Erika D. Smith is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times writing about the diversity of people and places across California. She joined The Times in 2018 as an assistant editor and helped expand coverage of the state’s housing and homelessness crisis. She previously worked at the Sacramento Bee, where she was a columnist and editorial board member covering housing, homelessness and social justice issues. Before the Bee, Smith wrote for the Indianapolis Star and Akron Beacon Journal. She is a recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for column writing, a graduate of Ohio University and a native of the long-suffering sports town of Cleveland.
Erika D. Smith on KCRW
More from KCRW
Rock'n'roll groupies of the 1970s got in with bands, but could they make careers in music?
MusicAs a girl, Dee Dee Keel ditched the doldrums of Venice for the thrills of Hollywood.
Prop 4: Here’s what’s in California’s $10B climate bond measure
Climate changeTen billion dollars doesn’t go far when it comes to adapting to climate change, but the state has a lot of projects planned, should this bond measure pass.
Gloria Jones In Conversation
ArtsLost Notes speaks with Gloria Jones (“Tainted Love”) for a wide-ranging and intimate conversation about her life and career.
From glitter to punk: the rise and rise of DIY in Hollywood
ArtsIn the mid 1970s, as glam rock fizzled out, new kids began to trickle in on the block–kids who looked up to the groupies as party girl icons, as rock’n’roll legends, who went out there…
Led Zeppelin made the Sunset Strip - and groupie scene - home.
MusicRodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco. The Continental Hyatt House. The Rainbow Bar & Grill.
LA teens would rather live without social media, says new docuseries
Child developmentFilmmaker Lauren Greenfield assesses how constant internet access affects the coming-of-age experience of pandemic teens in a new series called “Social Studies.”
LA’s dirty beaches: Surfers are ‘stoked,’ families are cautious
EnvironmentYou might know that Los Angeles beaches get dirty after a winter storm, but it remains a problem in the summer, too. Why? And does it keep anyone away?
Zyndemic! How SoCal is handling the nicotine tin shortage
CaliforniaThe tobacco-free nicotine pouch Zyn has been in short supply all summer. How did flavored pouches become the hottest nic fix?
Celebrate 40 years of Leimert Park creativity at new exhibit
ArtsAt Kaos Network, students explore their creative potential through various tools, including hip-hop music, digital technology, and even AI.