Los Angeles-based writer and editor Steffie Nelson explores the places where art, style, culture and history intersect. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, W Magazine, and many others. She is the editor of the essay collection Slouching Towards Los Angeles: Living and Writing by Joan Didion’s Light, published in February 2020, and coauthor of Judson: Innovation in Stained Glass, published in March 2020.

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NEWS

BOOKS

  • Slouching Towards Los Angeles

    AVAILABLE NOW FROM RARE BIRD:

    A collection of 25 new essays inspired by Joan Didion and the West.

    Order Now

  • Judson : Innovation In Stained Glass

    AVAILABLE NOW FROM ANGEL CITY PRESS:

    An illustrated history of this historic Los Angeles stained glass studio.

    Order Now

INSTAGRAM @steffienelson

JOURNALISM

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Desert Storm: Art in Joshua Tree and the Coachella Valley
    W MAGAZINE • Feb 1, 2017

    Desert Storm: Art in Joshua Tree and the Coachella Valley

    The drive from Palm Springs to Rancho Mirage isn’t what you’d describe as scenic: The landscape shifts from explosively verdant flora and palm tree colonnades to tan stucco boxes, asphalt, and scrub. But Neville Wakefield, the artistic director of the Desert X biennial, opening February... More
  • The Rise of Guru Jagat, Kundalini Yoga's New Star
    LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE • Dec 1, 2015

    The Rise of Guru Jagat, Kundalini Yoga’s New Star

    To anyone who has walked into a Los Angeles yoga studio, the scene this Wednesday morning would be familiar: white walls hung with Tibetan silk tapestries that depict various incarnations of the Buddha; leafy plants and sparkling geodes dotting the corners of the room; shoji... More
  • Aldous Huxley's Brave New L.A.
    LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS • Nov 22, 2013

    Aldous Huxley’s Brave New L.A.

    FIFTY YEARS AGO, on November 22nd, 1963, in his home at the top of Mulholland Highway beneath the first “O” in the Hollywood sign, the British author, psychedelic pioneer and visionary thinker Aldous Huxley lost his three-year battle with cancer. Per his written request, Huxley’s... More

RECENT WORK

The California Dream of Elysian Landscapes
DESIGN / Journalism / LIVING
DESIGNLA/LA TIMES • Jun 10, 2019

The California Dream of Elysian Landscapes

For Judy Kameon, the most important role a garden can fulfill is to create community, so there is a poetic synergy in the fact that her career as a garden... More
Corita Kent: Pop Artist, Public Servant, Rebel Nun
ART / CULTURE / Journalism / SPIRITUALITY
BEYOND THE STREETS • Jun 1, 2019

Corita Kent: Pop Artist, Public Servant, Rebel Nun

“To be fully alive is to work for the common good.” —Corita Kent The artist best known as Sister Corita was born Frances Elizabeth Kent in 1918. She grew up... More
Sara Ruffin Costello's Southern Charms
DESIGN / Journalism / LIVING
MOSAIC MAGAZINE • Mar 1, 2019

Sara Ruffin Costello’s Southern Charms

Seven years ago, Sara Ruffin Costello and her family did what so many New Yorkers dream of but never dare—they left behind the urban rat race for a slower, sweeter... More
The New Face of the Hotel Figueroa
ART / CULTURE / DESIGN / Journalism
DESIGNLA/LA TIMES • Nov 26, 2018

The New Face of the Hotel Figueroa

Elegant and airy, lit by natural skylights and chandeliers, warmed by wood paneling, plush seating and a central fireplace, and decorated with contemporary art, books and rare objets: This quietly... More
Global Citizen Phillip Lim
CULTURE / DESIGN / FASHION / Journalism
DESIGNLA/LA TIMES • Sep 7, 2018

Global Citizen Phillip Lim

Twenty years ago, Phillip Lim was a talented up-and-comer, designing clothes for the label Development out a downtown L.A. studio where the door was secured with a padlock and the... More
Gangsta Gardener Ron Finley
ART / CULTURE / GREEN / Journalism
BEYOND THE STREETS • Jul 15, 2018

Gangsta Gardener Ron Finley

In South Los Angeles, the term “gangsta” isn’t typically associated with flowers, fruit trees, or fertile bins of compost, but one day it will be, if Ron Finley has his... More
Maripol: Polaroids From The Underground
ART / CULTURE / FASHION / Journalism
BEYOND THE STREETS • Jul 15, 2018

Maripol: Polaroids From The Underground

In 1974, a book called The Faith of Graffiti, featuring photographs by Jon Naar and an essay by Norman Mailer about a new art form rising from the streets and... More
Frogtown: A Creative Hub Blossoms Along the L.A. River
ART / CULTURE / DESIGN / Journalism
DESIGNLA/LA TIMES • Mar 26, 2018

Frogtown: A Creative Hub Blossoms Along the L.A. River

Turn onto the wrong street from Riverside Drive and you might never find it. You’ll hit the 2 or the 5 freeway, or maybe wind up at a side entrance... More
Aaron Moulton: Invoking the Hierophant
Journalism / Uncategorized
GARAGE MAGAZINE • Feb 5, 2018

Aaron Moulton: Invoking the Hierophant

“When people discover Alejandro Jodoroswky, there’s like a before-and-after kind of thing,” said curator Aaron Moulton, smoking a cigarette on the deck of his home in LA’s Mount Washington neighborhood, where... More
Exploring The Wild Unknown With Kim Krans
ART / BOOKS / Journalism / SPIRITUALITY
BODHI TREE JOURNAL • Jan 1, 2017

Exploring The Wild Unknown With Kim Krans

As Kim Krans sees it, the “deep psyche” is always trying to tell us things, and tarot is just one way to tune in and listen. A Portland, Oregon-based artist,... More

© 2020 Steffie Nelson. All Rights Reserved.