Construction to start soon on barrier wall near San Clemente tracks

• June 27, 2023

A barrier wall made from steel beams and wood planks is being designed to protect trains that travel the tracks along the hillside that’s been sliding beneath Casa Romantica.

The wall will stretch along the tracks for as much as 300 feet and be possibly 15 feet tall. Construction could get started after the July 4 weekend.

The work will be done by the geotechnical firm Condon-Johnson & Associates Inc., which is the same company that did the emergency slope stabilization work further south along the tracks where 220 ground anchors had to be installed into the slope beneath the Cyprus Shores community because of movement.

The barrier project is a temporary fix to keep soil and debris from the slope above off the tracks and will help get passenger rail service running again, said Scott Johnson, a spokesman for Metrolink, which has trains using the tracks along with the Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and freight trains.

Passenger service has been shut down since June 5 because land under the historic landmark began sliding again and landed on the tracks. Freight trains are the only rail service allowed to run and they must abide by strict rules, including slowing their speed in the area and having track inspectors on hand when passing by the location of the slide.

Passenger service has been halted multiple times in the last year. First for several months to make the repairs to the tracks further south and then again on April 27 after the initial landslide at Casa Romantica. Service was allowed to resume just before Memorial Day before being halted again.

The barrier project is expected to cost up to $6.5 million, Johnson said. The cost will be split between a $3 million allocation from the California Transportation Commission that was recently announced and local funding from the Orange County Transportation Authority.

Related links

More land slides beneath Casa Romantica, trains stopped through San Clemente again
San Clemente to spend $75K for geology study beneath Casa Romantica to determine extent of landslide
Land beneath Casa Romantica drops 10 feet, halts railroad service through San Clemente
More land sliding at Casa Romantica; residents evacuated, trains halted through San Clemente

Efforts to reinforce the hillside below the 2.5 acre Casa Romantica estate, the home of the city’s founder that is now used as a cultural and events center,    have struggled and, as recently as Monday, city officials say land movement has been observed.

Councilmember Steve Knoblock called the continuing movement “disappointing.”

The city-owned landmark is open to the public, but with limited access to parts of the estate. Its first post-landslide wedding was held two weeks ago.

Kiel Koger, the city’s public works director, said the City Council is expected to review more details at its July 18 meeting on next steps for the casa, including cost expectations and the scope of repair.

Those discussions could include anchoring bolts into the ground or spraying a sort of cement layer on the slope as support. The latter, Knoblock said, is what Southern California Edison did with an unstable slope under cliffs over Coast Highway at Capistrano Beach.

Knoblock said the concern now is that the “soil at the toe of the building is vertical,” which he said “is not an optimistic position.”

Nonetheless, motion detectors put into the soil around the actual building have not detected any movement.

“The casa is our crown jewel and culture center, ” Knoblock said. “And we will do everything we can to keep it.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Niles: These theme parks don’t draw huge crowds, but are still worth a visit

• June 27, 2023

Earlier this month, the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM released their annual Theme Index report, detailing 2022 attendance at 20 top theme parks around the United States. Disney and Universal topped the list, but this week I want to talk about some of the parks that did not make the TEA/AECOM report.

Destinations such as Walt Disney World and Disneyland have earned their status by offering great rides and shows that attract a large and loyal audience. But several less-visited parks also offer attractions that rival those found at the top parks. These parks are worth considering by any family looking for something different, and perhaps less expensive, for their next theme park getaway.

Let’s start with the Legoland theme parks. Legoland California was the company’s first theme park in the United States, and Legoland remains the gold standard for families with elementary school-aged children. The Carlsbad park is offering a new action sports show this summer, and its mix of rides, shows and play areas aimed at young kids make it a compelling destination for families.

The Masters of Flight flying theater is among the attractions at Legoland California. (Courtesy of Legoland)

More from Robert Niles

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The Legoland parks in Florida and New York are worth a look, too, for families hitting the road this summer. Legoland Florida is built around the old Cypress Gardens attraction, and the New York park — which opened in 2021 — offers a Lego Factory Adventure ride that is one of the most technologically impressive dark rides in any theme park.

Back in California, theme park fans ought to consider a visit to California’s Great America in Santa Clara. The clock is ticking on this sister park to Knott’s Berry Farm, with owner Cedar Fair having signed a deal to close it no later than 2033. The park opened a refurbished NorCal County Fair land this summer, and its classic roller coasters such as Gold Striker, Demon and Patriot are always worth a ride.

Elsewhere around the country, road-tripping theme park fans might consider a stop in Iowa, where Lost Island Theme Park opened just last summer. Located in Waterloo, this park’s lineup includes Volkanu: Quest for the Golden Idol — an award-winning attraction from Sally Dark Rides, which has produced interactive rides for Legoland, Six Flags and other top parks around the world. That’s just one attraction in a park that offers a much more impressive attempt at theming and original backstory than one typically finds at regional amusement parks.

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Southern Indiana’s Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari remains one of my favorite family-owned parks in the United States. Offering free parking, free sunscreen and free soft drinks, Holiday World also includes three of the best wooden roller coasters in the country, along with a great Bolliger & Mabillard wing coaster, and Splashin’ Safari delivers the world’s biggest collection of water coasters.

Finally, check out Herschend Family Entertainment’s Silver Dollar City, in Branson, Mo., and Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Dolly Parton’s theme park and its sibling both deliver great thrills, fun entertainment and tasty food with friendly customer service.

Theme park fans do not have to limit themselves to the big parks. Plenty of great alternatives await those who are willing to look around for something fresh.

​ Orange County Register 

15 must-read books coming summer 2023 (and beyond)

• June 27, 2023

Summer is about more than beach reads.

Don’t get us wrong — there’s nothing wrong with taking something light and escapist to your favorite oceanside spot, but it’s also perfectly fine to retreat to the darkest, most air-conditioned room you can find with a book, a glass of water (or whatever), and try to forget that triple digits are on the way.

Related: 17 must-read summer romance novels

And you have a lot to choose from this summer. Whether you prefer literary fiction that will make you think, thrillers that will have you on edge, or nonfiction deep-dives into fascinating subjects, we’ve got you covered. 

Here are 15 of the most exciting titles to look forward to this summer.

“The Librarianist”

Author: Patrick deWitt

What It’s About: The latest novel from the beloved Canadian American author (“The Sisters Brothers,” “French Exit”) follows Bob Comet, a retired librarian in Portland, Oregon, who begins volunteering at a senior center — and comes to terms with his own complicated past.

Publication Date: July 4

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“Sucker”

Author: Daniel Hornsby

What It’s About: In the new satirical horror novel from the “Via Negativa” author, the owner of a punk-rock label is forced by his billionaire dad to get a real job. He does, at a biotech outfit that seeks to reinvent medicine, but he soon discovers dark (very dark) secrets inside the company’s sprawling campus.

Publication Date: July 11

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“When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era”

Author: Donovan X. Ramsey

What It’s About: L.A. journalist Ramsey revisits one of the most painful times in modern American history: the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, which devastated the lives of countless people. He argues the communities affected by the drug, and a racist policing and prison system, deserve resources to help them rebuild.

Publication Date: July 11

Related: 12 must-read mysteries for summer and beyond

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“Strip Tees: ​​A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles”

Author: Kate Flannery

What It’s About: Flannery moved from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles at the turn of the millennium to take a job at a new clothing company called American Apparel, which soon became a staple of hipsters nationwide. Her memoir tells the story of her realization that there was something not right lingering at the heart of the hip, sex-positive company.

Publication Date: July 18

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“Onlookers: Stories”

Author: Ann Beattie

What It’s About: A new book from Beattie (“Love Always,” “Another You”) is always a reason to celebrate. Her latest one is a collection of short stories focusing on people in Charlottesville, Virginia, after the Unite the Right rally and in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publication Date: July 18

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“Family Lore”

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

What It’s About: Acevedo, the nation’s Young People’s Poet Laureate, is the highly decorated author of young adult novels including “The Poet X” and “Clap When You Land.” She makes her adult fiction debut this summer with a novel about a Dominican American woman who can predict the date people will die – and who summons her family and friends to a “living wake.”

Publication Date: Aug. 1

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“The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store”

Author: James McBride

What It’s About: McBride stunned readers with his novels including the National Book Award-winning “The Good Lord Bird” and the Gotham Book Prize-winning “Deacon King Kong.” His latest follows the residents of Chicken Hill, a tight-knit African American and Jewish neighborhood in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

Publication Date: Aug. 8

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“Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong’s Rendezvous with American History”

Author: Yunte Huang

What It’s About: L.A. native Wong was the world’s first Chinese American movie star, celebrated for her performances in “The Thief of Bagdad” and “Piccadilly.” This biography, written by UC Santa Barbara English professor Huang, follows her from Hollywood to Berlin to Shanghai — and then to Santa Monica, where she died in 1961 at the age of 56.

Publication Date: Aug. 22

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“The Deadline: Essays”

Author: Jill Lepore

What It’s About: New Yorker staff writer and Harvard professor Lepore has written books on subjects including King Philip’s War, Wonder Woman, and the data-mining Simulmatics Corporation. Her latest collects essays touching on everything from lockdowns to Bratz dolls (remember those?).

Publication Date: Aug. 29

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“Terrace Story”

Author: Hilary Leichter

What It’s About: Brooklyn author Leichter’s debut novel, “Temporary,” was a hit with critics and readers. Her sophomore effort is based on a short story she published in Harper’s magazine; it follows a family who discovers a secret terrace in their claustrophobic apartment, which only appears when a friend comes to visit.

Publication Date: Aug. 29

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“Happiness Falls”

Author: Angie Kim

What It’s About: Kim won an Edgar Award for her 2019 mystery novel “Miracle Creek,” which earned the author comparisons to authors including Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty. Her new book tells the story of a Virginia family whose lives are thrown into disarray when their patriarch disappears without a trace.

Publication Date: Aug. 29

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“The Fraud”

Author: Zadie Smith

What It’s About: The British author of “White Teeth” and “On Beauty” returns with her first novel in seven years. It’s inspired by the Tichborne case, a trial that captured the imagination of the U.K. in the mid-19th century, in which an Australian man claimed that he was the rightful heir to a British baronetcy.

Publication Date: Sept. 5

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“The Vaster Wilds”

Author: Lauren Groff

What It’s About: One of America’s most celebrated novelists, Groff has a lot of fans — including former President Barack Obama, who called the author’s “Fates and Furies” his favorite book of 2015. Her latest novel follows a young servant girl who escapes her captivity and is forced to fend for herself in the wilderness.

Publication Date: Sept. 12

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“The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts”

Author: Loren Grush

What It’s About: Bloomberg News reporter Grush tells the true story of the six women who were selected by NASA to be astronauts, including Sally Ride, who became the first American woman to go to space, and Judith Resnik, who was killed in the 1986 Challenger disaster.

Publication Date: Sept. 12

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“American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15”

Authors: Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson

What It’s About: The two Wall Street Journal reporters team up on a book that explores the history of the rifle, which was invented in a Los Angeles garage by machinist Eugene Stoner – whose children said in 2016 he’d intended it for the military, not civilian, use. The book also asks why Americans are so obsessed with the gun, which has been used in mass shootings in the U.S. including the San Bernardino 2015 mass shooting and the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, which left 58 dead and hundreds injured.

Publication Date: Sept. 26

Related links

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17 must-read summer romance novels
‘Translation State’ author Ann Leckie on Octavia Butler, AI & more
Sign up for the free Book Pages newsletter about books, authors, reading and more

​ Orange County Register 

On the Janus Supreme Court ruling anniversary, we remind public employees of their rights

• June 27, 2023

On this date five years ago, the United States Supreme Court freed public employees from forced unionization.  The court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that public employees can’t be forced to pay fees to a union if they don’t want to pay dues. Today, we remind public employees of their Janus rights.

“The First Amendment is violated when money is taken from nonconsenting employees for a public-sector union; employees must choose to support the union before anything is taken from them,” ruled the court in a majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito in the Janus case.

The petitioner in the case was Illinois public employee Mark Janus who disagreed with many of the public policy and collective bargaining decisions of the union that represented him. Yet even as a non-member of union, he was compelled to pay “agency dues,” equivalent to about 78% of regular union dues. Ostensibly, this was to cover the cost of the union’s collective bargaining activities.

The case was a follow-up to Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, a case brought by Orange County teacher Rebecca Friedrichs challenging similar arrangements. Unfortunately, Justice Antonin Scalia died before the case was decided, yielding a 4-4 vote among the eight remaining justices.

Fortunately, both Friedrichs and Janus were ultimately vindicated and the First Amendment rights of public employees upheld by the court.

Public employees across the nation have rightly taken the opportunity to exercise their rights not to financially support unions they don’t want to financially support.

According to the Freedom Foundation, the four largest government unions in the country (AFSCME, SEIU, National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers) have lost 10% of their members, with more than 700,000 public employees dropping union membership.

Here in California, the California Policy Center has actively worked to educate and inform public employees of their right to opt-out of union membership and union dues. Those interested in opting out can visit https://mypaymysay.com.

Public sector unions, it must be remembered, are distinct from private sector unions. As good government activist Philip Howard recently put it, “Their incentives are different, because public workers are not at risk of overreach. If a private union asks for inefficient work rules, the company will go out of business or move to another place and they will lose their jobs. But government can’t move.”

All around us, Californians can see the harmful impact of public sector union overreach. From costly infrastructure projects to failing schools to antiquated public institutions, public sector unions are a drain on the public coffers and a barrier to innovation and reform.

​ Orange County Register 

12 free summer concert series events in Southern California

• June 27, 2023

Summer has finally arrived and the warmer weather also means the return of a local tradition: free summer concerts.

With eclectic lineups spanning a wide variety of music genres, these concert events that are popping up all over Southern California do not require a ticket.

If plunking down hundreds or thousands of dollars to see acts like Taylor Swift, Metallica, Morgan Wallen, Blackpink and Beyoncé is not in the budget this year, here are a dozen spots to catch free live entertainment this summer.

Some events require free advance reservation. Check the official websites for details.

City of Glendale Free Summer Concerts

The shows are happening at three locations from Wednesday, July 5 through Friday, Aug. 25 featuring tribute, party, pop and rock bands, as well as swing ensembles and other types of music. The series kicks off at Vergudo Park on July 5 with The Curse, a Cure tribute band. On Friday, July 7 the series takes place at the Brand Library and Art Center Lawn with the Blue Breeze Band playing Motown tunes while the shows at City Hall’s Perkins Plaza start on Thursday, July 27 with the Verdugo Swing Society.

When/Where: 7 p.m. Wednesdays at Verdugo Park, 1621 Canada Boulevard; 7 p.m. Thursdays at City Hall’s Perkin Plaza, 613 E. Broadway; and 7 p.m. Fridays at Library and Art Center, 1601 W. Mountain Street.

Information: glendaleca.gov

ALSO SEE: OC Parks announces the lineup for its free 2023 Summer Concert Series

Grand Performances in Los Angeles

Global music takes center stage through Saturday, Aug. 26 at the California Plaza in the heart of downtown L.A. The series started in June and upcoming highlights include a Saturday, July 15 show by Chicano jazz pioneer Garrett Saracho. On Saturday, July 29 Native-American and African-American singer Martha Redbone performs a mix of folk, blues, and gospel; Dublab will host a tribute to the late Art Laboe on Saturday, Aug. 5; and in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, DJ Battlecat will perform with a live band on Saturday,  Aug. 12.

When: 6-10 p.m. every Saturday through Aug. 26.

Where: 350 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles

Information: grandperformances.org

La Santa Cecilia is performing a July 22 show as part of the Levitt Pavilion’s free summer concert series. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda/ San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles

MacArthur Park becomes a musical hotspot every summer thanks to this free musical series that’s bringing more than 30 shows to the area this year. The series includes several genres of music from cumbia and salsa to rock and jazz and hip-hop and soul. The upcoming weekend of music includes R&B artist Tolliver and drag and performance art collective Haus of Derma on Friday, July 7 followed by a night of Rock, cumbia and Mexican Folklorico with sets by Amandititita, El Conjunto Nuevo Ola and Pacifico Dance Company on Saturday, July 8. On Sunday, July 9 it’s a night of Latin alt-rock with Virrey, plus the sounds of Sirreño, which is an offshoot of Regional Mexican music, with Los Del Momento. One of the biggest shows will likely be the Saturday, July 22 performance by Grammy winning Latin fusion stars La Santa Cecilia.

When: 7-10 p.m. on Fridays-Saturdays; 5-8 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 3

Where: MacArthur Park, 2230 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles

Information:  levittlosangeles.org

Manhattan Beach Concerts in the Park

Blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics are encouraged at Polliwog Park for the city’s free summer concert series, which runs Sunday, July 2-Sunday, Sept. 3. It all kicks off with the Satin Dollz, who will take you back in time with a performance reminiscent of the WWII USO Camp Shows. Then it’s back to the ’90s with So Rad, a band that plays rock and pop songs from the that era on Sunday, July 9.

When: 5-7 p.m. July 2-Sept. 3

Where: Polliwog Park Amphitheater, 1601 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach

Information: manhattanbeach.gov

ALSO SEE: 32 free summer concerts coming to Levitt Pavilion in Los Angeles

MoVal Rocks in Moreno Valley

Moreno Valley is putting it’s new City Amphitheater to use this summer with its MoVal Rocks concert series, which runs Thursdays through Aug. 3. There’s no show on July 6, but the music comes back with the country and rock cover band Silver Lining on July 13.

When: 6:30 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 3.

Where: Civic Center Amphitheater, 14075 Frederick Street, Moreno Valley

Information: moval.org

Music lovers dance to the music of the band Ozomatli during a concert in the OC Parks 2022 Summer Concert Series at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton on Thursday, June 23, 2022. The series returned this summer and runs through Aug. 24. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

OC Parks Summer Concert Series

The annual series is held at various parks throughout the county on Thursday evenings and runs through Aug. 24. The series brings a variety of musical acts including well known touring bands like The Rembrandts at Irvine Regional Park on July 6 and Ozomatli to the same park on July 13. Patrons are able to bring their own picnic items and blankets for seating. On-site concessions will be available for purchase.

When:  5-8 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 24.

Where: Craig Regional Park is located at 3300 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton; Mason Regional Park, 18712 University Dr., Irvine; Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange; Carbon Canyon Regional Park, 4442 Carbon Canyon Road, Brea; Mile Square Regional Park, 6801 Euclid Street, Fountain Valley; Bluff Park at Salt Creek Beach, 33333 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point.

Information: ocparks.com

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Ontario Summer Concert Series

If you don’t want to buy tickets to the real deal, or maybe your favorite band isn’t around anymore, then the lineup of tribute bands at Ontario’s summer concert series is for you. The concerts take place at Ontario Town Square through Thursday, Aug. 8. The upcoming show on Wednesday, July 5 will feature Britain’s Finest, a Beatles tribute band. Then on Thursday, Aug. 10 the series moves over to Celebration Park North with a show by Prizmatic, a Katy Perry tribute band. The series ends at Celebration Park on Thursday,  Aug. 31 with Red Hot Tribute, a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band.

When: 5:30 p.m. through Aug. 31

Where: Ontario Town Square,  224 North Euclid Ave. and Celebration Park North, 4980 South Celebration Ave., Ontario

Information: ontarioca.gov

Pomona Concert Band

Patriotic music, Broadway tunes, classical and pop music will make up the lineup of songs for the Pomona Concert Band’s 76th annual Summer Concert Series. Guests are invited to bring picnic baskets and blankets to enjoy the show. On-site concessions will be available for purchase.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 31.

Where:  G. Stanton Selby Bandshell in Ganesha Park, 1575 North. White Ave., Pomona

Information: pomonaconcertband.org

Riverside Concerts in the Park

The musical summer continues in Riverside with the city’s annual Concerts in the Park series, which runs Wednesdays through July 26. Guests are encouraged to dance along to Top 40 cover act C4 on July 12; break out the cowboy hat and boots for country singer Brent Payne on July 19; and rock out to the hits with Top 40 cover act The Hodads on July 26.

When: 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays through July 26

Where: Fairmount Park, 2601 Fairmount Blvd., Riverside

Information: riversideca.gov

Seal Beach Summer Concerts

This beach concerts take place on Wednesday evenings at the base of the Seal Beach Pier in Eisenhower Park starting July 5-Aug. 9. It launches with U2 tribute band L.A. Vation on July 5. Other highlights include Doors Tribute band Strange Days on July 26; Country music cover band Redneck Rodeo on Aug. 2; and ’60s, ’70s and ’80s cover band The Emperors on Aug. 9. Seating is first come, first served and guests are allowed to bring picnic items, lawn chairs and blankets.

When: 6-8 p.m. July 5-Aug. 9

Where: Eisenhauer Park, Ocean Ave. and Main Street, Seal Beach

Information: sealbeachchamber.org

Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts

The City of Irvine wants to make summers sizzle with a trio of free concerts at Mike Ward Community Park. The party starts on Saturday, July 22 with the first show featuring Acme Time Machine performing ’50s and ’60s tunes. On Saturday, Aug. 5 the Tijuana Dogs will bring an energetic performance to the stage with Top 40 covers. The series ends Saturday, Aug. 19 with the cool, soulful sounds of DW3.

When: 5:30 p.m. July 22, Aug. 5 and 19.

Where: Mike Ward Community Park, 20 Lake Road, Irvine

Information: cityofirvine.org

Torrance Summer Nights

No matter what kind of musical jams you’re into, chances are the Torrance Summer Nights series will have a band you can rock out to. The series, which also includes movies and other performances, runs through Sunday, Sept. 3 at Wilson Park Amphitheater. The series kicked off in June and the next performance features alt rockers Manuel the Band on Sunday, July 2. Other highlights include the Big Butter Jazz Band on Saturday, July 15; Andy & Renee a Bob Dylan tribute on Saturday, Aug. 12; and the series wraps up with Petty Theft, a Tom Petty tribute on Sept. 3.

When: Various times and dates through Sept. 3

Where: Wilson Park Amphitheater, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance

Information: arts.torranceca.gov

​ Orange County Register 

Tom Rachman’s novel ‘The Imposters’ peers inside an aging writer’s mind

• June 27, 2023

In the opening pages of Tom Rachman’s “The Imposters,” we meet an aging British couple, Dora and Barry—she’s a novelist with a small and diminishing audience, he’s a divorce lawyer turned couples therapist. Their scenes are emotionally nuanced and grounded until the moment Dora is waiting for Barry to come downstairs.

“Nobody comes downstairs. Nobody is upstairs, or anywhere else in this house,” Rachman writes. “Only Dora, pondering a fictional character, this husband Barry, based on someone she met in passing once, and written into a story that isn’t quite working, as none of her stories quite work anymore.”

Related: Sign up for our free newsletter about books, authors, reading and more

Rachman enjoys gently tugging the rug underneath the readers throughout his book as Dora faces her cognitive decline and tries to finish one last novel before taking her life. In between hearing directly from Dora in her diaries, we read lightly connected chapters that read as short stories about people from Dora’s lives, from her daughter to a deliveryman. 

Dora is not reporting truthfully but conjuring up new worlds and relationships for these people as she grows increasingly isolated, particularly as Covid sends the world into lockdown. 

Some of her stories are comedic, like the story of Danny, another struggling novelist who makes one faux pas after another at a literary festival, while others are deadly serious, like the story of Amir, who tries returning home to Syria for his father’s funeral only to be detained and tortured. We eventually get glimpses of the “real” people beyond these imposters.

This is the fourth novel by Rachman, and it hits stores June 27. His first, “The Imperfectionists,” centered on newspaper journalists and was a best seller. All of his books, which include “The Rise & Fall of Great Powers” and “The Italian Teacher,” earned critical acclaim and share some thematic similarities.

“It isn’t conscious, but I’ve noticed that I keep writing about the culture, both in terms of the arts and in terms of political culture,” Rachman said in a recent video interview from his home in England. “I was a journalist for a long time, so I feel quite connected to the political world and the history that’s breaking around us. I also have a professional and personal interest in what’s happening to the arts.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q. Your characters often feel isolated, even, or especially, from their families. That’s especially true of Dora.  

The loneliness of the characters pushes through all these books. Many are desperately yearning for human connection and sometimes they’re woefully disappointed with what they’ve found in their family. Like Dora, they’re looking out the window at other lives. 

I felt that had a resonance during the pandemic, which is when I was writing. A writer—Dora, or me— spends all this time looking at a screen and imagining people and the larger world and then bringing them to life on that screen. You’re in isolation but surrounding yourself with humanity. You can see everything going on all at once online but you also feel like you’re missing out. Covid seemed like a strange echo of this life. 

Q. Do you feel isolated when you’re writing?

I can never tell if writing is a pathetic attempt by me to escape or if it’s an enrichment of life. When I’m doing it, it feels blissful, being lost in my imagination, conjuring things, taking aesthetic pleasure in trying to piece it all together. But I also do it to escape the world sometimes. In terrible periods of my life, I’d disappear into the story. 

Q. One character says, “That’s the real midlife crisis: You’re irrelevant.” Do you worry about that for you and for novelists in general?

The question of relevance is at the heart of this book. In our society, it feels increasingly like literature is in a marginal place and that’s saddening to me. When I was young, I dreamed of accessing the literary world. Now that world is smaller and less pertinent. The age when a novelist could have imagined being on the cover of Time magazine is now as unimaginable as actually reading Time magazine.

Separately, I’m constantly thinking, maybe it’s just me. People might roll their eyes and say, “Novels aren’t dead, just your perspective.” I’m open to that possibility. Either way, it’s not good news. 

Q. This novel feels darker than your others. Was it the pandemic, existential issues like the climate crisis and democracies faltering, or things going on in your life that fed this mood?

It’s all the things you just said. The book has humor all the way through but this does feel like a world in jeopardy — the absolute chaos that climate change is bringing, the extremist politics shredding democracy, which is making people lose faith in the system and human beings, and also the elements of technology that arrive as marvels but transform our lives in ways that aren’t marvelous. It feels like things are out of our control now.

And I was writing when the pandemic hit. It also speaks of a darker time in my life. I was having a hard time and struggling to write and all that came out in the book.

Q. What motivates Dora as she works without a publishing deal and while fretting about her cognitive decline?

It seems like she’s trying to recall and recount her life but then you realize it’s more of a way to correct or amend it — not necessarily better it in every case but to try and revise reality. Dora is trying to create the life she wanted. Writers are often looking for characters on the page that accord with the world they’d like or the world they understand. 

She longs for that fictional Barry to live with her but knows she couldn’t have lasted two weeks with him. She’s looking back and wondering if she got it all wrong and whether she could have done things differently or if that’s just who she is. 

Q. As Dora creates characters based on real people, were you trying to get us thinking about how novelists utilize real people in their books?

It is a playful way to mess around with that. There’s an odd interplay between what’s real and what the writer creates.

With my first book, people kept saying, “You based this character on so-and-so” with absolute certainty. But what happens is I take tiny little details that are true — like the way someone holds their pencil — but then the character takes on a separate life. When I first started out, if I’d get stuck I’d base a character on somebody I know, but those characters were always terrible. They never came to life. 

Q. In one lighter moment, Danny says to Dora, “I might be one of your characters” to which she retorts, “Oh, you are. Are you only realizing that now?” That felt pretty meta. 

I enjoy playing with that ambiguity — it’s meant to make the reader pause and wonder, but I didn’t do too much of that because it separates the concept from the story. You want the reader to be in the story and only occasionally to think from a different angle. If you just are pointing out the artifice, it can become an ironic display that’s irritating to read.

Q. Are you often thinking about people as potential characters?

There’s often a dissonance between the superficial thin version of people you encounter during the course of your day and the certainty that there’s a huge amount more in everyone’s lives, whether it’s your bank teller or bus driver. Writers are curious about other people’s lives, about getting into their rooms, their thoughts and their hearts.

​ Orange County Register 

3 Camp Pendleton Marines among 4 people killed in weekend crash on the 5 Freeway in Downey

• June 27, 2023

Three of the four people killed in a single-vehicle crash on the southbound Santa Ana (5) Freeway in Downey were Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton, authorities said Monday.

All four were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that occurred at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday north of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Two of the deceased Marines were assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The third Marine was assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, according to First Lt. Sean Waterman at Camp Pendleton.

On Monday, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified three of the individuals killed as Daniel Nichols, 26, Joshua Moore Jr., 27, and Rodrigo Zermeno Gomez, 21.  The name of the fourth victim was withheld, pending notification of relatives.

It was not immediately announced which of the victims identified were Marines.

Authorities believe the crash occurred after the driver of a Dodge Challenger lost control of their vehicle for an unknown reason and hit a guard rail on the side of the freeway before slamming into the wall beneath the Lemoran Avenue pedestrian bridge, according to KCAL.

The force of the collision “caused the vehicle to split in two, subsequently ejecting the two rear passengers onto the right shoulder,” said a statement from the California Highway Patrol.

KCAL reported all were ejected during the crash.

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​ Orange County Register 

Angels beat White Sox when Mike Trout scores on wild pitch in 9th

• June 27, 2023

ANAHEIM — Mike Trout, who has struggled at the plate this season more than any other year of his career, stepped up after striking out in all three of his previous trips on Monday night, looking for anything to turn around the game for him and the Angels.

He was still able to produce a run, first by drawing a walk, then by stealing third base. Trout then scrambled home with the winning run on a wild pitch in the Angels’ 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

“I was grinding the first three at-bats,” Trout said, “but I had a good at-bat in the ninth, got on base. I haven’t been running, but I tried to take a chance to help the team. It was a good opportunity to make something happen.”

After Trout walked, he went to second on a Shohei Ohtani walk. Then they both moved up on steals, just the second of the season for Trout. With one out and Mike Moustakas at the plate, Aaron Bummer threw a pitch past catcher Yasmani Grandal, and Trout came home with a head-first slide to end the pitchers’ duel.

The Angels’ other run was on Ohtani’s major league-leading 26th homer, a 446-foot shot in the fourth inning.

“My two best stepped up today,” Manager Phil Nevin said of Trout and Ohtani. “Usually you win those.”

The Angels needed to win one after losing four of five games last week, including two of three against the last-place Colorado Rockies.

This decisive run came too late for starter Reid Detmers to get the victory he deserved after he allowed one run in seven innings. He lowered his ERA to 1.05 in his last four starts.

Detmers struck out 10, making him the third pitcher in Angels history to have four straight starts allowing one run or fewer with eight strikeouts or more. Ohtani and Nolan Ryan, who did it twice, are the others.

“Just commanding the zone,” Detmers said of his recent improvement. “I think that’s been huge. Throwing everything in the zone and then expanding when I need to.”

The streak has helped Detmers cut his season ERA to 3.77, which is exactly what it was during his breakout rookie season in 2022.

Many figured Detmers would be even better this season, in part because he had added velocity to his best pitch, his slider. Lately, though, Detmers has been throwing his slider with less velocity at times, which he said gives the hitters more of a mix to keep them off balance.

Nevin compared it to Ohtani, who can throw the same pitch in a variety of ways to confuse hitters.

“I think (Detmers) watches the guy who pitches after him (Ohtani) and he’s understanding manipulating the ball and throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters and using your defense,” Nevin said. “I know he had 10 punchouts today. He’s able to get strikeouts. But he’s also able to get a lot of soft contact with changing speeds and changing shapes on his pitches. He’s really starting to understand what pitching is all about. When you have the kind of stuff he has and that comes together, usually good things happen.”

On Monday night Detmers gave up a homer to Luis Robert Jr. in the first inning, but he retired everyone else in the first four innings. In the fifth, he gave up a leadoff single and then a walk, but he responded with three straight strikeouts.

Detmers pitched a perfect sixth and then worked around a one-out walk to get through the seventh with 105 pitches.

Jacob Webb pitched a perfect eighth and then closer Carlos Estévez got through the ninth with the help of a double play, setting up the Angels for the winning rally in the bottom of the inning.

The victory moved the Angels (43-37) back to six games over .500 with one game to go before the midpoint of the season. They’ve had encouraging stretches and frustrating ones, but starting pitching like what Detmers has provided certainly gives them a chance at more winning baseball in the second half.

“We’ve got a good squad, obviously,” Detmers said. “It doesn’t always show, but that’s baseball. Just gotta keep our heads down and keep going. There’s not a whole lot to it.”

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ANGELS WIN@Angels | #GoHalos | #LTBU pic.twitter.com/m74kOmHmL8

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) June 27, 2023

Trout sounds off on the walk-off W! @EricaLWeston | @Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/h8M7UUkHGJ

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) June 27, 2023

Reid Detmers joins Shohei Ohtani (2022) and Nolan Ryan (2x) as the only Angels in franchise history with 1 or fewer ER and 8+ K in 4 consecutive pitching appearances. pic.twitter.com/qSHtxwlbnv

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 27, 2023

26 home runs
62 RBI
1.010 OPS

Shohei Ohtani leads all of baseball in each category. pic.twitter.com/7mDTv2aFhB

— MLB (@MLB) June 27, 2023

​ Orange County Register