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The Santa Anas
More than half a century after publishing the work that established her reputation as a gimlet-eyed cultural critic — Slouching Towards Bethlehem — Joan Didion continues to be an outsize influence and figure of fascination in the literary world and among Angelenos.
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‘President’ Kamala Harris? Here’s a Scenario
Not long after leaving office, the 38th president of the United States imagined a scenario in which a future president might tragically die in office, creating the opportunity for his vice president — a woman — to make history. By ASHLEY CHASE Almost a decade after he had left the White House, former President Gerald Ford…
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Is Rick Caruso the Last Best Hope for Saving LA?
Billionaire shopping mall magnate Rick Caruso is stepping out of the political shadows with a new plan to help swing-seat Democrats retake the House in 2024. Rick Caruso may not be the last best hope for saving Los Angeles, as some of his faithful followers insist, but he does offer a hope and a vision…
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How Fernando Won the Hearts of LA
Fernandomania became a cultural phenomenon in 1980s Los Angeles as a young Mexican left-hander became the toast of the city and ultimately an icon as big as any matinee Idol.
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Letters from Los Angeles: Bathing with Joan
Separated by 50 years but united by Hollywood, wildfires, and the endless hum of ‘the deal,’ two writers share a bath in Los Angeles. On Monday I took a bath with Joan Didion. She was gracious, took the faucet end. She didn’t mind my nudity, carried on talking as if nothing unusual was going on,…
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Alejandra Campoverdi’s ‘First Gen’: A Tale of Strife and Success
Alejandra Campoverdi explores many things familiar to first-generation kids: the invisible inheritances passed onto us from our family, being a “parentified child,” imposter syndrome, balancing two cultural identities, and guilt for breaking away from our families in some way. ALEJANDRA CAMPOVERDI HAS BEEN A CHILD on welfare, a White House aide to President Obama, a gang…
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Alatorre: ‘I Am Not The Apostle’
The Richard Alatorre I knew, the Richard Alatorre who said he had to change the world — and to a great degree, he did just that… that Richard Alatorre dramatically altered the political landscape for Latinos in California and ultimately became The Godfather of Latino Politics. By TONY CASTRO September 14, 2023 IT IS MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY IN…
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Living in the Shadow of Ruben Salazar
On Aug. 29, 1970, the National Chicano Moratorium in East Los Angeles protested the disproportionately high casualties among Latinos in Vietnam — but led to the tragic police shooting death of acclaimed Los Angeles Times columnist Ruben Salazar.
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The Princeton Mariachi Musician
East LA Native Introduces Mariachi Music to the Ivy League Sophomore Esteban Juárez González, a Garfield High School alumnus, raised money for instruments and recruited student musicians who are now recognized as the ‘Mariachi Los Tigres de Princeton,’ the first formally recognized mariachi group at the university. BY ANABEL MUÑOZ KABC NEWS REPORTER When you hear a…
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LA Black History from the Dunbar Hotel
Joe Louis, W.E.B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall and Much More See that house across the street? It may not look so fancy, but it may turn out that the people who built that also built the hotel down the block, or they named the local school after the lady of the house or named the…
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Why Is Joe Biden Losing the Once Faithful Latino Vote?
The most recent CNBC Survey found that in a head-to-head matchup, Trump had a 5-point lead with Latino voters against Biden. The number is remarkable because three months earlier, Biden held a 7-point lead over Trump among Latino voters in the same poll. By TONY CASTRO Why is the President of the United States, with…
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The Lord Said, ‘Be Fruitful and Multiply’… My Family Has
We Don’t Use Ballrooms for Reunions. We Rent the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium My parents came from families big enough to play baseball against one another — and still have players on the bench. One aunt gave birth to 19 children. Another aunt bore 16 sons and daughters. Several aunts had enough children to field…
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President Villaraigosa? Yes!
The Way It Might Have Been in the 2012 Presidential Election When GOP challenger Mitt Romney was about to derail Barack Obama’s reelection with running mate Marco Rubio, the president dumped Joe Biden in favor of his own Latino Veep candidate — and made history with an unexpected constitutional crisis. By TONY CASTRO “Just as…
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My Life As Marilyn, My Dead Older Sister
The LA Monthly interview with actress Catherine Hicks, who portrayed Marilyn Monroe in the 1980 TV feature Marilyn: The Untold Story as well as in the Arthur Miller play After The Fall and also Bus Stop on the stage By Justin Bozung ACTRESS CATHERINE HICKS made a solid career for herself in Hollywood but it was her unforgettable Emmy nominated role…
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A New Generation Leads WeHo
The New Faces of Gay Nightlife in West Hollywood As I walk out of my front door at BlockParty and look left and right, I am excited and inspired by the new generation of LGBTQ business owners who have stepped up to make West Hollywood great again. Fresh blood, fresh ideas, new owners who love…
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The 30th District After Adam Schiff
Years of Service Spring Laura Friedman Closer to Congress “I never ran with the intention of being ‘Adam Schiff Part Two,”’ says Friedman. “Will I stand up and defend democracy? Of course. Will I do what I can to prevent a Trump presidency? Absolutely. But I don’t see myself playing the same role as Adam…
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The Adventures of the RED WRTR
When You Could Drive Behind the HOLLYWOOD Sign Nothing more than your car is a status symbol in Hollywood. No one asks what you do, or what are you wearing, as much as “What kind of car do you drive?” With this column, I’ll be reminiscing about my life here since 1985, and I hope…