History

Founded in 2011, the Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB) was created as a response to the disappearance of the traditional newspaper book review supplement and, with it, the art of lively, intelligent long-form writing on recent publications in every genre. LARB has grown from an entirely volunteer-run Tumblr to an award-winning literary arts nonprofit magazine and organization. In addition to our online publication, LARB’s small team produces and maintains a quarterly print journal, weekly podcast and radio show, membership program, and year-round educational programming and public events. Our work has been enthusiastically received by the reading community, reaching millions of readers in all 50 states and over 200 countries every year.

To learn more about LARB’s history over the last 15 years visit our 15th anniversary page.

As a reader-supported nonprofit magazine that publishes daily without a paywall, we could not have come this far without the encouragement and contributions of so many writers, readers, editors, and friends. We also want to extend our gratitude to our invaluable board and supporters, and a heartfelt thank you to the many incredible writers who signed on as contributing editors to help get (and keep!) LARB off the ground.

Special Thanks

Albert Litewka, Founding Board Chair (2011–Present)

Tom Lutz, Founding Editor in Chief (2011–2020); Publisher (2020–Present)

Boris Dralyuk, Editor in Chief (2020–2023), Executive Editor (2016–2020)

Jessica Kubinec, Managing Director (2014–2023)

Jonathan Hahn, Executive Editor (2010–2016)

Contributing Editors

• Chris Abani
• Robert Abele
• Diana Abu-Jaber
• Idrees Ahmad
• Rabih Alameddine
• Daniel Alarcón
• Charles Altieri
• Ralph Angel
• Nick Antosca
• Gustavo Arellano
• Reza Aslan
• Tobin Auber
• Roxana Badin
• Neela Banerjee
• Ann Louise Bardach
• Calvin Bedient
• Aimee Bender
• Bruce Bauman
• Laurie Benenson
• Tom Bissell
• Johanna Blakley
• Joseph Boone
• Jon Boorstin
• Max Boykoff
• T.C. Boyle
• David Bradley
• Leo Braudy
• Mark Breitenberg
• Lawrence Bridges
• Douglas Brinkley
• Sarah Shun-lien Bynum
• Elena Karina Byrne
• Ron Carlson
• Manuel Castells
• Marilyn Chin
• K.C. Cole
• Bernard Cooper
• Marc Cooper
• Peter Coyote
• Robert Crais
• Alba Cruz-Hacker
• Stephen Cullenberg
• Paul Cullum
• John D’Agata
• António Damásio
• Meghan Daum
• Barbara Davilman
• Nathan Deuel
• William Deverell
• Samantha Dunn
• Hope Edelman
• Magdalena Edwards
• Ben Ehrenreich
• Maria Amparo Escandon
• Alex Espinoza
• Jeffrey Eugenides
• Percival Everett
• F.X. Feeney
• Janet Fitch
• Adam Fitzgerald
• Sesshu Foster
• Judith Freeman
• Celeste Fremon
• Peter Gadol
• Lynell George
• Todd Gitlin
• Barry Glassner
• Tod Goldberg
• Rigoberto González
• Dana Goodyear
• Gigi Levangie Grazer
• Emily Green
• Jonathan Green
• Seth Greenland
• James Greer
• Stephanie Elizondo Griest
• Nicola Griffith
• Jenny Williams Gruska
• Eric Gudas
• Lee Gutkind
• George Haggerty
• Denise Hamilton
• William Handley
• Joy Harjo
• Tammy Ho
• Patrick A. Howell
• Gar Anthony Haywood
• Eloise Klein Healy
• Robin Hemley
• Juan Felipe Herrera
• Constance Valis Hill
• Thomas S. Hines
• Claire Hoffman
• Joy Horowitz
• Patrick A. Howell
• Michelle Huneven
• Barbara Isenberg
• Tara Ison
• Pico Iyer
• Michael Jaime-Becerra
• Gabriela Jauregui
• Dana Johnson
• Ilya Kaminsky
• Marty Kaplan
• Barry Katz
• David Kipen
• Walter Kirn
• Jonathan Kirsch
• Carl Klaus
• Norman Klein
• MaryAnne Kolton
• Chris Kraus
• Josh Kun
• Laila Lalami
• Mariam Lam
• Richard Lange
• Jaron Lanier
• Michelle Latiolais
• Timothy Michael Law
• Eric Lax
• Nam Le
• Joseph Lease
• Dinah Lenney
• Jonathan Lethem
• Karyn Levitt
• Yiyun Li
• Perry Link
• James Linville
• Sara Lippincott
• Matthew Lippman
• Albert Litewka
• Aimee Liu
• Goldberry Long
• Victoria Looseleaf
• M.G. Lord
• Sonja Lyubormirsky
• Lewis MacAdams
• Kerry Madden
• Paul Mandelbaum
• Sarah Manguso
• Greil Marcus
• Rubén Martínez
• David Mattin
• Mark McGurl
• E.C. McCarthy
• Kembrew McLeod
• James McManus
• Daniel Medin
• Christopher Merrill
• Jack Miles
• Thomas J. Millay
• Anthony Miller
• Stephen Molton
• Brighde Mullins
• Yxta Maya Murray
• Vance Muse
• Carol Muske-Dukes
• Gina Nahai
• Maggie Nelson
• Geoff Nicholson
• Joy Nicholson
• Sianne Ngai
• Anne Nivat
• Marisela Norte
• Vorris Nunley
• Achy Obejas
• Laurie Ochoa
• Chris Offutt
• Daniel Olivas
• Susan Ossman
• Mary Otis
• Geneva Overholser
• Tim Page
• Van Dyke Parks
• Jim Pascoe
• Marjorie Perloff
• John Perry
• Todd Robert Peterson
• Gary Phillips
• Vanessa Place
• Michael Pollan
• Ann Powers
• John Powers
• Kit Rachlis
• John Rechy
• Richard Reeves
• Tori Reid
• Emmett Rensin
• Rachel Resnick
• Nina Revoyr
• Susan Salter Reynolds
• Simon Reynolds
• Christopher Rice
• Rob Roberge
• Kim Stanley Robinson
• Howard A. Rodman
• Luis Rodriguez
• John Romano
• Nancy Romano
• Glen Roven
• Steven J. Ross
• Joe Sacco
• Shelley Salamensky
• Steven Salardino
• Mark Sarvas
• Ted Scheinman
• Richard Schickel
• Kathryn Schulz
• Leslie Schwartz
• David Schweizer
• Lisa See
• Danzy Senna
• Jason Sexton
• Kathleen Sharp
• David Shields
• Matthew Shenoda
• David Shook
• Marisa Silver
• Mona Simpson
• Jane Smiley
• Mark Haskell Smith
• Caleb Smith
• Matthew Specktor
• Dana Spiotta
• Jerry Stahl
• Kevin Starr
• Brian Kim Stefans
• Jean Stein
• Louise Steinman
• Deanne Stillman
• David St. John
• Susan Straight
• Matt Stromberg
• Larry Swanson
• Sandi Tan
• Katherine Taylor
• Lisa Teasley
• Jervey Tervalon
• Ngugi wa Thiongo
• Daniel Tiffany
• Michael Tolkin
• David Ulin
• Constance Valis Hill
• Robert von Hallberg
• Francis Wade
• Diana Wagman
• Jon Wagner
• D.J. Waldie
• Ayelet Waldman
• Steve Wasserman
• Jeffrey Wasserstrom
• Georgia Warnke
• Ellen Wartella
• Mary Yukari Waters
• Charles Francis Webb
• Ellis Weiner
• D. Charles Whitney
• Adriana Widdoes
• Jon Wiener
• Amy Wilentz
• Rita Williams
• Antoine Wilson
• Andrew Winer
• Jamie Wolf
• Sholeh Wolpe
• Terry Wolverton
• Paula L. Woods
• Elias Wondimu
• Al Young
• Matthew Zapruder
• Marlene Zuk