S5 Ep. 29: ‘A War I Saw Unfolding Firsthand’: Héctor Tobar Reflects on the 30th Anniversary of the L.A. Riots

fiction/non/fiction

Novelist and journalist Héctor Tobar joins Fiction/Non/Fiction hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to talk about the articles he wrote on the L.A. riots both as they took place in 1992 and this year on the 30th anniversary. Tobar also reads from his 2020 novel The Last Great Road Bum, and discusses how his fiction writing and journalism have informed each other.

This podcast is produced by Anne Kniggendorf.

Selected Readings:

Héctor Tobar

● The Last Great Road Bum

● Deep Down Dark

● The Tattooed Soldier

● Translation Nation

● The Barbarian Nurseries

● “The L.A. Riots Were 30 Years Ago. I’m Still Trying to Understand Them,” by Héctor Tobar

● “COLUMN ONE : South L.A. Burns and Grieves : Life has been hard in the neglected area for years. But now, as self-inflicted wounds mount, residents fear for the future,” by Hector Tobar and Jonathan Peterson

● “Tape of L.A. Police Beating Suspect Stirs Public Furor,” by Hector Tobar and Leslie Berger

Others:

● James Alan McPherson

● Ralph Ellison

● David Foster Wallace

● Roger Ebert

● Don Quixote, Cervantes

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices