Posts Tagged ‘california’
Steve Lopez and a 20-year conversation with his readers
is one of California’s legendary columnists and reporters. In his 45th year in journalism, 20 of those writing a column for the L.A. Times, Lopez’s life has merged with the fabric and lifeblood of the city he covers. The author of the best-selling…
Read MoreConor Dougherty on why every problem is a housing problem
Conor Dougherty — New York Times economics reporter, Bay Area native, and the author of “” — looks deeply into California’s housing crisis, the historical economic forces that have driven it, the sad results we see on our streets, and the…
Read MoreSen. Scott Wiener argues for SB 50
State Sen. Scott Wiener makes his case for SB 50 by first reminding us that almost one-third of the nation’s housing shortage is in California. In homes per capita, California ranks 49th among U.S. states. Wiener argues that the California tradition…
Read MoreDavid Ulin explains Joan Didion
David Ulin, the former L.A. Times book editor, interprets Joan Didion, just as she interpreted California. As the editor of the new multi-volume edition of her collected works, Ulin shares insights about Didion as a writer and cultural figure and…
Read MoreCan California’s 478 cities really work together?
John Dunbar, the newly elected president of the League of California Cities, explains how the organization — made up of nearly 500 cities, more than 3,000 local elected officials, and 50 board members, all with different agendas and each struggling…
Read MorePaul Theroux introduces us to our neighbor
Paul Theroux, the renowned travel writer and author of the new book “,” takes the trip that all of us in California should take to understand our southern neighbor. Traveling by car along the border and deep into the interior of Mexico, he helps us…
Read MoreDr. Manuel Pastor sees California as America on fast forward
Dr. Manuel Pastor, USC professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity discussed how the future of work, politics, demographics, and race can be found in California. A state was once considered reactionary in the 1980s became a progressive…
Read MoreD.J. Waldie and the end of California exceptionalism
D.J. Waldie, in the tradition of historians Kevin Starr and Mike Davis, contextualizes our understanding of California and Los Angeles history and explains why, especially given the issues we face today, we’re really “just like the rest of…
Read MoreDavid Ulin on the joys and challenges of Los Angeles
David Ulin, the former book editor of the L.A. Times, points out that few American cities have changed more in the past two decades than Los Angeles. The city that existed at the turn of the century has been reinvented, and the longtime social and…
Read MoreMark Arax on chasing water and dust across California
Mark Arax, a long-time California journalist, talks about the epic history of water in the Golden State. His new book, “,” is a real-life “Chinatown,” examining the water wars fought between farmers, activists, corporations, and governments. The story…
Read MoreThe California dream inspired and destroyed Robin Williams
Robin Williams’ story is woven into the fabric of both the Bay Area and Hollywood. His drive for success and fame, coupled with always wanting to show us a piece of ourselves, is a very California story — especially as told by N.Y. Times culture…
Read MoreRandy Shaw on the sabotaging of California housing
Randy Shaw, executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, is a long-time housing activist in the Bay Area and author of the book, “Generation Priced Out.” He shares his views about the controversial housing measure SB 50, gentrification, the…
Read MoreRichard Walker on the crises and contradictions of Silicon Valley
Richard Walker, professor emeritus of geography at U.C. Berkeley, is a student of the renown Marxist geographer David Harvey. Walker brings an approach to his analysis that includes, economics, urban design, politics, and the environment, as well as…
Read MoreNancie Clare on Beverly Hills and the birth of celebrity politics
Nancy Clare, a longtime Southern California journalist, explains why Beverly Hills is no ordinary city. She tells how the gilded enclave shaped the region’s politics, movies, and the battle for water, and gave it a special place in the evolution of…
Read MoreMike Davis and his alternative view of California
Mike Davis, author, MacArthur fellow, and professor emeritus at U.C. Riverside, shares his alternative civic history of Southern California in which the rush to build edge cities, freeways, and subdivisions paved the way for what he sees as nature’s…
Read MoreDavid Kipen shares five-hundred years of opinions about Los Angeles
David Kipen, author, journalist, and cultural historian of Los Angeles has scoured libraries, archives, and private estates to assemble a kaleidoscopic view of the unique city of Los Angeles. He shares 500 years of writings in and about the city and…
Read MoreDr. Kevin Starr on the California Dream
There’s no better way to understand the issues and people shaping California today than through its colorful and complex history. Few understood the depth of that history better than Dr. Kevin Starr, the late author of a definitive eight-volume…
Read MoreJulia Morgan, California’s trailblazing female architect
Julia Morgan, born in Oakland in 1872, was the first woman licensed to practice architecture in California. She designed more than 700 buildings of almost every type, including one of California’s grandest structures: Hearst Castle. By the time of her death in 1957, her Beaux-Arts background was being overshadowed by the rise of Modernism. But…
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