The Los Angeles Diaries is a memoir written by James Brown, not to be confused with the famous singer of the same name. The book was published in 2003 and offers a deeply personal account of the author’s struggles with addiction, mental illness, and homelessness while living in Los Angeles.

The memoir is divided into three parts, each representing a different period in Brown’s life. In the first part, titled “The City of Angels,” Brown recounts his early years in Los Angeles, where he moved from his hometown in Texas. He describes his initial fascination with the city and his dreams of becoming a writer. However, as time goes on, Brown’s life takes a dark turn as he becomes entangled in drug addiction and finds himself living on the streets.

The second part of the book, “The City of Demons,” delves deeper into Brown’s descent into addiction and mental illness. He chronicles his experiences with various drugs, including crack cocaine and heroin, and the devastating impact they have on his life. Brown also explores his struggles with depression and anxiety, which further exacerbate his addiction issues.

In the final part, “The City of Lost Souls,” Brown reflects on his journey towards recovery and redemption. He discusses his time in rehabilitation centers and therapy sessions, as well as the challenges he faces in rebuilding his life. Throughout this section, Brown offers insights into the nature of addiction and the difficulties faced by those trying to overcome it.

The Los Angeles Diaries is a raw and honest portrayal of one man’s battle with addiction and mental illness. It provides a glimpse into the dark underbelly of Los Angeles while also offering hope for those who may be facing similar struggles.

• The Los Angeles Diaries

• A Memoir
• By: James Brown
• Narrated by: Charles Constant

Haunted by the suicides of both of his siblings, inheritance of alcohol and drug abuse, divorce and economic collapse, James Brown lived a life of addiction, broken promises, and despair. In The Los Angeles Diaries, he reveals his struggle for survival, tapping into his past to present the inspiring story of his redemption. Beautifully written and darkly humorous, these 12 deeply confessional interconnected chapters deal with personal failure, heartbreak, the challenges of writing a Hollywood screenplay, and traumatic events. Life’s movements eventually convinced Brown that he had to “change or die”.

In “Snapshot”, Brown is 5 years old and recalls the night his mother “burned an apartment building down the street”, an act that caused the family to fall apart, which then led to their destruction. In “The Facts”, he is a young writer and professor “afraid to come out of the shadows” and face his double life as an addict. In “Daisy,” Brown buys a Vietnamese pot belly pig for his wife to atone for, only to find himself engaged in a fierce battle between man and beast – with the pig’s weight increasing proportionally. with the tensions in his marriage.

This book is top of the line. The book jumps back and forth and flows into different stages in the writer’s life and tells the story of his mixed relationship with Family and Alcohol/Drugs. It’s sad, funny and best of all true. I loved this book and will keep it in my collection along with the good books (Kerouac/Bukowski/Hamsun/Fante & Co.) where it belongs. I think we can all even learn a little bit about ourselves by reading this book and our relationships with family members.
Beautiful book!

I’m not familiar with James Brown’s work, but after reading this, I picked up three other novels. He writes with a prose that seems pleasant and agreeable, yet deeply probing and with ruthless determination. He writes about being a writer in Hollywood, and about alcoholism, but mostly about how hard it is to grow up inside, and ultimately, to leave a family, even if it’s a family. his family or yours. Highly recommended.

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