Write Up the Coast with Mark Sanford Gross
Different faces, different spaces.
Write Up the Coast is a series of conversations that started somewhere else first: a friendship, a shared world, a curiosity, a subject that wouldn't leave me alone, sometimes just someone I met along the way. Guests range from a biographer or curator to a restaurateur and a sculptor, and none of them have to share a subject. Only the fact that each conversation is an offshoot of something real. Some episodes are Step In Story recordings captured face to face in the moment; in a group or just while roving around; others are longer sit-downs with people sought out directly. Together they're proof that a life doesn't need one subject to hold together, just real connections, wherever they lead.
Episodes
16 episodes
FOG Design+Art — Voices from the Floor
Live from FOG Design+Art Fort Mason Center, San Francisco — January 2026For two days, I roved the halls of FOG Design+Art with a microphone — listening.Artists. Gallerists. Collectors. First-time visitors. A se...
Staying Present: A Conversation with Lynn Hershman Leeson
In this episode, I sit down with Lynn Hershman Leeson, an Art:21 honoree, for a conversation that moves well beyond a traditional art interview.Recorded live in the studio, the discussion unfolds naturally—guided less by ...
Step-In: New Year’s at The Sea Ranch Lodge
On New Year’s Day—the first day of 2026—Write Up the Coast set up the Step-In Story Booth at The Sea Ranch Lodge, on the rugged northern edge of California’s Sonoma Coast.Set at the entrance to the Lodge, the booth drew people...
A Tribute to Claudia Altman Siegel
This episode is a tribute to Claudia Altman Siegel, recorded live on the night of the gallery’s closing celebration at Altman Siegel in San Francisco on November 20th, 2025.Amid the noise of the evening, a quiet space was carved o...
What You Need to Know Now: A Health Care Update with Vanessa Ignacio
A straightforward conversation with Vanessa Ignacio, founder of Ignacio Health Services here on the Mendonoma Coast. In this no-frills episode, we talk honestly about the urgency of understanding your health-care options for 20...
Write Up The Coast Writers — Episode 1: The Thank-You That Lingers
This premiere episode of Write Up The Coast Writers begins with a simple idea: what happens when people pause—just for a moment—and follow the nudge to say something from the heart?Fifteen voices from around the world responded to...
Step-In! at Surf Market (Gualala, CA.)
Date: October 27, 2025 Recorded live at Surf Market in Gualala, this Step-In! episode captures spontaneous stories from shoppers and passers-by at the meeting point of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.
Step-In! at Catharine Clark Gallery (San Francisco, CA)
Date: October 11, 2025 Recorded live at the Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco, this premiere Step-In! episode captures the project’s debut — visitors stepping forward to share spontaneous reflections surrounded by...
Step In! at The Record (Point Arena, CA)
Date: October 22, 2025Recorded live inside The Record in Point Arena, this Step-In! episode invites locals to pause between aisles and share their stories, blending everyday moments with honest reflection.Thank you to...
Step-In! at "No Kings Rally" (Gualala, CA)
Date: October 18, 2025 Recorded live at the No Kings Rally in Gualala, this Step-In! episode gathers voices from the crowd — neighbors, riders, and wanderers pausing amid celebration to speak from the heart.
Season 1, Episode 11 — “In Conversation: Paul Lisicky”
Recorded live at The Sea Ranch Lodge, this special episode features acclaimed writer Paul Lisicky in conversation with host Mark Sanford Gross. Against the breathtaking backdrop of where redwoods meet the ocean, Paul reflects on ...
Season 1, Episode 10 — “The Irish Newsboys: A Night at Chief Sullivan’s”
Recorded live amid the music and laughter of Chief Sullivan’s Irish Bar in San Francisco, this episode captures an unforgettable evening with The Irish Newsboys. Host Mark Sanford Gross joins the band for a spirited conversation woven throu...
Season 1, Episode 9 — “Peggy’s Place: AI and Storytelling
In this special crossover episode, Write Up The Coast joins forces with KGUA-FM’s benchmark program, “Peggy’s Place,” hosted by the First Lady of Native Radio, Peggy Berryhill. Together, Peggy and Mark Sanford Gross talk about the evolving ...
Finding Spaces— San Francisco Chronicle Reporter Tara Duggan on Journalism and Stories That Shape Our Lives
Join Write Up The Coast host Mark Sanford Gross and San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Tara Duggan for an unscripted conversation that flows from the page to real life. Part of the “In Discussion” series, this episode explores ho...
Season 1, Episode 7 — “The Writers Episode, Part 1”
The Writers Episode series opens a new chapter in the Write Up The Coast project — a space where everyday people write, share, and connect through spontaneous creativity. Hosted by Mark Sanford Gross with guest co-host Cris Vail, this first...
Finding Spaces —Point Arena, CA: “A Better Place Forest:" In Conversation with Gillian Nye
Planning for “what happens to us and where we go” can be one of the greatest gifts we leave our loved ones — yet many of us avoid the conversation. In this gentle, reflective episode, Mark Sanford Gross visits Better Place Forests in Point ...
