An L.A. story, years in the making

Paul Saitowitz

After thinking about writing a book for almost five years before

getting the ball rolling, and then watching that ball roll for a

decade until it became the size of a skyscraper, Newport Beach

resident Lisa Iyer can finally call herself an author.

Along with co-author Armen Antonian, Iyer’s “The L.A. Sensation”

is an in-depth look at the culture of Los Angeles -- both high and

low, and its reflection throughout the globe. .

“We spent so long working on this off and on, and now that it is

complete I feel like I can really consider myself a writer,” Iyer

said.

The book explores how a city, once thought of as a remote western

outpost, has become a worldwide cultural leader, for the most part

because of the media.

The resounding theme throughout the book is that what separates

the city from other municipalities its ability to spawn emulation

from what’s projected about it on celluloid.

“Hollywood is what people think about when this area is brought

up,” Iyer said. “It’s what projects L.A. culture.”

Although that seems like a no-brainer, Iyer goes on to explore the

influence that image can have on cultures around the world. Iyer and

Antonian explore L.A.’s influence on two levels. They look at the

image people have of the city, covering the houses inhabited by the

uber-wealthy and the middle class. But they go deeper, exploring

historical social shifts. “People from all over watch films, and

these films demonstrate everything from the wealthy sect to the

street culture of L.A., and that has ingrained itself in people from

all over,” Iyer said. “It’s in everything from fashion to

architecture.”

The book begins with the history of the city and then goes into

the migration of the film industry from the East Coast to Tinsel

Town.

The social invasion of the “cafe culture” of Europe and New York

and the way it took off in Los Angeles are themes of this period.

“This was basically the start of the marriage between wealth and

celebrity,” she said. “The is where the image of the glamour and

glitz began, and it was also kind of the beginning of the impact of

pop and street culture in this area.”

Los Angeles luminaries such as Caroline Ahmanson, “the Grand Dame

of L.A.,” chef Wolfgang Puck and Oscar-winning producer Alan Ladd Jr.

(“Braveheart”) are all interviewed and offer different views and

insights into what the image of the city means to them.

Iyer, who grew up in Orange County and holds a doctorate in

comparative literature, had a different view of L.A. before taking on

this project.

“I was always under the impression that the East Coast and the Bay

Area were the intellectual centers ... but Los Angles is definitely

well represented in that area.”