Holy Land is a real masterpiece. Waldie's thought, care, and attention to detail surface on every page.
The subject: Lakewood. Platonic ideal of suburb.
The tone: humane resignation entirely lacking in bitterness. Unsparing but affectionate without lapsing into derision at one pole or sentimentality at the other.
The narrator: As far as I can tell some unique combination of T.S. Elliot at the bank, J.L. Borges wandering his father's library, and James Lileks on qualudes.
The Southern California history and sociology lessons: Abundant
One of my favorite Lo-Cal books. You captured the tone very well. Have you considered copyrighting this format? I think fake has a big future.
Posted by: Peter Richardson | August 11, 2008 at 05:16 AM
Thanks for the encouragement, Peter! I fear the way things are going, the L.A.T. may have already copyrighted this short, bulleted format ;-)
As for Holy Land, I think it'll be read and respected two hundred years from now...
Posted by: Fake Angeleno | August 11, 2008 at 04:31 PM