The true-life journalist of The Soloist, Steve Lopez
Sara Carr
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Arts & Society
S: Do you feel that the situation on Skid Row has improved since you wrote your series of columns on it?
SL: Well, there is no question that Skid Row is a different place than it was when I met Nathaniel four years ago. There is no question that far fewer people are sleeping on the streets. The question, though, is where did those other people go? And its, its also obvious that some of them got into housing, because one of the points I was trying to make when this adventure began four years ago, was that it's not as if we don't know what works to help people, especially those with mental illness come in off the streets.
The problem is that we haven't made a commitment to what does work, and that is something called permanent supportive housing. And there has been a lot more. And there's more in the pipeline since Nathaniel's story put a spotlight on all of these issues. But, unfortunately, there is a long way to go, and they were heavier on the police action on Skid Row rather than substantive, you know, provision of new services. So, I think we have got a way to go and the report card is pretty mixed and some people think that, you know, although there are fewer people there, it's simply because they have been scattered by police to other parts of the city. It's not as if we have fewer people overall in L.A., in greater L.A., out on the pavement. It is still around 70,000. So, there have been some improvements, and we need more.
S: Are you and Mr. Ayers still friends? And where is he now?
SL: I just saw Mr. Ayers about twenty minutes ago. The L.A. Times has asked him to write a tribute to Esa-Pekka Salonen, who is the conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic and a guy that Nathanial has gotten to know a little bit in our four years of making frequent trips up to Disney Hall for concerts. We are guests up there now and we have friends in the orchestra who invite us, keep inviting us back.
So yeah, I saw Nathanial just this morning and he had two violins that need to be tuned up, so he left the violins with me. He said he switches to the viola for the time-being until I fix the violins for him. He was also carrying a trumpet. He has a French horn, a clarinet; he asked if I would buy him a flute. He has an upright bass, he has a piano. And he comes to the L.A. Times because we have a basement music room where he plays the drums.
SL: Well, there is no question that Skid Row is a different place than it was when I met Nathaniel four years ago. There is no question that far fewer people are sleeping on the streets. The question, though, is where did those other people go? And its, its also obvious that some of them got into housing, because one of the points I was trying to make when this adventure began four years ago, was that it's not as if we don't know what works to help people, especially those with mental illness come in off the streets.
The problem is that we haven't made a commitment to what does work, and that is something called permanent supportive housing. And there has been a lot more. And there's more in the pipeline since Nathaniel's story put a spotlight on all of these issues. But, unfortunately, there is a long way to go, and they were heavier on the police action on Skid Row rather than substantive, you know, provision of new services. So, I think we have got a way to go and the report card is pretty mixed and some people think that, you know, although there are fewer people there, it's simply because they have been scattered by police to other parts of the city. It's not as if we have fewer people overall in L.A., in greater L.A., out on the pavement. It is still around 70,000. So, there have been some improvements, and we need more.
S: Are you and Mr. Ayers still friends? And where is he now?
SL: I just saw Mr. Ayers about twenty minutes ago. The L.A. Times has asked him to write a tribute to Esa-Pekka Salonen, who is the conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic and a guy that Nathanial has gotten to know a little bit in our four years of making frequent trips up to Disney Hall for concerts. We are guests up there now and we have friends in the orchestra who invite us, keep inviting us back.
So yeah, I saw Nathanial just this morning and he had two violins that need to be tuned up, so he left the violins with me. He said he switches to the viola for the time-being until I fix the violins for him. He was also carrying a trumpet. He has a French horn, a clarinet; he asked if I would buy him a flute. He has an upright bass, he has a piano. And he comes to the L.A. Times because we have a basement music room where he plays the drums.
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Deidre Boutilier
posted 5/10/09 @ 2:46 PM EST
I saw the movie last night and was so touched!
Interesting to read the comments of the real Steve Lopez.
I work with clients similar to Nathaniel and pray that
God will allow me to be their true friend. (Continued…)
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