RENDEZVOUS WITH A WRITER: WHAT HAPPENED TODAY IN THE WEST?

September 11, 2020

California Crazy. American Pop Architecture

WHAT HAPPENED TODAY IN THE WEST?
Puzzled? An Act for the Admission of the State of California into the Union was signed into law by President Millard Fillmore on September 9, 1850. California became our 31st state, and entered as a free state. What's the state's motto? Hint - it means "I found it."
California State Seal

EUREKA! I found these titles just for you. Consider them part of my "love letter" to a state I called home for over 25 years. Explore some of its rich history and culture in these four books.

ALTA CALIFORNIA: FROM SAN DIEGO TO SAN FRANCISCO A JOURNEY ON FOOT TO REDISCOVER THE GOLDEN STATE. Published in June 2020, and already a national bestseller, join author Nick Neely on his 650 mile walk from San Diego to San Francisco following the old El Camino Real.
"Rich in little-known history . . . Up the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo county coasts, then inland into the Salinas Valley to Monterey Bay. Somewhere along here, the owl moons and woodpeckers do something you might not have thought possible in 2019: they make you fall, or refall, in love with California, ungrudgingly, wildfires and insane housing prices and all . . . What a journey, you think. What a state." ―San Francisco Chronicle

Women Trailblazers of California: Pioneers to the Present by Glenda G. Harris & Hannah S. Cohen

Discover the contributions made by forty WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS OF CALIFORNIA: PIONEERS TO THE PRESENT. These women were strong and determined, overcoming prejudice, skepticism and injustice. Be inspired by the stories of, among others, architect Julia Morgan, Dolores Huerta co-founder United Farm Workers; and silent film actress Mary Pickford who helped form United Artists Pictures.

QUILTS: CALIFORNIA BOUND, CALIFORNIA MADE, 1840-1940. Author Sandi Fox is former Collection Curator of Quilts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Here is the story of California's quilts, from those California bound--carried on the backs of mules and horses, in covered wagons, by ship or by train--to those California made, created on the farms and in villages and cities across the state. A feast for the eyes, a "must" for every quilter, and an important piece of California's cultural history.

CALIFORNIA CRAZY. AMERICAN POP ARCHITECTURE. Los Angeles and the Automobile go hand-in-hand. Just one of the many cities to embrace attention-grabbing buildings that would draw in passing drivers for snacks, provisions, souvenirs, or a quick meal. Eccentric constructions -- from owls, dolls, pigs, and ships, to coffee pots and fruit - popped up everywhere. Enjoy essays and photographs documenting this architectural genre, California Crazy.

Here's to "California's Gold!"

Can't get enough about The Golden State? Check out our book list devoted to California, new titles added regularly! OutWest Shop's Book Guides add new titles daily to our bookshop.org affiliate - OutWest Shop Book Shop.

---posted by Book Guide Bobbi Jean

Disclosure: OutWest Shop's Book Shop is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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RENDEZVOUS WITH A WRITER: WHAT HAPPENED TODAY IN THE WEST?

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Also in OutWest Scout

Rendezvous With A Writer Radio Show Launches August 4, 2022

#9 Spotlight On Home: What's On Your Floor?

#8 Spotlight on Fashion: Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!