"Drive" novelist James Sallis - Off-Ramp 7-2-11
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D is for Dog, Dark, and Daring
"D is for Dog" is at Studio/Stage at 520 Western in LA through August 7th. It's a dark combination of stage acting, video, and puppetry that might leave you a little shaken, if you care about the nature and future of man ... and his best friend. Off-Ramp host John Rabe talks with director Sean Cawelti, actor Nina Silver, and puppeteer Ben Messmer. (The play was written by Katie Polebaum with Rogue Artists Ensemble.)
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What can't he do? "Drive" writer James Sallis goes in-depth
UPDATE: "Drive" opens Friday, September 16. Here's the Off-Ramp interview with the man who wrote the novella the movie's based on.
Translator of French obscurata, poet, sci-fi author and editor, bluegrass musician, noir novelist, musicologist, Friend of Haefele. James Sallis, writer for almost 50 years, is finally a bit famous because he wrote the novel "Drive," which the new Ryan Gosling movie is based on. In a special Off-Ramp podcast, KPCC's John Rabe talked with Sallis about his long career.
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Mountain Goats' John Darnielle on coming of age in LA sprawl
John Darnielle fronts the Mountain Goats, a literate folk band that operates out of North Carolina. But Darnielle — who has been called one of the best living lyricists-made a name for himself in Southern California, where he released dozens of home-recorded tapes and CDs in the 90s. He was in town recently to promote the new Mountain Goats album, "All Eternals Deck," and talked with Off-Ramp producer Kevin Ferguson.
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Writer, hip-hop chronicler Ben Westhoff named music editor at LA Weekly
Just this past week LA Weekly announced its newest hire: incoming music editor, Ben Westhoff. Ben is the author of several books and has written for Spin, the Village Voice and New York Magazine. Off-Ramp producer Kevin Ferguson talked with Ben to better know him before he heads out West.
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Charles Solomon on 25 animated films that didn't get enough respect
Times' film critic Richard Corliss recently posted his list of the "All-Time 25 Best Animated Films." Off-Ramp animation expert Charles Solomon says it's pretty awful.
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Huntington Library displays George Washington sculpture with mysterious past
Have you seen this sculpture? Of course you've seen something like it: Elegantly dressed George Washington peering towards the horizon, strong chin, raised eyebrow, stern, heroic expression. Your eccentric high school civics teacher might've owned something similar. But those other sculptures don't have nearly the same history.
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A better life? New film set in LA explores need for green space in the land of sprawl
The film "A Better Life" follows a Mexican immigrant gardener and his son as they move through the landscapes of Los Angeles. The urban environment around them, where they live and work, deepens the themes of the film, and reflects hard truths about the city's green space.
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Did Jamie Oliver's show spark a 'Food Revolution' in LA?
After well-publicized conflicts with the Los Angeles Unified School District, reality television star Jamie Oliver wrapped up the second season of his show, "Food Revolution," last week. Did the program have an impact --or even pose the right ideas -- about how to improve nutrition in L.A. schools?
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LAUSD Limits Homework - should kids and parents cheer or moan?
Off-Ramp host John Rabe and LA Times reporter Howard Blume go to Eagle Rock Elementary to debate the new LAUSD mandate that homework can make up only 10% of a student's grade.
