Tag Archives: l.a.

Our Cultural DNA: ‘The Library Book’ by Susan Orlean

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Zack Ravas

In 1986, a fire at the Los Angeles Central Library raged so fiercely, firefighters noted the strong potential for a flashover –– when a fire spreads rapidly across a gap due to extreme heat. “Flashover” is similar to the effect one experiences reading Susan Orlean’s The Library Book (336 pages; Simon & Schuster). It’s difficult to pull away from the story when her incisive research skills and masterful writing work in symbiosis: The Library Book is not just a sweeping narrative recounting the 1986 Los Angeles Central Library fire, but also an in-depth look at the personal, civic, and global impact …Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged l.a., libraries, library book, Los Angeles, los angeles central library, susan orlean, the library book | Leave a comment

Babylon Burning: ‘High Life’ by Matthew Stokoe

Posted on June 1, 2018 by editor

When Matthew Stokoe’s gritty noir High Life (380 pages; matthewstokoe.com) was published by noted indie Akashic Books in 2002, the book, which received very little coverage, managed to attract a fan base, thanks partly to Stokoe’s fearless depictions of upper-crust society at its worst. His novel eventually went out of print, but now that the rights to High Life are back with Stokoe, he has self-published his own edition of his hard-to-find book. In High Life, Stokoe takes readers on a nocturnal tour of the seediest parts of late ‘90s Los Angeles, while gleefully subverting noir’s most ingrained tropes: there’s …Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged akashic books, book review, fiction, high life, Hollywood, l.a., Los Angeles, Matthew Stokoe, noir, novel, transgressive | Leave a comment

Endless Fascination: Q&A with ‘L.A. Man’ Author Joe Donnelly

Posted on May 10, 2018 by editor

You can’t accuse Joe Donnelly of taking it easy. In a decades-spanning career, the Los Angeles writer has profiled the “who’s who” of Hollywood—from America’s sweetheart Drew Barrymore to iconoclast filmmaker Werner Herzog—in the pages of publications like L.A. Weekly, where he served as deputy editor for a number of years. During that time, his short stories have earned him an O. Henry Prize (“Bonus Baby,” from ZYZZYVA No. 103) and have been adapted into short films. Donnelly also co-founded and co-edited Slake, a short-lived but highly acclaimed journal that gathered journalism, fiction, poetry, and art, all with a distinctly …Continue reading →