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Tag: beth pratt

  • Puzzles? Sports? Birdsong? The variety of new nonfiction means there’s something for everyone

    Birding. Photography. The great outdoors. Big Macs.

    Chances are good there’s a nonfiction book out there to suit just about anybody on your holiday gift list.

    Some ideas:

    For your puzzlers

    Imagine, if you will, a world without mobile phones, the internet or The New York Times (digital OR print). Would your favorite puzzler survive? The good folks at the Times have something perfect to put in the bunker: “Puzzle Mania!” It’s a stylish hardcover book full of Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and more. By a lead Times puzzle editor, Joel Fagliano. Authors Equity. $38.

    Contemporary art

    Painting, collage, photography, sculpture, performance. Derrick Adams has embraced them all in a career spanning more than 25 years. His first monograph, “Derrick Adams,” includes 150 works that explore Black American culture and his own identity. Portraiture abounds. There’s joy, leisure and resilience in everyday experiences and self-reflection, with a little humor on board. Monacelli. $79.95.

    Steph Curry inspiration

    “Being shot ready requires practice, training and repetition, but it rewards that work with an unmatched feeling of transcendence.” That’s Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry in his new book, “Shot Ready.” The basketball star takes his readers from rookie to veteran, accompanied by inspiring words and photos. One doesn’t have to be into basketball to feel the greatness. One World. $50.

    The American West

    The photographer Frank S. Matsura died in 1913, but his work lives on in a hefty archive. He was a Japanese immigrant who chronicled life in Alaska and the Okanogan region of Washington state. He operated a photo studio frequented by the Indigenous people of the region. Many of those portraits are included in “Frank S. Matsura: Iconoclast Photographer of the American West.” Edited by Michael Holloman. Princeton Architectural Press. $40.

    The gift of bird chatter

    Cheeseburger, cheeseburger! The handy little book “Bird Talk” seeks to make identifying bird calls fun and accessible without heavy phonetic descriptors or birder lingo. Becca Rowland, who wrote and illustrated, offers funny, bite-size ways to identify calls using what’s already in our brains. Hence, the black-capped chickadee goes “cheeseburger, cheeseburger!” Storey Publishing. $16.99.

    Mocktails and cocktails

    David Burtka is sober. His husband, Neil Patrick Harris, imbibes. Together, they love to throw parties. This elfin book, “Both Sides of the Glass,” includes easy-to-follow cocktail and mocktail recipes, with commentary from Harris, who took mixology lessons out of sheer love of a good drink. Written with Zoë Chapin. Plume. $35.

    It’s a book. It’s a burger.

    This tome with a cover design that evokes a Big Mac is a country-by-country work of journalism that earned two 2025 James Beard awards for Gary He, a writer and photographer who previously freelanced for The Associated Press and self-published the book. He toured the world visiting McDonald’s restaurants to do his research for “McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches.” As social anthropology goes, it serves. $49.95.

    Yosemite love

    From the cute but ferocious river otter to the gliders of the night, the Humboldt’s flying squirrel, this striking book is the first comprehensive work in more than a century dedicated entirely to the park’s animal kingdom. “Yosemite Wildlife: The Wonder of Animal Life in California’s Sierra Nevada” includes more than 300 photos and covers 150-plus species. By Beth Pratt, with photos by Robb Hirsch. Yosemite Conservancy. $60.

    Samin Nosrat’s new book

    Samin Nosrat lays herself bare in this long-awaited second book from the chef and author of the acclaimed “Salt Fat Acid Heat.” Her first book was 17 years in the making. In its wake, she explains in “Good Things,” was struggle, including overwhelming loss with the deaths of several people close to her and a bout of depression that nearly swallowed her whole. Here, she rediscovers why she, or anybody, cooks in the first place. The recipes are simple, her observations helpful. You can taste the joy in every bite. Penguin Random House. $45.

    Chappell Roan

    She struggled in the music game for years, until 2024 made her a star. Chappell Roan, with her drag-queen style, big vocals and queer pride, has a shiny Grammy for best new artist. Now, in time for the holidays, there’s a sweet little book that tells her origin story. “Chappell Roan: The Rise of a Midwest Princess.” With text contributions from Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, Dibs Baer, Patrick Crowley, Izzy Grinspan, J’na Jefferson, Ilana Kaplan and Samantha Olson. Hearst Home. $30.

    Snoop’s homemade edibles

    For edible-loving weed enthusiasts, “Snoop Dogg’s Treats to Eat” offers 55 recipes that can be done with or without the weed. The connoisseur includes tips on how to use your goods for everything from tinctures to gummies, cookies to cannabutter. Perhaps a loaded milkshake or buttermilk pancakes with stoner syrup. Chronicle Books. $27.95.

    A style muse

    With her effortless beauty, and tousled hair and fringe, Jane Birkin easily transitioned from her swinging London roots in the early 1960s to a cultural and style muse for decades. She lent a bohemian charm to everything she did, from acting to singing to liberal activism. And she famously was the muse for the Hermès Birkin bag. The new “Jane Birkin: Icon of Style,” encompasses all of Birkin. By Sophie Gachet. Abrams Books. $65.

    More Taylor Swift

    All those Easter eggs. All those songs. It’s Taylor Swift’s world and we’re just eyes and ears taking it all in. Swift has been everywhere of late with her engagement to Travis Kelce, her Eras tour and now, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Add to the pile “Taylor Swift All the Songs,” a guide to the lyrics, genesis, production and secret messages of every single song, excluding “Showgirl” tracks. By Damien Somville and Marine Benoit. Black Dog & Leventhal. $60.

    Got a theater buff?

    What’s the beating heart of American theater? Broadway, of course. Teale Dvornik, a theater historian known on social media as The Backstage Blonde, has written a handy little history of New York’s Theater District, “History Hiding Around Broadway.” She takes it theater by theater, offering backstage insights into the venues themselves, along with shows that played there and Broadway highlights through the ages. Running Press. $25.

    Christmas baking, Gilded-Age style

    Sugarplums. They’re a thing! Fans of “The Gilded Age” are well aware and will eat up “The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook.” It includes treats from the era, some culinary history and a lot of old-time charm. For the record, sugarplums date to the 1600s, when they were basically just sugar. By the Gilded Age, starting roughly in the late 1800s, they were made from chopped dried figs, nuts, powdered sugar and brandy. Yes, please. By Becky Libourel Diamond. Globe Pequot. $34.95.

    Forever flowers

    Know a crafter? Know a flower lover? In “Everlasting Blooms,” floral artist Layla Robinson offers more than 25 projects focused on the use of dried flowers. She includes a festive flower crown, table displays, wreaths and arrangements with buds and branches. Her step-by-step guidance is easy to follow. Robinson also instructs how to forage and how to dry flowers. Hachette Mobius. $35.

    Michelle Obama style

    A brown polyester dress with a plaid skirt and a Peter Pan collar. That’s the very first fashion statement Michelle Obama can remember making, circa kindergarten. It was up, up and away from there, style-wise. The former first lady is out with a photo-packed book, “The Look,” taking us behind the scenes of her style and beauty choices. Crown. $50.

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    For more AP gift guides and holiday coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/gift-guide and https://apnews.com/hub/holidays.

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  • Mountain lion found dead on 101, near partially built wildlife crossing in Agoura Hills

    Mountain lion found dead on 101, near partially built wildlife crossing in Agoura Hills

    A mountain lion was found dead Saturday morning on the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, not far from a wildlife crossing being built to reduce the number of cougar fatalities.

    The puma’s body was discovered about 5 a.m. in the far right lane of the freeway near Liberty Canyon Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Troopers moved the cougar to the shoulder of the highway and enlisted the help of California Fish and Wildlife, which confirmed Saturday morning that it collected the mountain lion’s body for gathering DNA.

    The cougar, which was not wearing a monitoring collar, was killed near the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a $92-million passageway that extends over the busy 10-lane freeway, said Beth Pratt, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation. It was likely hit by a car; she said there was fresh blood on the freeway. She said not much else is yet known about the mountain lion, including its age or sex.

    The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is under construction in Agoura Hills on June 15, 2024, the same day that another mountain lion was struck by a car less than half a mile from the crossing on the Southbound side of the 101 freeway above Liberty Canyon Road.

    (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

    “Obviously we have a solution coming, but it didn’t come soon enough for this cat,” Pratt said. “This is just another harsh reminder that this is the right place [for the crossing].”

    Construction of the wildlife passage began in 2022, and it is set to be completed in 2026. It is considered the largest wildlife crossing in the world, Pratt said, in a much-needed area where mountain lions are known to attempt to cross.

    Already, there are signs that other animals are using the crossing, and by the end of the year, officials hope to begin adding soil and plants to the crossing so that it blends into the environment and creates a safe space for the animals, Pratt said.

    The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is under construction in Agoura Hills on June 15

    The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is under construction in Agoura Hills on June 15, 2024. Another mountain lion was struck by a car less than half a mile from the crossing on the Southbound side of the 101 freeway above Liberty Canyon Road.

    (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

    In January, Uno, a female mountain lion often seen patrolling the mountains in Orange County, was killed after being struck by a vehicle on a road near the Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve. The cougar, identified as F312, had been tagged by researchers in 2021 when she was about 2 years old.

    In January 2023, mountain lion P-81 was killed on Pacific Coast Highway, probably struck by a car, the National Park Service announced. The 4-year-old male cougar’s remains were collected on PCH near Las Posas Road in Ventura County.

    In July 2022, mountain lion P-89, a 2-year-old male, was fatally struck by a car on the 101 Freeway in Woodland Hills. That death came about a month after a 5-year-old female mountain lion had been killed by a car in the Santa Monica Mountains.

    Melissa Gomez

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  • Griffith Park hosts first P-22 Day since death of L.A.’s beloved cougar

    Griffith Park hosts first P-22 Day since death of L.A.’s beloved cougar

    The legacy of Los Angeles’ most famous mountain lion continues Sunday at Griffith Park with the eighth annual P-22 Day.

    Wildlife supporters will unite at Shane’s Inspiration playground from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy live music, food trucks, muralists and native-plant giveaways.

    Organized by the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign, the free, family-friendly festival hopes to honor the famed mountain lion who amassed a celebrity-worthy following and kick-started campaigns to save wildlife throughout Southern California.

    Beth Pratt, a regional executive director in California for the National Wildlife Federation, has celebrated the renowned puma at the park since 2016.

    At the start of Sunday’s festivities, she took to the hills where P-22 once roamed.

    Pratt recalled more than 13,000 people attending last year’s celebration for L.A.’s most famous cat. But this is the first time P-22 Day has been held since the cougar’s death, so this year’s crowd might be the biggest yet.

    “The loss is still really raw for a lot of people,” Pratt said. “During the other seven [festivals] he was here snapping and listening to the music we were playing.”

    Not literally, joked Pratt, who sports a tattoo of the cougar’s face on her arm.

    But wildlife supporters could bank on the big cat coming down from the mountaintop to amaze onlookers who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him over the years.

    P-22 first captured the world’s attention in 2012, when a motion-sensing camera caught an image of his hindquarters and tail in Griffith Park.

    He survived a parasitic infection and a cramped range in Griffith Park, but officials with the National Park Service and the state’s wildlife department captured P-22 after he started to show increasing “signs of distress,” including three attacks on dogs in a month and several near-miss encounters with people walking in Los Feliz and Silver Lake.

    Thought to be about 12 years old at the time of his death, the mountain lion was “compassionately euthanized” in December 2022. He was suffering from a number of health issues at the time as well as from internal injuries that officials believed occurred after he was hit by a car.

    The cougar’s popularity only grew through the years after his picture was first seen in The Times and in other news coverage over the years.

    By order of the Los Angeles City Council, every Oct. 22 is celebrated as “P-22 Day.”

    The sad plight of P-22 — isolated by freeways in the relatively cramped greenery of Griffith Park — motivated state officials who wanted to help prevent other creatures from suffering a similar fate to take action.

    The result is the world’s largest wildlife overpass, under construction over the 101 Freeway near Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills.

    Pratt remembers raising millions to construct the crossing, which is expected to provide safe passage for mountain lions and other wildlife after completion in 2025.

    But Pratt reminds the public there’s more to be done as officials ready for the next phase of a fundraising campaign.

    Pratt hopes P-22’s legacy is the link that connects Southern California to all wildlife.

    “We want to do more,” she said.

    Thankfully, Pratt finds partners in nearly 70 other organizations planning to educate the public on P-22 Day.

    “That is P-22’s legacy,” Pratt exclaimed, “showing people in a real way — off the scientific paper — how they can make a difference in the lives of amazing predators.”

    There are plenty more events planned throughout Los Angeles during Urban Wildlife Week, but the hike retracing P-22’s journey is among the toughest, according to Pratt.

    “The whole reason they do it is to show how hard it is for a person to do it, much less a mountain lion,” Pratt explained.

    “It goes to show,” she said, “there’s a lot more we can do to make it a little easier for them.”

    Brennon Dixson

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