Southern California Reads for Doomscrolling
Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the text, focusing on the two authors and their works:
Lisa Alvarez
* Work: ”Some Final beauty and Other Stories” (a short story collection)
* Themes: Memories, people loved and lost, Southern California history. Her protagonists are primarily women.
* Style: Taut,shining sentences.
* Notable Story Detail: One story features a nephew remembering his uncle being placed in an FBI file after attending a Paul Robeson speech. Another features a mayor (seemingly based on Antonio Villaraigosa) trying to convince a movie star to come down from a tree during a protest.
* Overall impression: A first-time author with a strong voice and focus on the enduring impact of the past in Southern California.
D.J. Waldie
* Work: “Elements of Los Angeles: Earth, Water, Air, Fire” (a collection of essays)
* Subjects: Familiar Southern California topics (mother tree, Aimee Semple mcpherson, Hass avocado) but approached with unique insight.
* Style: Highly praised for his phrasing and poetic prose.
* Notable Quote: “The twin cities of Los Angeles and Los Ángeles, evoked by [Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrín’s] voices … may seem to be incommensurate places to the unhearing, but the borders of the two cities are porous. Sound travels.”
* Notable Essay: “Taken by the Flood,” detailing the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster and its impact on the Latino community, and the downfall of William mulholland.
* Overall Impression: an established author known for his insightful and beautifully written essays about Los Angeles history and geography.
The author of the review clearly admires both writers, particularly Waldie’s prose. The review emphasizes the way both authors connect the present to the past in Southern California.