Susan Straight's New Novel Depicts A Vision of LA Rarely Explored

Susan Straight's new novel draws on her experiences of growing downtown LA and its surroundings to create an image of a neighborhood 'reeking of cheap liquor and hurt.'

1 minute read

December 12, 2010, 1:00 PM PST

By George Haugh

She describes how the Golden Gopher, a small dive bar on 8th street turned hipster hangout is able to 'capture all the weirdness of the city.' Although the bar itself has since been fully re upholstered and its dingy past turned into a motif, the surrounding block remains occupied by low rent hotels and an unchanged cowboy bar named El Gaucho.

Hector Tobar compares Straight to Raymond Chandler and John Fante for her ability to accurately depict the soul of the city through hidden lives of the LA basin's residents. He suggests you "enter into that imaginary L.A., and afterward you too may notice a little more as you wander through the real one. Perhaps you'll pause at a doorway or two and wonder about the tales that lie within."

FULL STORY: Where Hopes and Desperation Collide

Friday, December 10, 2010 in Los Angeles Times

Social / Demographics California Los Angeles Urban Literature

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.