LA Monthly
The National Magazine of Los Angeles
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Hunter S. Thompson: A Remembrance
By HUCK THOMAS Hunter S. Thompson was a juvenile delinquent and stayed that way, suspended in the amber of drink and drugs, the rest of his days. He could be a squall of anti-social behavior, yes, but also a brilliant writer of live-wire prose that...
WHY DO ALL FRENCHMEN THINK THE’RE NAPOLEON BONAPARTE?
The Brits think they sound better than Americans, and the French believe none of their farts stink. But does the Academy of Motion Pictures and their Oscars have to go along with such nonsense? By TONY CASTRO I have been a professional journalist...
AN INTERVIEW WITH NOVELIST TONY CASTR0
Q. What made you decide to write this novel? Tony: I had forgotten about the very first column I ever wrote for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner in 1978. I think the reason I forgot about it is that it was never published. The executive editor who...
IT’S A MIRACLE I’M A WRITER
By TONY CASTRO Friends often marvel that I’ve built a life with words. They shake their heads and say, “It’s a miracle you’re a writer.” Honestly, they’re not wrong. Growing up in 1950s Texas, when terms like “mentally retarded”...
AMERICA’S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM: THE REAL SILENT KILLER
By TONY CASTRO America’s healthcare system is going to be the death of all of us yet. Not immediately, mind you, but slowly, methodically, like a Bond villain with a five-act plan. It’s not a knife-wielding maniac in the alleyway; it’s the...
HOW MOMS NEED RESOURCES DURING DISASTERS
By PEYTON SWEENEY As wildfires continue to bring devastation to people in California, we see just how crucial it is to be prepared and for first responders to have every tool they need to be able to handle disasters. However, one group may not be...
MY LIFE IN THE PALISADES WITH ALI MACGRAW
Ali MacGraw's house burned to the ground in a Malibu fire that had charred the beachside hills all the way to the Pacific Coast Highway. Writer Bob Vickrey lost his home in the fires that torched much of his beloved Pacific Palisades community....
APOCALYPSE LA: A CITY OF ANGELS & DREAMS GONE TO HELL
The city of dreams and make-believe faces a real life nightmarish devastation as the worst fire in its iconic history ravages the homes and communities of the famous and the obscure alike from Malibu and the Pacific Palisades to Hollywood and...
DEMI MOORE: HOLLYWOOD’S ULTIMATE SURVIVOR
Once derided as a "popcorn actress," Demi Moore may have landed herself a spot in the Oscars' best actress category with her rousing speech after winning a Golden Globe for The Substance, a role she got when she was at a low point in her career,...
HOW JIMMY CARTER WARNED AGAINST THE DEMOCRATS’ POLITICAL & ECONOMIC ELITES
By TONY CASTRO When Jimmy Carter ascended to the presidency in 1977, he embodied a different kind of leadership—a blend of humility, moral conviction, and unvarnished authenticity. In a nation still reeling from Watergate and Vietnam, he was the...
JIMMY CARTER: THE PRESIDENT WHO HEALED AND HUMBLED A NATION
By TONY CASTRO Jimmy Carter, who passed away Sunday at the age of 100, was the president America needed after Watergate. In the aftermath of Richard Nixon’s resignation, Carter emerged as a leader who embodied sincerity, decency, and humility—a...
THE KATIE FLOWERS INTERVIEW
"I want to inspire people to transform their relationships and, in turn, their lives. I aim to show that love isn’t just about finding the right partner—it’s about cultivating a deep connection with yourself first." Katie Flowers isn’t...
Leaving L.A., Will the Last Person Here Turn Out the Lights?
The slogan used to be "To Live and Die in LA" but they should change it to "To Live and Die While Riding the Metro in L.A" because I fear that each ride I take on the train or the bus will be the last trip I take anywhere. By MARY FRANCIS DAVIDSON...
MY GRANDFATHER’S LAST CHRISTMAS
By TONY CASTRO The last Christmas gifts my grandfather gave me came early—sometime in the middle of summer when I was just four years old. They were simple: a stuffed lion and a bear. Yet for him, a poor, broken-down miner with bum legs, they...
‘THE POLAR EXPRESS’ CHRISTMAS EXPRESS NEARS 40
When I was a young boy growing up in the suburbs of southeast Houston, every Christmas Eve I would sneak out onto our screened front porch and stare into the night sky as I tried to spot Santa’s sleigh as it arrived from the North Pole. In our...
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THE CUR$E OF THE CHILDI$H GAMBINO THAT WILL NOW HAUNT THE YANKEE$
This isn’t just a win for the Mets — it’s a psychological blow to the Yankees. For a franchise that has long prided itself on being the preeminent power in baseball, losing Juan Soto to the team across town is a humbling moment. By TONY...
Joe DiMaggio, Baseball Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You
Baseball doesn't need a halftime show. In fact, it doesn’t even have a halftime. And when you hear the national anthem, it’s supposed to be a clear transition from standing at attention to sitting back, relaxing, and letting the game happen. By...
Aaron Judge: A Season of Success, a Fall Classic of Heartbreak
By TONY CASTRO Aaron Judge stands as a behemoth on the baseball diamond, a towering figure whose reputation as a power hitter commands respect from fans and foes alike. Yet, in this 2024 postseason—especially in the World Series—the Yankees...
HOW FERNANDO WON THE HEARTS OF LA
The passing of Fernando Valenzuela marks the end of Fernandomania that began as a cultural phenomenon in 1980s Los Angeles as a young Mexican left-hander became the toast of the city and ultimately a Tinseltown icon as the Dodgers Spanish-Speaking...
RIP, PETE ROSE: MORE THAN JUST THE KING OF HITS
By TONY CASTRO It’s hard to believe that Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader, the man who turned more singles into doubles than most of us turn coffee into energy, has passed away at the age of 83 in Las Vegas. Pete wasn’t just a good...
