Books

now reading Becoming Los Angeles by DJ Waldie

I LOVED THIS BOOK

perfect prose meditation on LA as both mythscape and reality. waldie's essays connect fake laurel trees to aerospace workers to homeless crises with rare compassion and haunting clarity. 

maps the city's cultural patchwork brilliantly — from Okies reshaping suburbs to hippies nestled in Laurel Canyon, all orbiting the same sun but living different realities. the nostalgia-laced writing on "memetic architecture" (those giant donuts and derby-shaped diners) mourns the playful buildings that made LA feel like a dream before glass boxes replaced them. 

felt punched in the gut by lines like "when faced with the homelessness we found within ourselves, we prefer to talk about the climate.” this book, better than any others I’ve ever read, captures how Angelenos deflect existential emptiness while in endless pursuit of their own dreams. 

essential for understanding a city that never stops turning into something else.

Have you read city of quartz from Mike Davis ? Also a really good LA book

artist

😶‍🌫️

@gnosischain validator