Friday desk clearing

The real reason David Hockney relocated from Los Angeles to Yorkshire is that the U.S. wouldn't allow his partner back into the country, Tyler Green says in chiding the New York Times for leaving that out. Modern Art Notes
Editor Rob Eshman on Chief Bratton: "The way I see it, after a sheriff rides into town, cleans the place up, then rides off into the sunset — those townspeople better be out in the center of Main Street, waving goodbye and choking back tears." Jewish Journal
Also in the JJ: Up close with Sharon Waxman of The Wrap.
Nikki Finke picks the 63 most influential women in TV and film. Elle
Sonny Gerasimowicz, the art director behind the beasts in "Where the Wild Things Are," talks creatures, colors and really cheap shoes. Style Section L.A.
John Rabe takes issue with an aspect of the LA Weekly's story on the murder of sheriff's deputy Abel Escalante. KPCC
El Monte city manager Jim Mussenden was arrested for allegedly trying to pick up a prostitute. Leftovers from City Hall
Ron Kaye thinks no one noticed that controversial ex-LAPD official Michael Berkow was joining William Bratton at Altegrity, but he's wrong — we noticed almost two months ago.
In case you hadn't noticed, the H1N1 influenza is spreading rapidly in SoCal. LAT
Ruth Reichl suggests she is planning to write a book about her experiences inside the "rarefied" world of Conde Nast. NY Observer
Pro Publica editor-in-chief Paul Steiger talks in depth about investigative reporting in the web era. McKinsey: What Matters
Freedom of the press belongs to all Americans, and not just to the newspaper industry, Robert Niles reminds at the Online Journalism Review
The 4th Annual Taste of Soul Festival is being held all day Saturday on Crenshaw Boulevard between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Rodeo. Info
Hard to believe it's the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. San Francisco Chronicle