Essays Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

All Essays

Warren Invites Us In: On the Selfie Line
Sarah Blackwood ponders what exactly it is we're talking about when we talk about Elizabeth Warren's infamous selfie line.
Sarah BlackwoodOct 3, 2019
- Politics
The Lives of Objects: On Maira and Alex Kalman’s “Sara Berman’s Closet”
Deborah Krieger goes through "Sara Berman’s Closet."
Deborah KriegerOct 2, 2019
- Art & Architecture
“Gun Island” by Amitav Ghosh
A story flickering between displacement and restoration in which a rare books dealer traverses the globe, encounters a cast of remarkable characters, and forever changes his perception of self. Check out our Summer 2019 pick for the LARB Book Club: “Gun Island” by Amitav Ghosh.
Sep 30, 2019
Three Ways to Write a Story About Lorrie Moore
Jessica ShabinSep 29, 2019
- LARB Lit
Open Bar: A Diary of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2018–2019 Centennial Season
Kevin McMahon offers a personal diary of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 100th season.
Kevin McMahonSep 28, 2019
- Music
- Nonfiction
The Radical Empathy of Lana Del Rey
The pop diva’s new album, “Norman Fucking Rockwell!,” is a siren song of compassionate resistance.
Quinn RobertsSep 27, 2019
- Music
Angels and Demons and Daughters: On Hulu's "The Act"
Leslie Kendall Dye views Hulu's series, The Act, through the lens of motherhood, daughterhood, and inter-generational trauma.
Leslie Kendall DyeSep 27, 2019
- Television
Art Matters Now — 12 Writers on 20 Years of Art: Johanna Fateman on the Founding of Creative Capital
In collaboration with Creative Capital, LARB will publish 12 essays over 12 months on issues facing contemporary art in the United States.
Johanna FatemanSep 26, 2019
- Art & Architecture
- Politics
What’s Love Got to Do with It? On “Pride and Prejudice” and “Fanny Hill”
Emily Janakiram rethinks our romantic attachments to the “love stories” of John Cleland’s “Fanny Hill” and Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
Emily JanakiramSep 26, 2019
Sweet Nothings: The ASMR Phenomenon and American Intimacy
In a piece from the LARB Imitation Issue, R. Jay Magill situates the ASMR phenomenon within a long history of American longing for intimacy.
R. Jay MagillSep 25, 2019
Staying Woke Is Patriotic: An Excerpt from “Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter”
LARB presents an excerpt from “Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter,” written by Tehama Lopez Bunyasi and Candis Watts Smith.
Candis Watts Smith, Tehama Lopez BunyasiSep 24, 2019
The Soviet Union and the Birth of Human Rights
LARB presents an excerpt from “A World Divided: The Global Struggle for Human Rights in the Age of Nation-States” by Eric D. Weitz.
Eric D. WeitzSep 24, 2019
Looking for Léontine: My Obsession with a Forgotten Screen Queen
Professor and programmer Maggie Hennefeld explores the world of forgotten silent film actresses and archivists’ struggles to rediscover lost film art.
Maggie HennefeldSep 24, 2019
- Film
- Gender & Sexuality
The White Readymade and the Black Mediterranean: Authoring “Barca Nostra”
Eleanor Paynter and Nicole Miller consider artist Christoph Büchel's recent piece, "Barca Nostra."
Eleanor Paynter, Nicole MillerSep 22, 2019
The Painter: A Short Story
Jacob RubinSep 22, 2019
- LARB Lit
A Teacher of History: On Nina Revoyr and Los Angeles
Mike the Poet talks about Nina Revoyr and her work, including her newest novel, “A Student of History.”
Mike Sonksen a.k.a. Mike the PoetSep 20, 2019
- Fiction
- Noir