KCRW's The Urban Man

The Tornado Down the Street

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 03 May 2010 21:44:00 EDT

Uranium

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:44:00 EDT

Once a Hollywood producer said to me, "You know, it only takes a little uranium to power a submarine. You can't run the sub without it, but it only takes a teeny tiny bit." He was a guy who creates large-scale fantasy films ? the submarines of his metaphor, and by the uranium, he meant that little spark of creativity, the small poetic impulse in the mind of the original writer...

A Tree Falls in the Forest

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:44:00 EDT

Sincere in Echo Park

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:44:00 EDT

Like most people in L.A., the urban man and his beautiful mate often go looking for sincerity. Sometimes we find it in our relationship, sometimes among friends, and sometimes out on the town. Tonight we're celebrating our anniversary, so of course, we kick off the evening with an hour trying to agree on a sincere restaurant. It would be easy if our goal were elegance or romance?but sincerity, well, that's a little harder to find...

Operatic Cool

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The L.A. Ring Festival begins next week: but this is no sidewalk jewelry sale on Venice beach. No, this is "Ring" as in "Ring of the Nibelungen," Richard Wagner's epic operatic cycle celebrating the destruction of the pagan gods and the birth of human love and freedom in a mysterious, but purifying apocalypse...

The God of the Future Tense

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:44:00 EDT

Money, Art, Money

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:44:00 EDT

Here in L.A., many people sacrifice to pursue art. Others sacrifice to pursue money. Then of course, lots of folks swing back and forth: Tick Tock, Tick Tock. It's the pendulum that drives plenty of clocks in this town: Art/Money. Money/Art. If we ever truly gave up one for the other, we wouldn't be happy. Except, apparently, for my friend Jack...

Bright Clothes on Wheels

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:44:00 EDT

Getting to the Story

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:44:00 EDT

Yesterday, I missed most of the Oscar telecast. Yes, it's true. I didn't tune in until they got to Best Actor. I tried hard, but I was delayed by traffic, and right around the time Mo'nique was giving her potent speech, I was transitioning anxiously from the 15 to the 10, caught up in a massive 3D experience of taillights and Taco Bells...

The Ever-Hungry Gods

podmaster@kcrw.org (Marc Porter Zasada) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:44:00 EDT

The other night, my friend John explained why America is not ready for health reform. I've quoted John before. He's an unsung philosopher who works as a carpenter out in the Valley. Like carpenters of old, he often speaks in an oracular fashion....