In memory of Bob Baker

Farewell to my brilliant, sweet friend Bob Baker, master puppeteer, native son, educator, enthusiast. With him goes so much knowledge of L.A. lore!

I'll treasure the memory of our last visit, when I read to him from the first chapter of my novel. He said he thought I'd succeeded in capturing the feeling of the 1929 Los Angeles he remembered, and I replied that talking with him over the years had helped. 

Strings down, now. No funeral--only joy in his memory. Go do something daring and delightful, with a twinkle in your eye.    

Debuting the Book Trailer for "The Kept Girl"

Now you don't have to be a passenger on one of Esotouric's Los Angeles bus adventures to enjoy author Kim Cooper's lilting tones on this short video trailer that introduces the real-life cast of characters that people her debut mystery, The Kept Girl. 

Bruckman Rare Book Friends talk at Los Angeles Public Library

The Bruckman Rare Book Friends invited Kim Cooper and her husband Richard Schave to speak on November 2, 2014 at the Central branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. After presenting an inscribed copy of the deluxe first edition of her novel The Kept Girl to the library's Rare Books Department, Kim shared the weird story of the Great Eleven cult's activities, and how her research into Raymond Chandler's life and work revealed a way to fictionalize this notorious true crime narrative. Then Richard discussed the digital tools he used to design the 1940s pulp-style paperback and decorative wraps for the deluxe edition. As a bonus, architectural historian Nathan Marsak made a surprise appearance, assisting Richard with an overview the demolished Victorian neighborhood of Bunker Hill.

Photo: John Okanishi