My "An Urban Odyssey: A Critic's Search for the Soul of Cities and Self," is slowly circulating and steadily attracting comment. The latest and a blushing thank you to Julie Taylor in the Society of Architectural Historians, Southern California chapter newsletter:
"A Zelig of urbanism," Kaplan has rubbed shoulders—and rankled egos—with seemingly every major player in modern urban design and architecture. His very enjoyable memoir outlines his consistent mission that planning and architecture need to serve the public. Kaplan weave unblinking commentary as he takes us on his promised odyssey as an observer of community—from his native Brooklyn stoop to his longtime Malibu home. Inbetween is a dizzying array of jobs: fresh fruit and vegetable inspector, bit player on “Beverly Hills 90210,” consultant to Disney Imagineering, teacher, Emmy-winning producer, planner, and mos significantly as reporter, writer, and critic at New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Planning Report, KCRW-FM, KTTV News, KPCC, and Village Voice, among so many others.
"More than any other, the chapter that encapsulates the essence of Kaplan is “Disney Hall and Its Discontents.” Frank Gehry emerges at several points in the book—more often than anyone except for Jane Jacobs—as the anti-exemplar of what Kaplan believes is a responsible steward of the city fabric. He has no time for ego-driven design—and no barriers in stating his opinion. However contrary to fans and fawners, Kaplan has no fear of losing a job or access, as his first allegiance is to the greater community. He always considers the full scope of a building’s effect on its users—workers, builders, patrons—before any artistic gesture. Stalwartly writing his mind—paying no heed to trend or hype—Kaplan consistently maintains that if something looks good but isn’t user friendly, then it isn’t architecture."
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Cherry Orchard Books, 2024, 332 pages, paperback, $25
