Living in Two Worlds

This chapter focuses on Ray Bradbury's experience living and writing in two worlds, both in Los Angeles, during the war years: at a rental house in Venice Beach and in a downtown tenement. In the spring of 1942 Bradbury moved with his family to Venice Beach, settling in a rental house attached to a power substation. Bradbury set up a work area in the garage and worked there off and on until his marriage in 1947. He also maintained a parallel writing regimen at a day-office in the Los Angeles tenement, with neighborhoods that were dominated by a Mexican-American population. This chapter describes Bradbury's life in both Venice Beach and downtown Los Angeles, as well as his experiences during the so-called Pachuco riots of June 1943. It also considers how Bradbury's passion for the cinema led him to discover new influences on his writing, including the informal writing group sponsored by mystery author Virginia Perdue.