Local Author Chip Jacobs to Join Friday’s Episode of “Pasadena Monthly with Justin Chapman”

Pasadena Media’s award-winning local TV talk show “Pasadena Monthly with Justin Chapman” continues this Friday at 5 p.m., featuring guest Chip Jacobs, author of Later Days and Arroyo.

Jacobs is a Pasadena-based journalist and author of several books, including Smogtown: The Lung-Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles; The People’s Republic of Chemicals; Strange as It Seems: The Impossible Life of Gordon Zahler; The Ascension of Jerry: Murder, Hitmen and the Making of L.A. Muckraker Jerry Schneiderman; The Vicodin Thieves: Biopsying L.A.’s Grifters, Gloryhounds and Goliaths; The Darkest Glare: A True Story of Murder, Blackmail, and Real Estate Greed in 1979 Los Angeles; and Black Wednesday Boys.

Later Days is Jacobs’ latest book, an evocative follow-up to his LA Times bestselling debut novel Arroyo and a gripping tale of brotherhood, recklessness and footloose souls in the anything goes of late-seventies Southern California. Later Days was published by Rare Bird Books on September 16, and the book launch event was held at Vroman’s on September 18. Jacobs has a number of other book events lined up, including on Nov. 1 at the Linda Vista Library. Learn more at chipjacobs.com.

“Pasadena Monthly” airs at 5 p.m. PT on the fourth Friday of every month on Pasadena Media’s Arroyo Channel and streaming apps, available on channel 99 on AT&T U-verse, channel 32 on Charter Spectrum, YouTube, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The show is written, hosted and produced by Chapman, directed and edited by Jeffrey Stanfill, supervised by producer Jasiri Jenkins-Glenn, executive produced by Chris Miller and chief executive produced by George Falardeau, CEO and executive director of Pasadena Media.

“‘Pasadena Monthly’ is must-watch television each month for everyone who cares about this city,” Falardeau said.

Last year, “Pasadena Monthly” won a 1st place award in the Talk Show category at the Alliance for Community Media West’s WAVE (Western Access Video Excellence) Awards. Chapman also won a 3rd place journalism award in the Talk/Public Affairs category of the LA Press Club’s 66th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards, for hosting “Pasadena Monthly.” He has won a dozen LA Press Club journalism awards, including three 1st place awards. His other TV show, “Well Read with Justin Chapman,” won a 1st place Hometown Media Award from the Alliance for Community Media this year.

In June, Chapman was a finalist in the Local Political/Government Reporting (Broadcast) category of the LA Press Club journalism awards for “Pasadena Monthly.”

Guests on “Pasadena Monthly” (and its previous iteration, “NewsRap Local”) have included Congress member Judy Chu; Congress member Adam Schiff; Assembly member Chris Holden; Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo; Pasadena city manager Miguel Márquez; LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger; JPL director Dr. Laurie Leshin; former Congress member Katie Hill; and many others.

Chapman was the youngest elected official in LA County when he served on the Altadena Town Council at age 19. He has served on a number of local boards and wrote hundreds of articles for dozens of print and digital publications, including KPCC/LAist, Alta Journal, Huffington Post, LA Weekly, Irish Post, Berkeley Political Review, Pasadena Weekly, Pasadena Star-News, Pasadena Now and many others. He is the author of Saturnalia and Paradise Springs. He was a professional child actor who starred in dozens of movies, TV shows, commercials and plays. He previously served as Communications Officer for USC Annenberg’s Pacific Council on International Policy think tank and currently serves as the District 6 Council Liaison/Field Representative to Pasadena Councilmember Steve Madison.