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CloseKevin Roderick writes nonfiction books, reports and edits for magazines and runs one of the most popular websites about his home city of Los Angeles.
An award-winning reporter and editor, he is a Contributing Writer on the masthead at Los Angeles magazine. He previously served as bureau chief in Los Angeles for The Industry Standard and as a staff writer and senior editor for projects at the Los Angeles Times. He has reported extensively about the politics, culture and history of Los Angeles and California, and on topics as varied as the environment, urban design, Hollywood, travel, sports and the first Persian Gulf War. While an editor at the Times, he shared in Pulitzer Prizes awarded to the local staff for coverage of the Northridge earthquake and the Los Angeles riots.
His magazine pieces have appeared in Los Angeles, Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Times Magazine and L.A. Architect. A sampling of his articles is on the Journalism page.
In May 2003 Kevin started the popular media and culture website LAObserved. The daily blog is widely read by journalists, professionals, bloggers and politicians and is regularly cited in the national media. Forbes magazine singled out LAObserved for a Best of the Web award in 2005. Kevin also created and edits America's Suburb.com, a website that explores the history and culture of the San Fernando Valley.
His latest book, Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles, was published on November 1, 2005 by Angel City Press. His first book, The San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb (Los Angeles Times Books, 2001), receives praise as a valuable addition to the literature of Los Angeles.
Kevin is in demand as a speaker about journalism and blogging, and has served as a judge for writing awards presented by PEN Center and the Online News Association. He has spoken by invitation at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, the University of Florida School of Journalism, California State University Northridge, Glendale College, the Los Angeles History Conference and the "Los Angeles Times Festival of Books." He has been interviewed by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles Independent, Downtown News, Boston Globe, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Jose Mercury, St. Petersburg Times, National Public Radio, Associated Press and UPI. He has also appeared on Los Angeles television on KCET's Life and Times and Connie Martinson Talks Books, and on the radio programs Airtalk with Larry Mantle, Deadline L.A., Sound Exchange and Which Way, L.A.?
As you might expect, he lives in Los Angeles.