Alta Journal: Stories of California and the West

THE LATEST FROM ALTA

Don't miss this week's upcoming events and new stories.

rose b. simpson sits on a rolling stool in front of her partially restored 1964 buick riviera in a new mexico auto garage, wearing work pants and kneepads.

At the Wheel and Over the Hood

Rose B. Simpson’s mixed-media sculptures offer an exuberant blending of ancestral and contemporary culture.

aerial view of dense swedish pine forest near the klarälven river, seen from above.

They Built a 7,000-Pound Raft—and Floated

a man sits on the rooftop of a sinking house in the middle of a vast blue lake, his body hunched in reflection. above, two eyes watch from the clouds.

Fiction: ‘Former Colleagues, Nothing More’

promotional image for the alta california book club celebrating its 5th anniversary

Celebrate the California Book Club’s Fifth Anniversary at Litquake

Out of the Archives

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

black and white close up portrait of peter matthiessen in his later years, looking directly into the camera, deep lines across his face.

"JOURNEY OF THE HEART"

A Wild Life

Lance Richardson’s biography of Peter Matthiessen captures the affairs, betrayals, and brilliance of the prolific writer whose award-winning books argued for a defense of the environment and of Indigenous people’s rights.

alta, issue 33, cover, art and architecture

CURRENT ISSUE

Issue 33: Art & Architecture

Alta Journal celebrates the impulse to create, build—and rebuild in our 33rd issue.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

illustration of jean stein author of west of eden

HOLLYWOODLAND

The Black Hole at the Center

Jean Stein, who wrote the searing oral history West of Eden, listened to others while evading herself.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

ISSUE 33

illustration of a rider in a red cape galloping on a brown horse while holding a lantern labeled “ai,” symbolizing a historic and forward looking approach to artificial intelligence.

Letter from Cambridge

ansel adams, rows of barracks at the manzanar ware relocation center in owens valley california, chiura obata, untitled, topaz water tower with sunset, topaz relocation center, utah

An Artistic Friendship Born in Yosemite

andie dinkin sits at a paint splattered desk in her mid wilshire home studio, surrounded by canvases, palettes, and a coffee mug.

In the Studio with Andie Dinkin

a dozen musicians perform under a giant “50” banner at the alaska folk festival’s main stage in juneau, celebrating its 50th anniversary.

For the Joy of It

Latest from the California Book Club

Join the West Coast literary conversation every month.

john freeman, walter mosley, california rewritten

The New Canon

Introducing the Special Guest Host

In this newsletter, we announce that Walter Mosley is the special guest host in conversation with author John Freeman about California Rewritten, the California Book Club’s October selection.

john freeman, california rewritten, joan didiion

Literature that Belongs to Us

Excerpt: ‘California Rewritten’

Meet Alta Journal at Litquake’s Small Press Book Fair

john freeman, california rewritten, keplers menlo park, tommy orange, elizabeth castillo

Alta Journal and John Freeman at Kepler’s

THE MONDAY BOOK REVIEW

Sign-up for our weekly book review email.

Conspiracy Theory

In Shadow Ticket, Thomas Pynchon comes full circle—and then some.

mcnamara at war, philip taubman and william taubman, biography

The Price of Loyalty

a different kind of tension by jonathan lethem, book review

Life Writing

water mirror echo, bruce lee and the making of asian america, jeff chang

Poetics of Fighting

split portrait: susana m. morris in yellow next to the cover of positive obsession, featuring octavia butler in red lipstick and large eyeglasses.

Charting One’s Own Course

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

TWO YOSEMITES

How Yosemite Brought Two Artists Together—and Internment Tore Them Apart

Chiura Obata and Ansel Adams met as artists drawn to the same peaks—but their views of the West soon diverged.

EVENTS

Alta Live hosts interviews with magazine contributors, subjects, and California luminaries.

Alta Live: The Art of Snacking with Hilary Campbell

scott and angela uriu, uriu architecture, altadena eaton fire, rebuild

BRICK BY BRICK

‘We Get to Start from Scratch’

Three prominent architects lost their Altadena homes in the Eaton Fire. Now, with little guidance from the county, they’re rebuilding.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

THE WEEKLY ALTA NEWSLETTER

New stories from California and the West sent to your inbox every Thursday.

paul thomas anderson, one battle after another, leonardo dicaprio

‘One Battle After Another’ Revives Pynchon’s ‘Vineland’

Paul Thomas Anderson’s new action film draws from the California novel.

tanaamii akatsuka, folding screen, 2023, manga, de young museum

Manga, a Bay Area Love Story

Inside the Yawning Booth

tyler wells at the ecology center tending a fire under a steamship round of beef, cooking over open coals. the scorched foundation of a property destroyed by the eaton fire near betsy restaurant in altadena.

The Chef in the Tent

artist sonia romero, the swimmer, catalina island

On Catalina, a New Exhibition Draws Locals

built in 1892, this wooden powerhouse helped supply compressed air for mining operations near crystal, colorado

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The Past Comes Alive in a Ghost Town

The story lends some historical context to C Pam Zhang’s novel.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

ALTA LIVE ARCHIVE

Alta Live hosts interviews with magazine contributors, subjects, and California luminaries.

Alta Live: The Original Frozen Dead Guy

Greg Campbell and Bo Shaffer join Alta Live to discuss an annual Colorado tradition that involves coffin races and 125-year-old Norwegian corpse look-alike contests.