Soapbox is a weekly series delivering a curated set of lectures, talks and symposia concerning contemporary themes but explored through the archives of lectures past and present. With the plethora of lectures, talks, symposia and panels occurring world wide on a daily basis, how can we begin to keep up and if not, find them once they are gone? Soapbox looks to assemble a selection of recent, archived and outlier lectures surrounding a given theme. Soapbox looks to curate this never-ending library of ideas into an engaging and diverse list of thoughts and provocations. Soapbox is just that, a collection aimed at discovering the occasional needle in a haystack.

This week, we saw the passing of the Pulitzer Prize-winning restaurant critic Jonathan Gold. Gold, through his words, taste buds, and curiosity, produced a mapping of Los Angeles that expanded our view of the city and the way we experience Los Angeles through its flavors. Gold's career spanned from covering classical music and hip-hop, to food, becoming famous for his restaurant-centric LA Weekly column "Counter Intelligence" (and similarly titled book). With this, Gold began to remap the city through the eyes of flavor and culture by bringing underreported and often overlooked restaurants in diverse neighborhoods across Los Angeles to the forefront. This week, for Soapbox, we focus on Gold, his words, his legacy and magnifying the mark he has left on the city and the design discipline as a whole. 

1. The Ethics of Food Writing A Conversation with Jonathan Gold

2. Jeff Goldblum Cooks With Jonathan Gold

3. Alice Waters with Jonathan Gold at Live Talks Los Angeles

4. Jonathan Gold at MAD3: "On Authenticity"

5. Critics Talk Shop: Writing Books, Music, Food, Film & Why It Matters

6. City of Gold