Writing Los Angeles, Los Angeles Writers - Essay Example

?Writing Los Angeles, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California has been referred to as the of dreams. With such lofty characterizations, it’sno surprise that writers throughout the 20th century spent considerable time characterizing the city in a number of ways. Individuals such as Raymond Chandler, John Fante, wrote timeless novels about the city, while poets such as Lewis MacAdams revealed the city for its multi-cultural nature. This essay considers the collection of a handful of writers who have articulated Los Angeles and considers the various thematic concerns they have outlined in their work. Writer Carey Williams articulates Los Angeles, California in a number of unique ways. William’s perspective considers the nature of Los Angeles as a city of outsiders. Quoting Garet Garrett, she writes, “you have to begin with the singular fact that in a population of a million and a quarter, every other person you see has been there less than five years” (Williams). Williams characterizes Los Angeles as a sort of land of immigrants; while this had previously been the nature of the United States, it appears it has shifted to regional areas, in this instance LA. However, rather than being out outcast or newcomer in this land, Williams argues that Los Angeles retains the feeling of home for these individuals. This is because that with the large influx of newcomers, individuals are able to find a unique sense of acceptance within this immigrant population. In addition to being one of the foremost crime novelists of the 20th century, Raymond Chandler is also recognized as one of the greatest writers of Los Angeles. In articulating Los Angeles it’s clear that Chandler assumes a sort of outsider status. Rather than romanticizing the various daily on-goings there is almost a sense of condescension in his tone. For instance, he writes “an evening with the sports page, the blatting of the radio, the whining of their spoiled children and the gabble of their silly wives” (Chandler). It’s clear that rather than romanticizing the movie star nature of Los Angeles, Chandler is attempting to present it in a more gritty light, with a self-conscious flavor. In other instances, Chandler attempts to depict the behind the scenes reality of the city, demonstrating producers that speak of the nature of the movie business in cynical terms. In all its an engaging portrait of the city that eschews romanticized notions of celebrity parties and Hollywood for a grittier and realistic edge. Whereas Raymond Chandler depicts a Los Angeles of gritty realism, Dorothy Parker’s poetry presents a more idealized version of the city. One of her poems functions as a sort of siren’s call, almost mythologizing the quest of individuals who move to the city with hopes of breaking into the movie industry. In these regards, she writes, “Come, curb the new and watch the old win/ Out where the streets are paved with Goldwyn…” (Parker). In Parker’s poetry there is the exploration of the artistic and romantic elements of Los Angeles. A city of movie stars and the rich and famous that exist in this city, these are the images Parker’s poetry is replete with. One also considers the nature Carey William’s writing in relation to Parker’s; in both instances Los Angeles is not presented as a city, but instead a destination, to which there is an ever influx of individuals seeking their dreams. Henry Miller is famous for his literary exploration of controversial themes and of artistic boundaries. When considering his articulation of Los Angeles, however, one is drawn to his concern with a singular individual. Rather than presenting controversial topics, Miller’s articulation of the city falls somewhere between that of Chandler’s realism and Dorothy Parker’s idealism. In these regards, Miller considers the nature of the city as the home of show business through his concern with a singer. Miller writes, “Those same songs night after night – how can anyone do it and not go mad? And always with feeling, as if delivering her very soul. So that’s the life of an entertainer!” (Miller). In these regards, rather than resorting to pure idealism, Miller considers the nature of show business as embodying trials and tribulations that are not as rose colored as other representations present. Robert Crosson is a poet that articulates the Los Angeles narrative in ways similar to other writers. One of the emerging themes in the investigation of the different ways of articulating Los Angeles through literature is that many writers choose to consider the city as a destination rather than a home. It seems more highly romantic and fit for literature to present it as this idealized destination. The nature of one of Crosson’s poems ‘The Day Samuel Goldwyn Stepped of the Train’ even has within in this nature of being the destination. Crosson seems to take his articulations a step further than the previously discussed writers. He writes, “Hotense powdermaker you needed, let’s face it/ All you have to do is look at Nevada city/ Dickens over from England and read mark twain/ Embellishing the frog” (Crosson). In these writings it seems that Crosson is expressing the self-reflexive thoughts of Samuel Goldwyn as he attempted to articulate the proper means of creating movie pictures that would appeal to wide audiences. The poetry of Martha Ronk considers the nature of the world in largely abstract terms. Ronk’s characterization of Los Angeles does not follow the traditional narrative presented by earlier writers, but instead considers the sensory experiences of living in the city. Ronk writes, “When the cactus glows at night I’ll swim the lenghth/ Once, in between one belief and another, I thought/ this town’s at the end of all waters./ Nobody lives here who isn’t already taking notes” (Ronk). If this articulation mirrored any earlier writers it would by the realism of Chandler. Still, it’s clear that Chandler has a sensational edge to his work, where Ronk is more individualistic. Ronk’s writing presents her direct impression of the city, not as some idealized destination, but simply a place of cohabitation. The final writer considered is Lewis MacAdams. MacAdams is a poet that articulates Los Angeles in a highly unique perspective. In these regards, one considers the individuality of Martha Ronk when identifying the closest sense of MacAdam’s articulation. Rather than idealizing Los Angeles, MacAdam’s emphasizes its cultural diversity, and considers the city for itself rather than as a destination. He writes, “Two Lebanese boys/ In broken twilight,/ Half in Arabic,/ Discuss the Super Bowl,/ A launatic old man/ To the L.A. times” (MacAdams). Rather than romanticizing Los Angeles, MacAdams is providing a true to life account of the city, demystifying it in a sense. In Moguls and Monks’ she contrasts two competing life perspectives rather than ethnic perspectives. It’s an interesting perspective on the multi-cultural, as well as multi-philosophical nature of the city. In conclusion, it’s clear that the writers discussed articulate Los Angeles in a variety of ways. Some of the predominant themes that have been discovered include the presentation of Los Angeles as a destination of immigrants. Another view considers the idealized nature of Los Angeles as an area of dreams and romanticized notions of show business and fame. Still another considers Los Angeles from a strict realist lens as the city wherein multicultural and multiperspectival elements of humanity come together under the region affiliation of governance. In all it’s a compelling account of one of America’s largest and most influential cities and in considering these characterizations it brings one closer to the experience itself. Read More