First published 2021
Atlantic Senior Editor Ronald Brownstein examines Los Angeles during 1974, when the city reached its cultural zenith. He argues that this single year marked when popular culture surpassed politics in forecasting America's future direction. Brownstein traces how creative talents working around Sunset Boulevard and living in Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and the Hollywood Hills produced an unprecedented cultural explosion. This burst of creativity in film, music, and television reflected the demographic and social changes transforming America. While Richard Nixon's political victories represented backlash against 1960s social movements, Los Angeles artists were already envisioning what the country would become. The book follows this cultural transformation month by month, showing how a massive younger generation clashed with an established political order committed to maintaining existing structures. Brownstein connects this historical moment to today's generational divisions, demonstrating how cultural voices of change ultimately shape the future even when political resistance temporarily prevails.
Genres: 20th-century, american, 21st-century, cultural, cultural-studies, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-drama, social-change
Setting: Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, Sunset Boulevard
Period: 1974
448 pages · Hardcover · Harper