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Lost LA
True Crime Fact or Fiction
Michael Connelly praises authors like Raymond Chandler, Joseph Wambaugh and Ross McDonald for his adoration of Los Angeles from afar. Once moving to the city, he found rich, colorful stories in the diversity of this city. Deeply intertwined, his career as a reporter informs his fiction work; in fact, his first published novel was actualized in part because of his access to detective briefings.
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From wildflowers to jacarandas, explore the plants that paint California in vibrant hues.
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Discover how the True Crime genre was shaped by its deep historic legacy in Los Angeles.
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Uncover the origins of the sci-fi genre and its unique connection to historic Los Angeles.
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Auto racing's LA roots, from dry lake beds to movie ranches, left tread marks across the region.
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Trace the devastation of the 1928 St. Francis Dam collapse and its deadly flood.
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How Cold War vigilance and secrecy shaped Southern California culture.
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The Space Shuttle Endeavour’s journey is traced from its origins.
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Tiki culture isn’t a Polynesian import — it’s a Hollywood creation.
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Archives reveal the “forgotten plague” that shaped Southern California: tuberculosis.
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Visit Hollywood Forever, Evergreen and Forest Lawn, where L.A. reinvented the cemetery.
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The hiker-activists who led Angelenos into their hills and onto the trails.