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In Los Angeles, we know what can be because we’ve been living in the future for a while. The pollution, the forever summers, the strange waves of humidity, the newish influx of ankle-biting mosquitos — L.A. is brilliant in its foreshadowing prowess. Urban theorist and historian Mike Davis once wrote, “L.A. already was everywhere.” The world plays catch-up to the city, and in turn we’re always on the precipice of the next fire.

The world’s climate future looks a lot like a weekly drive down Hollywood Boulevard or Wilton Place. One day you see an encampment on the sidewalk. The next week, same spot, it’s been swept away. Where did the people go? we wonder. Most of the time we never see them again. Just another reminder that in a lot of ways Octavia Butler was right all along. The seeds of dystopia and possibility are sprinkled everywhere, like the debris L.A. Sanitation and Environment leaves after a deep clean. Every day, we encounter IRL the world Butler’s books depicted.

Our parable in L.A. is one of overexposure; paradoxically, showing yourself too much could be the thing that makes you eventually disappear. It’s not just the unhoused who feel this sense of precarity; think of all those weekend warriors in their luxury car rentals showboating by the Santa Monica police headquarters on their way to ?lephante or the Shangri-La. Neither the gaudy nor the humble know what might wipe them out next. Living shouldn’t be so conditional.

How do you find hope in a place like this? Well, through memory and imagination, of course. Survival demands conscious actions. Which is why in this installment of Image we created some space for the homies to remember and to dream. They wrote us letters, made art, journaled it out, shared their routines for endurance. All for the love of L.A. A short roll call of who all in here: writers, organizers, actors, artists, plus activists from Communities for a Better Environment in Wilmington, who are fighting to end climate injustice for people of color.

Issue 7, “Survival,” is about vision. We can create the future of our dreams. It just takes a little dedication.

Commitment is another way of putting it. It rolls off the tongue effortlessly, but requires an investment in those first three letters before you can lay claim to the rest. To commit you must begin from a place of community. Survival starts here. Where it all goes is up to L.A. The city knows how it moves. The future is a “with” sort of situation.


Ian F. Blair
Editor in Chief

In the L.A. of my dreams the city shouldn’t be this hard to live in

In the L.A. of my dreams the city shouldn’t be this hard to live in

Writer Zinzi Clemmons wants you and your family to be able to stay here as long as you want  Read the story  ? 
In the L.A. of my dreams we will be here to hold you any time you need us

In the L.A. of my dreams we will be here to hold you any time you need us

Actor and activist Kendrick Sampson knows that faith and organizing infrastructure in L.A. will get us through  Read the story  ? 
A mysterious sickness has control of my body. And I’m unsure if it will ever leave

A mysterious sickness has control of my body. And I’m unsure if it will ever leave

Something’s off. Is it anxiety? A serious illness? I’m not sure  Read the story  ? 
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In the L.A. of my dreams we will finally honor the living memory of the Sunken City

In the L.A. of my dreams we will finally honor the living memory of the Sunken City

Journalist Cerise Castle pays tribute to the South Bay’s forgotten site of refuge and devastation  Read the story  ? 
In the L.A. of my dreams unconditional self-love will remain. L.A. traffic will not

In the L.A. of my dreams unconditional self-love will remain. L.A. traffic will not

Actor Marque Richardson lets us in on the only 20-year-plan that matters  Read the story  ? 
In the L.A. of my dreams my little dream car will never die

In the L.A. of my dreams my little dream car will never die

Writer Christina Catherine Martinez remembers the little Miata that was  Read the story  ? 
L.A.’s freeways are overdue for a reckoning. These artists can connect the dots for you

L.A.’s freeways are overdue for a reckoning. These artists can connect the dots for you

3B Collective is reclaiming the histories buried beneath the concrete  Read the story  ?? 
In the L.A. of my dreams we will think of sustainability in everything that we do

In the L.A. of my dreams we will think of sustainability in everything that we do

Gypsy Sport designer and creative director Rio Uribe sees a future where eco-friendly won’t be slept on  Read the story  ? 
In the L.A. of my dreams self-preservation looks like curiosity toward difference

In the L.A. of my dreams self-preservation looks like curiosity toward difference

Artist and architect Zehra Ahmed has a blueprint for allowing society to function as we imagine it should  Read the story  ? 
In the L.A. of my dreams self-care looks like going to a bar solo and sipping mezcal

In the L.A. of my dreams self-care looks like going to a bar solo and sipping mezcal

Ferron Salniker reminisces on the nights out on the town that felt right  Read the story  ? 
In the L.A. of my dreams quintessential Angeleno housing will be livable and communal

In the L.A. of my dreams quintessential Angeleno housing will be livable and communal

Critic Elisa Wouk Almino imagines an architectural future of open embrace  Read the story  ? 
In the L.A. of my dreams quirks and imperfections will be a part of the city’s charm

In the L.A. of my dreams quirks and imperfections will be a part of the city’s charm

Writer Julissa James shows why the flaws need love too  Read the story  ? 
Follow the leads of these L.A. activists. Write it all down so you know that it’s real

Follow the leads of these L.A. activists. Write it all down so you know that it’s real

CBE Wilmington and All Power Books show that radical change begins with commitments big and small  Read the story  ? 
What is the appropriate way to recycle a failing democracy?

What is the appropriate way to recycle a failing democracy?

Perhaps one should start with the physical symbol of that democracy: its flag  Read the story  ? 
22 luxury holiday gifts actually worth sharing with the stylish people you love

22 luxury holiday gifts actually worth sharing with the stylish people you love

Darian Symoné Harvin’s perfectly-curated mix of finds — from L.A. staples to brands with all the buzz — is the only guide you need this szn  Read the story  ? 
What is winter style for an L.A. artist on his way to Art Basel? Hygge on a beach

What is winter style for an L.A. artist on his way to Art Basel? Hygge on a beach

Bryant Giles gives us a peek into his mohair mindset  Read the story  ? 
7 winter-chic items to make cuffing-season casting calls feel a little less horrible

7 winter-chic items to make cuffing-season casting calls feel a little less horrible

From Stella McCartney’s Duck City Glitter ankle boots to Saint Laurent’s silk and viscose Teddy jacket, you can leave them on read afterward if you want  Read the story  ? 
Let the Drip Index curate your L.A. calendar in December

Let the Drip Index curate your L.A. calendar in December

Pop-ups. Drops. Events. These are the hottest things to do this month  Read the story  ? 
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