Realms of Gold : The Colorful Writers of San Francisco, 1850-1950 (California Literary Heritage)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0887391621 ISBN 13: 9780887391620

Publisher: Creative Arts Book Co, 1998

A vibrant history of San Francisco through the activities of the renowned writers who lived in one of the world's favorite cities. Few regions in America can equal the rich literary history of San Francisco and its surrounding areas with authors such as: Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Isadora Duncan, Jack London, Robinson Jeffers, Dashiell Hammett, John Steinbeck, William Saroyan, Henry Miller, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Realms of Gold gives us a fresh look at the lives of these writers and portrays the development of the city from a Gold Rush boom town through its rapid growth as a commercial port and rail head, its destruction in 1906, its rebirth, to its post-World War II status as a major urban center.

About the Author:

George Rathmell received his BA from UC Berkeley in 1956 and his MA from San Francsico State University in 1970. His specialty is California history and literature, and his articles and short stories have appeared in The Californians, Soundings, and Coast magazines. He is the author of Bench Marks in Reading and The Tender and Faithful Heart.

Review:

The flamboyant literary history of San Francisco has fascinated scholars and critics since the turn of the century. In Realms of Gold, George Rathmell takes a distinguished place in the roster of those who have chronicled the special relationship between San Francisco and its writers. Here is a vivid and compelling story, solidly researched and told with a verve and wealth of detail worthy of its ever intriguing subject. -- Dr. Kevin Starr, State Librarian of California