Dancing Under the Moon

A marvelous pileup of real-life L.A. vignettes to laugh, cry and groan over are collected here by the curmudgeonly Los Angeles Times columnist. Martinez, whose voice recalls equal parts of Jack Webb, Rumpole of the Bailey and Gertrude Stein, is not out to make jokes; he's looking for the humanity of his subjects as he vists homeless people in Malibu and crack babies in hospitals. Some pieces are a little bland, but overall the parade of locals--which includes vegetarians, nudists and just plain folks--catches Angeleno hopes, dreams and delusions. The characters met would impress even Broadway Danny Rose; some are in show business, like the wanna-be sex goddess and Zsa Zsa Gabor, seen at a sleazy roast. Cozy codas in which Martinez returns to Topanga Canyon and his shrewd wife (aka She Who Must Be Obeyed) add a nice touch. (July)