Steve Lopez

Columnist

Steve Lopez is a California native who has been a Los Angeles Times columnist since 2001. He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards and is a four-time Pulitzer finalist. Lopez is the author most recently of “Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement, From Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will.” His book “The Soloist,” inspired by his columns on his relationship with a Juilliard-trained homeless person, was a Los Angeles Times and New York Times best-seller, winner of the PEN USA Literary Award for Non-Fiction, and the subject of a Dream Works movie by the same name. He has also written three novels and two column collections.

Latest From This Author

Voices

Lopez: She left college to conquer tennis. At 81, Billie Jean King is back, chasing a degree

Billie Jean King’s resume is missing one thing — a college degree — so, at 81, she’s back in the school where she started: Cal State L.A.
July 31, 2025
$\VENICE, CA - JULY 23, 2025 - - Vancie Davis, 73, lives homeless in her car with her dog Heart in Penmar Park in Venice on July 23, 2025. Her son Tom Williamson, 51, lives in the car next to hers. Davis lives on $967 a month from Social Security. She only has one leg, the other she lost to a MRSA infection. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) reported a 4% drop in overall homelessness across the county, but the biggest spike in homeless is coming from seniors. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)$

Voices

Lopez: Trump’s order on homelessness gets it all wrong, and here’s why

There are no simple answers for homelessness — or addiction or mental illness — but Trump’s bluster is no substitute for desperately needed resources.
July 25, 2025
Voices

Lopez: I took a week off to escape the steady hum of grim news. It didn’t go as planned

I scheduled a vacation to escape the drumbeat of bad news, but I keep sneaking peeks at the headlines — to the detriment of my health
July 24, 2025
Voices

Lopez: Six months after the fires: ‘We have lost a lot. We never lost each other.’

Will Altadena and the Palisades bear at least some resemblance to what they were? Fire refugees live in a zone between hope and despair
July 12, 2025
Voices

Lopez: Trump priorities clear: Derail medical and scientific research, invade MacArthur Park

Federal immigration agents bring ‘a political agenda of provoking fear and terror’ to MacArthur Park
July 7, 2025
Voices

Lopez: A candid take on mortality and the power of friendship

David Mays, a cancer survivor, is dying — but he’s at peace with his fate because he’s got friends, love and support.
July 4, 2025
Entertainment & Arts

Violinist has the world on 2 strings

Musician Nathaniel Ayers’ chance encounter with L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez 20 years ago changed the lives of both men.
April 17, 2005
Voices

Lopez: Bass defends her turf: ‘Let me be clear: I won’t be intimidated’ by Trump

‘Where are the hardened criminals?’ Bass asks. ‘They’re chasing them through parking lots at Home Depot? They’re washing cars? I don’t think so.’
July 2, 2025
California

El recuerdo del alcalde de Pasadena, una lata de café, es un recordatorio de cuando su familia era indocumentada.

Con las redadas federales en el sur de California, familias y vecindarios se han visto afectados. El alcalde de Pasadena, Víctor Gordo, comprende cómo se sienten.
June 25, 2025
Voices

Lopez: Pasadena mayor’s keepsake, a coffee can, is a reminder of when his family was undocumented

With federal raids across Southern California, families and neighborhoods have been reeling. Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo knows how they feel.
June 25, 2025