Berkeley’s “hot tub guy,” Deward Hastings, was found dead in his notorious backyard tub in 2022. A community phenomenon, Hastings used to allow visitors to enter into his backyard, shed their clothes, and soak in his redwood tub at any time of the day or night. Some thought he was creepy, others found Hastings revolutionary. In Bethany Kaylor’s Alta Journal article, “What Lies Beneath,” the writer explores these murky waters of Berkeley history. Who was this 78-year-old hippie, how did he finance his secretive lifestyle, and why did he exclude some women from his backyard while anointing others his “Angels”? Join Kaylor and Alta Live as we discuss Hastings’s life and motives and break down the mysteries of Berkeley’s noted “hot tub guy.”
About the guest:
Bethany Kaylor is a writer and illustrator living in Berkeley. She’s currently working on a book of essays about American subcultures.•
