two daughters.[13]
In his 2010 book, Spiritual Envy, Krasny revealed that he became agnostic later in life.[4]
Bibliography
- Krasny, Michael (2007). Off Mike: A Memoir of Talk Radio and Literary Life. Stanford General Books. ISBN 978-0-8047-5671-6.
- Krasny, Michael (2010). Spiritual Envy: An Agnostic's Quest. New World Library. ISBN 978-1-57731-912-2.
- Krasny, Michael (2016). Let There Be Laughter: A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It All Means. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062422057.