Evelyn McDonnell has written about music, popular culture, and society for publications including The Miami Herald, The Village Voice, the Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone. She is currently an assistant professor of English at Loyola Marymount University. Before participating in a panel on whether popular music still has the power to change American culture, she gave a number of shout-outs to San Pedro, where she currently lives and clearly loves.
If you could play any musical instrument, which would you choose?
Drums. I like rhythm. And the power of the drums.
How are you different from who you were 10 years ago?
I was a new mother 10 years ago; I’m an old mother now. [Laughs.] And I was primarily a journalist 10 years ago, and now I’m a scholar-writer, so I did not quite a 180—maybe a 120, career-wise. Two pretty major things.
Where do you come up with your best ideas?
I would say mostly from talking to people and observing people. And connecting things that haven’t been connected before. Just trying to think about things in new ways.
What’s your favorite cliché?
“No good deed goes unpunished.”
What’s the best place to eat in San Pedro?
That’s a good one. Who am I going to give props to? I would say The Whale & Ale.
What music do you like to dance to?
Salsa and punk rock.
What relaxes you?
Music. Massage. But not together. And red wine.
Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a typical Saturday?
I would say at a little San Pedro place called The Corner Store.
How do you pass the time in L.A. traffic?
Listening to the radio.
What station?
KCRW or KXLU if I can get it, which I can’t in San Pedro. But there’s not traffic in San Pedro …