Saul Gonzalez is a producer and reporter at KCRW; previously, he was a producer and host for PBS. Before moderating a discussion about Mayor Eric Garcetti’s first year in office, he talked sausage, insomnia, and where and how to find free Wi-Fi in Los Angeles in the Zócalo green room.
What’s your favorite pizza topping?
Sausage. Pretty much ice cream is good with sausage to me.
What keeps you up at night?
Insomnia keeps me up at night. I can be a terrible sleeper. But no big thoughts.
What year, past or future, would you time-travel to if you could?
1940s. No particular year. Probably World War II years, because of the issues involved and men’s clothing at the time.
What’s the best part about being on the radio instead of on TV?
You don’t have to worry about what you look like. Which I still do. But you know, not as much.
What’s your hidden talent?
I know just about every nook and cranny of Los Angeles, and where to get free Wi-Fi just about everywhere.
What’s the strangest place that has free Wi-Fi?
That I don’t know right off. You can get a lot of bleeding free Wi-Fi—a lot of places it seeps outside, so you can be in your car and still use it, which I’ll use to e-mail sound back to KCRW.
What surprises you most about your life right now?
How pretty satisfied I am with it. I get to do what I want. I get to look into topics and subjects I’m interested in. I’m given a long leash. And that makes life good. And I have a healthy and sane family, which helps.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
My son. He always makes me laugh. My son talking about the 1980s and wanting me to fill him in on some blank spots, like Dolph Lundgren and who he was.
What’s the strangest thing in your medicine cabinet?
It’s surprisingly empty. I don’t have any ointments or gels or salves. There’s nothing strange in my medicine cabinet. Maybe there should be.
What’s your fondest childhood memory?
Going to bookstores and book sales with my mom, who was a bibliophile beyond belief. And that’s something that I really treasure. Used bookstores.