Caption: Steve Lopez and Angela Elam at the Kansas City Public Library, Credit: Tyler Allen, U News
Image by: Tyler Allen, U News 
Steve Lopez and Angela Elam at the Kansas City Public Library 

Creative Journalists Series - Steve Lopez, author of "The Soloist"

Series: New Letters on the Air
From: New Letters on the Air
Length: 00:29:00

L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez became immortalized on the silver screen when Robert Downey, Jr., portrayed him in the 2009 movie THE SOLOIST, based upon Lopez’ friendship with the homeless, schizophrenic musician Nathaniel Ayres. Read the full description.
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Piece Description

In this interview, taped before an audience at the Kansas City Public Library, Angela Elam talks with Steve Lopez, about his book, The Soloist, winner of the 2009 PEN Center USA Award for creative non-fiction.  The book chronicles Lopez' friendship with schizophrenic virtuoso cellist Nathaniel Ayers, and was made into the movie with the same title.  Lopez is an award-winning columnist for the Los Angeles Times and the author of three novels.  

Broadcast History

This program originally uplinked to PRSS' Content Depot on August 27, 2010 for delivery to member stations.

It aired in a slightly different form in January, 2010.

Timing and Cues

PROMO: This week,NEW LETTERS ON THE AIR concludes the summer series on creative journalists with L.A. TIMES columnist Steve Lopez. He talks about his book, THE SOLOIST, which chronicles his friendship with Nathaniel Ayers, a Julliard-trained musician and a schizophrenic, whom Lopez found living on Skid Row. The story became a major motion picture in 2009 starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr. Steve Lopez talks about how writing this story changed the lives of both the subject and himself--THE SOLOIST--on the next NEW LETTERS ON THE AIR.
UPLINK DATE: 08/27/2010
PROGRAM LENGTH: 29:00 minutes
INCUE: (music) "As a columnist for the LOS ANGELES TIMES..."
OUTCUE: "...I'm Angela Elam for NEW LETTERS ON THE AIR."

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
Paper Mache World Dario Marianelli, composer The Soloist Original Soundtrack. 00:00
Four Billion Years Dario Marianelli, composer The Soloist Original Soundtrack. 00:00

Additional Credits

New Letters on the Air is a production of the quarterly literary magazine, New Letters, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Partial financial support comes from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

Related Website

http://www.newletters.org/radio