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.