Nothing Doings
Author and USC Professor Percival Everett’s new novel, “Dr. No,” is a parody of 007 movies in the screwball comedy mode. The premise: an inverted Goldfinger. Continue reading Nothing Doings
Category: Book Reviews
Cenizas
A book review of Inglewood native, Cynthia Guradado’s, second book of poetry, Cenizas. Continue reading Cenizas
A Ballad of Love and Glory by Reyna Grande
Reyna Grande’s new book, a historical novel, “takes place in 1846. After Texas has been annexed,” and “the US army begins to head south to start a war with Mexico over the Río Grande border.” Continue reading A Ballad of Love and Glory by Reyna Grande
Amy Uyematsu’s Power Verses
“Uyematsu has flown below the radar for decades, despite the fact that she’s published since the 1970s, winning awards like the Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize.” “That Blue Trickster Time” is her sixth collection of poetry. Continue reading Amy Uyematsu’s Power Verses
A.K. Toney as a Sorcerer of Sound: Neo Griot and the Afrocentric Prince
“Perhaps more than any other poet in Los Angeles, Toney bridges jazz and hip hop…His lyrical dexterity can be heard on his debut spoken word recording, Neo Griot and the Afrocentric Prince.” Continue reading A.K. Toney as a Sorcerer of Sound: Neo Griot and the Afrocentric Prince
ladybug: We Can Inherit Experiences
“ladybug” is the new memoir written by San Bernardino native Nikia Chaney, about how her mother and daughter are afflicted by schizophrenia. It opens with a child speaking in second person “as she observes her mother dissociate.” Continue reading ladybug: We Can Inherit Experiences
Anthony Marra’s Wartime Hollywood Novel ‘Mercury Pictures Presents’ Explores LA and Fascist Italy
“I realized that I wasn’t really choosing between two different books, but rather halves of the same novel.” Continue reading Anthony Marra’s Wartime Hollywood Novel ‘Mercury Pictures Presents’ Explores LA and Fascist Italy
Letter to L.A.: The Light at the End of the Tunnel by Mike Sonksen
Some people “have been turning to public art, books, poetry and our creative community in Los Angeles for some light,” during these difficult times of the pandemic, protests and mass shootings. Continue reading Letter to L.A.: The Light at the End of the Tunnel by Mike Sonksen
Navigating the In-Between: A Review of Luivette Resto’s “Living on Islands Not Found on Maps”
A book review of San Gabriel Valley resident, poet, mother and teacher, Luivette Resto’s new collection “Living on Islands Not Found on Maps,” written by Compton writer Jenise Miller. Continue reading Navigating the In-Between: A Review of Luivette Resto’s “Living on Islands Not Found on Maps”
City on the Second Floor
“Many compare him to Amiri Baraka, Jose Montoya, and so many other fiery or political poets. To me, his work is a cross between Allen Ginsberg and Wanda Coleman.” Continue reading City on the Second Floor
Los Angeles Literature 