Gary Indiana has had an extensive career, as a writer, filmmaker, visual artist, actor and playwright. He briefly studied at UC Berkeley but dropped out to help a friend make pornographic films. After soaking up the sunshine noir and punk scene of 1970s Los Angeles, he moved to New York City and settled into a cheap East Village apartment — the same one he lives in today. Since 1987, Indiana has published novels, nonfiction, plays, short stories — all with an unmistakable, sardonic voice embedded in the text, and all experimenting with the traditions of form.
Continue reading “I Can Give You Anything But Love”Tag: Los Angeles
Zoot-Suit Murders
It’s war time and the City of the Angels is experiencing a great deal of influence and intrigue from religious, communist, fascist, and government operatives seeking to control the population or to overthrown the government or to find loose women to satisfy a sailor on shore leave or just to make a fashion statement in the Barrio.
The history of the Barrio, the pachuco, and the zoot-suiters make for fascinating reading. Add to that some rioting, espionage, combat, and baseball (not to mention a love story) and Thomas Sanchez’s novel is a fast mover with just enough nostalgia for the Los Angeles of the forties to make it really interesting.
Zoot-Suit Murders reminded me of two similar stories: The Day of the Locust and the movie Chinatown (not to mention all those wonderful Philip Marlowe adventures).
Thomas Sanchez writes novels that eschew arcane literary values and instead provide a good, entertaining story with fine attention to the visual detail of his subject. Sanchez is also in the movie business, so it makes sense.
The Tide Comes Up Over Santa Monica Boulevard
Ever wonder what your city would look like if all the global ice melted and the seas rushed in to drown the low-lying real estate? Living here in South Carolina, specifically the Low Country, I know it won’t take much to ruin the property values in Hilton Head. But I used to live in Los Angeles: how will they fare in the city of the angels?
Go on over to Fast Coexist and check out the west coast projections for a hint of the future being that will surely happen with the support of climate change deniers in this country. Here’s a preview (I’d point out my apartment in West L. A. … but it’s under water).
What will Sheryl Crow be doing when the tide comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard?
A Celebration of Reading 