(LISTENER WARNING: This segment contains non-graphic but also non-judgemental conversation about homosexual behavior; plus, Sam isn't very big on the group of publishers who exercised their right to not publish content they disagreed with.) "Tommy Crow" is Sam Slovick's contribution to the second edition of Slake, LA's new literary quarterly. It's about two outsider teenage Midwestern boys who turn to each other, and it contains a sex/love scene that led to the magazine being published in Korea instead of the Bible Belt. Listen here to Off-Ramp's John Rabe asking Slovick highly personal questions about the story, and CLICK THROUGH for a link to Slovick's work on Pavement.

Ron Perlman and Nameer El-Kadi tell Off-Ramp's John Rabe about their first movie: 1981's "Quest for Fire," a landmark film about human life on Earth 80,000 years ago. Here's the long version of their interview. For the short version, and for John Rabe's somewhat less groundbreaking but refreshingly short sequel, "Quest for Fire 2," with Perlman and El-Kadi, CLICK THROUGH.

Eat-LA looks at the fee hike for sidewalk cafes in Santa Monica, and talks with a food writer who ate thirty burgers in thirty days at thirty different places. Plus: what local eateries are most like the annoying sustainable restaurants in the sketch series Portlandia? (Off-Ramp has been partnering with Eat-LA, the local online and published guide to food and drink in Los Angeles, for about a year now. And we've always been impressed with Eat-LA publisher and editor Colleen Bates. She has a great presence, deep knowledge, and a taste for down home food and gourmet eats. So starting this week, she'll be hosting our regular Eat-LA segments.)

Major league baseball's 2011 season started this week. Off-Ramp host John Rabe talks with KPCC's Nick Roman about the Angels and the Dodgers ... including, where the heck did they get the money for Andre Ethier?

Next Sunday, April 10 is the first round of presidential elections in Peru. The thousands of Peruvians living here have been closely following their home country's politics, which have taken an interesting turn, as usual. Off-Ramp producer Kevin Ferguson talked with Long Beach City Councilman Robert Garcia about what the upcoming vote means to him and his family.

Starting April 1 at the Egyptian Theatre, it’s the 13th annual Film Noir festival. It’s three weeks long, comes from the Film Noir Foundation, and features not the usual suspects like "Double Indemnity," but some real rarities – some of which are restored and in sparkling new 35 millimeter prints for the first time in decades. Off-Ramp host John Rabe spoke with the foundation's Alan Rode, who co-programmed the festival. CLICK THROUGH FOR THE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE.

When the giant earthquake and tsunami hit Japan three weeks ago, Angelenos in beach communities started thinking again about the chance that someday a tsunami could inundate our shores. Does Los Angeles have a plan if that happens, and are Angelenos paying attention?

Dinner Party Download - Give them ten minutes of your time, they'll give you a meal you won't forget.