While we’ve talked at length about the unfair reputation our city still bears as a ‘literary lightweight,’ witnessing the LATFoB is seriously (and pardon the hyperbole) magnificent. Masses—literally—descended on USC’s campus for a weekend of thoughtful literary discourse, intellectual enlightenment, and book-minded pursuits. more ›

Denis Johnson, author of several books including Jesus' Son and the National Book Award-Winning Tree of Smoke, has the first of a four-part serial installment in Playboy's July issue. more ›

more ›

It was a great year of new books, re-discovered books, and books we meant to get to last year but didn't. The end of the year is nearly here and before we look forward, we'll take a look back. LAist Editors share their favorite book they read this year: more ›

This week Zach Behrens became the sixth editor of LAist. Behrens is no stranger to LAist staff or readers -- he was Co-Editor for nearly a year before taking the reins from Tony Pierce and contributed more than 1100 posts since 2005. more ›

Don't forget to enter our Arcade Fire ticket giveaway contest for their Thursday appearance at the Hollywood Bowl. Lobster Festival in San Pedro continues through tomorrow, as well as WIRED Magazine's NextFest at the convention center. Immigrant experience, community and the "delirious noble dream." LAist Editor-At-Large Carolyn Kellogg reviews 'The Last Chicken in America: A Novel in Stories' by Ellen Litman for the LA Times. Long Beach is the first to begin mandatory water... more ›

Photo by LAist Editor-at-Large Carolyn Kellogg via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr more ›

Looks like a visit to the Pyrenees may be ahead for the jurors in the Spector trial -- Phil Spector's Pyrenees Castle, that is. The defense wants all 12 jurors (and 6 alternates) to come and see the room where Lana Clarkson died. But getting them there is complicated -- the judge will also come along, and the court reporter, and sheriffs deputies, not to mention the lawyers for both sides. If all the details can be arranged. more ›

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a picture displaying the woes of cruising in a tacky limo on the streets of San Francisco. more ›

Good taste in architecture: rumors fly (here and here) that he's bought the penthouse of the gorgeous bluegreen Eastern Columbia Building in downtown. more ›

Actors want to be rock stars. Rock stars want to be actors. But when comedians decide to record pop dance hits -- well, that's a party all the time. more ›

This week the prosecution rested its case against Phil Spector, who is accused of murdering Lana Clarkson on February 3, 2003 with a tidy shot to the head. more ›

This photo is of 6th Street in downtown LA, looking east, between Hope and Grand. The Hotel Savoy on the left later became the Crocker National Bank Tower (how it looked in 1969 or so, when it was the tallest building in LA). The building is still there, and -- no surprise -- it's slated to go condo. more ›

Of course Supervisor Yvonne Braithwaite-Burke lives in her district. Or maybe not. (Los Angeles Times) more ›

Guest Day Editor Carolyn Kellogg joins LAist with a few posts throughout the day. Read the introductory interview and check out the her litblog. more ›

Hot Hot Heat have been added to the Sunset Junction bill. more ›

Guest Day Editor Carolyn Kellogg joins LAist with a few posts throughout the day. Read the introductory interview and check out the her litblog. more ›

Guest Day Editor Carolyn Kellogg joins LAist with a few posts throughout the day. Read the introductory interview and check out the her litblog. more ›

LAist Editor Tony Pierce has blogged here non-stop for more than a year deserving a well-earned vacation (and did he ever earn it). While out of town, we decided to have a little fun and bring some guest day editors in from around the blogLAsphere. Monday we had Green LA Girl and Tuesday saw Fred Camino of MetroRiderLA.Zuma Dogg took Wednesday and LA City Nerd yesterday. Today, former LAist Editor Carolyn Kellogg makes a comeback!... more ›

interview by Carolyn Kellogg A year ago Tony Pierce took over the reigns of LAist, and I have to say he's done wonders with the place. It's bigger and shinier and got a gorgeous crowd standing out front (that's you). Will he tell us what it's like behind the LAist editor's curtain? Can we ever really know the man, the blogger, Tony Pierce? Carolyn Kellogg: Where'd you grow up, Tony? I was born in... more ›

by special guest reviewer, Carolyn Kellogg more ›

Carolyn Kellogg, previous editor of LAist, heads up Metroblogging Pittsburgh while she works on her MFA 19,215 dogs and cats were euthanized last year by the Department of Animal Services. It was a drop from the previous year, but General Manager Ed Boks is dreaming of a no-kill city Purple Line, Purple Line, Purple Line! Until the Purple Line takes us from 3rd St. Promenade to LACMA in 14 whole minutes, maybe this site will... more ›

Before the current tyrannical rule of Tony Pierce, Carolyn Kellogg was the editor of LAist, in a time many yearn for. But she decamped for the University of Pittsburgh, where she's getting an MFA in creative writing. In between bouts of homesickness, she blogs about books and podcasts interviews with writers who rock at pinkyspaperhaus.com. Top 10 LA Things You Don't Realize You'll Miss, Until It's Too Late 10. Beaches. I hardly went to... more ›

We're flashing a sad peace out to their editor Carolyn Kellogg with one hand and bumping knuckles with our new head typist L.A. blogger king Tony Pierce with the other. more ›

In the wake of the announcement that our own near and dear editor, Carolyn Kellogg will be leaving us at LAist to go on and pursue her MFA at Pitt, also comes news that Claude Brodesser, editor of Fishbowl LA, is leaving his post as well to write for Time Warner and Telepictures' newest venture, TMZ.com, as their industry columnist. TMZ.com has been getting a lot of press lately for their video of a little incident know as firecrotch. Hear about that one yet? Fishbowl LA is looking for a replacement. Could it be you? Here, in their words, is what they’re looking for. more ›

There's a literary "voice" and a spoken voice, and if you were listening to the National Public Radio show "Marketplace Money" today around 2:30 on KPCC, you might have recognized both "voices" in one piece as belonging to LAist's own Carolyn Kellogg. She didn't mention it here herself, but Carolyn wrote, produced, and narrated a piece on whether people actually use algebra once they are grown up. If you missed it, or want to make your favorite 13-year-old listen to it, you can hear it here. more ›

Phillyist notes a fistfight between local pols that leaves one man down for the count. Jehovah's Witnesses get a Philly contributor out of bed, things get a little geeky with a film festival and geeky gets taken to a whole new galaxy when they talk with the Dragon Queen of the Dark Kingdom. more ›

Our very own Carolyn Kellogg warned us back in December to be careful with candles, and it seems like no one listened to her. more ›

Carolyn Kellogg has been the editor of LAist for just about a month. She's been writing for the site for much longer than that. At the same time, she hosts Pinky's Paperhaus but we'll get into that later. She explains her professional past as a "former music journalist turned web producer". We'd describe her as energetic, intelligent, invested, excited and colorful. more ›

First an announcement: this is my last post as lead editor of LAist. I've got a new job that is taking much of my time. I love laist, though, so I'm staying on as "editor-at-large" which mostly means I get to post when I feel like it and bug everybody around here with my opinion on everything. Thanks for putting up with me on a daily basis for the last 10 months. more ›