Carolyn Kellogg

Steve Erickson's new novel Our Ecstatic Days is set in a lyric, hallucinatory Los Angeles, where a spreading lake begins to take over the city, setting characters adrift. At Barnes & Noble's full-house reading last night, hosted by KCRW's Michael Silverblatt, it was apparent that Erickson's terrific writing is finally getting its due. Early reviews have been unapologetically adoring (Bookforum, CityBeat, Washington Post). Erickson's looping, time-twisting plotlines have long entranced readers who try to figure...

Finding a place to live in LA is easy — finding a place you can afford isn't. Blogging.la did a little math that showed you need to make twice the city's median income to afford to buy the city's median-priced house. Which means that those of us who can't afford to buy houses are sucking up a big share of the cheaper rental stock. Leaving poor folks, well, screwed. How screwed? Take Monday. The Hollywood...

Before Toyota's Prius had people waiting months for their very own electric(ish) car, domestic carmakers like GM and Ford had their own electric cars on the road. One of the early elegant cars was GM's EV1. Can't quite picture one? Well, they're hard to find. Most EV1s were leased, and were called back to their maker as pawns in the twisted politicking by carmakers balking against California mandates for cleaner emissions (which had helped...

Recently Angelenos were treated to something of a cemetery smackdown. It arrived via snail mail, unsolicited. In one corner, Forest Lawn's Advance Planning Services: "You may not want to think about what happens after you go, but don't leave your loved ones in a tough spot." Followed just days later by Rose Hills' Free Legacy Planner: "If you don't face your decisions toegther...one of you will face them alone! 131 Decisions in 72 hours!"...

No matter how hard you might try, it's hard not to notice that something is happening today. Practically every streetcorner in the city is packed with people selling cellophane-wrapped baskets or red teddy bears or pink bouquets. When LAist got to work, there were chocolates on our desk ... from the building management. Ugh, we got valentine'd by building management! No more denial for us. If you're as excited about Valentine's Day as we...

Actor Tom Sizemore thought he could pull a fast one. Using a device called "The Whizzinator" (pictured, in a safe-for-work version) he showed up for -- and failed -- a February 1 drug test. The device features a repository for drug-free pee, heat packs, and underwear attached to a prosthetic male pee-delivery device. Apparently, Sizemore neglected to warm the clean pee, and the judge figured out his game. Sizemore, who is on probation, was...

Beat the Valentine's Day rush and take your honey to dine au natural (that means in nature, doesn't it?) with an outdoor dinner Saturday night at the Audubon Center at Deb's Park. Since it's outside, you'll want to bundle up warm enough to watch the sun set, take a little hike, and dine as the crickets strike up their serenade. Dinner and desert and promised surprises are $25; wine is available on site for...

Savvy music fans have been lining up outside The Echo for the last few Fridays to see an unnanounced special guest. The kind of guest who put Silverlake on the musical map. The kind of guest who once was connected to a actress who later had a widely-publicized shoplifting problem. Who might have a brand new record. And who might -- who knows? -- be playing locally again. Who is the mystery guest? You...

What is better than pancakes? Free pancakes. And what's better than free pancakes? Free pancakces with your progressive, smart, handsome city councilman Eric Garcetti. What's better than free pancakes with Eric Garcetti? Getting the invitation in the mail before the breakfast day. Two mass pancake breakfasts were served on Feb 5 to kick off a voter registration drive; many constituents got a nice postcard invitation --on Feb 7. How many? Ever curious, LAist vowed...

Maybe you had the flu. Maybe you couldn't stand the thought of Westwood on a Saturday Night. No matter that you missed this weekend's opening of Thing at the Hammer, showcasing the work of new LA sculptors. The party may be over, but art.blogging.la reports that you should definitely get out to this show. Not just because the pink marshall stacks by Kaz Oshiro look practically yummy -- in fact they aren't stacks but...