Customer Reviews

Many Californias, Second Edition: Literature From The Golden State (Western Literature Series)

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This book was purchased for a college course. I am thoroughly enjoying this collection of literature by Californians! I love the different perspective of each piece. I recommend this to anyone who lives in the state or anyone who wishes they did.

Haslam does a wonderful job capturing the many illusions of California. It's a good book to jump around reading because you'll always find something you like. All California-philes should own a copy!

Many Californias, edited by Gerald Haslam contains a teriffic, eclectic collection of writing about the Golden State. The name "California" is like Kevin Bacon to the wide universe of writers and poets who ever lived, wrote or were associated with it in some way. Haslam ponders, " Where is California? What is it?," then offers, "California remains at least as much state of mind as state of the union."

This collection is a great place to start to answer Haslam's questions and contains not only bright essays about this fabled island but also reveals some darker points in its history. From early accounts of California before the gold rush days, to Beat poets and Fresno poets, readers will enjoy what so many have had to say about the state, whether real or imagined. Subjects as diverse as Mark Twain's story of blue jay speech habits, Joan Didion's evocation of the southland's Santa Ana winds to Bukowski's ride in a red Porsche all add layers to such a rich subject. An added bonus is the selected California bibliography at the end.