Julia Paskin
I think of myself as a reverse engineer when it comes to the experiences of Southern Californians. I work to understand and highlight stories from often unheard voices and work backwards to demonstrate how and why that experience is possible. From immigration, law enforcement, to homelessness, to the environment, how do laws and policies impact our lives? And what social, political, and environmental forces inform our experiences? What solutions work and who do they serve?
I grew up in an old New York City tenement, raised by a working-class, single mom (shout out to Mama Paskin). I came to California to study at CalArts and in search of lower rents (the misguided irony!) so issues of economic equity and the arts are both close to my heart. I came to journalism after working in the performing arts and then social justice and political organizing.
While I may have left NYC fleeing an unlivable economy, I stayed here after falling in love with Greater Los Angeles and all that our diverse communities have to offer. I have now spent nearly half my life here and have made an art of defending LA from anyone who dares to talk trash-- because anyone who doesn’t have anything nice to say about our town, just doesn’t know enough about it.
Julia is the host of All Things Considered on weekdays on LAist 89.3 and The L.A. Report podcast.
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Our accidental satellite population of red-crowned parrots are thriving in the SGV but dying off in their native habitat. -
The high rents in L.A. are crazy-making. Is upzoning near transit the path to actual affordable housing? And what is upzoning, anyway? -
The city is trying to ease its notorious road congestion. But to maintain the touristic flare of fun and flash, this transit option was given a makeover. -
Bobby Cagle spoke with KPCC's Take Two about the lessons learned from the Gabriel Fernandez case and what DCFS is doing to determine why intervention did not occur for Anthony Avalos. -
The ballpark staple is a culinary canvas for all the flavors Los Angeles has to offer. -
California is home to more than a thousand school districts, and the state superintendent oversees them all. Here are the four candidates competing for the job. -
This series from LAist's AirTalk explains the history of our understanding of neurodivergence, the challenges many face getting diagnosed and the complexities of how neurodiverse people engage with the world in their work and home lives.
