Searching for Starbucks in St. LouisI’m addicted to coffee. Not simply coffee, but Starbucks triple long shot espresso with a splash of cream. This provides a morning jolt…16h ago616h ago6
Published inPicture PalaceWatching The Godfather With a Special Needs TeenI met Danny over Thanksgiving. He’s 15 and was born with Down syndrome. He lives next door to my wife’s family and they’ve embraced him as…6d ago56d ago5
Published inLos Angeles StoriesTale of a Hollywood Con WomanIn early 1986, I made plans to have lunch with my father. I drove to his film production office in Beverly Hills and met his new…Nov 2614Nov 2614
Published inLos Angeles StoriesLA Neighborhoods: Silver LakeThe first thing to know about Silver Lake is that it’s not a lake. It’s a reservoir. Located between Los Feliz and Echo Park, Silver Lake…Nov 2426Nov 2426
Becoming a Trumper, a Method Acting ApproachIt’s over. Our side lost. The election wasn’t stolen. Elon Musk didn’t hack the voting machines. It’s time to come to terms with reality…Nov 1923Nov 1923
Published inPicture PalaceThe Day I Met a Tarantino LegendIn 1991, my mom worked as a production coordinator on a low-budget movie shot largely in downtown Los Angeles. Midway through production…Nov 1427Nov 1427
Haunted by My Grandfather’s Warnings about AmericaMy paternal grandfather was born in Austria-Hungary in 1897. He was a Torah scribe. He spent his life inking Hebrew scripture by hand with…Nov 826Nov 826
Published inRiverRhythmsTom Waits’ Favorite Yiddish CursesTom Waits is a street poet with a heart of tarnished brass. With a voice like broken tiles spinning in an old washing machine, Waits fuses…Nov 611Nov 611
Published inLos Angeles StoriesL.A.’s Crazy Freeway SystemOn the night of June 23, 1997, champion boxer Oscar De La Hoya drove his brother’s Mercedes on the 605 Freeway near Whittier. He was in the…Oct 288Oct 288
The Woodcut Art of Frans MasereelIn 1919, Belgian artist Frans Masereel published a wordless novel called Passionate Journey. The book is a collection of 165 woodcut prints…Oct 245Oct 245