In many people's experience, California consists of Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco, and the highways that connect them. In reality, these urban centers make up only a fraction of the whole. According to the 2010 Census, geographically the state of California is more than 94 percent rural. Surprise Valley, Lost Hills, Raisin City, Mecca -- these are the communities that make up "the rest" of California. Photographer Lisa M. Hamilton  has delved into the collections of the California Historical Society to connect present-day stories with the past to create I See Beauty in This Life: A Photographer Looks at 100 Years of Rural California.

Aaron Hurst of New York started Taproot in 2001 with a vision to build a “Pro-Bono Nation.”  He said that he knows Americans want to help, to use their professional skills to improve the plight of the poor.  “We have just launched a program called Powered by Pro Bono, which offers nonprofits the tools and training to attract professional volunteers on their own.”  It is to Taproot’s credit that they teach nonprofits to be independent of their organization.  Taproot receives funding from corporations and foundations that see good in what they do.

Cero Space, a gallery in the Brewery Arts Complex of downtown Los Angeles, is presenting paintings by contemporary abstract artist Jennifer Perlmutter. The series, "Running Through the Forest, Trails of Uncertainty" explores the artist's emotional and psychological challenges as filtered through the colors, energy and subtle impressions of the natural world. 

Faulkner wasn’t the only literary icon who went to Hollywood to make a bundle writing for the movies. In 1933, Nathanael West moved to California on a contract for Columbia pictures, as did Dorothy Parker the following year. In an interview with The Paris Review in 1956, Parker said she wasn’t capable of talking about her Hollywood experience: “It’s a horror to look back on. When I got away from it, I couldn’t even refer to the place by name….”

It’s 2012, and the grilled cheese has received a facelift in many restaurants, cafes and bars. Not only that, but it’s hit the streets as well. A comfort classic is being revamped with added elements and variations -- not just from your mama’s kitchen. Some of these dolled-up concoctions literally present an entire meal pressed between two slices of bread. For example, a fried chicken grilled cheese at Melt Shop, 601 Lexington Ave. in Midtown Manhattan, has all the fixings for a fine meal: buttermilk fried chicken, jalapeno jack cheese, cabbage slaw and “melt sauce” on top.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, the Brooklyn-born painter who sold a piece for $14.6 million post-mortem started his career as a graffiti artist under the name, “SAMO.” This could be argued as the first modernistic conversion of basic graffiti into pop art, but is there even a significant difference? For more than 25 years, New York has been a hub for graffiti artists, so why is Los Angeles now declaring itself the street art capital of the world and, more importantly, why is no one challenging the claim?

The Year of the Dragon is an auspicious time for Chinese parents, so much so that officials in Beijing predict a spike in the number of babies born this year. Expectant mothers, however, are rushing to Hong Kong to give birth so their children will have access to the island’s more modern schools and healthcare facilities. But as hospitals in Hong Kong approach capacity, and as disgruntled locals gripe about the influx of mainlanders, many soon-to-be mothers in China are increasingly turning their eyes to the United States.