LA Review of Books

Vanessa Davis talks with co-hosts Medaya Ocher and Kate Wolf about her autobiographical comics; in particular her collection Spaniel Rage, which is being re-issued. Davis discusses the evolution of a new literary art form; along with the establishment of women in the comics world. Then Martabel Wasserman drops by to recommend Sarah Schulman's classic novel of New York City at the height of the AIDS crisis, People in Trouble; which features a Donald Trump inspired antagonist. Lastly, Tom and Laurie listen to, and adore, a couple of poems by Emily Dickinson.

Co-hosts Kate Wolf and Medaya Ocher speak with Iranian Poet in exile Moshen Emadi, who lives in Mexico but is touring America on the occasion of the publication of the first English language collection of his poems, Standing On Earth. A lover of Whitman and other great American poets, Emadi reflects on the tragedy that when he leaves the country the current President would ban him from returning to the Land of the Free. Then local artist, publisher, and activist Martabel Wasserman joins Kate and Medaya to discuss how art and literature are a powerful and essential component of resistance against oppression - needed now more than ever. Also, Karina Longworth drops by to give a book recommendation: Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz.

In this episode we’re talking about the book: The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling. The Cuckoo’s Calling was first published in the UK in 2013 by Sphere Books, and had placement at number 4,709 on Amazon.com before it was revealed that the author of the Harry Potter book series had actually penned the book under the pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. The book shot to the top of the charts nearly overnight when Galbraith’s true identity was leaked! This is a crime novel about a model who falls to her death from a balcony. Though it looks like suicide, her brother is not convinced and hires private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case and find the killer. Reviews were good (even before the outing of the author) with The Independent noting that it’s “...a book about looking and listening...and about using loss to develop emotional intelligence and about friendship.” This group hadn’t read a crime novel yet, so we thought it would be a fun new experience with the Harry Potter author tie-in --- of course, this was before we learned that many of them hadn’t actually read the Harry Potter books! We talk about the relationship between the two main characters, and the killer in the story and his motives -- SPOILERS AHEAD! The Real WORD Podcast is produced by Reading Opens Minds and edited by Saul Black. You can find us on iTunes or the podcast app on your phone, or on the web at: LAReviewofbooks.org/the-real-word. Thank you to the LA Review of books staff and supporters for giving this podcast a home and some tender loving care. Special thanks for this episode goes to Maria Jose Vazquez and Stacy Reader for co-facilitating the book club. Next episode we’ll be talking about the book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. Until then Happy Reading!

Karina Longworth talks with LARB's Medaya Ocher and Gustavo Turner about her phenomenally successful podcast about old Hollywood, "You Must Remember This," on the occasion of the launch of its new season series on Dead Blondes. Then LARB's Janice Littlejohn talks with African-American Theologian Monica Coleman about her stunning memoir Bipolar Faith. Also LARB Film Editor Anna Schectman drops in to recommend Patricia White's book Women's Cinema/World Cinema: Projecting Contemporary Feminisms.

LARB's resident film critic Anna Shechtman joins fellow cinephiles Medaya Ocher & Kate Wolf to talk about their favorite foreign films of 2016; focusing on Pedro Almodovar's change of pace, Julieta; Paul Veerhoeven's Elle starring fiercely sublime Isabelle Huppert; and The Handmaiden, a genre-bending and visually stunning tale of Victorian Korea by Park Chan-Wook. Also, Tom Lutz recommends TC Boyle's The Terranauts (with its surprising Trump Administration tie-in); and praises DH Lawrence's Terra Incognita.

The Real WORD Podcast, produced by Reading Opens Minds and hosted by the LA Review of Books. In Episode Two of The Real Word, the Reading Opens Minds teen book club will be discussing the novel, Me Before You (2012) by JoJo Moyes. Me Before You is a love story about a young, novice caregiver and a wealthy, former adventurer, paralyzed by an accident. Listen in as our young men and women banter about family dynamics, morality in love and what it might feel like to be in a wheelchair *A word here about how we’re honoring privacy for our students. You’ll hear some first names here and there, and in upcoming episodes, you’ll also hear certain details about the lives of these students, but not too many. We hope to offer enough to enjoy, but not enough to expose. The Real Word Podcast is produced by Reading Opens Minds and edited by Saul Black. For more information about Reading Opens Minds go to: readingopensminds.org. Subscribe to our newsletter and see what we’re up to! Special thanks for this episode goes to Michelle Kholos-Brooks, Lesley Peters and Jackie Amezcua for story editing, Katie McCuen for graphic design, and Stacy Reader for co-facilitating the book club. Until next time, happy reading!

In part two of LARB in SF, we feature Laurie and Tom's dialogues with one of America's most celebrated authors, Ha Jin, as well as the only path breaking professor of ethnic studies who is also a legendary bandleader, Dr. Loco (aka Jose Cuellar). Ha Jin reflects on literature, cross-cultural insight, and the very real threat of Donald Trump to democracy. Dr Loco reveals the joyous traditions of, and multicultural influences on, Chicano music; and tells tales of his former bandmate, a young Tom Lutz. Also, both Laurie and Tom express their appreciation of Lena Dunham's memoir Not That Kind of Girl. The show closes with a reading of Thomas Lux's A Little Tooth.

Welcome to the first season of the Reading Opens Minds podcast, produced by the people behind the Reading Opens Minds non-profit, whose mission is "to promote literacy in at-risk communities through book clubs, empowering individuals, building relationships and inspiring hope." This podcast will follow a group of teenagers in Los Angeles, who will meet each week to discuss a book, their ideas and their lives. Like MTV’s The Real World, we hope to introduce you to a new generation. You will get to know these talented young men and women intimately as they tell their own stories through the books they read. Listen now to Episode One – "An Introduction"

This week's Podcast features interviews from LARB's recent event in San Francisco. Co-hosts Tom Lutz and Laurie Winer speak with Rabih Alameddine about his new book The Angel of History, structures of narrative outside the American mainstream, and the state of poetry in light of Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize; and then Jade Chang talks about her novel The Wangs vs The World, the changing shape of the American immigrant tale, and her desire to struggle as a stand-up comic. Then Taschen's Dian Hanson returns to recommend the spectacular erotic photography of China's Ren Hang (soon to be published by Taschen); and we re-listen to CP Cavafy's classic poem Waiting for the Barbarians, pending the arrival of Donald Trump.

Director Jack Pettibone and Producer Shane Slattery-Quintanilla join LARB's Gustavo Turner to discuss their exceptional new documentary The Seventh Fire. Six years in the making, the film takes an unflinching look at the lives of gang members on an Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota; and discovers men of profound intelligence, acutely aware of the tragic history of their people. Then Dian Hanson, legendary editor of Taschen's sexy books series, drops by to tell the story of trail-blazing gay pornographer, Bob Mizer; and celebrate the publication of The Bob Mizer AMG 1000 Model Directory.