The Week That Changed Los Angeles
Description
Writer Emily Witt (“Health and Safety: A Breakdown”) has spent the past two weeks on the ground covering the Los Angeles wildfires for The New Yorker.
Her latest story centers around the Benns (5:39 ), a multigenerational Black family with deep ties to Altadena (8:35 ), where they’ve raised children in homes they’ve owned dating back to the late 1950s (16:13 ). We discuss how they’re managing as the Eaton fire continues to rage (17:00 ), the value of community in crisis (18:40 ), and the measures the city was urged to take to mitigate this disaster (23:28 ).
On the back half, Witt reflects on her 2023 interview with Mayor Karen Bass (32:40 ), the prophetic work of Altadena author Octavia Butler (39:28 ), how on-the-ground reporting offers a chance to “write a first draft of history” (46:30 ), and where Los Angeles goes from here (56:10 ).
To help support the Benn family, visit their GoFundMe or text “Talk” to 858-358-5881.
And special thanks to Weyes Blood.
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