L.A. is the Capital of Kansas: Painful Lessons in Post-New York Living

by Richard Meltzer

A writer who formerly lived and worked in New York City lampoons Los Angeles on everything from L.A.'s ugly buildings and losing sports teams to its shallow people and lousy entertainment.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

246 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1988

About the author

Rock critic, performer and writer. He is considered by some rock historians to be the first to write real analysis of rock and roll and is credited with inventing "rock criticism".

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a couple of copies of this book from Richard Meltzer recently (gave them out as part of a Kickstarter package) and realized I didn't have it rated on my Goodreads list (I'm a little anal about my Goodreads as you might know). So, here it is. Four big juicy stars for the legendary Mr. Meltzer. If you can find this one (or The Night Alone or Gulcher), it's really a wonderful display of how fun and funny and goofballtastic Meltzer is. The fact is Meltzer can and will write about ANYTHING! He's an acrobat of the trivial details of the human condition and his prose is absolutely bullshit-free.
He tells me he has finished another book that he thinks is his best but can't find a publisher interested. It would be a shame if the old man just fades away without his final hoorah.
But I digress. This book came out in 1988 and it's full of gems that still hold up.

[Peter Landau · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the longest time I refused to read L.A. IS THE CAPITAL OF KANSAS: PAINFUL LESSONS IN POST-NEW YORK LIVING. Not because I didn’t like Richard Meltzer. I loved Richard Meltzer. I read some of his earlier books when I was younger and they were brash, irreverent and absurd like the punk rock I loved. There’s a freedom and creativity to his approach that’s as natural as most writing is predictable garbage. It was just that I picked the book up upon moving from New York to Los Angeles, New York being my hometown (just like Meltzer) and the only place I ever lived (just like Meltzer). I needed books enlightening me to the beauty of my newfound land, not supporting old cliches of shallowness, sunshine and ugliness. I read history, Chandler and was completely sold on the vitality of this much maligned place after viewing the great film LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF. Now I was ready for Meltzer’s brutal assault. Or so I thought. Like I said, it’s been a while since I’ve read his pyrotechnic prose, with all-caps, misspellings, abbreviations, tangents and rants, puns and put-ons, all bubbling in a pot of everything-goes stew. I was surprised to find my tolerance for the style had waned considerably. Some of the jokes fell flat, though he’s still funny, and some of the opinions are lockstep West Coast bashing from an East Coast transplant. But as I read on, more pieces appealed to me, and I could see the method in Meltzer’s madness. He hates, but that fuels him, and Los Angeles, is a good foil. He knew he needed something when he left New York in the mid-1970s. He got it, and even ends the book with a list of some of his favorite things in town, like Coltrane taking a sappy classic and breathing new life in it. Things change, or at least I do, but Meltzer doesn’t, not at his core, which isn't bad. He has integrity. I can respect that. Plus, it makes for a good rule to measure where I’m at.

[Nick Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meltzer rhymes with Seltzer, who knew?

[Vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all. If you've ever thought good thoughts about LA, this will cure you in a hurry. The stuff about Linda Ronstadt is both brutal and hilarious....

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Astro Burger in H-wood will be happy to see it get some love in this bk. I wonder if Astro Burger is even still around?

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

More screwed up syntax than any essayist I've ever read. Genius in spots. Other parts crap...

[Jon Y. · Rating 5 out of 5]

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