Jesse Katz

THE OPPOSITE FIELD: NOW IN PAPERBACK

In the June 2013 Los Angeles magazine, I reconnect with Freeway Ricky Ross, L.A.'s most famous dopeman--a subject who has captivated and confounded me for nearly two decades. On newsstands the last week of May. (Photo at left by Forest Casey.)

Writing for Alhambra Source, 2011 Mark Keppel High School graduate Max Katz reports on the other Alhambra--the San Gabriel Valley community's Iberian namesake--in "An Alhambran's Tales of The Alhambra."

The American Prospect's July/August 2012 Poverty Issue features my 7,500-word report (and Forest Casey's seven-photo spread) on street vending in MacArthur Park. Read a Web version of "The Geography of Getting By" here, or download a PDF of the original story here.

Catch the podcast of my May 30, 2012, appearance on KUCI's "Writers on Writing."

I discuss the Jesse James Hollywood murder story on Fatal Encounters, now in its second season on the Investigation Discovery network. Watch the preview here. Read the original L.A. Magazine piece here.

Dodgers sold to Magic Johnson-led group for $2 billion-plus. Read "MCCOURT V. MCCOURT," my postmortem on the divorce that forced the team into bankruptcy. Read my profile of Magic, "Master of Illusion," in the October 2003 Los Angeles magazine.

I was honored to moderate a conversation with Hector Tobar, author of the superb novel The Barbarian Nurseries, at the Los Angeles Central Library's ALOUD series, Jan. 26, 2012.

"Adventures in Coffeeland," Jesse Katz's overcaffeinated trek through the myths and realities of Kona coffee appeared in the October/November 2010 issue of Hana Hou! magazine. (Winner of two Hawaii Publishers Assn. Pa'i awards for editorial feature and business & industry reporting.)

Cheers to Forest Casey, the exceptional young photographer whose nighttime shot of La Loma graces the paperback edition of The Opposite Field. His portfolio is at forestcasey.com.

6/6/10: My Los Angeles magazine profile of college classmate Bret Easton Ellis, author of Less Than Zero and the forthcoming sequel Imperial Bedrooms, is now online.

5/17/10: My Los Angeles magazine profile of Bryan Cranston, Emmy-winning star of AMC's "Breaking Bad," is now online.

Read the Amazon reviews:

"A poignant, raw, beautiful memoir of life, love, family, fatherhood, growing up, community, baseball, immigration and the American dream. A great father's day gift and a charming summer read."

4/26/10: L.A. Times, Jacket Copy blog:

"Katz stated what all three authors attempted to get across in their books and the discussion: 'A park is not just a park and the game is not just a game,' he said. 'It is a mirror being held up.' "

1/15/10: The Orange County Register

"A compelling story about what it means to live and love in Los Angeles today."

12/31/09: L.A. Times

"A Dad Finds a Diamond in the Rough."

11/22/09: The Oregonian

"Jesse Katz's Memoir Tosses a Curveball into the Past."

10/30/09: Truthdig

"A moving meditation about baseball, politics, and the unease of negotiating a new kind of American place."

For a complete listing of stories about The Opposite Field, please visit "Press."

R - Z

Rap

"Rap Furor: New Evil or Old Story?" L.A. Times, Aug. 5, 1995.

Renner, Jeremy

"Call the Shots," Men's Health, September 2010.

Ricci, Christina

"Star Gazing," Los Angeles, March 2007.

Rojas, Nydia

"Nydia Rojas," Los Angeles, November 2001.

Romijn, Rebecca

"Market Fresh," Los Angeles, May 2006.

Roundabouts

"Traffic Roundabouts: Caltrans Plans to Go in Circles," L.A. Times, Aug. 27, 1988.

Santa Monica Farmer’s Market Tragedy

"Blood & Oranges," Los Angeles, September 2003.

Selena

"Dreaming of a Box-Office Hit in 'Selena,' " L.A. Times, March 17, 1997.

"Murder Turns Microscope on Sensation Called Selena," L.A. Times, Oct. 12, 1995.

"For Barrio, Selena's Death Strikes a Poignant Chord," L.A. Times, April 2, 1995.

"Latin Music Star Selena Shot, Killed in Texas Hotel," L.A. Times, April 1, 1995.

Simpson, O.J.

"Nicole Brown Anti-Abuse Charity Beset by Problems," L.A. Times, July 10, 1995.

"Nature of a Knife Attack Sets It Apart," L.A. Times, July 9, 1994.

"Lawyer Details Simpson's Day in Gripping Detail," L.A. Times, June 18, 1994.

Street Vendors

"The Geography of Getting By," The American Prospect, July/August 2012.

Southwest Airlines

"Southwest Airlines Is the (_____) Company on Earth," L.A. Times Magazine, June 9, 1996

Spittoono

"For Good or Ill, Spitting Happens," L.A. Times, Aug. 28, 1999.

Taco Trucks

"Wheels of Fortune," Los Angeles, October 2006.

Texana

"Texas Carves a Unique Niche," L.A. Times, Feb. 17, 1998.

"Atheist's Disappearance Causing a Crisis of Faith," L.A. Times, July 2, 1996.

"A Case of Art Gone Stray?" L.A. Times, Jan. 15, 1996.

"Tenacious Texan's Crusade," L.A. Times, Oct. 2, 1995.

"A Hero's Fame Leads to Tragedy," L.A. Times, May 24, 1995.

"As Subsidies Near End, Goat Ranchers Fear Extinction," L.A. Times, March 27, 1995.

"Hunting for Treasure on Hallowed Ground," L.A. Times, March 5, 1995.

Tournament of Roses

"Parade Crowd Takes Theme of Fun Seriously," L.A. Times, Jan. 2, 1990.

Tow Trucks

"Towing's 'Bird-Doggers' Race Streets for Business," L.A. Times, March 6, 1991.

"Tow Truck Driver Denies Manslaughter Guilt in Boy's Death," L.A. Times, Feb. 14, 1991.

"Boy Is Killed When Car Is Rammed by Tow Truck," L.A. Times, Feb. 12, 1991.

Watts

"The Test of Their Lives," Los Angeles, May 2007.

"Police Get Few Tips in Fatal Jordan Downs Blaze," L.A. Times, Sept. 12, 1991.

"Jordan Downs Takes First Steps toward Unity," L.A. Times, Sept. 11, 1991.

"Segregated Housing Sought at Jordan Downs," L.A. Times, Sept. 10, 1991.

Weights and Measures

"Heavy Duty Weights and Measures Inspectors Keep Things in Balance," L.A. Times, April 23, 1990.

Whitaker, Forest

"Raw Talent," Los Angeles, October 2006.

Zapata, Emiliano

"The Curse of Zapata," Los Angeles, December 2002.

Zeke the Sheik

"Zeke's Heap: Altadena Man's 30-Foot-High Compost Pile Raises a Stink," L.A. Times, March 9, 1990.