Last week The Paris Review posted my Culture Diary on their blog — parts one and two — which proves that as an LA-based bookish reporter I sometimes get up outrageously early, and that really most everything I do these days seems to be around books. (I went to LCD Soundsystem at the Hollywood Bowl! I swear!)
The picture above isn’t from that week: it’s from the LA Archives Bazaar, which was held Saturday morning at USC. Close to 80 local archives (!) had tables set up in the Doheny Library reading room. There were also panels and discussions, but I was covering the Beverly Hills Literary Escape most of the weekend, and didn’t have time to linger. Instead, I gathered up flyers from places like the Metro Dorothy Peyton Gray Library & Archive (transportation research) and for events like the Sixth Annual Kenneth Karmiole Lecture on the History of the Book Trade – Bankruptcy and the Eighteenth Century Book Trade, a lecture at the Willam Andrews Clark Memorial Library (I’m SO going to that. I’m not kidding).
It was nice to see the reading room buzzing again. A zillion years ago, when I went to USC — and when I was a dropout who haunted the library — I’d read there sometimes. Last year, though, I was on campus and stuck my head in, and it was cavernously empty. It made me wonder how well the space gets used, now that students can do so much research (not all!) on the internet. Doheny is beautiful, though — if the students don’t want to use it, this alumna would be happy to take up a corner reading.
For the last five years, David Ulin has been books editor of the LA Times, but that’s going to change. Today he announced that he’ll become the paper’s new full-time book critic, moving into that role once a new book editor takes over.
Who will that be? I don’t know.
I hope it’s someone who cares about criticism, about the fascinating changes in publishing, about LA’s community of readers and writers and about new media, in both its narrative potential and the wonderful changes it is bringing to book culture.
Ray Bradbury spoke at Long Beach’s doomed Acres of Books last night. He said nice, touching things about the bookstore and his fondness for it. Right on.
Then he said: “Right now there are no bookstores in downtown L.A. That’s terrible. That’s stupid, isn’t it?” Yeah, sure is. Except Metropolis Books IS in downtown LA, near 4th and main, and has a fantastic selection of literary fiction. It’s a new, wonderful independent bookstore and could use your support, Mr. Bradbury.
Then he said: “There’s no bookstore in Venice, California right now.” Bzzzz! Wrong again. There are TWO independent bookstores in Venice, California. Right now. Small World Books is easy to find — on the boardwalk — and has a well-known bookstore cat. In the retail district on Abbot Kinney, Equator Books features art books, specialty books (from skateboarding to bullfighting) and collectibles. Probably even some vintage Bradbury.
Mr. Bradbury, so many people listen to you, and you’re good at making stuff up. But when it comes to dissing neighborhood bookstores, please make sure you know what you’re talking about.
Tony Pierce, the enthusiastic, wild, obsessive, peerless* editor of LAist is moving on to manage the blogs of the Los Angeles Times.
Congratulations, Tony!
Photo: That’s Tony in the center, mid-Skooby’s hot dog, telling Rob Takata and Cecil Castellucci what’s what.
* not predecessor-less, though: his predecessor was me.
In other words, more Americans read a book last year than did five years ago. 3 out of 4 Americans read a book last year; in 2002, that figure was 56%.
Make sure to read Jessica’s post on why the literary sky is NOT falling.
With that, I’m off to this year’s first day of class.
Dick Cheney will be hunting near Pittsburgh today at the Rolling Rock Club. He’s supposed to be shooting at pheasants and whatnot — but in the eyes of the VP, we’re all game.
Donald Rumsfeld greets Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, December 20, 1983.
Of the two, Rummy had a better 2006: all he did was lose his job.
Saddam was executed today.
Tawdry sums it up.
Woodstock Festival, 1999. James Brown kicks off the festivities with backup singers dressed likes mermaids, a bit of crazytalk and a whole lotta exacting showmanship. He sang “Sex Machine,” “I Feel Good,” and covered “Foxy Lady” in a nod to Jimi Hendrix. I was there for Woodstock.com, and it was my birthday. Sweet.
The Godfather of Soul was a brilliant artist who changed the course of American music. He was also a madman who was doing PCP at 54 and who knows what else for how long, all the while performing like a master. He died yesterday; now we’ll never have a funky president.
Salon piggybacks jumps on follows in the footsteps of People Magazine for its own Hot Dude of the year pronouncement. I like their geekchic. Steven Colbert takes #1. And who’s to argue with the runners’ up court?
Philip Seymour Hoffman (my birthday twin), Richard Dawkins, Bruce Springsteen. In some unkind twist, Jon Stewart is left in last place. I just can’t face it. Instead, I turn, for solace, to the People Magazine Sexiest Man Alive issue. Right now, that is.
People Magazine is no pillar of the intelligensia, is not a resource for smart people, will never be a source for excellent writing. But geez, they can pick a hot guy when they have to, can’t they?
The Tribune company continues its hellbent destruction of the L.A. Times, driving out respected editor Dean Baquet. More departures and cuts are sure to follow.
In much better dumping news, Britney finally kicks K-Fed to the curb, divorce papers and all.
Welcome to Pennsylvania, Max. We’re now Santorum-free.
A long-lost Silverblatt brother surfaces at the Bat Segundo show with guest Scott Smith.
At Largehearted Boy, LBC nominee Sidney Thompson provides a soundtrack for his book Sideshow.
James Ellroy pulls his Alpha Author Act for the NY Times: “I am a master of fiction. I am also the greatest crime writer who ever lived.” Tell ya, I’ve gotta love it. But when did he get skinny?
Speaking of crime: actress Adrienne Shelly’s supicious death wasn’t suicide; it was murder.
Is it possible that Virginia voters will send macaca-man to the Senate? Currently he is ahead by fewer than 5,000 votes. 24,000 voted for the Green candidate. Will we liberals never learn?
