Heather Laine Talley

Writer, teacher and sociologist; Editorial Collective member, The Feminist Wire

The "crazy" Zelda that has emerged in our popular imagination is as much Scott's making as The Great Gatsby itself. This is, in and of itself, part of the F. Scott legacy. His work depended on Zelda's silence.

William Bradley

Political Analyst, NewWestNotes.com

Season 2's slinky cool "The Jet Set" has been definitively dethroned as Mad Men's kookiest episode ever. We've gone from time out of mind to out of mind time.

Mike Sandler

Political economist, climate change professional and sustainability advocate

The first Indiana Jones movie opens with our hero having his prize stolen from him by a rival archeologist. No one remembers that the statue actually belongs to the Peruvian tribespeople. In 2013, Californians are witnessing an allegory with the repeated raiding of the revenues from the carbon price under state law AB32 that should be theirs.

James Scarborough

Man of Letters/Minor Critic

It's easy to see why The Fantasticks is the longest running production in the history of American theatre. It's equally easy to see why this is such a splendid production.

Tina Swithin

Author, Blogger and Freelance Travel Writer

The Discovery Route is perfectly situated along the California coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and is the ideal getaway for vacationing families or couples seeking the experience of a lifetime.

The 420 Times

Medical marijuana and natural healing magazine, the420times.com

Despite being banned, a large and growing hemp industry exists in the U.S. This is because hemp is legal to import from other countries; countries smarter than us when it comes to letting their farmers cultivate hemp.

Hoyt Hilsman

Journalist, screenwriter, critic and former candidate for Congress

Placido Domingo's collaboration with composer Lee Holdridge and librettist Richard Sparks dates back several decades and includes a number of commissioned operas for young audiences. The collaboration continues with the premiere of Dulce Rosa.

Hollye Harrington Jacobs

Nurse, Social Worker, Educator, Author www.TheSilverPen.com

We have two choices about how we handle painful life experiences: from a place of fear or optimism. When I was sick I chose (and it was a very active, decisive choice) optimism in the form of Silver Linings.

Gregory Weinkauf

Poet, pundit, award-winning entertainment writer, lives to dance

On Thursday night, the 9th of May, 2013, as a rainbow descended into Hollywood and a cotton-candy sunset filled the firmament of Beverly Hills, the Paley Center for Media L.A. celebrated a humor deity: the one and only Mel Brooks.

Randi Weingarten

President, American Federation of Teachers

America's public education system could be on the brink of a once-in-a-generation revolution. If implemented properly, we can provide all children with the problem-solving, critical-thinking and teamwork skills they need to compete in today's changing world. But that's a big "if."

Robert J. Elisberg

Screenwriter and columnist

I've written about Mike Stoller a few times before, always with his longtime partner Jerry Leiber of 60 years, one of the great songwriting teams in music history. When I say "legendary," and one of the great songwriting teams in music history, that is not hyperbole.

Richard C. Levin

President of Yale University

We leave together. You leave Yale College after four years; I leave the Yale Presidency after twenty. I find myself thinking about a Grateful Dead song written in 1970, the year I came to Yale as a graduate student. You know the words: "Lately it occurs to me, what a long, strange trip it's been." It's been a long trip, but, for us, more wonderful than strange.

Tracey Harnish

Los Angeles artist and arts blogger

There should be a warning for this movie, because while it's labeled a documentary, with its chiaroscuro lighting, it could be called an impressionist kaleidoscope dream, culled from real-life footage.

Jay Weston

Publisher, Jay Weston's Restaurant Newsletter

Move over Verdi, Puccini, Bizet... (not you, Mozart)... make room for Lee Holdridge and Richard Sparks. Who? These are the guys who have created a new opera, Dulce Rosa, which will enter the pantheon of great operas we all should see over and over again.

Deepak Chopra

Co-author, 'Brotherhood: Dharma, Destiny, and The American Dream'; Founder, The Chopra Foundation

As the uniting factor that sets us free, "consciousness" is a term that is repugnant to many scientists -- mostly from an older generation -- and mysterious to all. But that doesn't excuse blindness and neglect.

Russell Goldsmith and Michael Kelly

Whether you are building a rocket to Mars, an electric car, making a movie or just work and live in Southern California, everyone has a role to play in contributing to the ultimate success of the region.

Los Angeles magazine

Here Carlos Slim spoke candidly with Fernandez about the digital future, how he thinks technology is shaping society today, why philanthropy is the key to a happy life, and what he likes most about L.A.