Real People/Real Stories: “The Mirage Factory” (WL)

Real People/Real Stories meets the third Thursday of each month to explore the best in nonfiction history, biography, science, nature, and the arts. This month’s title is The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles by Gary Krist.

This entertaining combination of city history and biography explores how three remarkable people—civil engineer William Mulholland, film pioneer D. W. Griffith, and radio evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson—helped invent modern Los Angeles.

“William Mulholland, an immigrant ditch-digger turned self-taught engineer, designed the massive aqueduct that would make urban life here possible. D.W. Griffith, who transformed the motion picture from a vaudeville-house novelty into a cornerstone of American culture, gave LA its signature industry. And Aimee Semple McPherson, a charismatic evangelist who founded a religion, cemented the city’s identity as a center for spiritual exploration.”

“Colorful and fresh…The Mirage Factory is great not only for the wealth of obscure facts Krist manages to weave into his tale of his three larger-than-life figures but also for the evocative word pictures of old Los

Angeles and Hollywood he conjures up…My only complaint after finishing the book was: more, please.” –LA Weekly

“Engrossing…Krist serves up intricate stories, rich period atmosphere, and colorful personalities to capture the zeitgeist of this eventful period. The result is a rollicking jaunt through L.A.’s early days.” –Publishers Weekly

“[Krist’s] dramatic portrayals of politics, scandals, sabotage, and bombings make for a rich, rewarding read….An entertaining, intertwined tale of triumph, hubris, and Manifest Destiny in the city of angels.” –Kirkus