Conversations on the written word from the Los Angeles Review of Books and KCRW.
All Episodes
A Couple LA Writers, a Couple Europeans
CultureReza Aslan's "Zealot" tops bestseller lists from Amazon to the New York Times. Also this week, new books by Aimee Bender, Niccolò Ammaniti, and Javier Marías.
LA Noir
CultureMike Davis, in "City of Quartz," famously said that L.A. is made up of equal parts sunshine and noir. Here are three recent books squarely in the diverse tradition.
New Nonfiction that Reads like Fiction
CultureThree new books on power and excess read like novels, full of larger than life characters, regular plot twists, conspiracies and connivances, reversals and revelations.
Three Great Novels from Local Writers
CulturePercival Everett, Marisa Silver, and Alex Espinoza all write about Los Angeles and all have deep ties to Southern California.
Crying and Doing Nothing
CultureTom Lutz discusses two nonfiction books on tears and a collection of stories by one of our best known slacker authors.
Telling Stories
CultureTwo important authors kick off book tours here this week, legendary fiction writer Jamaica Kincaid and nonfiction provocateur David Shields.
A New Nonfiction Scandal
CultureWe've had William Frey, Mike Daisy, and John D'Agata, now it's Dave Eggers's turn.
Jonestown; Sweet Tooth; Exotic Pets
CultureThree new books, one an oral history of one of the most horrific events of the 1970's, and two novels -- one from England and one from Los Angeles.
More from KCRW
Michael Pollan’s long and strange trip: shifting perspectives on food and psychedelics
Health & WellnessMichael Pollan, investigative journalist, writer, and author of numerous books including “This is Your Mind on Plants” talks about his trip into the world of food and the new science…
Erick the Architect is no longer denying his truth on new solo album
MusicErick Elliott’s (a.k.a. Erick the Architect) first solo album, “I’ve Never Been Here Before,” features big-name collaborators like James Blake and George Clinton.
Salvadoran cuisine gets a stunning new cookbook
Food & DrinkWhen Karla Vasquez couldn't find an English-language Salvadoran cookbook that she loved, she created her own.