We hear a lot about New York writers and the history of places they wrote in and about so thought we'd begin a semi-regular series on the rich literary history of Los Angeles.
First of all, you can't write about Los Angeles writers without a big nod to Raymond Chandler. He lived in L.A. from 1912 - 1946 and all but one of his novels was made into a movie.
If you want to take a peek at his abode, you'd have to drive by 12216 Shetland Lane, Brentwood, CA. His character, Philip Marlowe, lived elsewhere - in the cliffs above High Tower Drive in the Hollywood Heights. You can go by and check out the high elevator tower that was described in the novels. (It's been used in countless movies - including 'Dead Again' in which Kenneth Branagh attempts an American accent while playing a modern detective).
Chandler renamed Los Angeles geography in his novels - e.g. Santa Monica Pier became The Bay City Pier; Malibu becomes Montemar Vista, and Silverlake becomes Gray Lake. They are renamed but if you're familiar with the layout, the references are obvious.
Chandler had a love-hate relationship with Los Angeles - the physical descriptions were lovely and haunting, while the detective struggled to stay honest in a corrupt town.
I read a great non-fiction book recently called A Bright and Guilty Place by Richard Rayner that is a record of not only the criminal activity that built our city, but also a love letter to the writers who made her immortal.
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