I’m joined by two of my favorite co-hosts for this episode of The Do List: KQED Arts’ senior editor Gabe Meline, and Stanford Institute for Diversity in the Arts’ co-chair A-lan Holt. And the biggest reason was so they could hold my hand as I said goodbye to KQED and our listeners.

I’m leaving KQED and The Do List for the life of a country bumpkin, in the Sierra Foothills. Emphasis on the bumpkin.

It’s been the greatest joy of my life to work here at KQED, and to serve the people, as our late news director Raul Ramirez used to say.

The Do List is almost 10 years old, and it’s in good hands with Gabe Meline as our new host, and our new producer, Ashleyanne Krigbaum. They’ll bring fresh energy and voices to the show, while staying true to our mission of helping you, the listener, find great shows and good cheer. We share a love of discovering new talent, and performances that help us understand the world better; that help us be more empathetic; that make us better human beings.

Please keep listening and reading. Now here’s our show for this week.

April 25-May 20: A Suzan-Lori Parks play at the American Conservatory Theater confronts the desperate choices of a slave during the Civil War.

May 18: The nomadic Ubuntu Theater presents Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog.

May 15-20: ODC’s Walking Distance Dance Festival offers an antidote to blandness.

May 17 and 19: Ghost Ensemble makes music for deep, deep listening.

May 10-12: José James performs a tribute to the music of the great Bill Withers.

May 15: Cartoonist Keith Knight delivers a “Toon Talk” at the Cartoon Art Museum.

May 13: On Mother’s Day, Ezra Furman at the Independent in San Francisco, a great songwriter and energetic performer.

May 17: A Conversation about thethe arts and social justice at Stanford’s Cubberley Auditorium with Linda Sarsour, Patrisse Cullors, Favianna Rodriguez and Raquel De Anda.