New classics: 99 MILES FROM L.A. (P. David Ebersole), BOUNDLESS AS THE SKY (Dawn Raffel), ROCKED IN TIME: Confessions of a Radical Theater Artist (Charles Degelman)
Classics have an impact on new books, whether intentional or not, and it is fun to read surprising twists on older literary forms. The James A. Cain classic crime novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice , is certainly an ancestor of P. David Ebersole's inventive and darkly hilarious crime novel, 99 MILES FROM L.A. (Pelekinesis). The action of this book takes place in L.A. and Palm Springs. The title's an allusion to the role of Palm Springs in the heyday of big studios and stars under contract. Contract players were required to go no further than 100 miles away from L.A. (theoretically they might be needed on a set) so they fled to Palm Springs to avoid studio scrutiny. A destination for anonymity and forbidden love, bungalows and "love nests" flourished along with a population to serve them. Impoverished Mexicans crossed the porous border to work and return with cash and goods. That historic comes alive in this hard-boiled crime story. Elegantly written, 99 MILES FR...