Time Summary:
0:28 Interview starts

0:47 Describes relationship to Santa Cruz, where she was from 1983-1998

1:18 Being unable to live in Santa Cruz due to high cost of living

1:38 Describes experiencing earthquake from Saturn Cafe on Mission; was about to go see folk singer, "Frank", at the Catalyst

2:18 First vibrations and understanding – people running out of the building

2:47 Understanding it was bigger than before, and the scene outside, telephone poles bouncing

3:25 Slow day at the shop, and immediate damage to shop

4:03 Making the customer feel okay

4:19 Boss leaving to take care of pregnant wife

4:42 Leaving, understanding of extent of quake, and aftershocks

5:27 “Carpet of glass” from businesses on the ground; walking bike back to home on Rigg Street

6:38 Seeing fires round Spruce Street area from Laurel and Mission

7:30 Traffic, power outages

7:59 Getting home, finding the cats, listening to news by radio; state of the house

9:05 Concern for roommate; hearing about fires in Berkeley

9:36 Considering still going to the Catalyst that night

10:15 Roommate, whose lover worked at the Coffee Roasters, had gone down to the Coffee Roasting company

10:57 Seeing someone she knows walking around, and waiting out on the porch

11:56 Around 10:30, goes to find roommate – had just signed lease on new house

12:47 Others sleep in yard – Beth goes downtown; describes scene there

14:04 Describes scene walking down Walnut Street, power lines in street

15:37 Gets to Coffee Roasting company – pile of rubble

16:18 Looking for roommate; discovers that roommate's lover, Robin Ortiz, is trapped – waiting for Robin to be found

17:38 Comparing her own memory, that Shawn McCormick's girlfriend was found in the rubble, against media reports which told a different story

18:23 Waiting, and workers stopping looking for their safety

19:55 Going to new house with roommate

20:41 Driving to friends' houses to see if they were okay

21:20 Length of power outage, and restoration of power; communication problems

21:58 Returning to Coffee Roasters, and sitting with Robin's friends, Shawn McCormick's girlfriend

22:43 Shawn McCormick found dead, and the media circus

23:51 Robin's friends and family

24:21 Young group dealing with grief, and discussion of hesitancy to do this interview

25:33 Decision to stop looking, protest and arrests

26:30 Going back to the Saturn to get food

27:45 Understanding of destruction in the rest of Santa Cruz, the mall; chain link around downtown

28:46 Emotional impact and difficulties talking about Robin; remembering Robin and Shawn

29:42 Describes Robin, and their relationship, and a memento from Robin

31:21 Beth's roommate at the Coffee Roasters before 5

31:47 Queer politics at the time, and Robin's role as an out lesbian and community work

32:20 Robin's love of life, and Beth's lack of love for life at the time

33:21 Protecting her from becoming a soundbite

33:38 Crowds in evening days later; Robin's body found, and spectacle of Robin's body being taken out

35:56 Escaping the cameras with her roommate, who had fainted

36:36 Difficulty talking about seeing her body, and reflections on seeing footage of the mayor now

37:29 People in the community describe seeing Beth on TV

38:04 Seeing news footage of herself on the 20th anniversary, and incorrect statement that they were running during the quake

39:01 Being gay, and the gay community being your family

39:50 Love for Santa Cruz

40:07 The funeral, Robin's mom staying with them, and grief v media spectacle

41:07 Devastation of losing Santa Cruz, and love for mall

41:39 Confusion at state of destruction, and state of destruction a while after quake, businesses in tents

42:35 Decade-long rebuild, and redefinition of town – “never been the same”

43:29 Memories of the Cooper House

44:04 Power coming back on, and not going back to work for grief, going back Saturday

44:51 People wanting to talk, and not being able to talk about experiences

45:20 Aftershock on the six month anniversary

45:37 People leaving, and not wanting to leave

45:55 Family in Vermont watching baseball game when quake hit, and impossibility of communicating

47:29 Sister wrote a paper about what happened

48:06 Desire for involvement in rebuilding

48:20 Frank the folk singer coming back a year later

49:11 People coming together after the quake, and businesses that were destroyed

50:07 Different perspectives, business owners, community

50:30 Returning to buildings on Pacific Garden Mall

51:19 Changes to everyday life through destruction of establishments

53:26 Precautions, or lack of, and inability to be truly ready

57:44 On reflecting after thirty years, and grief