We live in an age where to speak may not always be wise. Big Brother is watching youas you call and as you write. So why not write something that really stirs up ideas? Theenemy for most Americans, the one thing that makes our lives sordid and uneventful, isthe mind numbing life we all live. If our mind is too numb because we cannot turn offelectronic stimuli long enough to think, then where will good writing come from?The Los Angeles Review is the voice of Los Angeles, and the voice of the nation. We donot have one editor who chooses work based on their idiosyncratic tastes, but insteadbring in a variety of editors for each issue. This year’s editors are focusing on The StoriesWe Tell.We dedicate the second issue of The Los Angeles Review to Deena Metzger.