| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| HTA ID | HTA-0478 |
| Title | Season of the Witch — David Talbot on San Francisco's Dark History |
| Date | 2012 |
| Date Confidence | HIGH — "Season of the Witch" published April 2012 |
| Program | KRON 4 News Weekend |
| Station | KRON-TV, Channel 4, San Francisco |
| Duration | ~5:00 (estimated) |
| Format | Studio interview |
Henry interviews David Talbot, founder of Salon.com, about his book "Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love" — a narrative history of San Francisco from the 1960s through the 1980s. The conversation covers the Summer of Love, the "tough hippies" who fought redevelopment in the Haight, the destruction of the Fillmore district, and the darker chapters of the city's history.
Henry gets straight to substance: "Welcome back, Cron 4 News Weekend. I want to go straight to our guest." The interview explores the book's three-act structure (enchantment/terror/deliverance) corresponding to the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| People | Henry Tenenbaum (Reporter), David Talbot (Author, Salon.com founder) |
| Organizations | KRON-TV, Salon.com |
| Locations | KRON studio; San Francisco (historical) |
| Subjects | San Francisco history, counterculture, urban politics, social movements |
| Themes | City as character, counterculture legacy, darkness beneath beauty |
| Tone | Intellectual, engaged, serious |
"The 60s, the 70s, and the 80s. It breaks down fairly nicely."
"These tough hippies stood their ground" — re: the Good Earth commune fighting bulldozers
Studio interview on KRON 4 News Weekend. David Talbot is a major Bay Area media figure (founded Salon.com in 1995). The book became a bestseller and is considered one of the definitive popular histories of San Francisco.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Theme | San Francisco history — Sutro Baths (HTA-0468), Kevin Starr (HTA-0474) |
| Theme | Author interviews — Eric Maisel, Sylvia Browne |
| Era | KRON San Francisco period (late) |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Transcript source | SEASON OF THE WITCH- Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love.txt |
| Video source | Not located |
| Storage location | Transcript: local (/KRON/) |
| Analysis mode | Transcript Only |
| Date analyzed | 2026-07-05 |
| Access notes | Partial transcript (beginning section). |
David Talbot's "Season of the Witch" became one of the most popular books about San Francisco ever written. The interview is notable for Henry's directness — he skips pleasantries and goes straight to substance. The book's themes (idealism, violence, redemption) mirror the arc of San Francisco itself, and Henry's engagement with the material reflects his own decades of living in and reporting on the city.