Aljean Harmetz discusses her novel, “Off the Face of the Earth.” She begins by explaining that her book is about a young boy who gets kidnapped. She talks about how her book is a suspense thriller which emphasizes the mother/child...
Women - California, Southern - Fiction;
Nineteen sixties - Fiction
Ann Darby discusses her novel, “The Orphan Game.” She begins by explaining that her book is about a family who must deal with their teenage daughter’s pregnancy. She talks about the connection of the young girl to older characters in the...
Los Angeles Region (Calif.) - Biography; Los Angeles Region (Calif.) - Politics and government; Los Angeles Region (Calif.) - History; Los Angeles Region (Calif.) - Social life and customs
D.J. Waldie discusses his book, “Where We Are Now: Notes From Los Angeles.” He begins by explaining how the book is a compilation of essays on the meaning of place in Los Angeles. He stresses the importance of building community within Los...
Daniel Olivas discusses his book, “Assumption and Other Stories.” He begins by sharing that he also works as an attorney and writes in his spare time, drawing inspiration from his life and from the headlines. He then discusses how his book is a...
African American women - Fiction; Civil rights movements - Fiction; Young women - Fiction; Southern States - Fiction
Denise Nicholas discusses her novel, “Freshwater Road.” She begins by explaining the plot of her book about a teenage girl who joins a theater group in Mississippi during 1964. The book describes the tensions and changes that were happening...
Sound recording industry - Vocational guidance; Sound - Recording and reproducing
George Sanger discusses his book, “The Fat Man.” He begins by describing what video games were like before sound and the progress of game audio through today. Sanger then shares some of his history growing up in Southern California and how he...
Gordon Clark discusses his book of photography, “Transitions.” He begins by talking about different regions of Africa and how they differ in custom and culture. He gives an example of how the people of Namibia dress like English people of the...
Helen Scully discusses her book, “In the Hope of Rising Again.” She begins by explaining the plot of her novel which follows three generations of a family in Mobile, Alabama. The book takes place during major historic time periods such as, the...
Iris Chang discusses her book, “The Chinese in America.” She begins by explaining that she has written other Chinese history books on the leaders of China and the silk trade. She talks about how the Chinese came to California during the gold...
Political violence - Confederate States of America - History; Political violence - United States - History - 19th century; Subversive activities - Confederate States of America - History; Subversive activities - United States - History - 19th...
Jane Sherrod Singer discusses her book, “The Confederate Dirty War.” She begins by explaining that Canada and England secretly supported the Confederacy during The Civil War. She talks about Confederate plans for biological warfare,...
Southern States - Poetry Book; African American families - Poetry
Janice Harrington discusses her book, “Even the Hollow My Body Made is Gone.” She begins by explaining that her work received the 2008 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. She then discusses her career as a librarian before becoming a writer and...
Motion pictures - Production and direction; Television - Production and direction
Jed Dannenbaum and Doe Mayer discuss their book, “Creative Filmmaking.” They begin by explaining the “Five Is” of creativity: Introspection, Inquiry, Intuition, Interaction, and Impact. Some of the people they discuss in the book include...
Rapp, Joel; Television writers - United States - Biography; Screenwriters - United States - Biography; Gardeners - United States - Biography; Radio broadcasters - United States - Biography
Joel Rapp discusses his autobiography, “Radio, TV, Mother Earth, & Me.” He begins by explaining that his father was a television program writer, and both of his parents were vaudeville actors. He talks about attending the University of...
Chandler, Raymond, 1888-1959 - Relations with women; Authors, American - 20th century - Biography; Detective and mystery stories - Authorship
Judith Freeman discusses her novel, “The Long Embrace.” She begins by explaining that she read a lot of Raymond Chandler’s work in the 1980s and was fascinated by his life. She talks about Chandler’s move to Los Angeles and how he meets...
Rolfe, Lionel, 1942-;
Authors, American - 20th century - Biography;
Journalists - California - Biography
Lionel Rolfe discusses his autobiography, “Fat Man on the Left: Four Decades in the Underground.” He begins by explaining that he spent his early years growing up in California. He talks about how a PBS television movie was done on his...
Music - Psychological aspects - Fiction; Scientists - Fiction; Psychics - Fiction; Southern States - Fiction
Lisa Tucker discusses her novel, “The Song Reader.” She begins by explaining that the book is about a psychoanalyst who helps people by asking them what songs they love. She describes the journey of two sisters who try to find their father...
Loraine Despres discusses her novel, “The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc.” She begins by explaining that her book is about a young southern belle whose family is falling apart. She talks how her main character Sissy meets a charming...
Inheritance and succession - Fiction; War correspondents - Fiction; Women journalists - Fiction; Single mothers - Fiction; Pregnant women - Fiction; Surgeons - Fiction; Los Angeles (Calif.) - Fiction; Sierra Leone - Fiction
Maria T. Lennon discusses her novel, “Making It Up As I Go Along.” She begins by explaining that the book is about a woman who moves from southern California to Africa. She talks about the importance of friendship between new mothers and how...
Suburban life - Fiction; Middle class - Fiction; California, Southern - Fiction
Merrill Joan Gerber discusses her book, “This is a Voice from your Past.” She begins by discussing how she uses experiences from her own life in her writing. Her book is a collection of short stories that begins with a story in which the...
Treatments (Motion pictures, television, etc.); Motion picture authorship; Television authorship
Michael Halperin discusses his book, “Writing the Killer Treatment.” He begins by explaining several ways a screenwriter can adapt a novel into a film, and how characters can be altered from the book to the movie. He talks about his personal...
