Features
Mark Volman’s Hits and Humor
Mark Volman ’97, MFA ’99 wasn’t your typical student when he transferred to LMU from L.A. Valley College. For one, he was already in his mid 40s. For another, Volman had already lived the rock ’n’ roll life that other students might have dreamt of doing.
The Road From Loss
After the wildfires of January 2025 ravaged Pacific Palisades and Altadena, we asked nine writers in the LMU community to reflect broadly on the experience of loss.
The Silence in Sentences
As his son struggles to relearn how to speak, Oliver de la Paz ’94, ’95 remembers his father’s attempts to erase his immigrant’s accent after arriving in the United States.
Loss Is a Body In Flames
Michelle Bitting, whose home burned in the January 2025 Palisades fire, reflects on living with loss and the promise of wholeness.
A Book Thief’s Confession
Mike Jordan Laskey wonders whether St. Anthony can help him locate his lost books he’s lended out. But can the patron saint of lost causes help Laskey with the borrowed books he’s never returned himself?
The Weight We Carry
Michelle Gillie, LMU prof., writes about the death her of nephew and reflects on the struggles and other Black women face every day in an American that seems to not fully accept her, and them.
To Grieve For Oneself
Lynell George ’84 writes about losing and grieving parts of oneself when circumstances beyond our control force major and unwanted life changes upon us.
Going, Going, Gone
John Rosengren has collected baseball cards since his childhood. But when he sold them, he wondered what else he’d lost in the exchange.
What’s the Matter With U.S. Soccer?
Is the pay-to-play system prevalent in U.S. youth soccer the reason for frequently disappointing results from the U.S. Men’s National Team?
L.A.’s Guardian Angels
If L.A. politics has shifted toward the progressive end of the spectrum in recent decades, Catholic organizations and activists have played major roles in the process.