Julia Paskin
I think of myself as a reverse engineer when it comes to the experiences of Southern Californians. I work to understand and highlight stories from often unheard voices and work backwards to demonstrate how and why that experience is possible. From immigration, law enforcement, to homelessness, to the environment, how do laws and policies impact our lives? And what social, political, and environmental forces inform our experiences? What solutions work and who do they serve?
I grew up in an old New York City tenement, raised by a working-class, single mom (shout out to Mama Paskin). I came to California to study at CalArts and in search of lower rents (the misguided irony!) so issues of economic equity and the arts are both close to my heart. I came to journalism after working in the performing arts and then social justice and political organizing.
While I may have left NYC fleeing an unlivable economy, I stayed here after falling in love with Greater Los Angeles and all that our diverse communities have to offer. I have now spent nearly half my life here and have made an art of defending LA from anyone who dares to talk trash-- because anyone who doesn’t have anything nice to say about our town, just doesn’t know enough about it.
Julia is the weekend host of The L.A. Report podcast and Weekend Edition on LAist's sister station, 89.3 KPCC.
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Spend time with hundreds of local and tropical butterfly species at the Natural History Museum’s annual exhibit. -
Nyad defied expectations when she swam from Cuba to Florida at the age of 64. She and coach Bonnie Stoll apply their lessons in endurance to taking on ocean pollution.
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Lorrea Fuentes produces the popular free service with a passion for native plants and a poetic touch.
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Local nature expert shows you how to forage for edible invasive plants for a tasty salad, while restores habitat
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Not only is the renowned artist's latest exhibit at the Glendale Central Library, he has also designed a limited edition library card for it.
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Hate one woman shows? You’ll love this one.
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Check off your holiday season bucket lists by watching some of the local productions of the classic ballet.
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A quick guide to whale watching in Southern California.
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Southern California hosts a number of seasonal outdoor ice rinks no matter how warm the climate.
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Astra Lumina returns to the South Coast Botanic Garden this year, bringing an immersive light show to Palos Verdes.
