Which Way, L.A.?

Black Literature in Los Angeles

It's been 10 years since America's worst civil disturbance of the 20th Century. In the aftermath, a new generation of African American writers has given birth to a renaissance of African American literature in Los Angeles. Paula Woods and Michael Datcher are prolific writers who have also helped their colleagues become better known. We get their insights into life in LA, the black experience, and the universals of human existence as expressed in poetry, fiction and theater. In the aftermath of the Rodney King beating, Paula Woods turned from anthologizing the works of others to writing her own books. Michael Datcher is Director of Literary Programs at the World Stage Writers' Workshop in Leimert Park. Newsmaker: Cheney Comes to California Dick Cheney has emerged from his "undisclosed location" for a four-day trip to California, just 2 weeks before the March 5 primary election. Republicans say the Vice President is showing he really cares about a state he and George W. Bush lost by 12 points in the Presidential election. Carla Marinucci, who writes about politics for the San Francisco Chronicle, has an update on Cheney's visit.