This talk traces the improbable rise of Los Angeles through the prism of six visionaries who had outsize influence on the city’s growth: Phineas Banning, Harrison Gray Otis, Henry Huntington, Harry Chandler, William Mulholland, and Moses Sherman. Through his discussion, Haddad shows reveals that Los Angeles is not a paradise found, but a paradise that was willed into existence. 

 

Paul Haddad is a prolific writer.  He specializes in the Los Angeles area but also has written three novels.  In addition, he has been nominated for multiple Emmys as a documentary producer.  His resent book, Inventing Paradise: The Power Brokers Who Created the Dream of Los Angeles, was on the Los Aneles Times nonfiction, best seller list last year.