Another City: Writing from Los Angeles

(Almost) everything I know about Los Angeles, I learned from David Ulin's anthology, Another City: Writing from Los Angeles. Highly recommend this collection of essays, short stories and poems by familiar and not-so-familar writers. David Ulin, book critic, and former book editor of the Los Angeles Times, and a New York transplant like myself, must have come to understand as well as come to terms with this side of the country by putting this extraordinary compilation of works together. The pieces cover every aspect of Los Angeles life from the 1800s to the present from ocean to desert, show-biz, race riots, souped up cars, The Beach Boys, earthquakes, and everyplace in between.Highly recommend!David Ulin has lived in Los Angeles since 1991. From 1993-6 he was the book editor of the LA Weekly. He is currently on the board of the National Book Critics Circle, and writes regularly for the LA Weekly, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, and the Los Angeles Times.

Great selection of great writing. Most pieces are instant classics. Captures the breadth and depth of an area not usually associated with the literary scene (except for hard boiled private eyes.) Nice piece by editor Ulin sets the mood.