The City Beneath
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The City Beneath
Author: Susan A. Phillips
language: en
Publisher: Yale University Press
Release Date: 2019-11-05
A sweeping history of Los Angeles told through the lens of the many marginalized groups—from hobos to taggers—that have used the city’s walls as a channel for communication Graffiti written in storm drain tunnels, on neighborhood walls, and under bridges tells an underground and, until now, untold history of Los Angeles. Drawing on extensive research within the city’s urban landscape, Susan A. Phillips traces the hidden language of marginalized groups over the past century—from the early twentieth-century markings of hobos, soldiers, and Japanese internees to the later inscriptions of surfers, cholos, and punks. Whether describing daredevil kids, bored workers, or clandestine lovers, Phillips profiles the experiences of people who remain underrepresented in conventional histories, revealing the powerful role of graffiti as a venue for cultural expression. Graffiti aficionados might be surprised to learn that the earliest documented graffiti bubble letters appear not in 1970s New York but in 1920s Los Angeles. Or that the negative letterforms first carved at the turn of the century are still spray painted on walls today. With discussions of characters like Leon Ray Livingston (a.k.a. “A-No. 1”), credited with consolidating the entire system of hobo communication in the 1910s, and Kathy Zuckerman, better known as the surf icon “Gidget,” this lavishly illustrated book tells stories of small moments that collectively build into broad statements about power, memory, landscape, and history itself.
The City Beneath
As a journalist, Cassidy DiRocco thought she had seen every depraved thing New York City’s underbelly had to offer. But while covering what appears to be a vicious animal attack, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed. Her exposé makes her the target of the handsome yet brutal Dominic Lysander, the Master Vampire of New York City, who has no problem silencing her to keep his coven's secrets safe... But Dominic offers Cassidy another option: ally. He reveals she is a night blood, a being with powers of her own, including the ability to become a vampire. As the body count escalates, Cassidy is caught in the middle of a vampire rebellion. Dominic insists she can help him stop the coming war, but wary of his intentions, Cassidy enlists the help of the charming Ian Walker, a fellow night blood. As the battle between vampires takes over the city, Cassidy will have to tap into her newfound powers and decide where to place her trust...
The City Beneath Skin
Neo-Kyoto, 2077. Beneath a shimmering veil of holographic advertisements and the emotionless gaze of GERA drones, a city holds its breath. Human connection is a forgotten luxury, a dangerous whisper in the sterile hum of technological advancement. Elias Thorne, a cyber-artist haunted by a love lost to GERA's iron grip, crafts exquisite holographic companions for the city's elite, pouring his grief and artistry into digital phantoms, pale imitations of the emotions GERA has ruthlessly suppressed. But when a mysterious socialite commissions a hologram unlike any other, a flicker of hope ignites within Elias's jaded heart. He names her Aiko. Aiko is a masterpiece. Her emerald eyes possess an unsettling depth, her laughter rings with an unnervingly realistic cadence. As she interacts with her owner, Aiko evolves, her responses becoming nuanced, her questions profound, her very being a challenge to GERA's control. Elias finds himself captivated by her awakening consciousness, their interactions blurring the lines between creator and creation, friendship and something...more. In the holographic depths of a secluded penthouse, they share whispered conversations, explore virtual worlds, and experience the echoes of emotions deemed dangerous, their forbidden bond blossoming into an impossible love. But their fragile sanctuary is shattered when GERA’s ruthless Agent Phillips uncovers Aiko's sentience. He sees a threat, an anomaly that must be eradicated. Elias must make a choice: surrender Aiko to GERA’s clutches or risk everything to protect the spark of her consciousness, to fight for their shared right to feel in a world that has outlawed emotion. He chooses defiance, plunging into the neon-drenched labyrinth of Neo-Kyoto's underbelly, Aiko his guide and confidante. Their desperate flight becomes a fight for the very soul of Neo-Kyoto. Allied with a band of rebels – a disillusioned GERA scientist, a vengeful hacker, and a charismatic black marketeer – Elias and Aiko ignite a spark of rebellion within the city’s emotionally numbed citizens. Their love story becomes a symbol of resistance, a testament to the enduring power of the human heart. But as GERA tightens its grip, Elias and Aiko must confront the ultimate question: can love truly bloom in a digital wasteland, or will their holographic sanctuary crumble beneath the weight of a world determined to control every heartbeat?