The LAist Interview: Kristine McKenna
Veteran journalist and cultural chronicler Kristine McKenna has profiled, documented, and interpreted much of what and who has impacted Los Angeles over the past several decades. Her work has appeared in numerous newspapers and publications including the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, and the erstwhile great Wet magazine. The subjects of McKenna’s tête-à-têtes reads like a virtual who’s who of influential thinkers, artists, writers, musicians, and personalities of our times. Many of these interviews have been collected into two volumes: Book of Changes and Talk to Her. She is currently curating an exhibition about and writing a biography of the artist Wallace Berman.
Age and Occupation:
51, writer/curator/filmmaker
How long have you lived in Los Angeles, and which neighborhood do you live in?
29 years, I live in Santa Monica.
In what ways has Los Angeles most significantly changed since you’ve lived here?
It’s gotten hugely crowded and the traffic has become completely hellish.
How for the better, and how for worse? I don’t see any improvements. I don’t see things like The Grove, and the Theme-Parkization of this city – and the entire country—as an improvement. The city’s lost a lot of its character now that there’s a Starbucks/Noah’s Bagels/Jamba Juice on every corner. I hate that stuff! I also object to the various forms of harassment the homeless population is now subjected to. The city’s become a little less tolerant and eccentric, and I find that unfortunate.
Do you feel deeply nostalgic for any artistic and cultural movements in Los Angeles you’ve written about, (e.g. punk scene)? Or do you feel OK with some having evolved into something else, and some having run their course?
Yes, I feel nostalgic about the early punk scene. It was incredibly fun to be a part of that and I feel privileged that I was. Questions like this are confusing because they have to do with age: I assume that all people in their 20s and 30s are turned on by some crazy new thing happening in the streets, as I was. When I look at the streets now they seem dull and deracinated, but I may just be too old to see what’s hip!
What are the key components of your interview preparation process?
To read everything available on the person, then put all that aside and ask myself: what would I really like to ask this person, and what questions am I personally struggling with right now? Those are the things I ask about.
Anything about interviews that’s nearly impossible to prepare for?
Yes; the mood of the person you’re going to interview. And their mood governs everything.
If there’s one topic about which everyone categorically has something interesting to say, what is it?
Romantic love.
Who ranks high on your list of not-yet-interviewed-and-really-would-like-to-talk-to?
Larry David, Pete Singer, Kathleen Cleaver, David Geffen
Are there any public/non-exclusive places in Los Angeles you’re particularly fond of for conducting interviews?
No, I go where I’m told.
Favorite LA-based movie(s) or TV show(s)?
Chinatown and "Curb Your Enthusiasm".
Best LA-themed book(s)?
Anything by Raymond Chandler, John Fante, or Dashiell Hammett.
If you were to hypothetically or actually go to an Oki Dog location, which would it be?
The one on Santa Monica Boulevard at Fairfax.
Any defunct treasured local food and drink establishments you’d revive if given the chance and resources -- magical and/or material?
The Nicodell on Melrose and the Bellevue on Ocean Ave.
What's the best place to walk in LA?
In Santa Monica: the Palisades or any of the canyons.
It's 9:30 PM on a Thursday. Where are you coming from and where are you going?
A meeting for any of the projects I’m working on – all of which are wonderfully interesting but pay next to nothing.
If you could live in LA during any era, when would it be?
The 40s.
What is the "center" of the city to you?
Book Soup on Sunset.
If you could live in any neighborhood or specific house in the region, where/which would you choose?
A Spanish flavored hacienda in Santa Monica Canyon with lots of Bougainvillea.
What is the city's greatest secret?
That it’s alarmingly like Manhattan.
Where do you want to be when the Big One hits?
Can I be out of state? If so, I’d like to be in Italy. If I must be in town I’d prefer to be someplace like Palm Springs – a city that’s low to the ground and not insanely crowded. It would be rough without air-conditioning though, so that may be a bad idea, having been through several earthquakes, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no good place to be. They are very unnerving.