Bohemian Los Angeles and the Making of Modern Politics
reading at Skylight Books 2/07
by Daniel Hurewitz
[review]
reading excerpts:
- history of Edendale (beginnings and as movie center)
- artists moving to the area
- communists moving to the area
- gay rights movement (Harry Hay and the Mattachine Society)
- esp. interesting: the concluding section about Hurewitz’ interviewing some of the now-aged key players from the ’40s/’50s. Hurewitz, like so many nonfiction writers these days, it seems, feels the need to write his theory of history: how changing social paradigms change how we look back on history and our role therein (if we can remember at all). it was really a very beautiful passage. (see also Bob Woodward’s interview of Mark Felt for The Secret Man and his talking with Gerald Ford in 1999(?) for Shadows—how Ford still kept the clip in his pocket saying that accepting a pardon meant admitting guilt)
Q&A
- define “identity politics”
- why is “bohemian” los angeles less talked of than similar in S.F. or NY? has to do with how a city’s framed by its media. Hollywood has successfully convinced many that it’s all there is of L.A. Meanwhile NY media proudly touts its arts and communities etc. also, there have been fewer cultural studies of written of l.a., but it’s getting better.
- how people not from this city don’t understand the geography of it