Elements of Los Angeles: Earth, Water, Air, Fire with D.J. Waldie

Elements of Los Angeles: Earth, Water, Air, Fire, book reading with D.J. Waldie

A meditation on memory, landscape, and the myth of Los Angeles through the lens of the four classical elements.

Co-presented with Angel City Press

In Elements of Los Angeles, Waldie has assembled a panorama of a city both tragic and intensely moving. With his signature clarity and compassion, he draws from history, personal memory, and the city’s cultural fabric to explore such moments as the forgotten legacy of the Hass avocado, the devastation of the St. Francis Dam collapse, the peculiar endurance contest that left a woman buried alive, and the comforting voice of Vin Scully echoing across the summer air. Using the four classical elements as his structure, Waldie delves into the complex essence of Los Angeles—a city of natural beauty and environmental precarity, of dreams pursued and illusions faded.

Called “A writer of pithy grace, compassion, and insight,” by the Los Angeles Times and “one of the most artful authors writing about Los Angeles today” by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, Waldie elegantly blends history, memoir, and contemplative observation, providing a portrait of the elements that illuminates the city as a whole.

TICKETS: $10 (In Person Only Event)

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

Angel City Press will sell copies of Elements of Los Angeles: Earth, Water, Air, Fire before and after the event.

D.J. Waldie is a historian of Los Angeles, a memoirist, and a translator. He is the author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir (1995), Where Are Now: Notes from Los Angeles (2005), Becoming Los Angeles: Myth, Memory, and a Sense of Place (2020), and other books about the culture and politics of Los Angeles. He is a contributing editor for the Los Angeles Review of Books. He was the recipient of the California Book Award for nonfiction in 1996, a Whiting Award in 1998, and the Dale Prize for Urban and Regional Planning in 2017. In books, essays, and commentary on urban issues, Waldie has sought to frame a sense of place for ordinary Angelenos.

CONTENT DISCLAIMER

The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed by the presenters are solely those of the presenter and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Presentations are intended for informational and entertainment purposes.

ACCESSIBILITY

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REFUND POLICIES

All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges for PRS events, except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test.

In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.

PARKING

Limited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd.  We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking, many thanks.

PRS EVENT POLICIES

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
• Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
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Host or Publisher The Philosophical Research Society