A literary roadmap of Los Angeles
Los Angeles is often denigrated as shallow and superficial, despite its long history of great literary accomplishments. The city has produced Raymond Chandler, Joan Didion, Charles Bukowski, Walter Mosley, and…
By Avishay Artsy • • 1 min readSo, readers of Los Angeles, rejoice! Some local bibliophiles have produced a new 18″ x 24″ fold-out map that includes all of the literary pit stops in the city, from Long Beach to San Fernando, from Malibu to East Los Angeles.
It’s a visual guide to local literary landmarks, including bookstores, reading venues, and the former homes of famous scribes. The other side of the map features Los Angeles-based writers Wanda Coleman, Nina Revoyr, Luis J. Rodriguez, and David Ulin.
“We got to talking about all the different literary traditions to come out of this city, from noir to post-modernism,” said Chris Heiser, the map’s editor. “We wanted to connect the various literary traditions and communities that exists in Los Angeles.”
The project is a collaboration between the non-profit writing and tutoring organization 826LA, PEN Center USA, and Poets & Writers Magazine. Proceeds from the sale of the map will benefit 826LA.
A release party is scheduled for tonight at 826LA. It’ll include drinks and readings from the four map contributors, moderated by Tom Lutz, editor of the LA Review of Books.